EMC Clean Install and Windows Media Center Addition

[barryware]

I have read several posts in regards to doing a clean install of EMC. Actually, the posts deal more in the total removal of a previous installation of EMC prior to a re-installation of EMC

 

Among other steps, the user is instructed to go through the registry and the hard drive and delete all instances of "Roxio" and "Sonic".

 

If you follow the procedure and delete all instances of Roxio & Sonic in the registry, you will break your installation of MCE (Windows Media Center Edition) where you will no longer have the ability to create a DVD of a recorded DVR-MS file through MCE.

 

Reinstalling EMC will not repair that feature of MCE.

 

I have always wondered about this. This is about the time I do a drive image. I imaged my MCE boot drive in the event I caused unrepairable damage and for my own information, I uninstalled EMC and followed the procedure to delete any "left overs" of EMC.

 

Creating a DVD of a recorded DVR-MS file would no longer function within MCE and installing EMC did not repair the OS.

 

There are two sonic.msi files that have to get installed in the MCE OS installation. These files are not available on the MCE OS installation CD. These files are supposed to be installed by the hardware manufacturer but are available in internet land. I am not sure if they would be included in a recovery CD slipstreamed by the OEM but I know they are not available if you have purchased and installed MCE on your own.

 

I was able to restore the functionality of MCE by installing these two .msi files.

 

Just wanted to share my experiment with other owners of MCE in the event a clean install of EMC is ever necessary.

[barryware]

Don't click on that link btw - it's a dummy

 

Ya big Nut!

[ggrussell]

If you follow the procedure and delete all instances of Roxio & Sonic in the registry, you will break your installation of MCE (Windows Media Center Edition) where you will no longer have the ability to create a DVD of a recorded DVR-MS file through MCE.

You must have Vista because this is not a feature in WinXP MCE.

[barryware]

You must have Vista because this is not a feature in WinXP MCE.

I'm sorry, you are mistaken.

 

Create CD/DVD is a function of MCE. It is located under "More Programs".

 

If it is not there, that means that the user purchased the software and installed it on thier own box or the equipment manufacturer left it out.

 

This is the part that a complete uninstall will break if all instances of "sonic" are deleted from the registry.

 

MCE is only available as an OEM version and the Create CD/DVD is not on the OEM install CD and will not be installed or enabled if the OS is installed by the user.

 

MCE is not available as a full version or an upgrade.

 

Windows MCE is not intended to be sold to the public. It is only supposed to be furnished by the OEM hardware manufacturer pre-installed on the purchased machine. Microsoft does not support MCE in any way. All support is supposed to come from the OEM. (The OS can be purchased from a software vender though but then there is NO support).

 

MCE is very finicky about the hardware. That's why it is only supposed to come from an OEM equipment manufacturer. The OEM is supposed to make sure that everything works with MCE (tv tuners, remotes, radio tuners, displays, etc...) you get the idea.

 

If I could figure out how to attach a jpg to this post, I would include a screen shot.

 

How the heck can I insert a jpg into the post? The "insert image" tool is asking for a url beginning with "http://"

[ggrussell]

If you are referring to the SONIC MCE extensions, you should be able to repair that by going to Control Panel, Add/Remove Apps and select Windows Components. First uncheck the Sonic MCE Extensions to uninstall it. Reboot and then do it again and recheck the Sonic Extensions. That should repair the function.

[gi7omy]

To add a screen dump you need access to a file sharing website. There have been a few suggestions in different parts of the forum as to free ones of these. The link will then accept the URL in the format of http://www.mypics.com

 

Don't click on that link btw - it's a dummy

[John at Roxio]

Yeah, there are some keys that should not be removed. Check our KB for specific details on which ones we know are safe to remove:

http://kb.roxio.com/content/kb/Creator/000086CR