Windows Media Center crash after W7 update

On Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:44:47 -0600, BillW50 wrote:

Yes I agree pretty much with WMC, but the format seems to be only
playable on WMC machines. A stock XP machine won't play them for
example.

Go into your recorded tv folder & right click a recording, you have an
option to convert to dvr-ms which will play on XP.

On 18/12/2011 11:48, BillW50 wrote:
In ,
Roger Mills wrote:
I installed some 'important updates' to W7 (32 bit) last night, and
now WMC - or rather the whole PC - crashes when I try to watch live
TV via my USB-based Freeview tuner.

It will run for a minute or so, and then stops dead. The picture
freezes and a distorted sound loop about a second long keeps repeating
relentlessly. The whole laptop freezes, and doesn't respond to any
keyboard or mouse inputs - so the only way out is to hold down the
power button until it turns off, and then re-boot.

Anyone else experienced this - or have any suggestions about how to
fix it? As with most freezes, I can't find anything in the Event Log.

That is a common problem with updates and why I have experimented with
about a dozen laptops here and I have stopped updating half of them
without ill effects.

But on to your problem. System Restore should get you back (if you have
it enabled). Also some updates can be uninstalled is another choice. If
neither is possible and you don't have a backup of your system. Then
maybe the manufacture for your USB tuner has an updated driver for the
Media Center.


Thanks for that - and thanks to everyone else who responded. I did a
restore to the point immediately before the update, and the problem
seems to have gone away. I went away from home (and am still away)
shortly after doing the restore - so haven't been able to do any
extensive testing, but it *looks* good so far.

I suppose I shall now have to apply these updates one at a time, and see
which one is the culprit.

Say how do you like the Media Center for saving recordings anyway? I
like the Media Center for watching TV or timeshifting, although it takes
a big CPU hit. Otherwise I like the DVR software that comes with most
tuners better, plus they don't hit the CPU so hard and you can get more
multitasking done.


I was introduced to WMC by someone in this NG (or another NG to which I
cross-posted - can't remember) because the application which came with
the dongle kept crashing and freezing my laptop. Apart from this recent
problem, WMC has fixed that. To answer your question, I think that the
user interface is truly *awful* - but it does the job,once you have
found your way around it. The other day, I found some recordings which I
hadn't expected. I must at some time have told it to record a series -
but I hadn't run the application in the meantime, and didn't expect it
to record when it wasn't running - but it *did*. Presumably, something
must be loaded at startup which takes care of scheduled recordings even
if the user interface isn't running.
--
Cheers,
Roger
____________
Please reply to Newsgroup. Whilst email address is valid, it is seldom
checked.

Roger Mills wrote:

I was introduced to WMC by someone in this NG (or another NG to which
I cross-posted - can't remember) because the application which came
with the dongle kept crashing and freezing my laptop.

Probably me, I couldn't get my PCTV nanostick to work for longer than a
few minutes with the supplied software, happened to try WMC and found
it worked very well, albeit clunky, awkward but very reliable!

Apart from this
recent problem, WMC has fixed that. To answer your question, I think
that the user interface is truly awful - but it does the job,once you
have found your way around it. The other day, I found some recordings
which I hadn't expected. I must at some time have told it to record a
series - but I hadn't run the application in the meantime, and didn't
expect it to record when it wasn't running - but it did. Presumably,
something must be loaded at startup which takes care of scheduled
recordings even if the user interface isn't running.

That's interesting, might have to try that it could come in very
useful, thanks.

karma ..

--
Paul - xxx
"You know, all I wanna do is race .. and all I wanna do is win"
Mark Cavendish, World Champion 2011.

In ,
Daniallo wrote:
On Sun, 18 Dec 2011 07:44:47 -0600, BillW50 wrote:

Yes I agree pretty much with WMC, but the format seems to be only
playable on WMC machines. A stock XP machine won't play them for
example.

Go into your recorded tv folder & right click a recording, you have an
option to convert to dvr-ms which will play on XP.

Thanks! I have a dozen of computers here and some stock and some isn't.
And they all have the same problem with the converted file. As WMP will
just sit there like it is paused when it isn't. Although it plays fine
if I move the time bar. Isn't there a codec that allows it to play
without conversion?

--
Bill
Gateway M465e ('06 era) - OE-QuoteFix v1.19.2
Centrino Core Duo T2400 1.83GHz - 2GB - Windows XP SP3

Paul - xxx brought next idea :
Roger Mills wrote:

I was introduced to WMC by someone in this NG (or another NG to which
I cross-posted - can't remember) because the application which came
with the dongle kept crashing and freezing my laptop.

Probably me, I couldn't get my PCTV nanostick to work for longer than a
few minutes with the supplied software, happened to try WMC and found
it worked very well, albeit clunky, awkward but very reliable!

Apart from this
recent problem, WMC has fixed that. To answer your question, I think
that the user interface is truly awful - but it does the job,once you
have found your way around it. The other day, I found some recordings
which I hadn't expected. I must at some time have told it to record a
series - but I hadn't run the application in the meantime, and didn't
expect it to record when it wasn't running - but it did. Presumably,
something must be loaded at startup which takes care of scheduled
recordings even if the user interface isn't running.

That's interesting, might have to try that it could come in very
useful, thanks.

karma ..

Yes, I've got Win 7 Ultimate 64-bit in an HTPC I built using a
BlackGold 3620 tuner and Windows Media Centre works brilliantly. Use
the guide to choose to record either a single programme or a whole
series, choose the Shut Down menu and then Sleep from within Media
Centre and it wakes up and records flawlessly. Highly recommended :')

On 12/18/2011 3:48 AM, BillW50 wrote:
In ,
Roger Mills wrote:
I installed some 'important updates' to W7 (32 bit) last night, and
now WMC - or rather the whole PC - crashes when I try to watch live
TV via my USB-based Freeview tuner.

It will run for a minute or so, and then stops dead. The picture
freezes and a distorted sound loop about a second long keeps repeating
relentlessly. The whole laptop freezes, and doesn't respond to any
keyboard or mouse inputs - so the only way out is to hold down the
power button until it turns off, and then re-boot.

Anyone else experienced this - or have any suggestions about how to
fix it? As with most freezes, I can't find anything in the Event Log.

That is a common problem with updates and why I have experimented with
about a dozen laptops here and I have stopped updating half of them
without ill effects.

But on to your problem. System Restore should get you back (if you have
it enabled). Also some updates can be uninstalled is another choice. If
neither is possible and you don't have a backup of your system. Then
maybe the manufacture for your USB tuner has an updated driver for the
Media Center.

Say how do you like the Media Center for saving recordings anyway? I
like the Media Center for watching TV or timeshifting, although it takes
a big CPU hit. Otherwise I like the DVR software that comes with most
tuners better, plus they don't hit the CPU so hard and you can get more
multitasking done.

I've never had good luck with media center.
Either it wouldn't play TV at all or would use 120% of the cpu and sutdder
badly.
I tried the win8 preview and the tv card plays without a hitch
and uses the same cpu cycles as the recorder that came with the card.
I'm optimistic that things might be getting better in this area.
I don't like the user interface, but at least it works now.

On Apr 20, 9:33*pm, mike wrote:
On 12/18/2011 3:48 AM, BillW50 wrote:







,
Roger Mills wrote:
I installed some 'important updates' to W7 (32 bit) last night, and
now WMC - or rather the whole PC - crashes when I try to watch live
TV via my USB-based Freeview tuner.

It will run for a minute or so, and then stops dead. The picture
freezes and a distorted sound loop about a second long keeps repeating
relentlessly. The whole laptop freezes, and doesn't respond to any
keyboard or mouse inputs - so the only way out is to hold down the
power button until it turns off, and then re-boot.

Anyone else experienced this - or have any suggestions about how to
fix it? As with most freezes, I can't find anything in the Event Log.

That is a common problem with updates and why I have experimented with
about a dozen laptops here and I have stopped updating half of them
without ill effects.

But on to your problem. System Restore should get you back (if you have
it enabled). Also some updates can be uninstalled is another choice. If
neither is possible and you don't have a backup of your system. Then
maybe the manufacture for your USB tuner has an updated driver for the
Media Center.

Say how do you like the Media Center for saving recordings anyway? I
like the Media Center for watching TV or timeshifting, although it takes
a big CPU hit. Otherwise I like the DVR software that comes with most
tuners better, plus they don't hit the CPU so hard and you can get more
multitasking done.

I've never had good luck with media center.
Either it wouldn't play TV at all or would use 120% of the cpu and sutdder
badly.
I tried the win8 preview and the tv card plays without *a hitch
and uses the same cpu cycles as the recorder that came with the card.
I'm optimistic that things might be getting better in this area.
I don't like the user interface, but at least it works now.

I have XP MC on my Toshiba Qosmio G30 - it cost 2 grand (pounds)
originally. However the t.v. analogue and digitial card(s) gave such
appalling results that I quickly hacked the registry to disable the
whole lot. I could never get the scan for new channels to work. The
picture quality was appalling with colour washout and jerkiness. And
if I did a scan for analogue channels this wiped out the settings for
the digital channels, and vice-a-versa. Now-a-days I watch t.v. on a
proper digital t.v. - the laptop is just that - a laptop. Media Centre
is the worst app. I have ever come across from MS - but that's not
saying very much.

CJB.