EPG Setup results in HUNG WMC Install !!

[McGary]

Well, after telling a friend who needs to update his WMC install to EPG123 how simple it was, I've managed to talk him into doing something that has now completely wiped out his WMC and I'm not sure how to get things recovered.

He was reluctant to do this until I did mine, and then we followed the exact steps I had used for mine -- the systems are nearly identical. He's not local (I'm in Texas, he's in South Carolina) … but I helped him via Teamviewer. The only difference in our installs was I did mine with v1.3.1.10, we used 1.3.2.10 for his.

The install started out as expected, but when WMC loaded and I started the Live TV Setup, it hung at the "Downloading TV Setup Data" screen … and was still there after 30 minutes. So I aborted that … but when WMC exited, EPG continued to proceed (even though I didn't enter any credentials for Schedules Direct) and then said it was done.

Unfortunately, because of the geographic distance (and my friend's lack of computer expertise) I couldn't image the system before we started (I would have done that if he was local). Not that it matters all that much, since there's no alternative but to move to EPG in a few weeks anyway.

I then noticed that my friend hadn't done any updates since last January, so I spent a couple hours getting his system completely up-to-date with all the Windows updates.

I then did another client - Clean Start install; but it hung again at the "Downloading TV Setup Data" screen … and is still there as I'm typing this. I told my friend to just leave it alone to see if it eventually proceeds -- but it's not very promising.

Any ideas on how to proceed to get past this ???

[Space]

Do a search here for "Downloading TV Setup Data" and you might find some info.

From what I gather, one way is to use zip code "00000", another is to disconnect the LAN connection during this stage.

Here is one thread I found:
viewtopic.php?t=10868

[garyan2]

^^ what he said ... Space beat me again!

At this stage of the WMC TV Setup, it is reaching out to Microsoft Servers to get headends for your zip code. I've noticed the last couple days it is slow to respond but haven't had it hang on me yet. There is a work around...

Right before your friend clicks the OK button for the 'I do not agree' response in the Program Guide Terms of Service page, he needs to disable/disconnect his network adapter/cable. WMC is funny in that if you have a network, but the server doesn't respond, it will just sit there. If it doesn't have a network connection, it will just tell you that you can't download any guides and then let you move forward. So with the network disconnected, wait for that prompt about not being able to download any guide data and then reenable/reconnect his network. Wait for some time for the machine to recognize the network is connected and continue on.

This will, of course, disconnect your TeamViewer session while he is disconnected.

[McGary]

Well … the workaround didn't work. Even without a network connection, it still hangs.

However, I did find a few things that LOOKED promising, but still didn't let us get WMC configured …

If, when the system hangs at the "Downloading TV Setup Data" screen, you open an administrative command prompt and type this command: "C:\Windows\ehome\msupdate.exe -manual -nogc -p" then the setup screen will finish and you can continue. You can then step through the next few screens, until you get past the cablecard activation screen and it shows the TV Signal Configuration (in this case indicating that it's going to use the cablecards) … but then when you click Next you get a screen that says "Error - TV setup cannot continue … TV setup has encountered a serious problem. Select finish to exit, then try again. If this problem persists, restart WMC or the computer."

Restarting has no impact -- same result.

I found a thread that indicates you can run mcupdate.exe -MediaCenterRecoveryTask and then reboot to resolve this. I'll try that later this evening, but right now my friend had to take a break for dinner, so it'll be another hour or so. I still had a connection, so I tried it without a reboot, and that didn't help; so in another hour or so I'll try it again and do the reboot.

This afternoon is the nightmare scenario I had always worried about when I was thinking of installing EPG
My experience a few days ago had me convinced I was needlessly worrying. Today has me rethinking that a bit !!

Hopefully I can get this resolved this evening -- my friend and his wife are handicapped elderly (80's) folks whose primary evening entertainment is their TV.

[garyan2]

Well … the workaround didn't work. Even without a network connection, it still hangs.

How long did you wait? It will still "hang" a little, but it won't sit there forever. I just did this on a VM and it took about 13 seconds before WMC decided to give up on a network and give me the prompt.

[garyan2]

Another note if you are thinking of giving up right now and trying again later, you can open the client and click the [Restore] button... select the backup that was created initially. This will restore WMC back to using Rovi. You will also need to go into WMC Tasks->settings->TV->Guide and select Get Latest Guide Listings to download the Rovi guide.

He'll be back in business with Rovi in a short amount of time.

[McGary]

We waited about 5 minutes without a network connection -- but it still didn't go forward until I had my friend run the "C:\Windows\ehome\msupdate.exe -manual -nogc -p" command. Then it ran fine.

I then tried the " mcupdate.exe -MediaCenterRecoveryTask" and rebooted; this somewhat changed the "flow" of questions, but it did work well UNTIL I got to the "TV Signal Configuration" screen … and when you hit next on that you get the ""Error - TV setup cannot continue … TV setup has encountered a serious problem. Select finish to exit, then try again. If this problem persists, restart WMC or the computer." message.

I've tried numerous combinations for the last few hours, and simply can't get past this.

By the way, a "Restore" doesn't help now, since WMC has been reset with the recovery task. Since it won't complete the live TV setup, there's no guide available and no ability to watch live TV. The issue at this point isn't the guide -- I'm sure EPG would be working just fine if WMC worked okay, but that's simply not the case.

I'm inclined tomorrow to go to Windows Options; remove WMC; reboot; then go back to the options and add it back, and hope that this will effectively reinstall it from scratch and let the setup work okay. I really can't think of anything else to try.

[garyan2]

The [Restore] should work regardless of its current state. The only way it won't work is if the tuners get a new GUID in the registry.

[McGary]

The [Restore] should work regardless of its current state. The only way it won't work is if the tuners get a new GUID in the registry.

I tried it, but after you run Restore, when you run WMC you get this:

So no guide choice, and no ability to watch live TV (since it isn't set up). There were several backup files to choose from, since we had tried so many times to do this. I tried the first one … perhaps tomorrow morning I'll try a different one. But regardless, even if that works, we're just back to square one and still have to somehow get the system updated.

This is particularly frustrating since it's so long distance. It's oh-so-much better if you have physical access to the machine.

[garyan2]

The [Restore] should work regardless of its current state. The only way it won't work is if the tuners get a new GUID in the registry.

I tried it, but after you run Restore, when you run WMC you get this:

WMC Init.jpg

So no guide choice, and no ability to watch live TV (since it isn't set up). There were several backup files to choose from, since we had tried so many times to do this. I tried the first one … perhaps tomorrow morning I'll try a different one. But regardless, even if that works, we're just back to square one and still have to somehow get the system updated.

This is particularly frustrating since it's so long distance. It's oh-so-much better if you have physical access to the machine.

Agree and understand the frustration. The "missing" guide is not because of the restore, but is because of failing to do a TV Setup. There are a couple registry entries to set and the guide will show back up.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Settings\ProgramGuide]
"fAgreeTOS"=dword:00000001
"strAgreedTOSVersion"="1.0"

Good news for you, though. I'm putting you in for a 'Needs Improvement' in the EPG123 Bug/Issue Contest... I need to add those registry changes into the Restore routine. Those registries are checked every import, but not for this.

[McGary]

My plan for tomorrow when I can get remote access to the system (early afternoon) is to first try Restore from a couple of the other backup files (it'd be great if that at least got us back to a functioning WMC); then, if that doesn't work, to go to Control Panel -- Uninstall a program -- Turn Windows features on or off … and then uncheck Media Center. Then reboot; and then repeat the process, but this time checking Media Center. I presume this will effectively just reinstall Media Center.

I thought of another OOB possibility -- I notice you run this in VMs. Does WMC work well in a VM with the HDHR tuners? This may be a simple way to do a full reinstall for my friend remotely … I could just build a Win7 VM, get it fully up-to-date; and then set up WMC using his HDHR tuners. I presume that since the "new computer" (the VM) was a different computer than all of his current content was recorded on, that he couldn't play any of that, but it should work just fine going forward … and he could run the old WMC (with no tuners -- i.e. the current state) to play older content. Not sure what the cablecard activation status would be with the new VM install … but it's not the biggest catastrophe if he has to deal with his cable company for that.

I'm also not sure if an Xbox extender can be an extender for two different WMC setups -- if so, it would work even better, as you could select which system to connect to when you turned on an extender -- the old one with content only; or the new one (in the VM) for all new recordings, live TV, etc. => over a period of time they'd just be using the VM setup.

Incidentally, do you know if you move a VM to new hardware (MOVE … not COPY) if the PlayReady status is still okay for currently recorded content? I know from experience that activation is retained as long as you MOVE it … it'd be REALLY nice if WMC survives that move as well. I've thought many times about experimenting with this; but my HTPC works SO well that I've left well enough alone. My last hardware upgrade was several years ago … it's a 4th gen i7 and has PLENTY of "oomph" -- and is dedicated for WMC … so I've not bother to experiment that way.

… hopefully not a necessary path; but just thinking of how to get it all working in a day or two with my limited physical access and my friend's limited capabilities/PC knowledge. I don't have either or those limitations - but I'm 1500+ miles from the PC

[McGary]

... There are a couple registry entries to set and the guide will show back up.

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Settings\ProgramGuide]
"fAgreeTOS"=dword:00000001
"strAgreedTOSVersion"="1.0"

So are you saying if I add this registry entry his system should show the guide?

I presume it still wouldn't work for live TV or recordings, however, since the tuner setup wasn't completed … or should the restore have reset that as well ??

[McGary]

One more question if you're still up --- is there ANY risk of messing up my system if (on a different PC) I add WMC to a Win7 VM and run the live TV setup on it, telling it to use ONE of my cablecard tuners? I presume that as long as that tuner isn't actively being used, it would still be available for my main HTPC … i.e. once I shut down that VM nothing would have changed.

I'm a late-night person, and was just thinking I could confirm that a VM works well and actually have one pretty well set up and ready to go for my friend. If I understand correctly, I can still use my Schedules Direct account for this experiment (or if you think it's safer, I'd just sign up for another free account using a different e-mail address).

But I do NOT want to take ANY chance of screwing up the cablecards, so if you think that's a risk, I won't do this.

[McGary]

Good news for you, though. I'm putting you in for a 'Needs Improvement' in the EPG123 Bug/Issue Contest... I need to add those registry changes into the Restore routine. Those registries are checked every import, but not for this.

Nice -- I guess that means I might get my 2nd year of Schedules Direct for free
… nice birthday present (today is my birthday)

[garyan2]

I've run WMC in a VM on my WHS2011 server. It was really just the recording machine. You can't watch TV on the VM due to video drivers/capability. I don't believe you will be able to connect extenders to it either unless you dedicate a Network adapter to the VM. If anyone has experience with trying to use VMs like this, chime in.

Really, if it could be done in a VM, that would be what everyone would be doing on a Win10 machine rather than going through all the trouble with v8.8.1-v8.8.4 and v13 with all the workarounds.

[garyan2]

Okay, I took a look at why it would not show your guide. The registry settings I show above are already being done in code, so it is something that a MediaCenterRecoveryTask is clearing out something that I need to find (just like you said). I already see that the country code and postal codes are null'd in the registry, but restoring just those didn't help.

[garyan2]

There are a whole lot of registry entries that get wiped out with the recovery task, mostly dealing with the tuners. It looks like the tuners will need to be set up before a Restore can work. Maybe I'll take a look at how the Win10 folks backup the registry entries and see if I can leverage off that for EPG123 Backup/Restore.

[adam1991]

reason #437 why if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

More and more every day I'm afraid to touch it.

[garyan2]

reason #437 why if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

More and more every day I'm afraid to touch it.

I think we've all heard that line before, but in this case I'm not even sure it applies. This was being proactive and not waiting for it to break next month and their WMC is being particularly ornery.

[McGary]

Really, if it could be done in a VM, that would be what everyone would be doing on a Win10 machine rather than going through all the trouble with v8.8.1-v8.8.4 and v13 with all the workarounds.

Absolutely agree -- not only would it let you use new hardware, but IF the virtual machine retained its ID when moved to new hardware, it would let your WMC setup be hardware independent, so if a system broke you wouldn't lose all of the recordings, since any copy-protected material must be played back on the same system it was recorded on. [And some cable companies set the CC flag for virtually all material]

I had always assumed this would not work in a VM, which is why I never really bothered to try it -- just seems like the I/O performance couldn't keep up with multiple recordings and servicing extenders. But you had mentioned doing this in a VM, so I thought perhaps I was wrong. I understand now you just use the VM to test things, where the performance isn't really an issue.

I've run WMC in a VM on my WHS2011 server. It was really just the recording machine. You can't watch TV on the VM due to video drivers/capability. I don't believe you will be able to connect extenders to it either unless you dedicate a Network adapter to the VM. If anyone has experience with trying to use VMs like this, chime in.

Good for testing … but clearly if you can't watch TV on it and can't support extenders it's not a good "main machine" for WMC. So, I really need to figure out how to get my friend's system working !! I'm going to call him in a few minutes and spend some time on his system to see if I can fully reset WMC and get the Live TV setup to work. If I had physical access to the machine this would be SO much easier … but if I can just figure out how to get WMC to allow a complete reset of the tuners all should be well. The message "TV Setup has encountered a serious problem. Select Finish to exit, then try again. If this problem persists, restart Windows Media Center or your computer." is USELESS without some indication of WHAT the error is. Certainly doesn't help much … and all the notes I could find about this suggest doing the MediaCenterRecoveryTask … which not only didn't help, but apparently eliminated any opportunity to just do a Restore with EPG [although even if that had worked, the system would still be in a state that would have been useless after 14 Jan].

… More later, after I spend a few hours on my friend's system If anyone has an epiphany about something that could help, please post it -- I'll check periodically to see if there are useful suggestions.