Reinstall WMC without losing old DRM file playback???

[Paul Anderegg]

My WMC install is FUBAR...multiple swaps of Ceton tuners is not fixing it, contantly losing connection to the tuner, even though the Ceton Diagnostic tool works just fine.

If I do a clean Windows 7 install, I lose 3TB of DRM recordings from the last year...is it possibly to reinstall Windows IN PLACE (it's a thing, really, it is), or remove and reinstall just Media Center within Windows, without loosing my DRM playback of old files?

If I perform a full system image backup prior to messing or playing around with this stuff, am I assured that I can always reload the full system image and all will be as it was, along with FUBAR record capability?

Help

Paul

[Scallica]

If you do a clean install of Windows, ALL of your copy-protected recordings will be unplayable.

If you restore a system image, your copy-protected recordings created before the backup will be playable. Recordings made after the backup will be unplayable.

Simple as that.

[Space]

Doing an image backup of your system disk (windows partition + special partitions) should allow you to later do a restore (windows partition + special partitions) and be back where you were (DRM recordings still playable).

A re-install of Windows will make all of your DRM recordings worthless (until you do an image restore).

I believe reinstalling just WMC will be okay (you will still be able to play back your DRM recordings), but I would wait to hear from others about this one, as I have never done it.

[Alan G]

I had a different experience when I upgraded to a new PC with a fresh install of Windows 7. I set up WMC as normal with my cable card tuner and moved the hard drive with DRM shows on it from the old PC to the new one. With one exception they all played fine.

[cwinfield]

I had a different experience when I upgraded to a new PC with a fresh install of Windows 7. I set up WMC as normal with my cable card tuner and moved the hard drive with DRM shows on it from the old PC to the new one. With one exception they all played fine.

Upgrade install is different than fresh install, but you moved your hard drive from a different PC and copy protected content worked? I call BS...

[Paul Anderegg]

Me too, I know I cannot move my existing WMC OS SSD to my second PC, or even a single "copy protected" file from my WMC PC to any other Windows PC, nor can I playback copy protected files on the same PXC that recorded them, ion anything other than WMC or WMP...VLC and PowerDVD won't even play them on the same PC that recorded them in WMC.

Paul

[Space]

I doubt that you were able to play copy protected shows on the new system. Even if you moved over the licenses file (which you didn't mention) it should not work. A fresh install of Windows on a new PC, even if all components are of the same brand/model (or even if the same PC for a fresh Windows install) should not allow any DRM (copy protected) shows to play back.

Are you sure the shows were copy protected (Copy-once)?

[Alan G]

I doubt that you were able to play copy protected shows on the new system. Even if you moved over the licenses file (which you didn't mention) it should not work. A fresh install of Windows on a new PC, even if all components are of the same brand/model (or even if the same PC for a fresh Windows install) should not allow any DRM (copy protected) shows to play back.

Are you sure the shows were copy protected (Copy-once)?

I can't really remember as I did the new build last November with a fresh copy of Win7. Most of what was on the HD were movies and a couple of sporting events(maybe 20 items in total; I don't save things for long times). There were a couple of Showtime things. I was surprised that they all played. Perhaps they were not copy protected

[DavidinCT]

I doubt that you were able to play copy protected shows on the new system. Even if you moved over the licenses file (which you didn't mention) it should not work. A fresh install of Windows on a new PC, even if all components are of the same brand/model (or even if the same PC for a fresh Windows install) should not allow any DRM (copy protected) shows to play back.

Are you sure the shows were copy protected (Copy-once)?

I can't really remember as I did the new build last November with a fresh copy of Win7. Most of what was on the HD were movies and a couple of sporting events(maybe 20 items in total; I don't save things for long times). There were a couple of Showtime things. I was surprised that they all played. Perhaps they were not copy protected

Yep, no DRM on those. Not all shows/movies are DRM'ed. I've seen this before. 2 shows recorded on HBO, on the same day, one with DRM, one with out.

[Sharks]

I'll jump in here I just did a full wipe & reinstall on the same system without changing anything it didn't affect my copy protected content. It still plays like normal. : )