VISTA WMC Stuck on Zap2it

[MrCreosote]

Its not a Zip Code issue since people running later OS's have no problems with 15222 which does not work on my VISTA PC.

I get the proper channel lineup but NO DATA AVAILABLE for all channels.

Have tried running Setup a few times and never get any problems - says everything installs correctly.

[SteelWill]

Installing the TV Pack got my Vista install onto the Rovi EPG.
http://digiex.net/guides-reviews/guides ... guide.html
I just installed the TV pack from that site. My experience matches the one posted here:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 810#p61810

[MrCreosote]

Did you have VISTA SP2 when you installed TV Pack? (I have SP2)

[SteelWill]

I had SP2 as well as everything from Windows Update.

[dkrom]

SteelWill - can you help out some of us on XP Media Center? We too cannot get guide data and I doubt we can install the TV pack. My best bet is there are some registry values that change (I'm sure there is a lot more too). We've figured out that changing the URL at HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/MediaCenter/Service/EPG/discSvc/ in the registry will allow some machines to no longer error out and download a guide, but they are still stuck on Zap2it. Can you post the URL in that registry value (if there is one - Win7 doesn't have one and from what I've read the TV pack makes Vista basically like Win 7), and maybe all of the info in the registry at HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/MediaCenter/Service/EPG/ to see if we can make some changes that might make both the older versions of Vista and XP work again?

[lees40]

HI Guys,

I am using Vista SP2, via a Linksys extender. Does anyone know if the extender will still work after installing TV Pack?

[Vistaar]

If anyone using Vista WMC without TV Pack installed is getting any Rovi guide data, then please post here and tell us about it. I'm increasingly convinced that the Microsoft legacy service has ended. That might prove to be only temporary, but I seriously doubt it. The newer guide service that supports W7MC was actually first developed for TV Pack 2008. I'm a software historian who has lately been researching the long-lost TV Pack. Some of you might be interested in my post at Vista Support Forums: http://www.vistax64.com/software/303967 ... a0b0c29db4

Installing the TV Pack got my Vista install onto the Rovi EPG.
http://digiex.net/guides-reviews/guides ... guide.html
I just installed the TV pack from that site. My experience matches the one posted here:
http://www.thegreenbutton.tv/forums/vie ... 810#p61810

SteelWill, are you using WMC for OTA channels or with a CableCard device? (My own research has focused on Clear QAM cable channels, which Vista WMC was previously incapable of tuning.) Did you install PlayReady v1.2 as suggested in your link? (I did not initially, but I'm now testing with v1.3 installed, which is available directly from Microsoft.) Oh, and are you running 64-bit Vista by any chance? (32-bit in my case.)

[SteelWill]

I'm using 32-bit Vista, didn't install PlayReady or anything else from the link, but the pack installer did download the cumulative update during the install, and I'm strictly OTA. I too am working on the expectation that the legacy service isn't coming back.

I'm a little hesitant to post my whole EPG key, but my discSvc value is "https://data.tvdownload.microsoft.com/d ... esMetaInfo". I can also say that only my old zip code is listed in the registry values there, not the new one I got the Rovi info from, so there's more info being polled from somewhere than just there.

I might restore my OS image from before the TV pack install, so I can possibly do some more comparisons. Ever since the install my computer wakes a couple of times a day to not do anything for two minutes or so before going back to sleep. The times are 8:34PM and 3:00AM. Nothing in the task scheduler is doing it (I've disabled damn near everything, mcupdate tasks included), guide data isn't set to download on its own (since the pack install anyway), Windows update is disabled, and the Event Viewer isn't giving any clues either. The one time I happened to keep it awake and do a powercfg -lastwake it was from an RTC Alarm but no idea from what. And unfortunately, the Vista version of powercfg doesn't support the -waketimers switch.

[lees40]

Well, good thing I set a restore point. Installing TV pack fixed the guide, but prevented the extender from connecting to the PC. Used system restore to fix that, but still have no guide.

[dkrom]

Thanks SteelWill for posting the URL, that's the URL we were able to use to get the guide to download data, but only from Zap2it. I think you're right about the info being somewhere else since I can't find anything at that registry value in a Win7 install (I've read the TV pack is basically the Win7 rewrite for Vista so it probably left the old XP style registry values. This might also explain why the linksys extenders no longer work for lees40). What linksys extender were you using lees40? If it was a WMCE54AG then the TV pack probably would prevent it since those were designed for XP systems (but I didn't think they worked with Vista). If it was a DMA2100 or 2200, it should still work since those work in my Win7 install. Maybe you needed more updates to get them working?

[lees40]

I am using the 2100. Now that you mention it, it is the cumulative update that breaks the extender connectivity. Is there any way to avoid it?

[Vistaar]

Well you could try uninstalling the cumulative update, which is only "recommended" and applies mainly to CableCard setups: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/ ... /kb/977864

[mtreehugger]

Thanks Steelwill and the rest!

I have Vista SP2 and am stuck on zap2it. Whenever I've tried to manually "Download TV Setup Options," it tells me "Download Failure. The download of new options could not be completed. The existing TV setup options will be used as you continue through TV signal setup. Select Next to continue." I've been stuck in this mode for months, possibly years. Is this what the rest of you have been facing?

(I'm now without guide data for about a week or so.)

I'm hesitant to download the 2008 TV pack because
1) it's 2015,
2) the instructions specify that it's only for "A CLEAN INSTALL OF SP1" and my SP2 is anything but clean (in fact I can't even use system restore--it fails every time),
3) oh, and I can't even use system restore--it fails every time.

However, after reading this thread, I'm convinced you all are more tech savvy than I. Is the TV pack right for me, or is there a better option?

THANKS!!!

[Vistaar]

Your hesitance is understandable, but notice that the "instructions" were written in 2008, at which time SP1 was the latest version. They were not written by Microsoft, and should not be followed to the letter in any event (outdated version of PlayReady, obsolete patches, etc.) I would recommend a system image - especially if you've had problems with system restore before. But if you find a way to get Rovi data without installing TV Pack, please tell us about it.

[MrCreosote]

Update on my efforts: did the URL Hosts add which did nothing: (there is more to this but I'm only including enough to identify what I did. Also, there is a subsequent instruction for taskschd.msc Media Center that does not exist: ObjectStoreRecoveryTask so I don't know how appropriate these instructions are - probably for Win7 WMC.)

Here are the steps:

close WMC
click start button
type CMD in search box
right click CMD and run as administrator
cd c:\windows\system32\drivers\etc
notepad hosts
Add the following 2 lines
65.55.186.113 data.tvdownload.microsoft.com
72.246.56.59 cdn.epg.tvdownload.microsoft.com
(if there are other lines in your file that are for data.tvdownload.microsoft.com or cdn.epg.tvdownload.microsoft.com comment them out by placing a # at the beginning of the line)
save the file and exit notepad
in your cmd window
ipconfig /flushdns

click start button
in search box type taskschd.msc
after task scheduler opens
In the left tree expand Task Scheduler Library, Microsoft, Windows
click on Media Center folder to highlight it
In the upper window of the center section scroll through the activities under the Name column.
right-click ObjectStoreRecoveryTask, and click Run this activity does not exist
Let this run for a minute or two

Reboot and re-open WMC. You will receive a warning that WMC corrected a problem and will download the Guide EPG data again

Tasks > Settings > General > Windows Media Center Setup

Use the Advanced instead of the Express option. there is no Advanced option

[Vistaar]

So did you get any Rovi data MrCreosote? I can only surmise that the answer is "no."

[Vistaar]

There is so much debate over TVP's robustness so I'm holding off on that.

So who are we supposedly having a debate with? Vista users who don't have TV Pack installed?

Modifying your hosts file will accomplish nothing, here's how to restore it: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/ ... /kb/972034

If you're looking for a simple solution, look for a used Windows 7 PC.

[MrCreosote]

I've seen comments that TVP should be installed on a VISTA SP1 clean install and that TVP should be installed for CableCard - it's not clear if it should be "only" installed. And then for QAM also if I remember correctlyl.

Other comments were that TVP was intended for OEM's to install and is not considered an update to WMC.

So that technically means it should not be installed since I don't have CableCard nor want QAM.

My hosts file looked exactly like it should and I simply added the two lines that everyone is talking about to no effect.

I have a couple Win7 machines but the one I have dedicated for HTPC is this VISTA dual core. It works just fine and I thought what a good utilization of VISTA. What could go wrong? - all this PC does is run WMC.

If I knew that everyone that got VISTA to work had to install TV Pack, I would install it in a heartbeat. However, only one fellow has said this worked for him - can't find any others with the same success. And haven't found anyone that has VISTA running right w/o TVP.

I want a modicum of confirmation about using TVP.

[SteelWill]

There's only one way to know for sure if it will work for you. Make an OS backup (I use Acronis), install it and see. If it works, yay, if not, roll it back. I'm not sure why this TV Pack has so much superstition surrounding it.

[Vistaar]

I have a couple Win7 machines but the one I have dedicated for HTPC is this VISTA dual core...haven't found anyone that has VISTA running right w/o TVP.

Well you're not much of a WMC junkie if you haven't reassigned your hardware yet. Legacy guide data ran out July 26, I installed TV Pack July 27. I second SteelWill's suggestion that you should create an image before installing it (I use Macrium). As to why Microsoft chose to withhold this update from Vista users: My thesis is that by the middle of 2008, Microsoft had essentially given up on Vista and decided to reserve as many goodies as possible for "Vienna" (Win7) in hopes of convincing XP die-hards as well as Vista users to upgrade (like we all had money to burn).