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Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:34 pm
by Mugsy
I just installed a new MoBo with fresh install of 64bit Win10 Pro to an M.2 boot drive.

I tried installing WMC 8.8.1. Appeared to install fine with no error. WMC icon added to desktop.

Launch WMC from icon, nothing happens. Even tried running as Admin. Nothing. Not even a window opening & closing. Nothing but a brief "busy" arrow cursor for about a second, then nothing. Tried rebooting, but it made no difference.

I *just* installed this same copy of WMC to a different Win 10 PC and it installed perfectly in seconds.

The ReadMe file suggested running "ResetSettings.cmd". Didn't help. Neither did installing "Settings.reg"

Any advice is appreciated.

Re: HELP! Launching WMC 8.8.1. Nothing happens.

Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2020 10:51 pm
by technodevotee
Microsoft removed MSSQLLite in later versions of Windows 10.

WMC relies on that so from your description, you almost certainly need to reinstate it.

You can download a tool to do that from my website (in my signature).

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:08 pm
by Mugsy
Thanks. Just when I thought I couldn't hate Windows 10 more, they went and made it worse (which I didn't think was possible.)

Unfortunately, something is still wrong. I extracted the MSSQLLite patch to d:\Junk\ but when I run it, nothing appears to happen (even when run as Admin.) It instantly closes the moment it's launched. I tried to see if it was reporting an error before crashing by running it from the CLI (as Admin), but the patch instantly *closes the CLI window* when it's run!

I have no idea why the patch won't install. I thought maybe .Net 3.5 is needed, so I installed that too (which wasn't easy. The new 2020 release of Win10 stripped that out too), and even DX9.0c for good measure.

Nothing works. :(

I used Win10 on an old PC for about a month before building this new PC, and everything worked fine. Win10 was almost tolerable. But this "new" version keeps telling me I don't have Permission to open any folder on my old drives (I must use an app I found called "TakeOwnershipEx" to restore access), user preferences go ignored (like setting the default View in the Control Panel), app window positions aren't remembered, and programs that once worked fine now won't work at all.

What a tremendous PIA. Any other things I can try? Thanks.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:19 pm
by Mugsy
I checked the "Event Viewer" logs and found this:

Code: Select all

Faulting application name: ehshell.exe, version: 6.3.9600.16384, time stamp: 0x5215efc2
Faulting module name: KERNELBASE.dll, version: 10.0.19041.388, time stamp: 0x3cc24707
Exception code: 0xe0434352
Fault offset: 0x0000000000023e49
Faulting process id: 0x3f4
Faulting application start time: 0x01d66c08da5524a9
Faulting application path: C:\Windows\ehome\ehshell.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Windows\System32\KERNELBASE.dll
Report Id: 7cd70baf-3ee1-49f5-ac44-a24601c63886
Faulting package full name: 
Faulting package-relative application ID:

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:31 pm
by technodevotee
the readme file says this:

'"It needs to be placed in the same folder as the WMC installer because, like most of my other scripts, it isn't self-contained and relies on files that exist in the installer folder.

Unzip it into the installer folder so that all the CMD files are in the same folder and all the BAT files are in the folder below."

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:31 pm
by Mugsy
Oops. I didn't put the "MSSQLLite patch" in the same folder as the WMC installer.

It works now. Huge thanks. (BTW: Another new Win10 annoyance: It now forces you to use a PIN, USB key, or biometrics just to log in. Passwords are no longer supported.) SMH.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:36 pm
by technodevotee
If you go into settings, accounts, sign-in options, you can configure the system to a password and disable everything else.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 4:51 pm
by Mugsy
Ah, I had to disable "only allow Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts" to get the Password option (hidden by default.) :(

Thx.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 5:02 pm
by Mugsy
Ugh! When I try to launch Live TV, WMC says "all tuners are currently in use" (even after a reboot) and Setting up my speakers, the Test plays no sound.

(I went thru the full setup, saying "No" to going online for the EPG and "User Experience" nonsense.)

This is incredibly frustrating.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:25 pm
by technodevotee
You are not wrong.

Keeping WMC running HAS become very frustrating.

Version 8.8.1 is rather old though and there are some workarounds built into V8.8.4 that get over the problem you are experiencing with the version you are using.

Unless you have a need to use 8.8.1, I would recommend upgrading to the latest version from here: https://mega.nz/#!eHh10AyC!rACoUNaJYMqm ... dx5Hp6nNkc

You would need to uninstall the current version and install the new one but fix_MSSQLLite shouldn't need to be used again until MS remove it again.

If you just want to get working with minimal fuss, another option is to use another of my add-ons named replace_dlls with your existing version although this does carry some risk as it involves backdating system DLLs.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:46 am
by Mugsy
Big thanks. I'll try installing 8.8.4 in the morning. I didn't realize 8.8.1 was particularly old.

I uninstalled (using the provided ".cmd" file) it so hopefully the new version will install clean.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2020 2:17 pm
by Mugsy
Okay. I installed 8.8.4 and I'm getting the same problem: "All TV Tuners Are Currently In Use".

WMC opens and prompted me to do a first-time setup. I go through the entire process... even scanning & detecting digital channels... but then it refuses to play.

I then tried to install Hauppauge's Win10 and got the following error that might shed some light on the issue:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ao-enUp7fI72gYA3WLDrSO_ugZfZyQ

Of course, there is no "Let apps use my camera hardware" option. The closest is "Allow apps to access your camera", which is already switched on:

https://1drv.ms/u/s!Ao-enUp7fI72gYA450BN95UGollcgA

Tuner is installed & working with "SageTV". Right now I am SERIOUSLY considering installing an older version of Win10 (v1903) over my current version (v2004.)

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2020 5:11 pm
by technodevotee
I don't think the problem you have now is necessarily due to using 2004 as it has been known about since April 2019. However, the fix in 8.8.4 should resolve the issue although I am aware that it doesn't work for everyone in every situation, which is why I suggested it as one of two options.

I'm not sure why it isn't working for you but unfortunately, I don't think my add-ons will help in your current situation as they only work on older versions.

Before blitzing the system and starting again, it might be worth reverting to 8.8.1 and using replace_dlls.

Hopefully, that will get you a working system.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2020 6:30 pm
by Mugsy
Something in the far recesses of my memory tells me to try using the 32bit driver for my tuner & 32bit version of WMC (even though I'm using 64bit Windows.)

I'll try the "replace_dlls" with 8.8.1 first.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 1:18 pm
by Mugsy
Okay, first things first: I GOT IT WORKING! HOORAY!

The problem was almost certainly the fault of this new April release of Win10. :(

After some poking around, I discovered that the replacement DLL's were NOT replaced (probably a security thing.) They were still dated "July 2020". :(

So I jumped into Linux, opened up the System32 folder, appended ".org" to the original two DLLs, manually copied the replacement DLLs to the System32 folder from Linux, then booted back into Windows and launched WMC. And this time IT WORKED!

Details of my setup: My old computer died and I was forced to buy a new Motherboard and Ryzen 3 3100 processor. This also forced me (against my will) to make the switch from Windows 7 to a clean install of Win10 Pro (downloaded using MS's own d/l tool.)

This new April release of Win10 is chock full of annoyances (too many to list here.)

Playback is choppy like I have a bad signal (I don't.) Same issue I've been experiencing with "SageTV". It's not the drive (same drive I used with WMC under Win7 for years.) It's possible the new CPU is too slow, but it's roughly the same speed as my old Intel 4770k, and WMC was designed to run on MUCH older/slower PCs.

But WMC runs once again! Huge thanks to all!

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 7:42 pm
by technodevotee
The most likely reason the DLLs weren't replaced is because they were in use when you tried to replace them. I have also had them restored by MS due to an update being installed within minutes of rolling them back.

That is another reason that I commend people use 8.8.4. I believe that Kevin is working on a new version with some additional tweaks that may get it working for everyone.

The readme files for my other add-ons advise that a reboot may be required before and after using the tools but it isn't mentioned in that one for some reason.

Other people have reported choppy video in 2004 but it isn't something I've experienced myself.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Sat Aug 08, 2020 11:29 pm
by Mugsy
Thanks. Every time I tried to start Live TV, WMC told me the tuner "was in use"... even after a reboot with nothing else running.

I'm not sure (and don't want to mess anything up now that it's working), but I think accidentally running the bat file before I moved it to the WMC installation folder somehow overwrote the dlls in the bin folder, so when I moved it, it copied the "bad" replaced files over the MS originals; because the dlls in my extracted "bin" folder didn't match the ones in the archive. I had to re-extract them to get the right ones.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2020 11:30 am
by Dplant123
Hi guys
Same issue. Just updated to 2004 and I click media centre and nothing happened. I uninstalled as much as I could and reinstalled 8.8.4 from the link on mega, rebooted each time. Still no joy. Also downloaded the MSSQLLite and put in the same folder I put WMC in. Still nothing. Any ideas?

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2020 6:27 pm
by Mugsy
Hey Dplant. I might be able to help some now that I've got it working.

technodevotee's "Patch" files finally did the trick for me. But everything must be installed just right and in the right order:

Download & Extract techno's "Replace_DLLs" patch (link in his signature) to the SAME FOLDER as the WMC-8.8.4 installer and run "replace_dlls.cmd" from inside that folder.

That should get WMC working, but if not, check the Windows\System32\ folder and verify the DLL's in the patch were actually replaced. If they are dated 2020, you may need to replace them by hand (I had to do it from Linux.)

I don't know what the monkey's over at MS are doing, but the v2004 release is an absolute mess. Every where I turn, I'm finding problems. Right now, the biggest problem is video refuses to record smoothly.

Oddly though, this morning it was perfectly fine for ONE program. Then I changed the channel when it was over and the choppy video was back. I returned to the previous channel, but it was back to breaking up as well.

I checked the video details and discovered the "good" recording was in 1,280x720 format while the bad video was full 1,920x1080 HD. I thought "Ah!", but then another program came on that was also 1,280x720 and it too was back to choppy playback. :(

I can't figure out for the life of me why that first recording went smoothly but nothing after that will. I've tried rebooting & retracing my steps, but nothing helps. I even tried changing the Recording destination to a ramdisk in case it was a "slow drive" issue, but that didn't fix it either. I'm stumped.

Re: Launching WMC 8.8.1 and nothing happens

Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2020 9:46 pm
by Dplant123
Thank you Thank you Thank you

got it working again - realised how much I would miss it when it went - can't open videos with the MCE remote on VLC etc