Slipstreaming SP3 RTM to Win MCE 2005 results into a corrupted installation CD
- I have slipstreamed XP SP3 RTM (Build 5512) into a clean, virgin Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (clean directory taken from our MSDN subscription Disc 2429.4, November 2005), both DISC1 and DISC2 MCE 2005 files (extracted to the same directory C:\XPMCE2005 from the MSDN CD image.
I used the /integrate:C:\XPMCE2005 switch as described in the KB article and at the end it said, the integration was completed successfully. Then I created a bootable DVD with the patched Win XP MCE 2005 SP3 installation image.
However I was very dissapointed to discover that a clean installation of Win 2005 MCE with SP3 fails half way through, prompting you to Insert a CD containing ehiEPG.dll, which is, well, obviously not part of MCE 2005 at all.
It is really very annoying, to complete the XP SP3 integration with an official clean Win MCE 2005 image from MSDN, have SP3 reported "everything integrated fine" and after that to see that the installation Win MCE SP3 media is now corrupted. Despite many months were spent to test SP3 integration with Win XP / MCE 2005, I am very surprised this very obvios error, many folks will be expieriencing starting Apr 29 around the world (just think how many customers purchased their PCs with Win MCE 2005) was not caught in the final version.
I can only imagine how many people will run into the same ehiEPG.dll trap starting April 29, trying to slipstream SP3 intro their Win MCE 2005....
Is there a workaround for the Win XP MCE 2005 ehiEPG.dll error in the RTM version of SP3 yet?
Thanks.
Answers
SP3 will install fine on XP MCE 2005. I don't think it contains any of the rollups or MCE2005 specific updates, so these will have to installed either before or after.
I've tried some of the possible workarounds for slipstreaming, but you end up with XP Pro not MCE.
If you extract the SP3 package, integrate it into MCE2005, and then copy the files from CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR to your original MCE2005 install folder, it gets around the ehiepg.dll problem, but you get MCE2004 instead. So 2004 is supported but not 2005.
I can understand why the 2005 updates would not be in SP3, but as to why the core windows files could not be slipstreamed, i dont know.
Maybe they could release a SP3 just for MCE2005.
All Replies
Hi,
this is by design and due to a very bad and misleading documentation most of the world won't know it until it has happened to them - believing that "all updates since SP2" would be integrated - false: updates for MCE 2005 are NOT included in SP3.
The overview PDF states: "Windows® XP Service Pack 3 (SP3) includes all previously released updates for the operating system..."
and:
"For example, you can run the SP3 update package on a computer running the Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP1." You must be a Microsoft mega expert to read into this that Media Center Edition 2005 is excluded by this sentence.
I ran into the same issue during the beta and reported the problem - won't fix, as you can see with the final build.
Root cause: Media Center Update Rollup 2 and Cumulative Update from October 2006 for Media Center 2005 are not part of SP3. Media Center 2005 was kind of "out of band" release.
What you can do is a clean install of MCE 2005 and then install those two updates (but I'm not sure if these are the only updates requiered for a proper SP3 installation) and then install SP3. Or you wait until integrated builds are available on Technet/MSDN (but I'm not sure if there are plans to make them available).
Stefen
This is a very bad oversight on MS's part...
It be nice to see them have a recommended install procedure for XP SP 3 on a MCE 2005 machine..
as in what MCE fixes are required for MCE to install first, THEN run the XP SP 3 update...
THIS IS VERY BAD ...
No wonder i had such a disaster installing SP3 into MCE...
- Hi,
Thanks for the responses.
This is very convenient to declare Windows versions they have been selling in billions but are unable to provide support / properly fix for SP3 simply being kind of "out-of-band" Windows.
Needless to say how disappointing this is for the billions of customers.
At very least I would have expected the /integrate switch of SP3 to report: "MCE 2005 cannot be integrated" when started on a MCE2005 share.
Instead it fools everyone into believing "Integration was successful".
Supporting Windows MCE SP1 (which is not an "out of band" release) but not supporting MCE 2005 (which is declared "out of band" for convenience) is bad.
But reporting "Integration was successful" on MCE2005 shares is even worse. Poor people will be losing many hours trying to get the damn thing work, not knowing that "Integration was successful" actually meant "Integration failed", just like me.
This is indeed very very bad and not customer friendly.
I do hope a workaround for a *working* MCE 2005 slipstreaming integration (without October 2006 MCE Rollup bits ok) will be made available soon.
Thanks. Try this and let me know if it works:
1. Copy only CD 1 of XPMCE if you are using MCE 2005. If using MCE 2002 or 2004 copy both discs.
2. Then slipstream.
3. Then copy CD2 of XPMCE 2005 and replace/overwrite any files if prompted.
4. Try installing.
The biggest problem is the XPMCE team at MS seems to have disappeared. Zero updates after Oct 2006. And MCE is getting step-childly treatment now Vista is out. I sometimes feel if so many users worldwide had not been using XP, they wouldn't have created SP3 at all. Since they didn't bother about servicing MCE, WMP 10 also is left out and after applying SP3 or installing slipstreamed SP3, there are critical security updates on WU. TweakMCE is broken and probably won't be fixed since its an "unsupported powertoy". As an MCE 2005 customer, I demand MS reissue an SP3 that contains MCE rollups but do they care? Do they listen? Do they bother?
Anonymuos wrote: 1. Copy only CD 1 of XPMCE if you are using MCE 2005. If using MCE 2002 or 2004 copy both discs.
2. Then slipstream.
3. Then copy CD2 of XPMCE 2005 and replace/overwrite any files if prompted.
This will not work because SP3 overwrites the file medctroc.in_ with one for XP Professional.
After step 3 replace the file medctroc.in_ with the one from your MCE2005 cd 1.
That should probably get around this problem.I tried it, but it did not really help. It came past the first error but then it complained it could not find the file 'napclientprov.mof'.
I can't believe nobody from Microsoft comments on SP3 RTM slipstreaming with Windows XP MCE 2005.
Starting April, 29 many people worldwide will run into this ehiEPG.dll error over and over again.
The current SP3 RTM will say to them all "Integration has completed successfully".
But what it does generate is a corrupt XP installation share, which is not working!
And you guys know it, and you do nothing about it?
At least they should release a list of files from 'i386' folder that are different in MCE vs SP3, then maybe we can merge the text files and replace binary ones with newest versions. It can be done surely but it'll require some amount of work unless MS helps. I think MS will simply say "MCE not supported for slipstream". Btw, does slipstreaming work for MCE 2002/2004 users?
- I don't see how MS could simply say "MCE not supported for slipstream".
In their current "Windows XP Service Pack 3 Overview" it is clearly stated:
- You can run the SP3 update package on any SKU of Windows XP SP1 or SP2. For example, you can run the SP3 update package on a computer running the Windows XP Media Center Edition with SP1.
- Tools and guidance for system administrators have not fundamentally changed from Windows XP SP2. For comprehensive information, visit the Deploy Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Service Pack 2 Deployment Information sites on Microsoft TechNet.
It is a shame Microsoft is being so reticent about SP3 RTM integration with Windows XP MCE 2005.
Guys, it is not working as decribed in your SP3 overview and deployment guides!
We need a solution, not silence. Slipstreaming into MCE 2005 is not supported.
typical arrogant behavior of MS.....The want just press useless Vista to us so forget to have seamless working old systems (said silently)
Chris Keroack [MSFT] wrote: Slipstreaming into MCE 2005 is not supported.
But Why?
What is the purpose of a Service Pack that states it's for all editions of 32-bit XP, when, in fact, it's not?
As an OEM partner and an owner of MCE2005, I demand a rollup at the very least that is slipstreamable for Media Center users.
Honestly, will we have to figure out a way to deploy XP MCE onto systems that require SP3 to be installed? I'm willing to try and figure out a way to deploy it properly with SP3 slipstreamed. I'd bet it's possible, but will require a bunch of work by hand and workarounds. Am I right on the answer here?Yes I feel cheated too since I purchased my comp in 2005 after MCE was released. It does not get even 1 service pack? Why should we be required to apply critical security updates for Windows Media Format Runtime 9.5 on Windows Update? Why should I be required to download huge update rollups when other XP users get a service pack? Why is my TweakMCE broken and MS does not bother to fix it and simply say "Powertoys are unsupported"? With such an attitude towards customers, I do not plan to upgrade to Vista ever and will stay will XP as long as I can sustain, then switch to an alternative OS. Microsoft has not changed one bit in some aspects and is still arrogant and not bothered about certain customers simply because they are in a minority. This hasn't been a good eXPerience for me at all. The MCE team which is working on Fiji, the next upgrade to Vista Media Center, can it not produce a service pack for MCE users? Or it is because businesses do not use MCE that we users are being left in the lurch? I demand that the MCE team respond to this issue and address our need for a service pack or else you've just lost one customer.
Acknowledging that a slipstream is not possible for MCE as of now, can someone confirm if SP3 installs fine on an already running XP MCE 2005? I’m thinking of doing a clean install of XP-MCE-sp2 and then patching it up with the SP3 so seek some review if it installs correctly.
SP3 will install fine on XP MCE 2005. I don't think it contains any of the rollups or MCE2005 specific updates, so these will have to installed either before or after.
I've tried some of the possible workarounds for slipstreaming, but you end up with XP Pro not MCE.
If you extract the SP3 package, integrate it into MCE2005, and then copy the files from CMPNENTS\MEDIACTR to your original MCE2005 install folder, it gets around the ehiepg.dll problem, but you get MCE2004 instead. So 2004 is supported but not 2005.
I can understand why the 2005 updates would not be in SP3, but as to why the core windows files could not be slipstreamed, i dont know.
Maybe they could release a SP3 just for MCE2005.
jonc100 wrote: SP3 will install fine on XP MCE 2005. I don't think it contains any of the rollups or MCE2005 specific updates, so these will have to installed either before or after.
Yes, it will look like it installed "fine" but you won't be happy with the result.
jonc100 wrote: Maybe they could release a SP3 just for MCE2005.
No chance.
What you should do is clean install MCE 2005, install the two rollups and Media Player 11. THEN install SP3. NOT on a clean installed MCE2005, Media Center wouldn't work correctly.
- Not many files are different for MCE 2005 from the i386 folder (pidgen.dll, medctroc.inf, layout.ini). If they cared about servicing MCE, they would have included those in SP3. XP Tablet PC edition has no problems. They don't care about a minority user base (Tablets are at least used by some business users). XP SP3 is just miminal compliance. What they don't realize is it is going to be painful forever installing XPMCE and then SP3. MCE users can never enjoy a slipstreamed installation. And they've also stated they're not going to come up with new slipstreamed images of MCE.
I also have Windows XP/MCE 2002/5, which lately is more than becoming Millennium *** Edition than usable XP. I have unloaded as much of the multi-media station as I can so at least I have a workable system. Is seems that support for MCE is becoming that of Windows Millennium edition, non-existent to none.
When I purchased the new HP Pavilion system last year for the Intel Dual Core 2 Duo capabilty, I missed the free upgrade to Vista deadline. (If it wasn't for the need to use USB 2, I would still be on a 1.5Mhz AMD which ran Win2k SP6 faster than this 1.86Mhz DC2D 2GB RAM on WXP/MCE.) I was counting on the SP3 to fix and speedup the core OS to match the level of hardware resources. I have 6 such systems to deal with for this issue. So far my testing has simply vindicated my purchase of an iBook and switching some clients to OSX as well. (BTW. OSX has it's share of problems, too.)
Strangely, I was using SBS2003 on an AMD as my workstation prior to the DC2D purchase, and it was much more stable as a multimedia/ editing platform than WXP/MCE. I am now curious as to how SP3 would work if hack patched into it's OS. Support for the other devices and players (like Vivo) worked with a regedit and copy of dll's. Perhaps there will be an upgrade using XCOPY of the system files and a reg file patch to accomodate an offline upgrade of WXP/MCE with SP3 in a more stable way?
Just ranting in frustration. When you purchase a car and all the wheels fall off in a year, you either get it fixed for free or all of your money back. With the 5 year support cycle, should not WXP/2005 be fully supported to 2010?
Its been suggested that the best way to get sp3 may be to do a clean install of MCE 2005, then install the two MC rollups and Media Player 11. THEN install SP3.
BUT...
As it seems that SP3 does not support RAID, which I use, I have a real problem.
Installing SP3 RC2 refresh as a test resulted in a computer that would not boot.
I don't suppose that Microsoft could supply us purchasers of MCE 2005 with the earlier version of MCE that seems to work with slipstreaming SP3?
Looking a bit deeper into MCE2k5, it appears quite clearly that it is rather a hack of WinXP SP2 - clearly an "out-of-band" release. The thing is, all other XP editions - the Tablet PC's and MCE 2k2, 2k4 - share exactly the same file base, and rely on some DLLs to extract the SKU based on the product key (and apparently setupp.ini) then install the extra components, additional to a XP Pro install. Technically speaking, they share the same LAYOUT.INF, DOSNET.INI, TXTSETUP.SIF and some others.
When I say MCE2005 is a hack, I mean to say that core files are different from those common to all other versions. For instance, I'll never understand why NV4.SYS (for instance) is missing in the DRIVER.CAB of MCE2k5 (that file shouldn't have changed since XP RTM at all). Also, the LAYOUT.INF, DOSNET.INI, TXTSETUP.SIF and perhaps other files are simply hacked to work (files added and removed, that sort of stuff).
Honestly, if my team of programmers would come with that kind of a solution and start working on it, I would gladly sack them at earliest opprtunity once I found out what they were doing, or at least move them to the support departament - and have their project canceled. The reason is that supporting an additional product line along with the baseline one would eventually cost more than the income it produced, given a long enough timespan. I wouldn't be at all surprised if this actually happened...
So, I guess nobody should expect SP3 to work on MCE2k5, nor should anyone dream of a MCE2k5-specific SP3 package.
HOWEVER. For those requiring MCE2k5 bad enough, there are solutions - as long as you ditch the Microsoft support. There have already been successful attempts at running the Media Center 2005 software on XP Professional and Server 2003; of course this is not legal because of the different SKUs, but I bet half my head that someone could hand-integrate SP3 (and UR2, come to think of it) in such a way that the resulting setup disc would require a MCE2k5 product key, thus allowing existing Microsoft customers to use their legally purchased MCE2k5 license with a fully-updated disc.
People who consider doing this should note however that, since MCE2k5 is seemingly dead and buried, switching to some Vista flavor which has MCE could be a more future-proof approach.
Just my two cents
- Okay, I had a cooked XP MCE SP3 load working, and I couldn't figure out how. Now I have.
After reading: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/909059 it seems like these files are not necessary. Is this the case?
Anyways, the way I had it working is I disabled SFC in nLite just cause it speeds up the installlation of windows XP, unbeknownst to me it also keeps these errors from popping up.
So if MS says these files are not necessary AND the "fix" they reccommend is just clicking cancel, can we just disable the SFC and have a good working MCE SP3?
(Note, I've tried this and the install works okay as far as I can tell, so we can make a MCE SP3 that works. I just want to make sure there's not something I don't know about that these files are needed for.) - XP SP3 does not install properly on top on my MCE 2005. I've attempted the install 4 times, twice with the full download version and twice via Microsoft Update. In every instance, SP3 said that it successfully installed, however upon reboot back into MCE, the media center would not open. To make matters worse, the SP3 uninstall routine never worked properly, and after uninstall, I inevitably had to either attempt to restore to an earlier system restore point, and in the last attempt, had to do a full system restore. This process bites...
There's a Media Center technical chat on 15th May at 4 PM PST. See http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/chats/default.mspx . Bombard the MCE team with questions as to why they left XPMCE 2005 completely in the lurch once Vista came out.Now MS claims that it is HP's fault. They say that HP loaded the intel version of MCE5 onto several hundred thousand AMD x64 machines.
- Any updates on this issue? Does Microsoft just officially send us out the door with no option but to install sp3 after installation of MCE?
I wrote a turorial for slipstreaming Media Center with SP3 at this link:
- Edited byMr. Seven Friday, December 19, 2008 2:46 AMUPDATED LINK
Chris Keroack [MSFT] wrote: Slipstreaming into MCE 2005 is not supported.
The flat tone of this single line statement by Microsoft's "Chris" is eerily similar to that of the HAL computer in the movie, 2001. I think Microsoft is using AI, minus the intelligence, in responding to these 'stupid' human complaints.
I'm not sure but supposedly the easiest way to update components in xp is to replace the entire i386 folder so goodby media player 10. From examining the extracted SP3 it looks like an attempt was made by microsoft to make SP3 and MCE slipstream compatable by running a batch script durring the slipstream process and there are MCE componants in the service pack but for some reason the programmers were not able design a universally compatable service pack or at least not before the last release.- What's unfortunate is that this is still an issue since SP3 was released. We've gotten no real answers from Microsoft, aside from 'it's unsupported'. The fact that there's a remote inkling that Microsoft attempted to support MCE is the sad part - proof that even them, the makers of the software in question, were unable to patch it properly. Sad.
Hey Gyes, r u interested in XP SP3 + MCE 2005 till today? THEN Heres the solution
At first I want to say that Slipstreaming SP3 into XP MCE 2005 is ALMOST supported, but we have to hack somethings.
First combine your MCE Disk 1 & 2 into a folder.
Locate medctroc.in_, mediactr.ca_, medctr.dl_ ( u may also copy the txtsetup.sif for a fresh reference ) into the i386 folder, copy them to another location, u may also think about plus & sonic but feel free, they will not be modified by SP3.
Use nlite to integrate sp3, then go to the location where you put the three files. Just copy them to the i386 directory back, confirm replacing.
Open up txtsetup.sif with notepad sure that medctroc.in_, mediactr.ca_, medctr.dl_ are placed on it, use windiff to compare the fresh and the slipstreamed txtsetup.sif for plus.* and sonic.*, make necessary changes to slipstreamed sp3.
Download Update Rollup 2(october 2006 edition).
Download windows Media Player 10, make 2 folders in your C: drive named I386 and WMP10TMP, rename the wmp10 installer to MP10Setup.exe. BE SURE ABOUT CREATING FOLDER & RENAMING THE INSTALLER< IT'S IMPORTANT.
##TITLE WMP 10 Slipstreamer V1.1 - By Bashrat the Sneaky
@ECHO OFF
REM
REM
REM
REM #####################################################################
REM # #
REM # Copyright Bâshrat the Sneaky 2005 #
REM # #
REM # http://www.BTSunattended.net #
REM # #
REM # BashratTheSneaky@BTSunattended.net #
REM # #
REM #####################################################################
REM
REM
REM
REM #####################################################################
REM =======================
REM Folders, commands and other
REM _______________________
SET P=C:\WMP10TMP
SET OUT=C:\I386
SET C=MAKECAB /D CompressionType=LZX /D CompressionMemory=21 /L %OUT% %P%\
SET TotalSteps=3
REM =======================
REM #####################################################################IF EXIST %P% RD %P%
IF EXIST %OUT% RD %OUT%
COLOR 0ACLS
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO This batch file will help you slipstreaming Windows Media Player 10!
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO The batch file does steps 1 and 2 on its own. You have to do step 3 yourself: moving the files to your UWXPCD and editing the HIVEDEF.INF file.
ECHO.
ECHO.
PAUSEIF NOT EXIST MP10Setup.exe GOTO ERR
CLS
TITLE 1/%TotalSteps% Extracting MP10Setup.exe to %P%...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO 1/%TotalSteps% Extracting MP10Setup.exe to %P%...
ECHO.
ECHO.
START /WAIT MP10Setup.exe /C /Q /T:%P%
ECHO.
ECHO Complete!
ECHO.
PAUSECLS
TITLE 2/%TotalSteps% Moving the files to %OUT% and compressing them on the fly...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO 2/%TotalSteps% Moving the files to %OUT% and compressing them on the fly...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Starting... 61 files have to be compressed...
ECHO.
ECHO.
%C%wmplayer.adm
%C%asferror.dll
%C%blackbox.dll
%C%CEWMDM.dll
%C%custsat.dll
%C%DRMClien.dll
%C%DrmStor.dll
%C%drmv2clt.dll
%C%LAPRXY.DLL
%C%mpvis.DLL
%C%msnetobj.dll
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO 50 files left to compress...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
%C%MsPMSNSv.dll
%C%MsPMSP.dll
%C%msscp.dll
%C%MSWMDM.dll
%C%qasf.dll
%C%WMADMOD.DLL
%C%WMADMOE.DLL
%C%WMASF.DLL
%C%WMDMLOG.dll
%C%WMDMPS.dll
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO 40 files left to compress...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
%C%wmerror.dll
%C%wmidx.dll
%C%WMNetMgr.dll
%C%wmp.dll
%C%wmpasf.dll
%C%wmpband.dll
%C%wmpcd.dll
%C%wmpcore.dll
%C%wmpdxm.dll
%C%wmploc.DLL
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO 30 files left to compress...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
%C%wmpshell.dll
%C%wmpui.dll
%C%WMSDMOD.DLL
%C%WMSDMOE2.DLL
%C%WMSPDMOD.DLL
%C%WMSPDMOE.DLL
%C%WMVCORE.DLL
%C%WMVDMOD.DLL
%C%WMVDMOE2.DLL
%C%logagent.exe
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO 20 files left to compress...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
%C%migrate.exe
%C%setup_wm.exe
%C%unregmp2.exe
%C%wmplayer.exe
%C%wmp.ocx
%C%Plylst1.wpl
%C%Plylst10.wpl
%C%Plylst11.wpl
%C%Plylst12.wpl
%C%Plylst13.wpl
CLS
ECHO.
ECHO 10 files left to compress...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
%C%Plylst14.wpl
%C%Plylst15.wpl
%C%Plylst2.wpl
%C%Plylst3.wpl
%C%Plylst4.wpl
%C%Plylst5.wpl
%C%Plylst6.wpl
%C%Plylst7.wpl
%C%Plylst8.wpl
%C%Plylst9.wpl
IF EXIST %P% RD /S /Q %P%
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Complete!
ECHO.
PAUSE
CLS
TITLE 3/%TotalSteps% Now it's up to you...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO 3/%TotalSteps% Now it's up to you...
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO A) First of all move the folder %OUT% to the root of your UWXPCD. When you are asked to overwrite files, click Yes.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Now you have to edit the I386\HIVEDEF.INF file:
ECHO.
ECHO Add the following line under the section [AddReg]:
ECHO.
ECHO HKCU,"SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences","AcceptedPrivacyStatement",0x00010003,1
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Complete! Windows Media Player 10 is now completely slipstreamed!
ECHO.
PAUSE
CLS
TITLE Credits
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO Fully created by Bâshrat the Sneaky. (2005)
ECHO.
ECHO Download it at www.BTSunattended.net
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO With thanks to:
ECHO ---------------
ECHO.
ECHO - Obliviator, for providing all information I needed to make this batch file.
ECHO.
ECHO - jcarle, for explaining me I could shorten this batch file.
ECHO.
PAUSE
EXIT:ERR
CLS
TITLE ERROR: MP10SETUP.EXE COULD NOT BE FOUND!
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO.
ECHO MP10Setup.exe could not be found! Please place this batchfile in the same folder as MP10Setup.exe!
ECHO.
PAUSE
EXIT##copy the above entry between two ## & ## (Do not add ## & ##) in notpad save this file as wmpslip.cmd, put this file also in your C: drive, at last it will say you for adding some entries to a file HIVESYS.INF. DON'T DO THIS, nLite WILL DO THIS FOR YOU.
Copy all items of C:\I386 folder to your slipstreamed sp3 location, confirm replace.
Integrate Update Rollup 2 with nlite, it may fail to integrate some items just ignore it. But be sure to integrate KB900325 & wmfdist95.
Then just make a bootable media run setup, when it completes u will get Windows XP media Center Edition 2005(3.0) SP3.
Plus and Sonic dont work!, just download the NR_MCE_Installer_Addon_b2.rar from http://www.ryanvm.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5939 unrar it, run NR_IT make sure that the windows cd/dvd is in the cd/dvd drive. AND U ARE DONE.
To use wmp11 install .net framework 1.1 sp1 then install Update Rollup 2.
Finally Image Your System Drive with WAIK to install it in less time and frequently(OPTIONAL).
You know the three magic files for slipstreaming: "medctroc.in_ " "mediactr.ca_" and "medctroc.dl_" .
I tried the batch file and it worked great but if you hate WMP10 there is an easy workaround to install KB900325 without the prerequisite Mp10 for two resons:
1. N-lite fails to integrate KB900325 (update rollup 2): after you install the O.S. you find it still has the old versions in ehome.
2. WMP11 is newer and dosn't have that stupid napster cat on it.
Just extract the updat rollup 2 with somthing like 7zip and install net 1.1 then the extracted executables (the only one you realy need is the extracted kb900325.exe you find in
'bin" folder since the others only apply to sp2) with silent switch : kb900325 /passive /norestart.
Also when you try to integrate media format 9.5 n-lite thinks it's media player 11 (dosn't work).
One more thing Windows XP MCE Installer (XP2MCE) AddOn b2 from what I remember crashes with MCE SP3.
Chris Keroack [MSFT] wrote: Slipstreaming into MCE 2005 is not supported.
What Mr Keroack should have said is 'do not even attempt to apply SP3 to an MCE2005/SP2 installation'. Because if you do, it is then impossible to run a repair-install from the original MCE2005 disk (because it's then an old version), and only a total wipe-out/reinstall is possible. (If you have slipstreamed a disk, it may appear that it would work, but as the rest of this thread shows, it doesn't). If you have inadvertently applied SP3 to MCE2005, uninstall it now. You may then be able to run a repair/upgrade install by running the disk from inside Windows GUI - but you probably can't run it by booting from the disk as it will not find the existing installation and will attempt to wipe it: not even offering the recovery console (IME).
The short answer is that MCE2005 and SP3 do not mix. Microsoft should stop pushing the "update" to MCE users.
It is not only dissapointing and frustrating to find out the hard way that slipstreeaming MCE with SP3 fails but what is really puzzling is Media Center was not complete to begin with and released with major flaws for example the radio tuner was unresponsive and tuned at a snail's pace and that in order to fix this you need to pass a WGA validation check to download a large bugfix which is hard to find and only installs after a number of net framework runtime components and only with MP10 becouse with MP11 all you get is an "installation failed" message sending the computer into a "mini system restore" with no explenation as to why. Microsoft presents this "Update Rollup" as a hollywood production with green gems and flashing lights during install and as a "favor" to you for somthing that should have worked in the first place.
Please publish a list of the items/SPs/Updates we need to apply when rebuilding XP ME 2005 machines. I read that SP3 is not supported. It would help if you can also let us know how we can build an installation version/folder with all the right patches already on it.
I am having a lot of problems with my 3 XP ME 2005 systems because MS Update is installing updates that break the systems. What can I do to prevent this from happening, yet being able to apply the right patch updates going forward.
Microsoft needs to provide the right level of support for this version of XP, as some of us are using it to manage our media businesses and Vista did not work well for us (we tried to upgrade and had to go back).
Ed
