Reinstall Media Center without Reinstalling Windows XP?

Question

My Windows architechture is working correctly, but since trying to rollback some Media Center updates, the actual Media Center software interface fails to open.  I used the included reinstallation DVD to perform a repair installation of Windows XP MCE, but this didn't fix the problem.  Is it possible to completely reinstall the Media Center program without reinstalling Windows (and thus wiping the drive)?

jmwills · Answer

I would try and replace the system files with the scan now applicaiton: start>run> sfc /scannow That should do it but as far as I know, the MCE application is tied to the OS.

RobertGerrity · Answer

Thank you for the good suggestion.  Scan now appeared to complete successfully, but unfortunately did not fix the problem.  I get these specific error messages:     At start up:   ehRecvr.exe - Unable to Locate Component:  'This application has failed to start because ehTrace.dll was not found.  Re-installing the application may fix this problem.'     Upon attempting to open Media Center after start up:   ehshell.exe - Common Language Runtime Debugging Services:  'Application has generated an exception that could not be handled.  Process id=0xflc (3868), Thread id=0xf18 (3864).'   (The Process and Thread id strings change each time I attempt to start Media Center).     If this is really a case of a missing or defective .dll file, I do not understand why niether the repair installation of Windows nor the scan now application fixed the problem.   Any more thoughts on solutions apart from reformatting and reinstalling?

jmwills · Answer

A repair installation should work, if not you know what will.

RobertGerrity · Answer

Unfortunately I already performed a repair install before posting on this board. :(

From viewing the event log for the sfc /scannow operation, I found the following errors:

Files that “could not be copied into the DLL cache. The specific error code is 0x00000000 [The operation completed successfully.]. This file is necessary to maintain system stability.” :

c:\windows\ehome\ehcircl.dll

c:\windows\ehome\ehiepg.dll

c:\windows\ehome\ehituner.dll

c:\windows\ehome\snchk.exe

Files that the scan found “has a bad signature. This file was restored to the original version to maintain system stability. The file version of the system file is ” :

c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v1.0.3705\gacutil.exe

Files that “could not be restored to its original, valid version. The file version of the bad file is [X}. The specific error code is 0x00000000 [The operation completed successfully.].”

c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v1.0.3705\gacutil.exe

Sure enough, all of those windows\ehome files are missing from my machine. If I can get copies of those files from another machine would that help? Why weren't they replaced from the disk during the repair install or the sfc /scannow?

RobertGerrity · Answer

After performing a second repair installation from the DVD, I this time opted to install only the Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 (and none of the other updates missing after the repair installation vs. after the first repair instllation I attempted to reinstall all of the updates and the problems described persisted).

After installing the update, I was required to restart. Upon restart, the following error appeared at login:

ngen.exe – Entry Point Not Found:

“The procedure entry point GetRequestedRuntimeVersion could not be located in the dynamic link library mscoree.dll.”

And after login, once the desktop had appeared this error was displayed:

DVDLauncher.exe – Application Error:

“The instruction at ‘0x73e68d8c’ referenced memory at ‘0xfffc00004’. The memory could not be ‘read’.”

However, MediaCenter now opens! Moreover, ehTrace.dll is back in the EHOME folder. It appears that everything is back in order, but I was wondering if you could advise me as to the seriousness of those errors listed above.

Thank you,

Robert Gerrity

Windows General

Reinstall Media Center without Reinstalling Windows XP?

Was this post helpful?