How to disable MCE in Vista (for MCE remote control)

BKCH · 2007-02-19, 11:08

Hi - I have Vista ultimate installed on my Media Portal PC and I can't for the life of me figure out how to disable / uninstall / kill Vista media center - so everytime I use my microsoft remote to try and control Media Portal - Vista media center starts up

Should be a simple question but I can't see how to disable it...

amilewski · 2007-03-30, 21:45

Here is the way I do it:
stop all services that have something with 'Media Center' in its description, then press shift+ctrl+esc, find processes tab, there should be one which sounds like 'media center agregate' or so, just kill this process and you are done.
Unfotunatelly, this process will fire on next boot, I still do not know how to avoid this.
regards

Lizard King · 2007-03-31, 22:40

Hi,

Here's what I did. I purchased Yanicsoft's Vista Manager (welll worth the $$$). Amongst the gazillion tweaks available is one called "prevent WMC from running on this computer".

Voilà! Ehome process is then freed up for your own usage.

Good luck

whurlston · 2007-04-01, 08:16

Right mouse click "My Computer" and select "Manage".
Go to "Services and Applications" -> "Services".
Stop all "Media Center..." services.

To prevent them returning on reboots:
Right click the service and select "Properties".
Change "Start Type" to "Disable".

Same for MCE2005

mPod · 2007-04-01, 12:59

Next SVN version should take care of WMC (Windows Media Center) services on Vista as well. Note that MP has to be run as Administrator, as only admins & installers seem to be able to start/stop services for now.

It now stops ehrecvr, ehsched & ehtray and restarts them after MP has quit. Note that ehtray is no service, so whurlston's way is of course the right way when you're not going to use WMC, but doesn't stop Vista from loading that exe. For whurlston's way you have to stop ehtray from starting up on Vista boot e.g. using msconfig.exe. That way you wouldn't have MP to run as Administrator for that reason... Might still be needed for other parts, time will tell as it's all not really been tested on Vista like it has been on XP over the years.

...or you just let MP run as admin for now and don't have to do anything else... (my fix still needs checking, tho)

whurlston · 2007-04-01, 15:32

I forgot about ehtray.

Flerbizky · 2008-01-27, 20:55

Unfortunately - None of the above works here.

Even after disabling all MC services, killing the aggregator, running MP as a Member of the Admin Group, The Second hit either My Videos or My Pictures, MC is loaded beneath MP..

Running Vista Ultimate with SP1-Wave-1

It has prevented the Green Button from starting MC from the Desktop though.. Whch unfortunately also means that it works as the "Maximize" button in MP...

Paranoid Delusion · 2008-01-27, 23:23

Look here, crispi's post, works fine.

That was all i had to do.

CieNeSDi · 2008-01-28, 11:50

Hello all,

I had the same problem with Vista Ultimate.

I just renamed C:\Windows\ehome directory to C:\Windows\ehome_disabled.

So no Vista MCE exe's are startet.

Hope this helps..

Greetings

CieNeSDi

2007-02-19, 11:08	#1 (permalink)
BKCH MP Donator Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Sydney Posts: 181 Thanks: 3 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Country:	How to disable MCE in Vista (for MCE remote control) Hi - I have Vista ultimate installed on my Media Portal PC and I can't for the life of me figure out how to disable / uninstall / kill Vista media center - so everytime I use my microsoft remote to try and control Media Portal - Vista media center starts up Should be a simple question but I can't see how to disable it...

2007-04-01, 12:59	#5 (permalink)
mPod Retired Team Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Berlin Age: 33 Posts: 2,086 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts Country: My System	Next SVN version should take care of WMC (Windows Media Center) services on Vista as well. Note that MP has to be run as Administrator, as only admins & installers seem to be able to start/stop services for now. It now stops ehrecvr, ehsched & ehtray and restarts them after MP has quit. Note that ehtray is no service, so whurlston's way is of course the right way when you're not going to use WMC, but doesn't stop Vista from loading that exe. For whurlston's way you have to stop ehtray from starting up on Vista boot e.g. using msconfig.exe. That way you wouldn't have MP to run as Administrator for that reason... Might still be needed for other parts, time will tell as it's all not really been tested on Vista like it has been on XP over the years. ...or you just let MP run as admin for now and don't have to do anything else... (my fix still needs checking, tho) __________________ Bad news from the stars... We cannot give any support without a properly filled support template and a full mediaportal.log pasted here. Before you ask...

2008-01-27, 20:55	#7 (permalink)
Flerbizky Portal Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Copenhagen Age: 35 Posts: 99 Thanks: 4 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	Unfortunately - None of the above works here. Even after disabling all MC services, killing the aggregator, running MP as a Member of the Admin Group, The Second hit either My Videos or My Pictures, MC is loaded beneath MP.. Running Vista Ultimate with SP1-Wave-1 It has prevented the Green Button from starting MC from the Desktop though.. Whch unfortunately also means that it works as the "Maximize" button in MP... __________________ Well, a bloke needs a hobby, I always say. And hey, in this big old world there's always plenty of dung out there to be collected: after all, I hear the Ducati factory is working longer shifts now.

2008-01-27, 23:23	#8 (permalink)
Paranoid Delusion Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Cheshire UK Posts: 5,592 Thanks: 91 Thanked 160 Times in 145 Posts Country: My System	Look here, crispi's post, works fine. That was all i had to do. __________________ Ray\PD Check your codecs are fine with Filmerit. XP\Vista known issues FOR FULL SUPPORT PLEASE GIVE USER SPECIFICATIONS AND RELEVANT LOG's as per HERE

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2007-03-30, 21:45	#2 (permalink)
amilewski Portal Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Jelenia Góra Age: 38 Posts: 32 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	Here is the way I do it: stop all services that have something with 'Media Center' in its description, then press shift+ctrl+esc, find processes tab, there should be one which sounds like 'media center agregate' or so, just kill this process and you are done. Unfotunatelly, this process will fire on next boot, I still do not know how to avoid this. regards

2007-03-31, 22:40	#3 (permalink)
Lizard King Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Montreal Posts: 8 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Country: My System	Hi, Here's what I did. I purchased Yanicsoft's Vista Manager (welll worth the $$$). Amongst the gazillion tweaks available is one called "prevent WMC from running on this computer". Voilà! Ehome process is then freed up for your own usage. Good luck

2007-04-01, 08:16	#4 (permalink)
whurlston Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 80 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Country:	Right mouse click "My Computer" and select "Manage". Go to "Services and Applications" -> "Services". Stop all "Media Center..." services. To prevent them returning on reboots: Right click the service and select "Properties". Change "Start Type" to "Disable". Same for MCE2005

2007-04-01, 15:32	#6 (permalink)
whurlston Portal Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 80 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 3 Posts Country:	I forgot about ehtray.

2008-01-28, 11:50	#9 (permalink)
CieNeSDi Portal User Join Date: Dec 2007 Posts: 4 Thanks: 0 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post Country: My System	Hello all, I had the same problem with Vista Ultimate. I just renamed C:\Windows\ehome directory to C:\Windows\ehome_disabled. So no Vista MCE exe's are startet. Hope this helps.. Greetings CieNeSDi

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