XP crashed totally

[FinnBo]

well this morning I woke up at 9 and wanted to start up my PC.........
almost 16:00 still starting up.
NTLDR is missing press Ctrl alt delete .......

luckily we've got two PC's
Googled the problem and I wasn't the only one The other guy was advised to chkdisk /r fixboot , but after some hours (you could follow the time on his post) he ended up with nothing so he re-installed XP.

I'm re-installing XP and I'm not sure if Media Portal will be installed.
After three days trying to install Media Portal folowing the manual, the video manual, requirements look-ups installing sql-stuff, service pack's, direct x, MP- versions, svn's and so on. Ending up with a total reinstall of my PC loosing all my email, contacts ect ect. (so i lost the log.zip file as well)

My opinion is: The manual sucks!!!

My suggestion!
Split the site in two one part for new members and one for old (experienced) ones. Most of the site is written as if every body is somehow an expert on tweaking and moddeling, but after three days of reading manuals and installing, it's very frustrating for me that it ended up were it did. (even when I did it all by the manual)

For the new members write a clear manual treating them as they know very little. I found a lot of errors in manuals e.g. files mentioned weren't in the download or "just put it were it's safe but not in Windows/system" I can't tell if I have to put is on the C: or in a temp or wherever. What to do with a file that you don't know were it really has to end up at all? It was'nt mentioned furter on in the manual. How to find out what went wrong? In the Direct x system check I had to find two files that should be from the same date I just downloaded and installed it but I could find only one of those files via the system check route the other file was op the PC but......
Pickture 5 from the install TV server -manual (the one with finnish) it isn't right because there is an checkbox with run setup, so should I?
In the TV-Server-Configuration-TVServers-Scan-Analog part, it isn't explained what if there are no channels found, at the general settings it is suggested not to change these unless encounteruing trouble but what should I change to what. What's a PID?

So question to the devellopers is:
-- Please write a little tool that I can download first or even like a remote check of the status of a PC. So I will not try to download or install versions or programs that are already installed or out dated.
-- Let it tell me the essential additional programs I should install and the right configuration of those. Very nice if linked correctly (the service pack 2 link in the requirements doesn't work).
-- Let it tell me that my hardware isn't compatible when so (it prevents fools like me trying to do something that will never work out)
-- give a clear view (pickture, maybe) of what files I should have downloaded, extracted, and installed and where they should be
-- Make an up to date video. It makes it so very nice to follow the installation steps.


If above isn't possible then please:
-- make more clear that I don't really have to have a digital TV tuner and if so write manual accordingly
-- make clear when and where Channelscan can be or should be run and what is the outcome (makes it easier to detect if something has gone wrong)
-- update the video with the current version. The video is so very good I ran it during installation of version V1.0.0.0but because the download site looked different and the used versions weren't up to date it was very hard to take all the suggested steps.

Also I can understand that it's no fun to have some questions asked multiple times on a forum, but reading trough several "similar' problem post without solutions is not nice eighter.
Note that these suggestions are only for the plain installation, I can immagine that thing as changing skins installing pluggins and so on are for those who know what they're doing. But I could'nt even get to that .

Now I will re-install all the sub programm's, updates and so on for XP maybe I'll come around to find out what Media Portal has done with these suggestions. It looks prommissing

Good Luck
Finnigan

[Paranoid Delusion]

First point Ultimate Boot CD (UBCD) may have been able to repair this, so worthwhile having for anyone bar Vista users (built in).

The other points are made, this is still beta software and work in progress, which i think is coming along very nicely.

As far as the requirements are concerned for running MP, these are challenged by users every day, who read the specs required and despite not meeting them, still download and try running MP and wonder why they have problems.

The Documents are being given a major overhaul atm, but this is a mammoth task, last time i downloaded the MP manual (yes there was one) it had in excess of 100 pages of printable material and i believe this has only grown with todays version.

Regards

[magnets]

Hi,
i must admit i find the installation of MP a bit daunting too.
The actual install is fine, but after it's installed you're presented with the config icons on the desktop and you don't really know where to begin. And you have to set things up before running, which i know sounds obvious, but most programs will run after install and new users expect this also. The manual has loads of info in it, but i think that can work against you if you don't know which options you need to set and which options are not critical to get MP up and running in the first place.

Would anyone mind if i wrote a beginners guide (also known as a quickstart or cookbook) to Media portal.
I was thinking in the same style as the drupal cookbook
The Drupal Cookbook (for beginners) | drupal.org


It would guide a new user through a very basic setup, without going into any details, just to get them up and running in a short and hopefully, pain free amount of time.

Do you think this is a good idea or am i reinventing the wheel here?

What format should i write it in, i was thinking plain html, wiki style documents are great for reference but don't really lend themselves to "follow along" style documentation.

[Paranoid Delusion]

Limpwhizkid has done a few tutorials, see if anything there is along the lines you were thinking.

My manual on howto install a XPSP2 standalone TVserver

[magnets]

ooo lots of detail.
might have a go myself, i'm aiming more for the "i-installed-it-but-it-won't-work-i-don't-know-what-my-config-should-be-i-only-just-installed-it-why-won't-it-work" type of helpder doc/cookbook