Windows Vista MCE Replacement Driver (1 Viewer)

[and-81]

mkanet: Could you try it anyway and let me know?

opy01: I've just updated the public test copy of IR Server Suite here:

https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/ir_server_suite_public_test_version-t24849.html

It now has a command line application called IR Blast.exe that should be able to interact with exetuner. Have a read of the documentation, there is a new appendix on IR Blast. It looks like you'll need to create a series of IR Command files named "0.IR", "1.IR", etc ... and then use the "-channel" command line parameter with IR Blast.exe to interact with exetuner. Good luck.

Let me know how you get on.

Cheers,

 

[opy01]

Yea, theres an entire section on how to configure the tuners with the EXEMultiTuner and modify the .ir files to send the device name with the channel id. I will try it out this weekend. I am off in a bit to watch Spamalot so I wont be able to do anything till tomorrow. I will let you know about that and how replacing the dll in HIP went.

 

[agentwalker]

Help guys got a problem with trying to get my Media Centre Remote working. If I don't use the replacement driver and start media centre by clicking the exe then the remote works. If I install the replacement driver and replacement try then when I press the Green start button on the remote it fires the launch exe set in the replacement try but when media portal starts the control won't work.

I've gone into mediaportal setup and unticked the 'use nicrosoft MCE remote...' under remote options. Then i've enabled the plugin and ticked the 'Enable MCE remote' checkbox.

Also tried installing the Vista replacement driver and still no luck, I can start mediaportal via the remote but once started nothing.

I've using windows vista 32bit.

I've had it all working perfectly before but i've just done a format and reinstalled so its kinda annoying me now that I had everything running ok before but its not playing ball now

Any ideas what I'm doing wrong ?

 

[agentwalker]

Ignore my post above, I tried everything from uninstalling and reinstalling and swapping drivers around etc and nothing was working. So I just switched back to vistas default driver which at least let me control MediaPortal but still I could't use the replacement taskbar plugin to launch a bat file to make mediaportal switch screens to my second monitor.

In the end I decided to just rewrite the code in the mptray plugin so that when pressing the start button it points to the monitor switcher/ media portal launcher instead of the standard mediaportal.exe.

Hope this helps someone, if your having problems getting this driver to work just rewrite the mptray.exe to do what you want insted

 

[opy01]

Just to clarify, if you install the replacement drivers you need a program like IR Server Suite that and-81 is working on to reprogram your remote. If you do not do that it will not work with anything at all. All programs use different shortcut keys to perform functions, just learn the keypress and map it to the shortcut key.

 

[and-81]

Thanks to opy01's generous donation of an MCE Keyboard I have now included support for it in the latest version of IR Server Suite. The support for this device is still being improved, but it is certainly usable in the current version. The only issue I'm aware of is to do with the keyboard's mouse.

Available here:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/ir_server_suite_public_test_version-t24849.html

More information here:
https://forum.team-mediaportal.com/showpost.php?p=173118&postcount=34

Cheers,

 

[tbnz]

Hi and-81,

Awesome work on the MCE replacement driver, any chance you could share the source for the updated MCEIR.dll to work with vista??

I have the code for the original dll, but can't get it to work on vista. Which sucks because I just moved over and can't use it with my customised app :-(

Tim.

 

[lfic]

and-81
I am currently struggling with Girder 4 on recently installed OEM Vista Home Premium x86. I don’t know much about Media Portal and/or MCE Remote but before upgrade I have used Windows XP and with this OS Girder 4 has worked fine so I was able to control my PC (whatever software) by Pioneer remote control thanks to MceIr Plugin. In Vista Girder does not recognize commands from this remote. I guess it’s because MceIr5 is not really compatible with Vista. Could MCE Replacement Driver be a solution for my problem or this particular piece of software is just for Media Portal (replacement *.dll file does not work as a plug-in for Girder though)? If yes then how can I install it? When I do manual driver update then device manager says that existing driver is up-to-date. *but file does not do any changes too, I can see it from driver properties, it stays same. Please give me advice. I would rather make a donation than buy a new universal remote that works just with Keyboard plug-in [Girder].

 

[and-81]

Awesome work on the MCE replacement driver, any chance you could share the source for the updated MCEIR.dll to work with vista??

I have the code for the original dll, but can't get it to work on vista. Which sucks because I just moved over and can't use it with my customised app :-(

No worries Tim,

I'm not at home at the moment, but I will bundle it up and post a new copy along with updated inf files and the like in this thread later on, by the weekend at the latest. If I forget (which does happen from time to time) then drop another post here and I'll make sure I do it.

There really is no difference in the MceIr.dll, it's just a recompile of the MceIr.sys file. The only differences from Bruno's MceIr.dll and mine is that I have added some extra functions for my own software and striped out the girder functions cos I didn't need them. I will put those back in however now that people outside of MediaPortal are relying on my version of the replacement driver.

Cheers,

I am currently struggling with Girder 4 on recently installed OEM Vista Home Premium x86. I don’t know much about Media Portal and/or MCE Remote but before upgrade I have used Windows XP and with this OS Girder 4 has worked fine so I was able to control my PC (whatever software) by Pioneer remote control thanks to MceIr Plugin. In Vista Girder does not recognize commands from this remote. I guess it’s because MceIr5 is not really compatible with Vista. Could MCE Replacement Driver be a solution for my problem or this particular piece of software is just for Media Portal (replacement *.dll file does not work as a plug-in for Girder though)? If yes then how can I install it? When I do manual driver update then device manager says that existing driver is up-to-date. *but file does not do any changes too, I can see it from driver properties, it stays same. Please give me advice. I would rather make a donation than buy a new universal remote that works just with Keyboard plug-in [Girder].

With the default eHome driver in Vista the MceIr.dll will not work. It's due to a change to the way windows interacts with the device driver in Vista. The only way to use MceIr.dll in Vista and the software that requires it (Girder, EventGhost, HIP) is to use the Replacement Driver.

There are install instructions in the Vista 32-bit version of the replacement driver that is attached to this thread, but I will be updating the attached copy to include all source code and some updated inf files shortly (in the next couple of days at the latest). So download a new copy when it shows up and maybe you'll have better luck.

Also, a question: How invested are you in Girder? What I mean is, how complicated and elaborate is your Girder setup? If you're just using it for simple remote mapping (not full home automation) then you might want to try the beta of the software I'm working on called "IR Server Suite", it's made for MediaPortal but it includes a girder-like app for pc control and has better MCE remote support than Girder does. Girder relies on the MceIr.dll which I've just recently moved away from. Again, I'm just about to update the copy of IR Server Suite that is available in this forum, so maybe wait a couple of days for that too ... If you're interested.

hope that helps,

 

[lfic]

Could anybody help, I can't get replacement driver installed.
SCREENSHOT