My Vista Media Center has gone mad! I got home from work last night and Media Center had tried to record the same program 6 times, and reported a conflict in the event log that the TV program was causing a conflict with it’s self, and the program had been split in to 5 small chunks.
When I checked the Event viewer it was complaining that the Belgium Grand Prix could not be recorded due:
F1: Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying Highlights was not recorded because the program was pre-empted by the broadcaster. According to the Program Guide F1: Belgian Grand Prix Qualifying aired instead at 09/15/2007 12:30:00 on channel 28
Now the Belgian GP is on next week and this error is in the EPG every minute since yesterday and now all recording fail and in Media Center it reports a Critical Error.
So I headed over to TheGreenButton and found I was not alone with this problem and it looks like it has been happening for a couple of weeks to various people. The best way to fix it seemed to be:
2. Open up the services and get ready to temporarily shut down the "Windows Media Center Scheduler Service" and "Windows Media Center Receiver Service".
3. Open up the following directory "C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Recording".
4. Shut down both of the Media Center services in #2 above and quickly rename (or delete) the "Recording.xml" and "Recording.xml.bak" (the Media Center Services restart for some reason and you can’t properly delete the recording schedule data without having them shut down).
5. Start the service "Windows Media Center Service Launcher" (this will start both of the other services correctly).
This seems to have worked for me but of it has wiped all my scheduled recordings, so I am going to try using my backup copy, thanks to mceBackup 2.0 and I will report back later
Update: I have decided to re-schedule my recording as I have never really cleaned it up
13 thoughts on “Major Recording Problems in my Media Center”
>> I have decided to re-schedule my recording as I have never really cleaned it up
Hi Ian,
This is a good point, my Vista Media Center PC’s are full of scheduled recordings – when you click ‘Record Series’, that schedule is never deleted. As a result, when the series comes around again – in a years time or whatever – it records again, yet it is really painful to manually delete each schedule entry with the remote. I’d like to know where this info is stored so that I could delete the entries in an XML with notepad or something. I’m convinced that the system is getting more and more slugging yet I’ve always got around 10 series on the go so cant just do a reinstall.
Brian
I think i’m having the same problem as you with my media center. but I’m just trying to follow your instructions and I dont seem to have the “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Recording” directory or any files called “Recording.xml” and “Recording.xml.bak”.
Thanks Ian! I thought i was going to have to take computer back to shop to get fixed. Got critical notice telling me to contact manufacturer etc. took me two minutes to solve problem and seems to be running just as good as when i first got pc. Thanks again. Alan.
I have been google-ing around this eHome problem. And it seems that it started for many people on 8/jul/2008. So i think the source of the problem is BILL GATES with one of his automatic vista updates.
Anyway, I have renamed the 2 files (I extended them with ” .old ” ) and now everything seems to be working again.
Also IE7 stopped working on the same day? On that day Firefox updated to 2,0,0,15.
Maybe, this firefox update is causing this IE7 conflict (error in XML compiler???)
But I can live with the fact the IE7 does not work anymore, since I use Firefox to browse the net. 🙂
Anyway, thanks for your solution on mediacenter recording error.
This saved me a lot of money (and time), since I was about to buy an external HD to backup all my files before formating my C drive and doing a completed re-setup of Vista.
{"id":null,"mode":"button","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"GBP","currency_symbol":"\u00a3","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/thedigitallifestyle.com\/w\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for being a supporter!","payment_confirmation_title":"TheDigitalLifestyle.com","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
>> I have decided to re-schedule my recording as I have never really cleaned it up
Hi Ian,
This is a good point, my Vista Media Center PC’s are full of scheduled recordings – when you click ‘Record Series’, that schedule is never deleted. As a result, when the series comes around again – in a years time or whatever – it records again, yet it is really painful to manually delete each schedule entry with the remote. I’d like to know where this info is stored so that I could delete the entries in an XML with notepad or something. I’m convinced that the system is getting more and more slugging yet I’ve always got around 10 series on the go so cant just do a reinstall.
Brian
it’s stored in recodings.xml but i am not sure of the structure. Media Center is about 10x faster now! more on a post later
As I reported over the weekend I have had a major problems with my Vista Media Center PC. Basically if…
Buswheel.cn
Hey Ian,
I think i’m having the same problem as you with my media center. but I’m just trying to follow your instructions and I dont seem to have the “C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\eHome\Recording” directory or any files called “Recording.xml” and “Recording.xml.bak”.
Any ideas?
Thanks
John
thankyou so much. i was about to reinstall windows, but you have saved the day for me. much appreciated!!
Marcus
Ian,
Thanks for the solution to my problem 🙂
You saved my weekend 🙂
Thanks Ian! I thought i was going to have to take computer back to shop to get fixed. Got critical notice telling me to contact manufacturer etc. took me two minutes to solve problem and seems to be running just as good as when i first got pc. Thanks again. Alan.
I have been google-ing around this eHome problem. And it seems that it started for many people on 8/jul/2008. So i think the source of the problem is BILL GATES with one of his automatic vista updates.
Anyway, I have renamed the 2 files (I extended them with ” .old ” ) and now everything seems to be working again.
Also IE7 stopped working on the same day? On that day Firefox updated to 2,0,0,15.
Maybe, this firefox update is causing this IE7 conflict (error in XML compiler???)
But I can live with the fact the IE7 does not work anymore, since I use Firefox to browse the net. 🙂
Anyway, thanks for your solution on mediacenter recording error.
This saved me a lot of money (and time), since I was about to buy an external HD to backup all my files before formating my C drive and doing a completed re-setup of Vista.
Thanks, I missed a few of my favourite programs because the recording service was broken. Your solution did the trick for me!
Hey thanks very mutch
My problem is fixt
Best regards
Thanks a lot,
Your solution did it for me.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
So much for Gateway support, who told me I would have to reinstall Vista to get Media Center working again.
I made one last Google attempt and found this post, and I’m happy to say that I’m up and running again.