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-   -   Media Center (http://www.pcbanter.net/showthread.php?t=1096475)

Nil[_5_] January 4th 17 04:00 AM

Media Center
 
Can someone summarize the history of Windows Media Center, particularly
in regard to Windows 8/8.1? I'm trying to revive a friend's Win 8.1
computer from a major disk crash. I managed to reinstall Windows 8 Home
from Hewlett Packard's recovery partition, and I updated it to Win 8.1.
I'm pretty sure my friend had Media Center on this computer, but
there's no sign of it now. I think he may have acquired it directly
from MS, not from HP. I know Media Center is discontinued, but he has a
valid key - is there any way to get MC back on this computer?

Paul[_32_] January 4th 17 04:23 AM

Media Center
 
Nil wrote:
Can someone summarize the history of Windows Media Center, particularly
in regard to Windows 8/8.1? I'm trying to revive a friend's Win 8.1
computer from a major disk crash. I managed to reinstall Windows 8 Home
from Hewlett Packard's recovery partition, and I updated it to Win 8.1.
I'm pretty sure my friend had Media Center on this computer, but
there's no sign of it now. I think he may have acquired it directly
from MS, not from HP. I know Media Center is discontinued, but he has a
valid key - is there any way to get MC back on this computer?


Anytime Upgrade ?

When the $39.95 introductory offer period, you
could get a key emailed to you, which "added" Media Center
capability to the OS. The Win8.1 on this machine has it.
(But I have no Media Center card available on here.)

"1. Request your free product key from Microsoft's Web site.
2. Hit the shortcut, Win+W, then type "add features."
Select "Add features to Windows 8"
3. Click on "I already have a product key," then
enter your product key. Click Next to continue.
4. Agree to the licensing agreement, then click "Add features.
"

After the freebie period, you could pay for a copy of
Media Center instead. It should involve a license key.

It could be, that the last key on the previous (crashed)
setup, was the key in question.

If the person is lucky, the key is in their email inbox.
Depending on whether the purchase of Media Center was electronic.

I don't even know if that deal was on offer during Win8.1.
It could be, if you had to reinstall Win8.1, the key would
still work. But if you had just bought Win8.1, perhaps
Media Center wasn't for sale at that point.

The only practical difference on my machine, with Media Center
added, is the addition of a video and an audio codec
for playing commercial DVDs. If I had a Media Center
tuner, if would be a different story.

Paul

Red Rum January 4th 17 04:57 AM

Media Center
 
Nil wrote:

Can someone summarize the history of Windows Media Center, particularly
in regard to Windows 8/8.1? I'm trying to revive a friend's Win 8.1
computer from a major disk crash. I managed to reinstall Windows 8 Home
from Hewlett Packard's recovery partition, and I updated it to Win 8.1.
I'm pretty sure my friend had Media Center on this computer, but
there's no sign of it now. I think he may have acquired it directly
from MS, not from HP. I know Media Center is discontinued, but he has a
valid key - is there any way to get MC back on this computer?



See http://www.wikihow.com/Download-Wind...indows_8.1_sub

QUOTE:

Windows 8.1

1 Understand the process. Windows Media Center was not included in
Windows 8 when it was released, and is only available in the Pro
version of Windows 8.1. It is not included in the standard version
of 8.1, which means you'll need to upgrade to Pro in order to use
Windows Media Center. This is the only legal way to get Windows
Media Center on Windows 8.1

[...etc., etc...]

5 Add the new pack key to Windows 8.1. Once you have the key, you
can enter it in Windows so that your upgrade can be downloaded and
installed.
* Press Win and type "add features".
* Select "Add features to Windows 8.1".
* Choose "I already have a product key".
* Enter the key into the field.


(PeteCresswell) January 4th 17 02:49 PM

Media Center
 
Per Red Rum:
It is not included in the standard version
of 8.1, which means you'll need to upgrade to Pro in order to use
Windows Media Center. This is the only legal way to get Windows
Media Center on Windows 8.1


Push-comes-top-shove: SageTV

--
Pete Cresswell

Nil[_5_] January 4th 17 08:58 PM

Media Center
 
On 03 Jan 2017, Red Rum wrote in
alt.comp.os.windows-8:

See
http://www.wikihow.com/Download-Wind...indows_8.1_sub


That did it! I don't think I could have figured that out by myself.
The offer to "add features" without saying what those "features"
are wouldn't have been enough to tell me. But I did have a key
(gleaned by the Nirsoft ProduKey utility) from the registry files
on the old, corrupt disk. Your process accepted that key and went
on to download and install the Media Center components. I have no
way to test it, but it looks like I expected it to. Thanks!

Interestingly, Windows now shows as "Windows 8.1 Pro with Media
Center". Before the added Features, it showed as "Windows 8.1 with
Media Center" - no Home or Pro designation, and no sign of Media Center.

QUOTE:

Windows 8.1

1 Understand the process. Windows Media Center was not
included in Windows 8 when it was released, and is only
available in the Pro version of Windows 8.1. It is not
included in the standard version of 8.1, which means you'll
need to upgrade to Pro in order to use Windows Media Center.
This is the only legal way to get Windows Media Center on
Windows 8.1

[...etc., etc...]

5 Add the new pack key to Windows 8.1. Once you have the key,
you can enter it in Windows so that your upgrade can be
downloaded and installed.
* Press Win and type "add features".
* Select "Add features to Windows 8.1".
* Choose "I already have a product key".
* Enter the key into the field.



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