Media Center Freezes

[Robin]

Media center is freezing up when I try to scroll search through the movies
or music videos. It says it needs to update something at the beginning, but
when I click the OK button the little circle just sits and spins and never
does anything.

Does anyone know or have any ideas as to what could be the issue? I would
love to let it update whatever, but it won't.

Duchess

 

[Robin]

Anyone? I sure hope I can get this fixed as I really do like this aspect of
Vista.
Thanks

 

[Nonny]

Anyone? I sure hope I can get this fixed as I really do like this aspect of
Vista.

Try asking this in the media center group:

microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

It may be the video driver. If Vista came preinstalled on your computer
then check the mfg's website to see if there is a later version of the
driver available. Otherwise check the website of the video card mfg.

 

[Robin]

K thanks

Try asking this in the media center group:

microsoft.public.windows.mediacenter

 

[Robin]

Good idea. Thank you

It may be the video driver. If Vista came preinstalled on your computer
then check the mfg's website to see if there is a later version of the
driver available. Otherwise check the website of the video card mfg.

 

[Robin]

Ok I have driver version 163.71 for my GeForce 8300GS card. I believe the
newest is 175.63? I checked, downloaded it, but need to find out the best
way to install. I have only done this once before on an XP machine. I am a
little worried lol.

Thanks

 

[Charlie Tame]

Well you "Should" download the new driver to some easy place to find.
(Desktop?)

Now, you probably should also turn off your anti virus, especially if it
is Norton or McAfee. Let us know if you are not sure about this. You
will not be reading mail or visiting websites while doing the procedure
so it is not dangerous to turn it off.

Reboot

Make sure Anti Virus is not secretly running.

Uninstall old driver using add / remove

Reboot (This often messes up the screen layout hence the "Easy to find
comment")

Install new driver

Reboot (Probably no choice there anyway)

Reason for reboots is to avoid clashes with anything else running. Also
reason for not trying to use Windows Update to install video drivers.
The idea is that a freshly rebooted system is not running anything
unexpected.

You can often get away with missing steps, for example not uninstalling
the old driver or by letting Windows Update do it, but when the shorter
method does not work chaos can result. Quicker and safer to take the
longer path.

Although I have to say that my Vista machines have started freezing
problems with Media Center since the installation of SP1 (Imagine that)
so I am not sure that the video driver is what is causing your original
problem, however it is usually best with NVidia to have the latest.

 

[Robin]

Ok now I have heard alot of people talking about this program called "Driver
cleaner". I checked it out and it is pretty confusing for me. Do you think
I need to do that? Or will it be good just doing as you said?

Thanks so much for helping me with this.
Robin

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

A simpler way to turn off background processes that may interfere is to
perform a Clean Boot startup. That stops all non-Microsoft services and
programs from interfering. Users often don't know what all is running.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

What is Driver Cleaner? I seriously doubt you should use a third party
program that makes claims like "make your computer a real hero."

 

[Robin]

No..lol. I don't believe it says that. What it does is clean off any bits
that were left after uninstall. I have only heard of it, never used it.
Here is the link:
http://www.drivercleaner.net/

I couldn't find where it says what you are saying it does. If you could
show me...
Thanks