Multimedia Center Problems

[Brett Simmers]

Hello all,

I recently recieved an All In Wonder 9600 Pro. I have the card and
drivers installed and working correctly (Catalyst 3.9). However, I
can't get Multimedia Center to work. First, I tried the version that
came on the CD with my card (8.6). After installation, LaunchPad
would refuse to start with the following error message: "The ATI
Multimedia Center does not appear to be installed. You may need to
re-install the Multimedia Center." I tried launching the TV/FM radio
apps individually, but nothing happened when I did. When an error
message suggests a solution, I usually follow it, so I reinstalled
MMC. After the reinstall, I got the same error. I decided to try a
more recent version from ATI's website, so I downloaded 8.7. I got
the same error, even after multiple reinstalls, including one where I
cleaned all ATI software off my computer and reinstalled the most
recent drivers and MMC. I've tried all my normal problem solving
resources (Google[Groups], IRC, friends with ATI cards) but I haven't
been able to find a solution. At this point the only solution that
seems to be left is a clean install of Windows, but I'd like to avoid
that if possible. I've put a lot of time into this install and it
would take me many hours to bring it back to its current state. My
old video card was an Nvidia GeForce2 MX, before installing the AIW I
removed the Nvidia drivers and ran DriverCleaner. My computer is an
Athlon XP 1700, 512mb RAM, XP Pro SP1, my agp is ALi 4x. Does anyone
have any ideas/suggestions as to how to get Multimedia Center working?

 

[patrickp]

Hello all,

I recently recieved an All In Wonder 9600 Pro. I have the card and
drivers installed and working correctly (Catalyst 3.9). However, I
can't get Multimedia Center to work. First, I tried the version that
came on the CD with my card (8.6). After installation, LaunchPad
would refuse to start with the following error message: "The ATI
Multimedia Center does not appear to be installed. You may need to
re-install the Multimedia Center." I tried launching the TV/FM radio
apps individually, but nothing happened when I did. When an error
message suggests a solution, I usually follow it, so I reinstalled
MMC. After the reinstall, I got the same error. I decided to try a
more recent version from ATI's website, so I downloaded 8.7. I got
the same error, even after multiple reinstalls, including one where I
cleaned all ATI software off my computer and reinstalled the most
recent drivers and MMC. I've tried all my normal problem solving
resources (Google[Groups], IRC, friends with ATI cards) but I haven't
been able to find a solution. At this point the only solution that
seems to be left is a clean install of Windows, but I'd like to avoid
that if possible. I've put a lot of time into this install and it
would take me many hours to bring it back to its current state. My
old video card was an Nvidia GeForce2 MX, before installing the AIW I
removed the Nvidia drivers and ran DriverCleaner. My computer is an
Athlon XP 1700, 512mb RAM, XP Pro SP1, my agp is ALi 4x. Does anyone
have any ideas/suggestions as to how to get Multimedia Center working?

Do you have DirectX 9.0 and Windows Media Encoder 9.0 installed, Brett?

I've found that an install of MMC can sometimes be problematic, then an
uninstall, clean and reinstall produces much better results. Have you tried
running the ATi configuration app? It throws up some spurious results (the
current one seems to be that MMX is not enabled on your CPU - even people
running high end Pentiums and AMDs can get this) but but can give useful
info as well.

Repairing your MMC installation sometimes works. Run the uninstall in
Add/Remove Programs and you'll get the option to Add a component, Repair
your installation or Remove it. Try the Repair. The only problem with it
is that it sometimes installs options that you chose to omit when you
originally installed, but that's easily remedied through the Add a component
facility.

Last point is, do you have all the current drivers for your motherboard and
chipset installed, particularly AGP drivers?

patrickp

 

[Brett Simmers]

Do you have DirectX 9.0 and Windows Media Encoder 9.0 installed, Brett?

I do, I upgraded to DirectX 9.0b right before I got my new card. I have
Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980 installed and it works fine.

I've found that an install of MMC can sometimes be problematic, then an
uninstall, clean and reinstall produces much better results. Have you tried
running the ATi configuration app? It throws up some spurious results (the
current one seems to be that MMX is not enabled on your CPU - even people
running high end Pentiums and AMDs can get this) but but can give useful
info as well.

I have tried the configuration app, but the "Run Tests" button in the PC
Check tab is grayed out, so I can't run the tests .

Repairing your MMC installation sometimes works. Run the uninstall in
Add/Remove Programs and you'll get the option to Add a component, Repair
your installation or Remove it. Try the Repair. The only problem with it
is that it sometimes installs options that you chose to omit when you
originally installed, but that's easily remedied through the Add a component
facility.

I've reinstalled a few times but I hadn't done a repair yet, so I just
tried one, with no luck . LaunchPad is still giving the same errors
and the TV and FM radio apps do nothing.

Last point is, do you have all the current drivers for your motherboard and
chipset installed, particularly AGP drivers?

I originally had only the AGP driver installed (the ATI install
instructions said it had to be installed) but I was getting Delayed
Write Failures on startup that made the system unusable, so I installed
the IDE drivers as well and that made those errors go away. Now I have
the IDE and AGP drivers installed. My motherboard is an Iwill XP-333,
the chipset is ALi. I have the most current drivers from ALi's website
as of a few days ago when I downloaded them. I doubt this is a driver
issue though, because the card itself is working fine. I've played a
few demanding games and run dxdiag, and everything about the card itself
appears to be fully functional, it's just Multimedia Center that's
having problems .

patrickp

Thanks for the suggestions, this is a very strange (and annoying) problem!

Brett Simmers
(e-mail address removed)

 

[patrickp]

I do, I upgraded to DirectX 9.0b right before I got my new card. I have
Windows Media Encoder 9.00.00.2980 installed and it works fine.


I have tried the configuration app, but the "Run Tests" button in the PC
Check tab is grayed out, so I can't run the tests .


I've reinstalled a few times but I hadn't done a repair yet, so I just
tried one, with no luck . LaunchPad is still giving the same errors
and the TV and FM radio apps do nothing.


I originally had only the AGP driver installed (the ATI install
instructions said it had to be installed) but I was getting Delayed
Write Failures on startup that made the system unusable, so I installed
the IDE drivers as well and that made those errors go away. Now I have
the IDE and AGP drivers installed. My motherboard is an Iwill XP-333,
the chipset is ALi. I have the most current drivers from ALi's website
as of a few days ago when I downloaded them. I doubt this is a driver
issue though, because the card itself is working fine. I've played a
few demanding games and run dxdiag, and everything about the card itself
appears to be fully functional, it's just Multimedia Center that's
having problems .


Thanks for the suggestions, this is a very strange (and annoying) problem!

Brett Simmers
(e-mail address removed)

Is it possible you could have a corrupted download? Might be worth dling
the MMC components again and reinstalling

patrickp

 

[Brett Simmers]

Is it possible you could have a corrupted download? Might be worth dling
the MMC components again and reinstalling

patrickp

I did a single user install instead of a global isntall, and that seemed to fix
it, it's working great now!

Brett

 

[Rainer]

Hi,

what do you mean with single user install? I think you mean the
compponents like driver and so on - not the MMC. I got the same error
Msg "...does not appear to be installed"
help needed!