There's an alternative to enable password caching and domain joining: http://www.thegreenbutton.com/community/shwmessage.aspx?forumid=52&messageid=122774#bm122805

 

Hello peeps,

I've made some (slow) progress in getting Rollup 2 installed onto Server 2003, but nothing usable yet. At the moment I'm working on creating an MSI installer based on a Rollup 2 install on a proper MCE installation.

 

Has anyone had any success with Rollup 2 yet? As soon as I get my server switched on by someone (oops - forgot this morning!), I'll post the exact error I'm getting to see if any of the clever people on this thread can solve it.

 

Oh yes, I have managed to create an MSI installer for the remote control drivers.

Ok, here's the error. Someone clever please help!

---

Microsoft (R) Common Language Runtime Test Debugger Shell Version 1.1.4322.573
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation 1998-2002. All rights reserved.

(cordbg) a 0xa84
Process 2692/0xa84 created.
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\microsoft.net\framework\v1.1.4322\
mscorlib.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for C:\WINDOWS\eHome\ehshell.exe
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\ehiextcom\6.0.3000.0_
_31bf3856ad364e35\ehiextcom.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\ehcm\6.0.3000.0__31bf
3856ad364e35\ehcm.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\system\1.0.5000.0__b7
7a5c561934e089\system.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\ehepg\6.0.3000.0__31b
f3856ad364e35\ehepg.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\ehcommon\6.0.3000.0__
31bf3856ad364e35\ehcommon.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\ehiproxy\6.0.3000.0__
31bf3856ad364e35\ehiproxy.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\bdatunepia\6.0.3000.0
__31bf3856ad364e35\bdatunepia.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\system.xml\1.0.5000.0
__b77a5c561934e089\system.xml.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\accessibility\1.0.500
0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\accessibility.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\assembly\gac\system.drawing\1.0.50
00.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a\system.drawing.dll
Warning: couldn't load symbols for c:\windows\ehome\ehexthost.exe
[thread 0xa88] Thread created.
Unable to  determine existence of prolog, if any
[thread 0xa90] Thread created.
[thread 0xaf8] Thread created.
[thread 0xb0c] Thread created.
[thread 0xb14] Thread created.
[thread 0xafc] Thread created.
[thread 0xa88] Unhandled exception generated: (0x017fe00c) <System.NullReference
Exception>
  _className=<null>
  _exceptionMethod=<null>
  _exceptionMethodString=<null>
  _message=(0x017fe094) "Object reference not set to an instance of an object."
  _innerException=<null>
  _helpURL=<null>
  _stackTrace=(0x017fe1dc) array with dims=[288]
  _stackTraceString=<null>
  _remoteStackTraceString=<null>
  _remoteStackIndex=0x00000000
  _HResult=0x80004003
  _source=<null>
  _xptrs=0x0012eb30
  _xcode=0xc0000005

[0039] mov         eax,dword ptr [ecx]
(cordbg)

Hi guys, I am impressed by the time and amount of work which you have put in this project.

My setup:

1) MCE 2005 running with an hauppauge 250pvr. Works like a charm.

2) Windows 2003: running websites, file server, print server, etc. Always on. Lots of hard drive space.

3) Xbox Media Center Extender: In the living room. Surprisingly working better than all reviews I've read on the net.

The only reason why i would like to run MCE 2005 on my server 2k3 is that I use mostly MCE through my Xbox extender. Given that I have a server that is always on, I'd like to be able to install MCE on it and not have to open my MCE 2005 machine everytime I use my Xbox Extender. The overall goal is to consume less electricity (planning to get a Toyota prius soon also ).

Anyway, my question is the following: As anybody been able to install the MCE extender application on Win2k3? Anybody been able to use an xbox extender or linksys/HP extender linked with a Win2k3 backend?

Thanks for your work guys

JackMicro

Here's an article about how much it actually costs to power a PC.

http://www.techreviewer.com/viewpage.cfm/pi/29

I don't have an extender so someone else will have to help you with that.

I agree with you that this is not a huge cost. But still, i kind of feel bad knowing that I need to let my MCE 2005 up and running even though I will not use this computer in the foreseeable future (I will unplug the monitor, which will help on the bill).

Ok, so even though electricity cost is not a real problem, I would still like to be able to use my server as itis in my "server room " in the basement (I don't hear it in the living room, which is not the case for my desktop MCE 2005).

So for those of you that are using MCE 2005 on win2003, please drop me a line if you have tried using it with an extender.

Thanks Mr. Turge for your reply.

Well, here's something to get you started at least. If you check your services, can you actually see the Media Center Extender Service and if you do, is it in fact started?

If it's not listed, you could probably export it from the registry. Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\McrdSvc and export it to a reg file then run that from your server. If you can't start the service, check the event viewer and report back.

Hope this helps

 

is anyone having issues with the winlogon.exe process taking up a large amount of rescources after doing this?

---

http://www.spore.com/view/profile/Vengence_IRL

I would not hold out hope for this working.

Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 forked code paths long ago. There are changes in core XP functionality required to make Extenders work to begin with (relating to Winlogon in particular and the way Fast User Switching works - Rollup 2 appears to have added even more. These changes have not been integrated into the Windows Server 2003 product at all. That's one problem.

The second problem is that Extenders use Fast User Switching as their infrastructure. Fast User Switching is completely disabled on Windows Server 2003.

If you do get this working, I don't think you will get it working reliably...

Well....

I have MCE 2005 + Rollup 2 perfectly installed on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and the extender works fine with my xbox. I have not had it crash once and it is completely reliable. I did have a little trouble getting my ATI TVWonder 550 card recognized, but that was just a driver issue.

Did you use NTSwitch or switch out the product type? Or is this running on an unmodified installation of Server 2003?

I used this method & installed flawlessly. Only one mistake inthe instructions. When making the folder directory you should add an 'ehome' folder to the Windows folder containing 'custsat.dll'

No having to patch 'ehsell.exe'. Rollup 2 & all updates installed.

Have a look!  http://dotchris.net/?p=21

 

Ok, I managed to mix this info with some other stuff, and came up with a way to install straight from the CD! I'm not really sure who all I need to give credit to for each little bit of this script (it's thrown together based off all the ones I've seen) but thank you to every one that I got bits of it from. Now you can upgrade any XP computer without ever having to install MCE fresh.

Follow the instructions on this site about how to make the computer think it is MCE using BartPE.  http://dotchris.net/?p=21

You will also need the .Net 1.1 SKD installed and use wfpadmin to unprotect all the operating system files.

The script is the attached Install_cd.txt file, change it into a .bat. The MCE.txt is the .reg file every one is using, so change that to at .reg.

 I've teted this on two XP Pro computers, and it works just fine. You'll need CD1 at first for the files off it, and then CD2 when you start installing every thing.

Hope this helps some people.

I tested this out & this is fantastic!

I did have one problem though. I checked the 'Create a DVD' after installation & it appeared to be corrupt somewhere. Easy to fix though. Uninstalled it in the Add/Remove Windows Components then reinstalled it again.

Thanks for you hard work. It's very much appreciated.

Running MCE on (under) W2K3 the EASY WAY.

It seems to me like the posted solutions in this thread are a lot of complicated work while you run the risk of things not working after any MS update. For those people just wanting to run both MCE and W2k3 on a single box , here is a very simple solution that should never give any problems with updates etc.

1. Do a clean Install of MCE on your PC.
2. Install VMware Workstation or MS Virtual PC on your freshly installed MCE box
3. Install Windows server 2003 in a VM or VPC session.

You might need a little more memory and CPU power but both OS'es are completely independant and cannot influance each other.

(Forgive me if this solution was posted before, I searched the forum and couldn't find any reference to it)