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Windows Media Centre stopped downloading EPG

12362 Views 38 Replies 8 Participants Last post by  talker
My HP Media PC and the loaded Media Centre program worked fine for roughly 2 years and then stopped downloading the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) making it impossible to record TV offerings.

Generally, it works the same as the EPG on cable DVR(PVR), you find a program and hit the record button and if you want the entire series you select that option.

Obviously, if the EPG doesn't download the program offerings for the next 2 weeks (which was normal) you can't make any selections.

I have tried all MS sites including The Green Button (dedicated to WMC issues) and various newsgroups but have yet to find a solution.

Does anyone here have any ideas on how to restore my Media Centre software to it's former, fully-functioning self?

Thanks in advance,

Terry
21 - 39 of 39 Posts
You can also click on the windows button on the toolbar. In the "Search Program and Files" section, type 'services.msc' (without the quotes) and press enter (I believe typing 'services' may also work).
After establishing an empty folder for WMC I filled in the blanks again and it started chugging away but the progress bar for the EPG didn't move and there are no channels available for watching live.
What now?
Okay. I'm a dummy. I have now stopped both services as suggested earlier this week.
I'll take another stab at downloading the EPG into a blank folder.
Do you have any antivirus or firewall programs that might be blocking the download?
Can you test media center's internet connection?

Tasks > General > Windows Media Center Setup > Set Up Internet Connection

If it fails, it might be this problem I had in Win7 beta that prevented me from downloading the EPG.
http://www.digitalhome.ca/forum/showpost.php?p=874541&postcount=103
Successfully tested!
Still no live TV or EPG download.
I can't begin to imagine the amount of time I'll have on my hands when we eventually solve this issue.
Can you check the media center logs in event viewer?

In the Start menu, type "event viewer"
Run the event viewer program
In the left panel, open "Application and Services Logs"
Then open "Media Center"
In the source column, look for events from "MCUpdate"

To test the manual EPG download:
In the Start menu, type "C:\Windows\ehome\mcupdate.exe -manual -nogc -p" then press enter.
In the notification tray you should see a new icon for the media center download.
In the event viewer, press F5 to update the event log. Hopefully, there is a new event. It might say something like:
Post the event log here and maybe we can figure out the problem.

Code:
10:18:05 PM - The Directory package is already up to date.
10:18:05 PM - The ClientUpdate package is already up to date.
10:18:05 PM - The MCEClientUX package is already up to date.
10:18:05 PM - The SportsSchedule package is already up to date.
10:18:05 PM - The SportsV2 package is already up to date.
10:18:05 PM - The NetworkMetadata package is not available.
10:18:05 PM - The EpgListings package is already up to date.
10:18:05 PM - The EpgListings package is already up to date.
10:18:12 PM - Update successful.
10:18:12 PM - Next update at 1/17/2011 3:58:21 PM.
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As requested:


12:24:28 PM - Testing internet connection.
12:24:37 PM - Connection established.
12:24:45 PM - Retrieving Directory.
12:24:45 PM - Retrieving Directory.
12:24:45 PM - Processing Directory.
12:24:46 PM - Processing of Directory is complete.
12:24:46 PM - The NetTV package is not available.
12:24:46 PM - Testing internet connection.
12:24:46 PM - Connection established.
12:24:46 PM - Retrieving ClientUpdate.
12:24:47 PM - Processing ClientUpdate.
12:24:48 PM - Retrieving ClientUpdate.enc.
12:24:48 PM - Extracting DefaultGeoSettings.mxf.
12:24:48 PM - Processing DefaultGeoSettings.mxf.
12:24:51 PM - Retrieving NetopWhitelist.cab.
12:24:51 PM - Extracting Whitelist.xml.
12:24:51 PM - Processing Whitelist.xml.
12:24:51 PM - Processing of ClientUpdate is complete.
12:24:51 PM - Retrieving MCESpotlight.
12:24:51 PM - Processing MCESpotlight.
12:24:51 PM - Retrieving MCESpotlight.cab.
12:24:52 PM - Extracting SpotlightResources.dll.
12:24:52 PM - Processing of MCESpotlight is complete.
12:24:52 PM - Retrieving MCEClientUX.
12:24:52 PM - Processing MCEClientUX.
12:24:52 PM - Retrieving UpdateableMarkup.cab.
12:24:52 PM - Extracting Markup.dll.
12:24:52 PM - Processing of MCEClientUX is complete.
12:24:52 PM - Retrieving SportsSchedule.
12:24:52 PM - Processing SportsSchedule.
12:24:52 PM - Retrieving SportsSchedule.enc.
12:24:52 PM - Extracting SportsSchedule.mxf.
12:24:52 PM - Processing SportsSchedule.mxf.
12:24:53 PM - Processing of SportsSchedule is complete.
12:24:53 PM - Retrieving SportsV2.
12:24:53 PM - Processing SportsV2.
12:24:53 PM - Retrieving ScheduleSupplement.cab.
12:24:53 PM - Extracting ScheduleSupplement.mxf.
12:24:53 PM - Processing ScheduleSupplement.mxf.
12:24:54 PM - Retrieving SportsTemplate.cab.
12:24:54 PM - Retrieving SportsTemplateCore.cab.
12:24:54 PM - Extracting Microsoft.MediaCenter.Sports.UI.dll.
12:24:54 PM - Retrieving Broadband.
12:24:54 PM - Processing of Broadband is complete.
12:24:54 PM - The Broadband package is already up to date.
12:24:55 PM - Errors during the last update.
12:24:55 PM - Will retry at 17/01/2011 1:24:55 PM.
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It looks as if it isn't downloading the EPG listings. My event log has these entries for example:

Code:
4:50:05 PM - Retrieving EpgListings.
4:50:06 PM - Processing EpgListings.
4:50:06 PM - Retrieving EpgListing.enc.
4:50:10 PM - Extracting 28482520_ListingData.mxf.
4:50:12 PM - Processing 28482520_ListingData.mxf.
4:52:39 PM - Processing of EpgListings is complete.
4:54:20 PM - Update successful.
You said that there were no channels available for Live TV.
What was on the the Guide Listings? Did you have Internet TV?

I'm beginning to think that the EPG won't download if a TV tuner is not found. Is your TV tuner working? Have all the drivers been updated? You can check by typing "Device Manager" into the Start menu. Open, " Sound, Video and Game Controllers"
  • Is the TV tuner listed?
  • Is there an exclamation mark next to it?
  • Double-click the device entry. In the General Tab, under device status, it should say that, "This device is working properly."
  • In the Driver Tab, you can attempt to update the driver.
If you are sure that the hardware is working, and
you are willing, perhaps you could setup MC for my location so we can compare. I imagine you've done this a few times. Tasks > TV > TV Signal > Setup TV signal

  • TV Setup
  • United States
  • 98226
  • Download TV Setup Data
  • Stop Examining TV Signals
  • Configure TV Signal Manually
  • TV Signal Type: Antenna
  • TV Tuner Selection: Digital Antenna (ATSC)
  • Enable Your tuner
or
  • TV Tuner Selection: Analog Antenna
  • Enable Your Tuner

You won't pick up any signals but it should allow you to download the EPG for Vancouver/Bellingham
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In answer to your list of questions:
Yes
No
It does
Successfully updated driver software
Restarted PC after prompt

I then tried using your zip code but got nothing. Not even the EPG.

I then tried my own settings again to no avail.

No TV...no EPG.

Sorry.
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I just start reading this threads and see you have an annoying bug.

What a understand is that the problem seems to have occur after an update to Win7 (you are saying that the system works fine for 2 years but that was probably on Vista or xp). Is that win7 from Microsoft (full version) or an update from manufacturer (which may miss some drivers).
If win7 is from manufacturer I would try borrowing a full version, boot from it and execute a repair.

For me, it looks like WMC cannot recognize that you have a tuner; which brand/model?
I agree with Bob. 7MC doesn't seem to recognize the tuner. When you ran the TV Setup, and manually configured the tuner, did media center find the hardware?

Often HP uses proprietary hardware in their PCs. You might want to download the latest drivers for your tuner card from HP.
My machine came with Vista about 28 months ago.
October (2009), when W7 became available, I used an online download from MS in the form of an upgrade.
WMC worked fine for about 6 months after that and then quit downloading the EPG. I could still watch live TV.
Then, this past September it totally gave up. No EPG, no live TV. I have been trying everything since then to restore it to full functionality.
Thanks for staying with me through this.
I believe I have already tried downloading drivers for my video card but I'll have another go at it and let you know the outcome.
Cheers
Did MS sent an installation disk with this update or have you burn an iso disc?
If so, try a repair by booting from the disc.

If it doesn't work try uninstalling the driver for for your tuner card. turn off your computer, remove the tuner card from the comouter and reboot for MS to update correctly. Turn off the computer and reinstall the tuner card (if possible in a different slot) and reboot the computer. Now Windows should reinstall the tuner, go to MC and try to setup the tv and guide.

I doubt that the video card would be involve in this.
Which tuner card do you have?
I had the option to roll back the Video card driver so I did. No change.
I then reinstalled the latest driver from the I-net. No change.
In both cases, the hard drive processor light flickered after I ordered MC to get the latest EPG. The progress bar didn't move past the first bar and the processor light flickered for quite a while. That has become normal, however.
I'm still stumped.
I thought you had a separate TV tuner card. But you keep talking about "video" card drivers. Does this mean that you have an ATI All-in-Wonder video card?
I have an Hauppauge WinTV HVR-1800 (Model 78xxx, Combo ATSC/QAM)
installed.
Hope this helps somewhat.
Looks like everyone gave up!

Does no one have a workable answer for me?

I still don't have a working Windows Media Centre.
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