In the comments to my post on MCE 2005 Rollup 2, Winston Clarke raises an important point:
I have a Gateway media center computer running MC 2004. Gateway does not support upgrading to 2005….is there any work around this to be updated to 2005. I’d hate to throw away a system which I bought only 6 months ago. In ignorance I was not aware it could not be upgraded until after the fact.
It doesn’t seem fair, but the earliest, most enthusiastic adopters of Media Center technology have been left high and dry, as have people like Winston, who were lured into buying an older Media Center machine by an attractive price. The problem is that Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 was sold only through large OEMs. Consumers, system builders, and smaller OEMs couldn’t buy the software if they wanted to. And to my knowledge, none of the companies that sold MCE 2004 offer upgrades.
So, what to do with that MCE 2004 PC? Don’t junk it just yet. Although it can’t be upgraded, you may be able to wipe it clean and install a fresh OEM copy of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 over it. You can buy an OEM copy of MCE 2005 from any hardware vendor for about $119 (PC Alchemy is one reliable vendor, but do your own search and you’ll find other reliable sources). Unfortunately, you can’t use the new CDs to upgrade your computer. You’ll have to format the disk and do a clean install.
And that’s where it gets tricky. You’ll need to make sure you have up-to-date, MCE 2005-compatible drivers for all the hardware in your older system, including the motherboard. This is not a task I recommend for inexperienced end users. You’ll need some system-building skills and experience to accomplish this!
Or you may want to wait. Windows Vista should install as an upgrade over Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004, and if you get the proper version, Media Center features will be included.
It is possible to do this, but its painful. For the 901x you’ll need the following:
1. MC2005
2. Hauppauge Roslyn Drviers from shspvr.com
3. WinDVD 6 or some other MCE 2005 compatible decoders. Some suggest NVIDIA DVD Decoders
4. ATI Catalyst 4.11 Drivers.
The front display won’t work correctly, but its a small price to pay for running MCE2005.
The above configuration will work. Item #4 was the clincher for mesince I had audio for Live TV but no video. Good luck!
Dell also refuses to sell MCE 2005 to customer who bought a Dell computer installed with MCE 2004.
What a scam.
Add Fry’s to the list of OEM’s that will not update MCE 2004 to MCE 2005 on their own line of computers.
Add HP to the list that is no longer offering upgrade. I have a pc that is not even a year old, and I can’t upgrade to MCE 2005. I contacted HP, they told me the upgrade offer period expired. What a scam indeed!
Any idea when Wiindows Vista will be released? I can’t wait to upgrade my MCE 2004, but I’m afraid like any past MS releases, this one will be plagued with bugs and security issues eve though they claim the latter to be one of this version’s strong points.
.
You’ll have to wait approximately a year (holiday season 2006) for Windows Vista.
I have MCE 2004 and recently purchased a media center extender. Unfortunately, I cannot upgrade to MCE 2005, even though my computer is less than a year old. If I am able to eventually get MCE 2006, what good will it do? What do I do with my media center extender now? Throw it in the trash? arggghhh
Donna,
You could purchase MCE 2005 and do a clean install. Or you could wait till Vista Beta 2 in about two months, which should work with your extender.
How do I get a beta version? That’s not something available to the general public, is it?
Donna, you should be able to get the beta version when Beta 2 is released. Microsoft has announced that it will be a public beta, as has been the case in previous Windows upgrades.
Hi all..
I had a similar problem..
I have a HCL beanstalk that came with MC 04 and with
Nvidia GeForce MX440 graphics card.
I managed to grab MCE 05 disc from my PC supplier and also installed it..
But there was no video..
PC tech could`nt fix it..
Me being a tech myself read a lot about it online..
and came to know that its a known issue with many..
So I upadted the video drivers..
now I get video, but Media centre crashes and stall after sometime, and also I had problems with OpenGL..
ie,,games I used to play with the same machine would`nt load/play.
So I tried to upgrade to directX9.0 but could`nt for some strange reason..
Another fact is that MC 05 is embedded with the OS unlike MC04 which installs like an app. so you can install or uninstall.
To Install MC 05 or to revert back from MC05 to MC04 you`ll have to format the system and start from the scratch.
Now I`m giving up and going back to MC04 as I was happy with it and I don`t need any extenders or anything.
Hope this helps
and if anyone find a fix or counter statemnts please do let me know..
Mmwwaaahh..
I have also purchased extenders but only have mc2004. When the vista beta 2 is available someone please send me a link (and post it here) to where I could download it and a link to instrucitons on how I can install it over my lame mc2004…nathanbemo@yahoo.com
I jsut bought an xbox60. I wanted to hook it to my media center as described. But, it told me I had an out of date version. I did not even know there was an upgrade. I thought my windows updater would take care of such things. I went to HP, they told me there was an upgrade, but it is no longer offered. They said i could buy a copy. But, i do not think I am experienced enough to do that. I buy one of the top line systems in December 2004 and now I find out that temporarily out of date. Ugh, this is annoying.
Hey there yal,
Well I didn’t want to spend over 3K for a media center PC… THats a load of ******** right there. 3K for a computer. Well I recently just download a iso image of what clamed to be media center edition 05 but i got what i deserved. WIndows Xp Media Center 2002 with Service Pack 1 installed. well hey Atleast i was able update to 04. But Microsoft need to take there heads out of there ***’s and look at people who can’t really afford a 100 dollar disk or buy a 3k dollar computer. i mean common. GRR.. Ha but i don’t get it though i have a Dell Demension 2400 running media center edition. And here are people dishing out thousands of dollors for a computer. OUTRAGOUS..Yes. Well Atleast thats off my mind. Hey I wounder if Windows XP MCE 2005 is on limewire…HEHEHE…
kira
If you got MCE 2004, you can prolly buy the upgrade disk off ebay for ~$20. I am trolling around looking for the iso. any sugs?
Thx for the info all. You have answered all of my questions regarding MCE2004. I got effed after all of my hours of research upgrading to MCE2005. EFFING EAHOLES, WHAT A SCAM!
Yup, same bat here, useless MC 2004. Cant even use the new Windows MEdia Player.
Just got a Microsoft Zune for Christmas and quickly learned that all MCE 2004 users have been left out in the cold. I can either cave and give Microsoft more money or return it.
I did find a hack online that lets you install the Zune Software on MCE 2004, but I was not able to update the software and also unable to Sync to the Zune. I don’t recommend it.
I really despise Apple, and was rather annoyed by the Microsoft bashing commercials… (OK, some were amusing) but cases like this really make you consider alternatives…
Sorry I did not check this out… Bought a Zune, Have MCE 2004… It’s bullshit, they could at least have a note on the Zune about it