XP Media Center edition - any users/fans?

Discussion in 'Windows XP General Discussion' started by ClippyBeer, Sep 14, 2019.

  1. ClippyBeer

    ClippyBeer

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    562
    Likes Received:
    495
    Location:
    At the pub
    [​IMG]

    This is the version of XP I have on both my older laptops and is my favorite version of XP (XP Media Center Edition 2005). There was a 2004 edition which had minor differences I can't recall. There was even a remote control available for some PCs.

    [​IMG]

    There were tuner cards available that would work with MCE to watch and record programs. It came with some other doo-dads like an audio converter/CD Laber Maker (never used either). The Windows Dancer is cool.





    It comes with one but supposedly you were able to download more. Unfortunately they are no longer available from MS and all the download links I could find were dead. Anyone know where to get more?

    It also comes with a nifty aquarium screensaver.



    And yes, the screensaver works in Windows 7 but not 10.

    It's mostly eye candy but back when XP was mainstream this was what I saw at every electronics store that sold computers. My laptops didn't come with MCE - I have an install ISO with SP3 slipstreamed.
     
    ClippyBeer, Sep 14, 2019
    #1
    Janice likes this.
  2. ClippyBeer

    Computer semi-expert

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    266
    Likes Received:
    85
    Location:
    State of Confusion
    I have MCE on one of my computers, and one of my friends does as well.
     
    Computer semi-expert, Sep 14, 2019
    #2
  3. ClippyBeer

    WindowsXPforever

    Joined:
    Mar 5, 2018
    Messages:
    513
    Likes Received:
    199
    XP MCE is really good for home cinema stuff like that :p
     
    WindowsXPforever, Sep 19, 2019
    #3
  4. ClippyBeer

    jim davis

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2017
    Messages:
    368
    Likes Received:
    118
    Location:
    a front lawn
    just the carnage a yahoo news to get to your mail, is enough to gag a normal person,
    they want you to change your image of interest to "INFANTILE" non sense, cause it make you click and that sells another advertisement-next to a idiot who did a idiot thing.

    Classical art is the best intelligence up lifting screen saver views, it shows us how we used to look before everything became digit-idiot, and took on checker board square minds,
    you can get good life giving art of the net for years, "start page images" is the best for collecting, modern art has in it all the traumas people have buried in them, "In It"
    Below "Water Baby" by draper. you can down load huge files of art, have them well printed and fill your life with "Sanity" again


    [​IMG]


    aaa the kiss .jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2019
    jim davis, Sep 21, 2019
    #4
  5. ClippyBeer

    Janice

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2017
    Messages:
    525
    Likes Received:
    136
    Location:
    Canada
    I am green with envy :)
     
    Janice, Sep 24, 2019
    #5
  6. ClippyBeer

    ClippyBeer

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    562
    Likes Received:
    495
    Location:
    At the pub
    ClippyBeer, Sep 27, 2019
    #6
    Samir and MistrrE like this.
  7. ClippyBeer

    MistrrE

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2020
    Messages:
    5
    Likes Received:
    1
    Location:
    Keep It Weird
    I've got a M1720 I run MCE 2005 on really enjoy it.
     
    MistrrE, Mar 27, 2020
    #7
    Samir likes this.
  8. ClippyBeer

    cornemuse

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2016
    Messages:
    628
    Likes Received:
    369
    I found a copy of the XP-32 SP3 MCE ¡for free! It is set up for unattended install. 1st time ever I dint have to enter the prod reg #'s. I just now finished installing mobo drivers, (last gigabyte mobo supporting XP! bought new have disk!), doing all the various tweaks between net surfing. I'll soon find out about MCE

    as an aside, I somehow caught conjunctivitis, what a pain in the eyeballs it is. Taken me 10 minutes to get this far. The medicine is like putting grease on my eyeballs, everythings blurred
     
    cornemuse, Apr 1, 2020
    #8
    Samir likes this.
  9. ClippyBeer

    Elizabeth23

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2012
    Messages:
    5,840
    Likes Received:
    753
    Location:
    Florida
    cornemuse, take care of your eyes, before you have to do the braille method! :)
     
    Elizabeth23, Apr 1, 2020
    #9
    Samir likes this.
  10. ClippyBeer

    Gele

    Joined:
    Apr 1, 2020
    Messages:
    4
    Likes Received:
    1
    Hi guys. I am a huge fan of windows xp. I have installed windows xp 32 bit pro on my pc and it worked fine. Before that my laptop was win 7 64b. Today i just find windows xp 64 bit and i tried to install it with usb flash drive, it started and the pc started. And i am facing a big problem. Any of programs and files cant be open. I cant install nothing. I tried from another pc i downloaded some apps and drivers moved to usb but simply it says windows cannot access the specified device path or file. You may not havr the appropriate permisions to acesss the item...please help to make this computer usable... Thanks please reply fast sorry for bad english greetings from Macedonia
     

    Attached Files:

    Gele, Apr 1, 2020
    #10
    Samir likes this.
  11. ClippyBeer

    Elizabeth23

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2012
    Messages:
    5,840
    Likes Received:
    753
    Location:
    Florida
    Gele, please do not post the same question multiple times, especially in threads that are different from your issue. I have replied to your original question
     
    Elizabeth23, Apr 1, 2020
    #11
  12. ClippyBeer

    jim davis

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2017
    Messages:
    368
    Likes Received:
    118
    Location:
    a front lawn
    GELE please use spell check, many cultures use this forum, its best,,,even for me to do all I can, to not make cross cultural mistakes that occur even when only English is used across different cultures.

    ELIZABETH HAS ANY ONE checked this file GELE is promoting for bugs
     
    jim davis, Apr 3, 2020
    #12
  13. ClippyBeer

    Elizabeth23

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2012
    Messages:
    5,840
    Likes Received:
    753
    Location:
    Florida
    jim, what file are you referring to? his attached picture?
     
    Elizabeth23, Apr 4, 2020
    #13
  14. ClippyBeer

    jim davis

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2017
    Messages:
    368
    Likes Received:
    118
    Location:
    a front lawn
    pardon
    I thought it was a file,
    I never saw a pic post like that image before
     
    jim davis, Apr 4, 2020
    #14
  15. ClippyBeer

    Elizabeth23

    Joined:
    Dec 10, 2012
    Messages:
    5,840
    Likes Received:
    753
    Location:
    Florida
    no problem :)
     
    Elizabeth23, Apr 4, 2020
    #15
  16. ClippyBeer

    ClippyBeer

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    562
    Likes Received:
    495
    Location:
    At the pub
    It's been a long time since I came across an XP Media Center Edition install ISO. I found a site that had one with SP4 integrated and decided to try it. I installed it on an old Gateway laptop that originally had Vista Home Premium x64 (I was never a fan of Vista).

    The install went flawlessly, I had to enter the CD key the website provided and then activate XP. I have an older Media Center install ISO with SP3 integrated but is hacked so no CD key was required during install and was pre-activated.

    Of course the challenge of drivers reared its ugly head - once the install completed I had no wifi, ethernet, sound and generic VGA only. Gateway only had drivers for Vista and 7 on its website.

    Fortunately I have my Realtek USB wifi dongle which has XP drivers.
    https://www.xpforums.com/threads/driver-donge.933609/#post-3262871

    I was now able to surf the web and search for compatible drivers. It was a tedious, time-consuming process downloading, trying out several drivers of the course of many days (not for novices) but now I have everything working except the modem. Oh no, how will I ever use dial-up internet or dial my favorite BBSes?

    Satisfied I of course imaged the drive.

    [​IMG]

    I've always had a preference for Media Center Edition over all the other XP versions. The first laptop I owned in 2003 was a Toshiba Satellite that came with MCE.

    If you want to try it yourself here is where I downloaded it from:

    https://sharewbb.com/windows-xp-professional-update/

    There are several other XP versions but the only one I tested was the one titled Windows XP Media Center Edition SP3 Integrated August 2015 32bit.

    Click on the download link, complete the captcha and you will be presented with several download locations - I chose Rapidgator because it offers the fastest download speeds for free users of the other hosters. The download is about 955 MB. I used RUFUS to create a bootable USB from the downloaded ISO file.

    Make note of the CD key on the website, you will need it to install.

    Even if you don't plan on installing right now you should still download it and store till you do. XP Media Center edition installs are hard to find.


    I don't recommend anyone install XP if the target PC has no XP drivers.
     
    ClippyBeer, Jul 9, 2021
    #16
    Samir and Janice like this.
  17. ClippyBeer

    Janice

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2017
    Messages:
    525
    Likes Received:
    136
    Location:
    Canada
    Looks like I need an activation key for this, which I don't have. Is there some other way to activate this?

    Capture.JPG
     
    Janice, Jul 11, 2021
    #17
  18. ClippyBeer

    ClippyBeer

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    562
    Likes Received:
    495
    Location:
    At the pub
    That is the key you have to use to install (when prompted for the key there will already be a key populated in the fields but that won't work - delete all the numbers then enter the key listed and it will proceed to install).
     
    ClippyBeer, Jul 12, 2021
    #18
    Samir and Janice like this.
  19. ClippyBeer

    Janice

    Joined:
    Dec 31, 2017
    Messages:
    525
    Likes Received:
    136
    Location:
    Canada
    In the attachment above it says "Includes keys for installtion only - to activate the system using them will not succeed"

    So how am I to activate it with Microsoft after installation, without a product key or activation key?
     
    Janice, Jul 12, 2021
    #19
  20. ClippyBeer

    ClippyBeer

    Joined:
    Jan 13, 2019
    Messages:
    562
    Likes Received:
    495
    Location:
    At the pub
    That's the same key I used to install and activate.

    Have you actually installed XP before? This is not something I recommend for novices, you will always encounter driver issues unless you know for certain the target PC was made for XP. If the PC you want to install it on is UEFI it won't even work. I have a Thinkpad that I wanted to dual-boot 7 and XP but I couldn't even get XP to install. I had to compromise.

    [​IMG]

    This is the only way to get XP running on newer hardware. Much easier to install since VMWare provides all the necessary drivers.

    I hope you image the PC before you attempt to install and backup all your data. If the install goes south at least you can restore your PC from image.
     
    Last edited: Jul 12, 2021
    ClippyBeer, Jul 12, 2021
    #20
    Samir likes this.
Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments (here). After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.