For comfortable work in Windows, users are provided with a huge number of tools and services built into the system, designed for various purposes. Of the pre-installed products of the Seven, many people paid attention to the Media Center service, which is a media combine with many features. The integration of this tool allows you to play multimedia files and organize your collections, while the comfort of working with the program depends not only on the implementation of software by developers, but also on settings that allow you to fully utilize the functionality. Of course, not all users liked the service, many use similar third-party products, or seek to improve performance by disabling some of the Windows services, not counting certain tools for themselves interesting. The program is constantly sitting in the system processes, spending memory, and for the owners of weak devices, which even more so without the need of the “Media Center”, this moment does not add comfort. The question is easily solved by removing / disabling the service, after which the performance will increase.

Work with the Windows Media Center application.

Windows Media Center: what is this program

The built-in Windows OS (some versions of XP, Vista, 7) Media Center service combines many tools for working with multimedia files, in fact, it is a set of tools that allow you to play photos, videos, audio, including watching TV. So, without any additional utilities, you will be able to watch recorded TV shows, live, IPTV, but for this you need to perform several settings. The program can play content from any drives (internal or external), as well as from the network, sorts files by date, name, tags, etc. Using the Media Center, you get a lot of features collected in one place. For Windows 8, the professional version of Media Center can be downloaded as a separate component. There is no program in “Ten”, since other tools are implemented that perform these functions separately, but if you wish, you can install a media harvester on your own.

Main features

When properly configured, Windows Media Center is capable of much, replacing a number of other programs that operate separately. Among the advantages of the software are the following features:

• • The ability to project on the monitor, with a keyboard and mouse to control.
  • Projection on television panels, control using the remote control.
  • View photos (slideshow), videos, listening to music.
  • Playback and recording of high-definition television, digital, satellite TV or an antenna-transmitted signal, support for streaming or recorded TV (available when using a TV tuner), and recording to discs.
  • Listening to the radio (with the support of FM format TV-tuner).
  • Play streaming video from the network (if extensions are available).
  • Creating your own libraries of media content (any content).

• Synchronization with portable devices.

How to install and configure the program on Windows

The Media Center application is included in Windows XP Media Center Edition, Windows Vista (in the home extended and maximum versions), Windows 7 (in the home extended, professional, corporate and maximum versions). For the G8, the professional version of the software is downloaded separately, and the Tens component is not included, but you can integrate it yourself into the system (for example, install the G7 program version or use repacks). In the second case, the _TestRights.cmd file is launched with administrative rights, after which the application components are installed using Installer.cmd.

Media Center Setup

When familiar with the program, the user will be available two options for setting - quick and selective. In the first case, you can adjust the basic parameters and switch to using the software (you can return to the selective one later), the second option implies a more detailed setting. Consider what to do with the settings to use more features of the program:

• On the remote control of the application, click the Start button in green (or open it through the Start - Programs).
• When you first use the Media Center on the settings page, click "Next" and select a custom setting.
• We agree with the proposal to use all the features of the program on the next page. Media Center will now be able to download covers for albums of libraries, CDs, programs and other content.

Tuning tuners, TV and programming

In the advanced settings menu (when a compatible tuner is connected and after it is detected by the program), a new opportunity will appear to watch and record TV shows in Media Center. We agree to set up the TV when a page with the results of signal detection appears. Many parameters will be configured automatically, the rest will help configure the wizard. Setting up the console and following the prompts on the screen, you can perform the necessary procedure in several steps, at one of the steps you will need to enter a key that will be displayed on the TV screen. The wizard will help you set all the necessary parameters for the channels, taking into account your location. The presence of the device, if necessary, use this opportunity to view and record TV - a prerequisite. Without a tuner, the television functions only in the case of an existing function in the provider’s service package; in certain situations it may be necessary to update the Adobe Flash Player.

Other settings

Each program start implies automatic scanning on the computer of the content it supports. For data on external drives and other you can manually add them. In the parameters (we get here from the “Tasks” section) there is an item “Multimedia Libraries”, here you can select the type, and then click the Next button to the next stage, which presupposes adding directories to the library. You must select "Add folders to the library", then "On this computer" (including connected network drives), then click "Next." Go to the folder (in the storage of objects), check the box next and click "Next" again. The program will find compatible format files, and the next start will save the folders. Similar actions are performed when importing items from a catalog on another computer, for which you need to select the appropriate item when specifying the path.

In Windows Media Center you can also customize the appearance on the screen by going to the “Tasks” section, where you can open Settings - General - Install Windows Media Center - Customize a TV or monitor. Calibration allows you to achieve high quality images on a monitor or TV display. Answering the questions, you can easily make the necessary settings with prompts, they will help determine the type of connection.

In the same subsection (Installing Windows Media Center) you will find the speaker setup, which is very convenient when using a surround sound system. Here you need to select the speaker configuration and test the sound. If the signal does not come to the speakers, check the connection and volume, and if connected to a TV, it is possible that the video adapter does not support audio (you may need to connect directly to the sound card of the computer). In general, the program interface is quite convenient and understandable, and the presence of setup wizards you can easily make the necessary adjustments for more comfortable operation of the Media Center.

Common mistakes when running the application

As in the case of any software, errors and errors also occur in Media Center. So, if trying to install software (after testing with the first file), you encounter a problem in the command console, it will be enough to reboot the device and start the installation procedure again. System, software failures are often solved by such a simple method, because they are one-time and the system is quite able to cope with the task of resolving such a problem by rebooting. Errors after installation, as a rule, indicating that it is impossible to use the software, can be corrected by the default settings, in the corresponding section you will need to activate the Windows Media Center line and tick the item “Make the program available”.

How to disable or remove Windows Media Center

Not every user is delighted with the service and many even wonder how to remove the integrated Windows Media Center application from the system. In most cases it is not necessary to completely remove the program, especially since the consequences for the system in such a development of events may not be very pleasant, because the component is systemic. So, removing the product from the registry, you must have the skills to work with the service, otherwise you can disrupt the OS. In any case, it is advisable to make a backup of the system in case of force majeure before any actions with the registry. Consider several solutions that are suitable in specific situations.

How to remove Windows Media Center from startup

Sometimes it’s just enough that the program itself does not run on the computer, and when you need to contact it, it will be available. To do this, simply do the following:

• Open the "Run" console (Win + R), where in the line we write the msconfig command.
• In the configuration window on the “Startup” tab, we find and remove the software so that it does not load automatically.
• Now we go to the “Services” tab and find the components responsible for the launch of the Media Center, double-click to select the option to start the application.

The second method involves the use of a third-party utility CCleaner, the capabilities of which also suggest removal from autoload:

• On the “Service” tab, you will see the “Startup” section, where you will see the Media Center (if it is active), disable it.
• Here we go to the tab "Scheduled Tasks", where you also need to clear the elements related to this application.

Whichever of the methods you use, after the manipulations done, the device will have to be rebooted for the changes to take effect. In this case, there always remains the probability that any processes were performed at the time of the procedure.

How to disable Windows Media Center

You can deactivate a program in several ways that do not involve complete removal. You can disable Media Center as follows:

• Go to the Control Panel - Programs and components.
• Select "Enable and disable components."
• From the list we find the folder “Components for working with multimedia”, click.
• We remove all marks and agree with the consequences that the OS warns about, apply the changes.
• Reboot the device.

Another effective option:

• Open the Run console (Win + R) and enter the services.msc command.
• In the "Services" you will see a considerable list of them. You need to find services related to Media Center and change the startup type by disabling the application.

How to uninstall Windows Media Center

Disabling the system software in Windows 7 or other versions of the operating system, where it is preinstalled, is easy, but with the complete removal of things are different. Due to the fact that Media Center is tightly integrated into the system, it is more difficult to pull it out from there with its roots without consequences. If you are still determined, then the standard Windows tools will no longer work for you, you will have to use products from third-party developers, such as iObit Uninstaller or the like. You will need to go to the Win Manager section, select the Windows software menu and complete the removal. After the procedure, you will also need to remove residual elements.

If we are talking about Windows 8, where the toolbox is installed additionally, there is nothing easier than removing it in the standard way through the Control Panel. With the “Ten” is also simple. If you used repack, then the file distribution must contain another Uninstaller.cmd file. Running it as an administrator, you can uninstall the software.