Media Center won't play Music

Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem, but
any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart Media
Center".

Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.

Any suggestions?

Thanx,

Buddha

See if it helps:-

http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/

regards,
S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]

"Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
> component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart Media
> Center".
>
> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanx,
>
> Buddha
>
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4819 (20100130) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

Thanx for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I recall
having used that procedure some time ago when Windows Media Player stopped
working, and it solved the problem quickly. WMP is still working fine, and
Media Center will play videos OK, but I can't even get it to open a list of
songs without getting the error about a component being missing.

MS offers to check on-line, but just gives the standard advice about
checking updates, which seems to be the stock MS answer to anything and
everything. Updates have been repeatedly checked and are not the problem.

Maybe if there were some way to find out what component is supposedly
missing, this would be easy to fix, but that's obviously too much to ask.
It appears I'll just have to live without Media Center. Another in a long
list of reasons to detest Vista.

Thanx,

Buddha

"S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:...
> See if it helps:-
>
> http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/
>
> regards,
> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>
> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
>> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
>> component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart Media
>> Center".
>>
>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanx,
>>
>> Buddha
>>
>>
>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>
>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>>
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>

Have you run System File Checker to repair the OS?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929833
(How to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or
corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7)


"Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
> component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart Media
> Center".
>
> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Thanx,
>
> Buddha
>

It was one of the first things I tried. sfc /scannow reports no problems.

Buddha

"EJ" <> wrote in message
news:89069903-280B-4DFC-87DE-...
> Have you run System File Checker to repair the OS?
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929833
> (How to use the System File Checker tool to troubleshoot missing or
> corrupted system files on Windows Vista or on Windows 7)
>
>
> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
>> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
>> component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart Media
>> Center".
>>
>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>
>> Any suggestions?
>>
>> Thanx,
>>
>> Buddha
>>

What shows up in the Event Viewer for those errors?

Does it matter what type of audio file you tried to play?
--
James Wolf [MS-MVP]
Orlando, FL

"Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
news:BFD5E793-3718-4ABB-9255-...
> Thanx for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I recall
> having used that procedure some time ago when Windows Media Player stopped
> working, and it solved the problem quickly. WMP is still working fine,
> and Media Center will play videos OK, but I can't even get it to open a
> list of songs without getting the error about a component being missing.
>
> MS offers to check on-line, but just gives the standard advice about
> checking updates, which seems to be the stock MS answer to anything and
> everything. Updates have been repeatedly checked and are not the problem.
>
> Maybe if there were some way to find out what component is supposedly
> missing, this would be easy to fix, but that's obviously too much to ask.
> It appears I'll just have to live without Media Center. Another in a long
> list of reasons to detest Vista.
>
> Thanx,
>
> Buddha
>
> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:...
>> See if it helps:-
>>
>> http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/
>>
>> regards,
>> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>>
>> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
>> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
>>> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
>>> component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart
>>> Media Center".
>>>
>>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions?
>>>
>>> Thanx,
>>>
>>> Buddha
>>>
>>>
>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>
>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>
>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>>
>

This is the text from Event Viewer, although I don't claim to understand it:

Log Name: Media Center
Source: Media Center Guide
Date: 1/30/2010 2:28:34 PM
Event ID: 0
Task Category: None
Level: Error
Keywords: Classic
User: N/A
Computer: Tom-PC
Description:
Event Info: ERROR: SqmApiWrapper.TimerRecord failed; Win32 GetLastError
returned 10000105
Process: DefaultDomain
Object Name: Media Center Guide

Event Xml:
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Media Center Guide" />
<EventID Qualifiers="0">0</EventID>
<Level>2</Level>
<Task>0</Task>
<Keywords>0x80000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2010-01-30T22:28:34.000Z" />
<EventRecordID>185</EventRecordID>
<Channel>Media Center</Channel>
<Computer>Tom-PC</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data>Event Info: ERROR: SqmApiWrapper.TimerRecord failed; Win32
GetLastError returned 10000105
Process: DefaultDomain
Object Name: Media Center Guide
</Data>
<Binary>684D1152D7DD7F66783F8414D7EEC9BCF6388F090A 1B0E4E9B7C9BF2A7271AD7C280724CBBBBD5A4BDE46043CD58 B4AE71D8BFF2ABEEBD1855410FEA99D4FE14E41B200D499F51 794A66F3277AF7AE469B40B2E9E84C935D93BAB878DD72481D 6147CF9120C9C323378AA8B4290DF6B350E99D05B4F78B59E5 7C7BAE6AED2C32</Binary>
</EventData>
</Event>

I'm trying to play MP3 files here.

Buddha

"Jaime" <> wrote in message
news:B3ECECD2-2808-4464-8C50-...
> What shows up in the Event Viewer for those errors?
>
> Does it matter what type of audio file you tried to play?
> --
> James Wolf [MS-MVP]
> Orlando, FL
>
> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
> news:BFD5E793-3718-4ABB-9255-...
>> Thanx for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I
>> recall having used that procedure some time ago when Windows Media Player
>> stopped working, and it solved the problem quickly. WMP is still working
>> fine, and Media Center will play videos OK, but I can't even get it to
>> open a list of songs without getting the error about a component being
>> missing.
>>
>> MS offers to check on-line, but just gives the standard advice about
>> checking updates, which seems to be the stock MS answer to anything and
>> everything. Updates have been repeatedly checked and are not the
>> problem.
>>
>> Maybe if there were some way to find out what component is supposedly
>> missing, this would be easy to fix, but that's obviously too much to ask.
>> It appears I'll just have to live without Media Center. Another in a
>> long list of reasons to detest Vista.
>>
>> Thanx,
>>
>> Buddha
>>
>> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> See if it helps:-
>>>
>>> http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/
>>>
>>> regards,
>>> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>>>
>>> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
>>> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>>>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
>>>> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A
>>>> necessary component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please
>>>> restart Media Center".
>>>>
>>>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>>>
>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>> Thanx,
>>>>
>>>> Buddha
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>>
>>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>
>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>

What happens if you 'Run Setup Again'?

regards,
S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]



"Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
news:BFD5E793-3718-4ABB-9255-...
> Thanx for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I recall
> having used that procedure some time ago when Windows Media Player stopped
> working, and it solved the problem quickly. WMP is still working fine,
> and Media Center will play videos OK, but I can't even get it to open a
> list of songs without getting the error about a component being missing.
>
> MS offers to check on-line, but just gives the standard advice about
> checking updates, which seems to be the stock MS answer to anything and
> everything. Updates have been repeatedly checked and are not the problem.
>
> Maybe if there were some way to find out what component is supposedly
> missing, this would be easy to fix, but that's obviously too much to ask.
> It appears I'll just have to live without Media Center. Another in a long
> list of reasons to detest Vista.
>
> Thanx,
>
> Buddha
>
> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:...
>> See if it helps:-
>>
>> http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/
>>
>> regards,
>> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>>
>> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
>> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
>>> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A necessary
>>> component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please restart
>>> Media Center".
>>>
>>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions?
>>>
>>> Thanx,
>>>
>>> Buddha
>>>
>>>
>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>
>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>
>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
> signature database 4820 (20100130) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4820 (20100130) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com

I can go through the whole setup routine until I get to "Setup Music,
Pictures, and Video Libraries", at which point I get the same old stuff
about "A necessary component of Windows Media Center is not available.
Please restart Media Center". Of course, restarting accomplishes nothing.
It seems to have something to do with my Music Library, although I can't
figure out what. All the music files are in the default location, and I
haven't made any changes to anything there. The setup routine and actual
use of Media Center both seem to generate the same error when trying to
access my music library, but the error message refuses to state what the
hell is missing, and the advice to restart is useless, as is the standard MS
song and dance about checking for updates as their answer to everything.

Thanx,

Buddha


"S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
news:...
> What happens if you 'Run Setup Again'?
>
> regards,
> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>
>
>
> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
> news:BFD5E793-3718-4ABB-9255-...
>> Thanx for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I
>> recall having used that procedure some time ago when Windows Media Player
>> stopped working, and it solved the problem quickly. WMP is still working
>> fine, and Media Center will play videos OK, but I can't even get it to
>> open a list of songs without getting the error about a component being
>> missing.
>>
>> MS offers to check on-line, but just gives the standard advice about
>> checking updates, which seems to be the stock MS answer to anything and
>> everything. Updates have been repeatedly checked and are not the
>> problem.
>>
>> Maybe if there were some way to find out what component is supposedly
>> missing, this would be easy to fix, but that's obviously too much to ask.
>> It appears I'll just have to live without Media Center. Another in a
>> long list of reasons to detest Vista.
>>
>> Thanx,
>>
>> Buddha
>>
>> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
>> news:...
>>> See if it helps:-
>>>
>>> http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/
>>>
>>> regards,
>>> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>>>
>>> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
>>> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>>>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no problem,
>>>> but any attempt to play music results in me being told that "A
>>>> necessary component of Windows Media Center is not available. Please
>>>> restart Media Center".
>>>>
>>>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>>>
>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>
>>>> Thanx,
>>>>
>>>> Buddha
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>>
>>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>
>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>> signature database 4820 (20100130) __________
>>
>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>>
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
> signature database 4820 (20100130) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>

1] Click Start button and in the start search box type in the following
command:-

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player and press the Enter key.

2]Select all the files in the folder, and then delete them.

3]Restart Windows Media Player.It will automatically rebuild the database.As
Windows Media Center is dependent on Windows Media Player so with the
deletion of those files will also reset Media Center's music library.

S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]



"Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
news:...
> I can go through the whole setup routine until I get to "Setup Music,
> Pictures, and Video Libraries", at which point I get the same old stuff
> about "A necessary component of Windows Media Center is not available.
> Please restart Media Center". Of course, restarting accomplishes nothing.
> It seems to have something to do with my Music Library, although I can't
> figure out what. All the music files are in the default location, and I
> haven't made any changes to anything there. The setup routine and actual
> use of Media Center both seem to generate the same error when trying to
> access my music library, but the error message refuses to state what the
> hell is missing, and the advice to restart is useless, as is the standard
> MS song and dance about checking for updates as their answer to
> everything.
>
> Thanx,
>
> Buddha
>
>
> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
> news:...
>> What happens if you 'Run Setup Again'?
>>
>> regards,
>> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>>
>>
>>
>> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
>> news:BFD5E793-3718-4ABB-9255-...
>>> Thanx for the suggestion. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I
>>> recall having used that procedure some time ago when Windows Media
>>> Player stopped working, and it solved the problem quickly. WMP is still
>>> working fine, and Media Center will play videos OK, but I can't even get
>>> it to open a list of songs without getting the error about a component
>>> being missing.
>>>
>>> MS offers to check on-line, but just gives the standard advice about
>>> checking updates, which seems to be the stock MS answer to anything and
>>> everything. Updates have been repeatedly checked and are not the
>>> problem.
>>>
>>> Maybe if there were some way to find out what component is supposedly
>>> missing, this would be easy to fix, but that's obviously too much to
>>> ask. It appears I'll just have to live without Media Center. Another in
>>> a long list of reasons to detest Vista.
>>>
>>> Thanx,
>>>
>>> Buddha
>>>
>>> "S.Sengupta" <ssengupta_@msn.com.invalid> wrote in message
>>> news:...
>>>> See if it helps:-
>>>>
>>>> http://mymce.wordpress.com/2008/12/2...ailable-error/
>>>>
>>>> regards,
>>>> S.Sengupta[MS-MVP]
>>>>
>>>> "Tom Ponta" <> wrote in message
>>>> news:5D2C3D54-48B8-4E8B-8480-...
>>>>> Vista Home Premium SP2. Media Center will play videos with no
>>>>> problem, but any attempt to play music results in me being told that
>>>>> "A necessary component of Windows Media Center is not available.
>>>>> Please restart Media Center".
>>>>>
>>>>> Music plays fine in WMP. Restarting Media Center has no effect.
>>>>>
>>>>> Any suggestions?
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanx,
>>>>>
>>>>> Buddha
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>>>
>>>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>>>
>>>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>>> signature database 4819 (20100130) __________
>>>>
>>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>>
>>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>>> signature database 4820 (20100130) __________
>>>
>>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>>
>>> http://www.eset.com
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
>> signature database 4820 (20100130) __________
>>
>> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>>
>> http://www.eset.com
>>
>>
>>
>
>
> __________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus
> signature database 4821 (20100130) __________
>
> The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.
>
> http://www.eset.com
>
>
>

__________ Information from ESET Smart Security, version of virus signature database 4821 (20100130) __________

The message was checked by ESET Smart Security.

http://www.eset.com