After downloading XboxMCE05Lite-enu.exe from the Microsoft Media Extender website, I came across a small problem. The bloody program wouldn’t load. (See Image). The annoying part is when you go into the Add/Remove programs in the Control Panel, you will not find the “Update to Media Center Edition 2005″ listed, so that message is a waste of time.

The actual problem is that when Microsoft made this media extender, Windows Service Pack 2 was current. I have Windows Service Pack 3 loaded and they have not made instructions for this change of service pack.

Anyway I found the solution on Jason Tsang’s Blog and he has kindly included instructions for everyone. They are pretty simple to follow if you know how to use your command prompt (You would be surprised how many people don’t even know what the command line or command prompt is!). So open the command prompt and type the following or cut and paste this line:

reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\HotFix\KB895961″ /v Installed /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Once you are done, you will see “The operation completed successfully”. Now try running XboxMCE05Lite-enu.exe again.

Note: There is a New Media Center Extender update (KB956148) available from Microsoft.

There I was trying to install Windows Media Center 2005 on my iMac using the Bootcamp tool. The installation was going well until it asked me to "Insert the 2nd CD"…. I pressed the EJECT button on my Apple keyboard and nothing happens. That is because the "only eject button" on the keyboard is not recognized by the Windows installer.

I want to curse Windows for not supporting this option, but actually this is an Apple Mac problem since it’s their hardware that is not user friendly. Why have Apple not included a pin hole eject button on the iMac? (it would seem the logical thing to do). 

So, going no where fast because there is no way of ejecting the CD I had to abort. (Nothing like a wasted morning).

I have found a solution be it another typical example of how Apple want us to take 5 steps backwards to do a simple task.

The solution is to create a disk image and then to copy the two windows CD’s into the disk image and burn it and to use the one disk instead of two. Time clearly grows on trees for Mac Lovers. (ha ha).

The cheeky bastards!!!! I refer to Microsoft and T-Mobile, who are my mobile service provider. MSN Live is free on every computer, yet if you want to install it on a mobile, then you have to fork our £1.50 - They must be having a laugh! T-Mobile have an even bigger cheek, considering I am already paying for Web n’ Walk, which is 24/7 Internet on my phone. How is a phone with 24/7 broadband different to a computer? We live in the age of technology, yet scum bag companies like T-Mobile think they can rip us off with even more pointless costs.