Vista - Windows Media Center -wont launch..due to software restriction pol

Current system:
Windows Vista Ultimate RETAIL installed onto clean system.
UAC disabled
Using full administrator account w/ no restrictions

Problem:
Anytime I attempt to launch Windows Media Center or Media Center Extender I
receive the following popup error and the program does not attempt to to even
start:

Error:
[Windows Media Center]
"Windows cannot open this program because it has been prevented by a
software restriction policy. For more information contact your system
administrator."

Summary:
When I initialy installed the OS, this problem did not exist. I was able to
launch WMC just fine. Only after a couple month of reinstalling necessary
base applications do I now get this error. My family cannot even use it as
an extender for the XBOX360 anymore.

From what i can tell there are a lot of people with this issue and NO
SOLUTION from MS as yet. I did see in one post that someone else had
this error and was able to correct it by setting WMC as the default
application in "Default Programs --> Set Program Access and Computer
Defaults" This did not work for me at all. At this point I am at a complete
loss. Any insight would be appreciated.

-JML

Hello,

here's something you could try: Press Windows-key + R (so you have the
Run... window) -> type gpedit.msc -> Enter.
In the Group Policy Object Editor now, click Computer Configuration ->
Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Media Center ->
"Do not allow Windows Media Center to run" -> Disabled .

Please report if this worked for you.

Greetings,
P. Di Stolfo
--
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
// http://blog.lysorp.com - small Windows Blog in German language
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"JMVL" <JMVL@discussions.microsoft.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news:382580E2-FA17-4C63-970F-1C57724CF3FE@microsoft.com...
> Current system:
> Windows Vista Ultimate RETAIL installed onto clean system.
> UAC disabled
> Using full administrator account w/ no restrictions
>
> Problem:
> Anytime I attempt to launch Windows Media Center or Media Center Extender
> I
> receive the following popup error and the program does not attempt to to
> even
> start:
>
> Error:
> [Windows Media Center]
> "Windows cannot open this program because it has been prevented by a
> software restriction policy. For more information contact your system
> administrator."
>
> Summary:
> When I initialy installed the OS, this problem did not exist. I was able
> to
> launch WMC just fine. Only after a couple month of reinstalling necessary
> base applications do I now get this error. My family cannot even use it
> as
> an extender for the XBOX360 anymore.
>
> From what i can tell there are a lot of people with this issue and NO
> SOLUTION from MS as yet. I did see in one post that someone else had
> this error and was able to correct it by setting WMC as the default
> application in "Default Programs --> Set Program Access and Computer
> Defaults" This did not work for me at all. At this point I am at a
> complete
> loss. Any insight would be appreciated.
>
> -JML

P,
That was one of the first things that I tried as well however it did not work.
Also, I have no local secpol restrictions setup either. I temporary enabled
the local policy and granted unlimited access to the \ehome and windws start
menu folders as I saw on another thread that launching programs from the
start menu may be disabled by default. Still no good.

The main response that I keep seeing about this issue comes back to the
default progams settings (which others claim sometimes worked) For me, no
matter what I change these settings to beit "Microsoft, Non-Microsoft or
Custom", still the same issue. I have tried disabling all of the non-MS and
setting the defaults on WMC and making it the default app again in every
combination etc..

The only other thing I can think of is other media players installed on this
system may be conflicting. Currently iTunes, Winamp and Realplayer (as well
as the default Media Center and Media Player) are installed. However
uninstalling or disabling any of these access in default programs did not
work.

-J

"P. Di Stolfo" wrote:

> Hello,
>
> here's something you could try: Press Windows-key + R (so you have the
> Run... window) -> type gpedit.msc -> Enter.
> In the Group Policy Object Editor now, click Computer Configuration ->
> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows Media Center ->
> "Do not allow Windows Media Center to run" -> Disabled .
>
> Please report if this worked for you.
>
> Greetings,
> P. Di Stolfo
> --
> //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> // http://blog.lysorp.com - small Windows Blog in German language
> //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "JMVL" <JMVL@discussions.microsoft.com> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
> news:382580E2-FA17-4C63-970F-1C57724CF3FE@microsoft.com...
> > Current system:
> > Windows Vista Ultimate RETAIL installed onto clean system.
> > UAC disabled
> > Using full administrator account w/ no restrictions
> >
> > Problem:
> > Anytime I attempt to launch Windows Media Center or Media Center Extender
> > I
> > receive the following popup error and the program does not attempt to to
> > even
> > start:
> >
> > Error:
> > [Windows Media Center]
> > "Windows cannot open this program because it has been prevented by a
> > software restriction policy. For more information contact your system
> > administrator."
> >
> > Summary:
> > When I initialy installed the OS, this problem did not exist. I was able
> > to
> > launch WMC just fine. Only after a couple month of reinstalling necessary
> > base applications do I now get this error. My family cannot even use it
> > as
> > an extender for the XBOX360 anymore.
> >
> > From what i can tell there are a lot of people with this issue and NO
> > SOLUTION from MS as yet. I did see in one post that someone else had
> > this error and was able to correct it by setting WMC as the default
> > application in "Default Programs --> Set Program Access and Computer
> > Defaults" This did not work for me at all. At this point I am at a
> > complete
> > loss. Any insight would be appreciated.
> >
> > -JML
>

After much searching on the the net i found this solution...


control panel > default program > set access and computer defaults > custom > choose a default media player.

For me it displayed;

Quicktime
windows media center
windows media player

unchecked everything, applied thoses changes.
the rechecked them, applied those changes.

media center icon now appears in the START list, and now loads up....

I hope it works for you