Windows 7: Windows 7 Media Center - Black screen!

When I open windows media center, all I get is a black screen. I can hear the sounds associated with it opening, and if I move the mouse around I can hear little chimes and what not as I scroll over things. It's as if its running correctly just not displaying.

The PC is a 3 year old Dell Dimension E510 media center edition. I haven't touched anything except the RAM. Have been running XP and media center in XP with no problems for years. I have been able to watch live tv and record tv with few problems. I just did a clean install of Windows 7 64 bit and everything works great except for this media center.

Hardware:
Intel Pentium D dual Core 3.2Ghz
4 GB Ram
video card: Radeon X300 128MB "Hyper Memory"
TV Tuner: NEC Angel II



I went to the Angel II website and downloaded the newest driver which is for Vista 64 bit. Didn't help. Not sure if the video card driver is problem or not, I would think if this were the case I could atleast open media center just not watch TV. I may be wrong! Please let me know what my problems may be.

It does seem to be the Graphics Drivers. Windows 7 MC requires acceleration on the GFX which the default drivers that 7 loaded for your GFX may not be providing...

Update your GFX and see if it works

I ran ATI's update software to get the latest and greatest drivers and still no effect. could the video card just be obsolete? it is 3 years old.

anyone else have this issue?

I have the same issue, although I have a new video card - ATI Radeon HD 4850.

When I open windows media centre 12 in windows 7, I get a black screen (with weird flashes, and I can hear sounds). However, when I press ALT+ENTER, it goes to windowed mode, and everything works fine. However, if I try to go full screen, the picture disappears again, but I can still hear the sound (sometimes). UGH, what a waste of a 24 inch monitor!

Anyway, let me know if you get the same behaviour.

I have the same problem, but it only occurs when coming out of standby.

I managed to get the the behaviour to stop when i uninstalled shark007 codec pack (don't flame me coz i used a codec pack, i know the risks). then i noticed an upgrade for shark007 codec pack. installed the upgrade, problem came back (no surprise). then i uninstalled codec pack. problem remains (surprise).

i feel it's hardware and the codec pack is masking the issue. ati drivers are upto date, i noticed that wakemanjohn has ati hd card (intergrated) as well. maybe we should jump onto the ati forums.

i also have the MCE standby tool. which i can uninstall to test.

anyone have a similar problem to me?

I had a slightly difference problem, but the solution may help here. My MCE would not change the channels of the set-top after upgrade, a tuner problem. Updating the drivers did not help. What did help was using the manufacturers tool to completely clean out the driver software and then re-install drivers. No problem after that. I know ATI, for example, has a clean-up program to completely uninstall all it software. After that you should be able to reinstall the latest a greatest.

Hope that helps.

Click Start>type 'DxDiag'>select 'DxDiag'> select 'Run As Adminstrator' (enter password and answer UAC if prompted)>(check WHQL to have DxDiag report if your hardware and drivers are qualified by WHQL) select button 'Run 64-bit DxDiag if a 64 bit system.

When test is done, click the tab named 'Display'

At bottom see if there are any errors shown.

From text in this tab, report here the text next to the field 'DDI Version', or:

You can also review online the specifications for your video card, the card name will be in the Display tab also or it can be found in system information by typing 'system' in the start menu and selecting 'system information'. This information will be generic, it will be best to know the exact manufacturer, model, and version of your Video Card.

A Video Card that supports DirectX 9 is the minimum for Vista or Windows 7 (but will not provide all the performance of a better newer Video Card, of course) and a DirectX 10 or higher Video Card is recommended, the better the card the better your results.

Windows 7 system requirements - Microsoft Windows

hi. my ddi is version 10. fair enough, it's one version out from Windows 7 directx version. however it shouldn't produce this effect.

my next test is ... rebuild the OS minus the recommended hardware driver updates and install the ati drivers without the catalyst control center.

will report my findings.

ok, fresh build.

no windows update drivers. just os build drivers. use the latest hauppague drivers. test - no issue.

upgrade the gfx driver (latest dated 22/10/09) - just driver not CC. test. problem occurs.

uninstall gfx driver. test. problem gone.

clearly the gfx driver. suggest people try and get their machine back to the OS bundled drivers.

going to leave the machine whilst it works.