No Media Center

Hi grisinerotico,

Windows Media Center isn't available in Windows 7 Starter :/ but you can pay to upgrade, if you wish, to a more fully-featured edition using Windows Anytime Upgrade. Just type "upgrade" in your Start menu search field, and click on Windows Anytime Upgrade.

Here's a list of what's missing in Windows 7 Starter:

Windows 7 Starter does not include:

• Aero Glass, meaning you can only use the “Windows Basic” or other opaque themes. It also means you do not get Taskbar Previews or Aero Peek.
• Personalization features for changing desktop backgrounds, window colors, or sound schemes.
• The ability to switch between users without having to log off.
• Multi-monitor support.
• DVD playback.
• Windows Media Center for watching recorded TV or other media.
• Remote Media Streaming for streaming your music, videos, and recorded TV from your home computer.
• Domain support for business customers.
• XP Mode for those that want the ability to run older Windows XP programs on Windows 7.

I hope that helps clear things up a bit. Please let me know if you have any further questions :)

Cheers,

Walker
Windows Outreach Team

Hi Grisinerotico, welcome to the Seven Forums.

If you have an N edition of Windows 7, you can download missing media components from here: Download details: Media Feature Pack. The download includes Windows Media Player, Media Center and related software. It can be downloaded to all existing Windows 7 N editions (Starter N, Home Basic N, Home Premium N, Professional N and Ultimate N).

What is an N edition? Microsoft's explanation is short, found on the above mentioned download page:

Microsoft said:

Windows 7 N and Windows 7 KN editions include the same functionality as Windows 7, except that these versions of Windows do not include Windows Media Player, and related technologies.

A more detailed explanation can be found on CNET:

CNET said:

Back in 2004, the European Commission fined Microsoft a record €497m under an antitrust ruling. The Commission concluded that with a near-monopoly in the operating system market, Microsoft's bundling of Windows Media Player within Windows was anti-competitive. Microsoft was forced to unbundle the software and offer European consumers and manufacturers a version of Windows without it.

Microsoft was allowed to keep selling Windows with a media player, under the condition that it at least offer a version without. This took place in the latter part of Windows XP's life and prompted the release of Windows XP N -- a version identical to Windows XP, but without Windows Media Player.

(Full article)

Kari

Wow, I was not aware of this 'N' edition! Thank you for the very informative post, Kari.

@grisinerotico I apologize - there could be other reasons (besides Starter) behind your lack of WMC. Providing the information iseeuu has requested will help us determine if this is the case!

Cheers,

Walker
Windows Outreach Team

You are welcome, Walker. This normally affects only us Europeans (N editions) and Koreans (KN editions), most users have never heard of them due to Microsoft's understandable lack of interest to announce existence of the N edition loud and clear.

Stupid politics, from both EU's and South Korea's side, but Microsoft did what was expected, gave EU and Korea an option to get Windows without WMP & WMC. This, in its own way, opened the door to Opera to demand the policy expanded to browsers. And that, as we Europeans know, gave us The Incredible Browser Choice Ballot!

Kari

grisinerotico said:

Hello, thanks for the quick answer. When I bought my computer I asked for Windows Seven Ultimate and that's what I've got. In this precisely moment y have no time to solve this cause of work but for shure on Sunday I'll have time to check everything on detail.

Thanks again for everything

Certainly, and sorry for assuming! I also look forward to your reply this weekend.

Walker
Windows Outreach Team