Possessed by Media Center!

[mizdragon]

I looked at my laptop recently and found that many of my icons (desktop and otherwise) had been replaced by the Windows Media Center icon. Now, when I click on those programs, the Media Center comes up instead of the intended program. I can't even bring up System Restore because guess what comes up when I click on it? You guessed it. I can't find it in Add/Remove Programs and I can't disable it because every time I click that particular link in the Control Panel, the Media Center comes up.

Also, when it does come up, it will usually do so twice; it will come up initially, then I'll close it, then I'll get another one.

Help? Please?

 

[Qdos]

Windows Media Centre is a fine piece of engineering, not...

Did you alter/check file associations?

 

[mizdragon]

I checked the file associations, and all I could see was that WMC is configured to open up different media files and whatnot. It doesn't have anything listed about these other programs. I can't open half of the things on my computer because WMC comes up instead. I'm stupid about this kind of thing.

 

[AngelProcesser]

This has likely occured due to the installation of third party add-ons, codecs packs, and so called quick fixes. See, it hasn't happened to us all, in fact only to people of a certain group, that group now noted.

 

[mizdragon]

So any suggestions as to how I go about fixing it?

 

[Qdos]

You should take a look at what Media Centre is set to open. I'm using mine right now so I can't take a detailed look, but if you enter the settings area you may find you can disable any erroneous file format associations...

 

[AngelProcesser]

Launch system restore from your DVD

 

[mizdragon]

As stated above, all of the file associations for WMC are displaying as the correct media (audio, video, etc). My system did not come with a restore disc and WMC comes up when I try to launch it from the hard drive. I just got this thing and hadn't yet gotten the opportunnity to make a backup disc on my own.

 

[AngelProcesser]

Then you have a factory restore partition, use it.

 

[Qdos]

If file associations are not incorrect then there's some other corruption in play, which is not easy to diagnose based on the limited information which is known - most likely caused by the installation of some third party software or even media centre plugin modules.

Nobody can tell you what's to blame without knowing far more details.

 

[mizdragon]

Oh I know...i was just trying to figure out a way to do this without having to back everything up; as mentioned, this is a new computer and I've already dumped a lot of stuff on this one. Guess I'll have to scrounge around for an external hard drive to borrow. Thanks.

 

[AngelProcesser]

One of things I love about W7 is that it backs up quite quickly and can be re-installed in about 20 minutes...so, if I break it, I can quickly get back to where I was. That being said, I try hard not to break my installs.