Catalyst Media Center folder opens on startup

[tagteam]

Just in case anyone was wondering.......KNOWN ISSUE! I thought I would make an attempt to save others the 3-4 hours I spent trying to track down, and resolve, this issue. Ultimately, I found it buried on the ATI web site in the KB and, of course, **there IS no** resolution at the present time.

So, according to ATI:

Symptoms:
For some systems, the Catalyst Media Center folder may open as Windows boots. This may happen every time the computer boots up. When the computer is running, the folder can be closed without any other issues.

Solution:
Currently there is no solution. ATI Engineering has been advised of this issue and is investigating. Any updates will be published when they become available.


Query:

1) How can THESE people be so clueless?

2) Is it THAT difficult to figure out WHAT is causing the folder to open?

I mean, this is a relatively minor issue but it sure is annoying to have to close the stupid thing every time I reboot. I just can't imagine that a fix for this would involve some lengthy "investigation" by "ATI Engineering". Geez!

[x-tech]

This was happening to me until I removed an old registry entry for MMC in my startup. No more CMC folder after that!

It couldn't be that easy?!

[tagteam]

...It couldn't be that easy?!

Nope! Not that easy.....not for me, at least. I've been through the registry (about a million times) manually searching for anything related to ATI, ATIMMC, et al, *after* doing reg cleanings with jv16 PowerTools (again, about a million times) and I'm still getting that blasted folder at startup.

Thus, I sincerely doubt it has anything to do with a leftover entry in the registry. In fact, I believe I've narrowed it down to one of three culprits; CLMLServer.exe (aka CyberLink Media Library Service), CLCapSvc.exe (aka CyberLink Background Capture Service), and CLSched.exe (aka CyberLink Task Scheduler). The CMC folder opens when one of those three services starts after the Windows desktop appears. The *problem* is I can't seem to disable any of those services without also disabling CMC itself (i.e. CMC won't start without those services running).

[x-tech]

Well I must be really losing it then because the folder stopped opening immediately after I removed the old MMC entry. Nothing else was done.

Got lucky I guess.

[Agustus]

Query:

1) How can THESE people be so clueless?

2) Is it THAT difficult to figure out WHAT is causing the folder to open?

In fact, I believe I've narrowed it down to one of three culprits; CLMLServer.exe (aka CyberLink Media Library Service), CLCapSvc.exe (aka CyberLink Background Capture Service), and CLSched.exe (aka CyberLink Task Scheduler). The CMC folder opens when one of those three services starts after the Windows desktop appears. The *problem* is I can't seem to disable any of those services without also disabling CMC itself (i.e. CMC won't start without those services running).

Technically, it shouldn’t be that hard for ATI / AMD to address this issue but as you have seemed to have discover we are not likely dealing ATI / AMD software here but rather Cyberlink software. Since, apparently, ATI / AMD have licensed Cyberlink PowerCinema software and just seemingly renamed it “Catalyst Media Center” actual technical support for the product is likely passed on through ATI / AMD to Cyberlink.

In other words, ATI / AMD probably haven’t got a clue about support for the product and a support plan is probably in place for Cyberlink to address such matters.

For the record, I agree with x-tech. I have installed CMC on a number of different systems at different times and the only time I came across this issues was when MMC was already installed on they system. Although neither software package is worth the trouble IMO.

[edelbeb]

I've had what I think is the same issue. Actually, the Catalyst Media Center folder does not open. Rather, the c:\program files\ati folder, which contains on the Catalyst Media Center folder opens.

I fixed that problem using Autoruns (free, I believe, from http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys.../autoruns.mspx) and examining my "Run" key in (HKLM/software/microsoft/windows/currentversion/run). I'm not on my PC, so I'm going by memory, but, after installing ATI drivers, one of the run entries (I think it's for CCC or CCCstart OR CLIstart or something like that) is modified to include the closing quotation mark in the middle of the command line. Consequently, the system sees the command as "c:\program files\ati" and ignores everything after the closing quoatation mark. A simple registry edit puts everything right. If I remember, I get more precise info once I'm back on my PC. I'm not sure why ATI's installation screws up the closing quotes on some systems and not others.

[xlurkr]

Great find edelbeb!

On my system, it was in

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

and the key was

ATIDeviceDetect

which had the value

"C:\Program Files\ATI Multimedia\main\ATIDtct.EXE"

without the quotes. As you noted, that would stop at the space after ATI and launch explorer open to that directory. Adding quotes at the beginning and end fixed it for me. Thanks for the clue!

-Tom

[x-tech]

This was happening to me until I removed an old registry entry for MMC in my startup. No more CMC folder after that!

It couldn't be that easy?!

Yep, just as I said.

Thanks for the info edelbeb!

[edelbeb]

Glad to see it worked! On my system, it was the C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe entry that was messed up. It's interesting that the messed up registry values occur for different entries.

[boomstick360]

awsome that u figured it out lol

[tagteam]

Oh, for the LOVE OF GOD! I can't believe it was that simple!

On my machines, it was the C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI.ACE\Core-Static\CLIStart.exe entry. After I enclosed that entry in quotes, no more ATI folder opening at startup.

THANKS!!!!!!!!!!


Someone should be sending a bill to AMD for this solution!

[calvinengsci]

Thanks for all the info above guys. For me it was in:
C:\Program Files\ATI Multimedia\main\ATISched.EXE located under HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run.

For some reason the offending line showed up twice in my registry and in my msconfig --> Startup tab. I put quotes around the offending path by modifying the registry (twice) and the cursed folder disappeared. Thanks again for all your info.

[Guest]

Yes - thanks tons.
Can't count the many times I've reinstalled or installed it on a clean WinXP install.

Just in case for others:
Everytime, I've had two issues with my ATI-TVWonder 600USB install:

1) Error message on system shut down
"CatalystMC.exe - DLL Initialization failed"
Unchecking in msconfig > startup of:
CMCService "C:\Program Files\ATI\Catalyst Media Center\CMCService.exe"
resolved that issue with no known loss of functionality to CMC.
(This did not resolve the loading of my 'C:\Program Files\ATI' folder on bootup).

2) -as with others above. Mine was:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
I added the quotes at the beginning and end to:
ATIPTA "C:\Program Files\ATI Technologies\ATI Control Panel\atiptaxx.exe"
The folder no longer loads on boot up

Thanks tons everyone - Cheers!