Windows KB951847 .Net Update Warning

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cromwell

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I am happily reformatting my computers with Vista Business after thoughtlessly installing the 951847 update, so graciously provided for free by our beloved Microsoft .Net gang. Turns out, I'm not the only one having problems with this cute little program. I have a Visiontek and Sapphire Theater 650 PCI and both of them got borked on two different machines by this wonderful Service Pack.

In my case, after install and restart, .Net 3.5 SP1 determined that CMC was a poisonous program and blocked it at startup, along with the remote control functions. It actually put a shield over the CMC desktop icon, I'm serious, it reminded me of Dungeons & Dragons. I could, and did fix it using Group Policy edit, but the whole thing just rubbed me the wrong way, so the reformat.

It's been since last April for the two computers, so it was also a case of getting the bugs out.

Anyway, heads up on this Service Pack. From my web searches, turns out it's not all that necessary unless you're running programs that require .NET 3.5.

Good hunting.
 
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Good heads up I guess.

You did not state that the tuners were not functioning though only an issue with CMC, which you said you fixed.

I think most would prefer a different program then CMC anyway. In any event what version of CMC are you using just to be clear?
 
Agustus said:
I think most would prefer a different program then CMC anyway. In any event what version of CMC are you using just to be clear?
Click to expand...

Maybe it's me but I've found that I get better over the air reception with my Terk TV antenna thru CMC than I do Media Center, plus I get more channels. This is under Vista Ultimate x64. However I get better reception thru Media Center under Windows 7 then I do thru Media Center under Vista. Haven't loaded CMC on W7 yet.

I too am curious about the latest version of CMC? The version I have came with my VisionTek TV Wonder HD 650 Pro which I bought about a year ago. Version 1.0.3202. Is there a newer version? Maybe I'm blind, but I couldn't find a downloadable version of CMC on ATI's website. Strike that - here's a CMC patch (1.0.4310) by ATI
 
Ive also had problems with this update. It makes all my games sporadically crash to desktop or even blue screen my system. Uninstalled it and everything is back to normal.
 
Yea I was on 8.12s, and now on 9.1s and most of my games are Crashing still even though I uninstalled it. This is fucekd.
 
I'm finally back up and running and have a little more info on this patch/retrogade for .Net. Both the Windows Secrets Newsletter and some learned people on the MSDN Forums also recommend not to install the KB915847 Update. It kills several programs that rely on .Net 2.0, including CMC. As far as I know, this is on Vista. Anyone that's had problems on XP, or not, your feedback would be appreciated. I usually update regularly, but in this case, if you're running Vista, just don't.

Agustus: I'm using CMC v 1.0.4210. You can fix a blocked startup program in Vista using MSConfig and Task Manager. Here's how:

Fix Blocked Startup App:

Start----Run----and type in msconfig.exe

Go to STARTUP Tab and uncheck the app that is blocked by Vista noting on a sheet of paper where the program is run from. Restart.

1. Launch the Task Scheduler
Example: Start Menu → All Programs → Accessories → System Tools

2. From the Actions panel on the right, select Create Task...

3. Go to the General tab
a. Give the app a name of your choice in the "Name Section"
b. Select an user account with administrative privileges
b. Select the radio button Run only when user is logged on
c. Check the box Run with highest privileges

4.Go to the Triggers tab and click New...
a. In Begin the task, select At log on
b. In the Settings options, select Any user
c. In the Advanced Settings options, check the box Enabled
d. Click OK to close the dialog

5. Go to the Actions tab and click New...
a. For Action, select Start a program
b. In the Settings options, browse for the Program/Script you want to execute on
startup then apply
c. Click OK to close the dialog

6. Go to the Settings tab
a. Check the box Run task as soon as possible after a scheduled start is missed
b. Uncheck the box Stop the task if it runs longer than

7. Make any other desired settings

8. Click OK to save and close the task properties

NOTE: CMC works well for me, as I don't do much recording, and listen to local FM stations as much or more, as watch TV/DVD programs.
 
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Hey Cromwell,
I followed over here from a link you gave me in the CMC 1.0.4310 update thread.
Turns out that after I installed the NET 3.5 update in question it didn't break my CMC setup as much as bend it.
(Granted I agree with Agustus, that I much prefer VMC to CMC - However, i want it ready as a back-up, and wow I was surprised someone else said that it gets more channels for them than VMC. My CMC gets all the analog chs but only part of the QAM channels even when I disconnect all other cables & pull it right at the wall where it enters the house....VMC (OTH) gets all the QAM channels & that's after running through (3) splitters.

Back to CMC & the NET 3.5 update, I just tried CMC again (I never had or noticed the Vista blocking shield; CMC just wasn't starting - could have been there but anyway I didn't see it)...so I tried it again the other day and it took a lot longer to start up & had (longer than usual) stalls where it would stop showing the TV picture as I tried to change something in the menu).
 
Sent an email to Susan Bradley, a Microsoft MVP, concerning this problem. Her reply "uninstall it". It's also caused her some problems in SBS 2008, specifically with some Office 2007 add ons. Basically, it's not a security patch, more like a Service Pack. She said, "if you don't have programs that require 3.5 SP1 why deal with the problems?" (Off topic, her latest post deals with another so called security update called "Office Live". If you're not already using it, don't install it) Good rule of thumb I would say.

I have Vista Business, so VMC is not available. I'm not much help there.
 
Unistall it... ---> doesn't work!

Unistall it... ---> doesn't work!

You know thats a great response from a Microsoft MVP.

Too bad that once .Net 3.5 SP1 has been installed that the ATI Tuner cards are functionally disabled wether you properly remove it or not.

It's ashame that such a big software giant is eager to point the blame elsewhere, but when it's their own problem, they don't even bother to research if the suggestions they hand out even work!

Good Job Ms. Susan Bradley, Microsoft Most Valuable Professional!
 
Has anyone tried out drivers 9.3 to see if they fixed the problem that .Net 3.5 SP1 created?

I find it all too soon for ATI to have posted a working solution for their cards being broken, last time it took, what, 6 months?

Although I am curious if anyone is willing to take the time to make a backup of their system, install .Net 3.5 SP1 and CCC9.3 and Theater driver 9.3 and see if the cards are properly recognized by Catalyst Media Center.
 
My 550 is not working.

My 550 is not working.

I recently had to uninstall all ATI drivers to install 9.3. Afterwards my 550 Pro was detected in my XP device manager as two devices... 1. ATI Function Driver for High Definition Audio 2. ATI Unified AVStream Driver. I reinstalled CMC from the product CD but it does not run. Task Managers shows CatalystMC.exe briefly runs but then closes. I installed PowerCinema 5 Trial but it did not detect the TV hardware. I installed PowerCinema 6 Trial and it did detect hardware. I did remove .Net 3.5 but still have the problem. CMC is still not working.

Does anyone know what the hardware should be listed as in device manager?

Thanks
 
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MrDave, I think you have gotten the wrong impression of Ms Bradley. She does not work for Microsoft. She also has had problems with servers under her supervision with this patch. She writes a weekly article for the "Windows Secrets" newsletter and makes frequent posts to blogs. It wasn't her, it was the dotnet gang that rushed this patch out.

As far as getting your Tuner to work without a reformat, look at my reply to Agustus that contains the instructions to restart a blocked program. If you do it, CMC will show up in your Start | All Programs | Startup menu. Let me know if I can help you with the routine. I still owe you big for the Diamond MM download. (BTW: I'm still using it)

wjasonh, I know the Cat 9-3's had an HDMI driver, but it doesn't show up in my Device Manager. Does your video card have a HDMI port? As far as Theater Drivers, I'm still using the Cat 8-5. Anything later borks the sound with my onboard Realtek AC 97 setup. People using other sound cards don't seem to have this problem. Anyway, the Unified Stream Driver shows up in my USB Safely Remove Hardware list. Passing strange?
 
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Thank you Cromwell.

I guess I didn't understand where or who she actually worked for.

Anyhow, I've gone with a full and clean install and made an image, then playing around with drivers, and I've got all my software now installed and working fine, without .Net 3.5SP1.

The v.4210 release from Diamond Multimedia is still up on their website. ATI's version v.4310 is included with the HD All In Wonder cards and available as an upgrade if you log into the ATI Trouble shoot site and start by clicking at products/Tuners... Direct links going there from here end up in finding you at an anti-leech page, so you have to start from the beginning at ATI and click your way into finding the v.4310 upgrade. HOWEVER, I wouldn't recomend it. At least for me on 64bit Vista, every time I start Catalyst Media Center v.4310 I have to click the "Are you sure you want to give control to this application?" acknowledgement window. HOW ANNOYING - LOL. Other then that annoyance v.4310 didn't seem to have anything improved that I could tell.
 
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