Member Avatar for Ritesh_4

Hello
Anyone knows how I can get and install MediaCenter on a Windows XP SP3 machine? I've seen some versions of the OS itself, like Windows XP Media Center Edition etc, but since I already have a licensed version of Windows, is it possible just to get the Media Center part and install it? I've tried tools like XBMC, but it seemed to be using much processing on the machine, slowing it down at times...

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Short answer: you cannot bolt Windows Media Center onto XP Pro. Media Center was not a standalone app; it shipped only as part of the separate Windows XP Media Center Edition (MCE) OS and was distributed to OEMs, not as a retail add-on for XP Home/Pro. Microsoft’s own launch materials describe MCE as a distinct edition shipped through PC makers, and Media Center is detected via OS-level components, not a simple installer. See Microsoft’s 2002 MCE announcement and the registry/version guidance in the official SDK docs (Identifying Windows Media Center Versions). Also note XP reached end of support on April 8, 2014; minimize network exposure if you keep it running (Microsoft Security Blog).

Building on ’s suggestion: MediaPortal is the closest XP-friendly 10-foot UI. On older hardware, keep it lean: use the default skin, disable visual effects, and in Configuration choose the VMR9 renderer (XP does not support EVR). Install prerequisites first (on XP, Windows Media Player 11 is commonly required), then install MediaPortal and add media folders manually rather than enabling background scanning. See the project’s current requirements page for XP/MCE nuances (MediaPortal requirements) and Microsoft’s note on WMP11 for XP (WMP11 release for XP).

Finally, to clarify ’s note: Windows Media Player 11 is just the player; it does not add the DVR/TV UI, eHome services, or tuner pipeline that make up Windows Media Center. If you truly need the classic WMC experience on XP, the only legitimate route was installing XP MCE 2005 with proper OEM media and key, which is also long out of support.

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Member Avatar for caperjack

From the Microsoft website

Windows XP Media Center Edition is a version of the Windows XP
operating system and is no longer being sold.

More information in the link below
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/products/windows-media-center/get-it

OP is looking for just the media center software to install on his winxp .
i searched for and it no where to be found ,so far

Member Avatar for Pjieter

I know, but if you take a look at the table, it says 'How to get it', for 'Windows XP', and there it says that it is no longer available. So I guess they won't provide a download link to a separate install neither. Maybe an old .exe that crashes once in a while, but definitely not an official release :)

Member Avatar for Ritesh_4

I did go through the MS website before posting, and I do use the MediaCenter on my Windows 7 Ultimate at home, but if possible, to get a version for XP Pro would be very nice as well, and so far, apart from the Windows XP Media Center Edition download links from some forums (which I believe are not licensed at all), I did not see any other way to get that :(

Member Avatar for Eric_14

Or you could download windows media player 11 and then download this and it works just like vista and 7.

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