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[gottwavo]

I tried to run the exe file MediaCenter320008-x64.exe on my Windows 2016 Server. It does not start. This is my main installation and media server. The same exe file runs on Windows 11 without problems and installs MC 32. The Server is a 64 bit system.

Any advice? Will this behavior change?

[Awesome Donkey]

While it may or may not have anything to do with it, it's worth pointing out that JRiver doesn't officially support running Media Center on Windows Server OSes, so perhaps it's a your mileage may vary situation?

https://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/Windows_System_Requirements

[zybex]

Do you get some error? Check the EventViewer.

This should be in the requirements, try to install it too:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170#visual-studio-2015-2017-2019-and-2022

[gottwavo]

There is no error message. MC 31 is no problem on this server. I'll investigate and report my findings.

[zybex]

SmartScreen or antivirus blocking the execution? Should show up in EventViewer.

[gottwavo]

Event Viewer says this:

Bei der Aktivierung der App „Microsoft.Windows.Apprep.ChxApp_cw5n1h2txyewy:App.AppXc99k5qnnsvxj5szemm7fp3g7y08we5vm.mca“ ist folgender Fehler aufgetreten: Diese App kann vom integrierten Administratorkonto nicht aktiviert werden.. Weitere Informationen finden Sie im Protokoll „Microsoft-Windows-TWinUI/Betriebsbereit“.

English translation: ... This app can not be activated from an integrated admin account ...

I'm not an expert in interpreting those messages. Is this information of any use?

[zybex]

Weird - the message is about running a Metro/AppX application, which MC is not. Perhaps MC is trying to install a needed component and it fails there.

The error seems to be caused by a local policy on your server, preventing installation of 3rd party software. Try the steps in this page to change the policy:
https://help.zerto.com/kb/000004681

Here's an alternate solution:
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/msdn-technet-forums/1628a168-1a8f-4922-b3dd-36a783b5512e

Google for more.

[gottwavo]

I followed the first advice, changed the parameters, created a new user and it worked. During installation, Windows replied with a security warning with the option to continue the installation.
Thanks for the tip. I hope future releases will be easier to install.

[zybex]

As mentioned above, Windows Server is not supported and likely will never be.

[gottwavo]

MC for more than 20 years Always worked on all Versions of my Windows Server. I hope this will continue.

[zybex]

It should work as Win Server is not so different from Win 10/11/12. But there are differences, mostly in the default security settings as you've found out. It just means that you need to figure out how to get it running after something goes wrong. Just curious, why are you using Win Server for MC? It's not really more or less stable than Win11 at this point, the kernel is the same.

[Awesome Donkey]

It's not officially supported by JRiver, meaning they don't go out of their way to run it or support it. There's been multiple issues reported over the years, which were caused by OS quirks when running MC (e.g. running in core mode). It may be working now for you, but if I were you I wouldn't expect it to always keep working. Especially when it's recommended and just easier to use Windows 10 or 11.

Honestly, unless you're actually hosting a website or something (and even then I wouldn't recommend installing and running MC on it), there's absolutely no reason to ever consider using Windows Server over Windows 10 or 11. It's an old audiophile myth that running Windows Server OSes (or doing things like turning off/tweaking services in Windows or running "debloat" Windows scripts) somehow improves sound quality, but this is not true at all (where in the case of tweaking services and especially running "debloat" scripts you're technically breaking the OS). Modern hardware of the last 10 or so years running Windows 10 or 11 is more than capable of handling on-the-fly playback of bit-perfect audio without issue.