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[pouyoux]

Hi,

I've got a problem:

- If I configure MC19  to run as administrator : MC19 doesn't start alone at boot and the remote control works fine when I start MC19 by hand
- If I don't configure MC19 to run as administrator : MC19 start alone at boot but remote control doesn't work. I have to connect through remote desktop on the HTPC from my desktop computer, move the cursor with keyboard and then the remote control works fine.

I'm using a dedicated HTPC under Windows 8.1, MC19 setup to launch in theater view at boot, an Antec Veris remote receiver and a logitech harmony remote control emulating MCE remote.

If someone could help me to have MC19 to start at boot with a working remote control, it would make my day

[Matt]

I can't explain this one.

It's best to not run MC as administrator (or anything else for that matter, unless you must).

Why would moving the mouse cursor make your Antec Veris spring to life?  Maybe there's something special about the Antec?

You could pick up a standard MCE receiver.  For example, this one.

[glynor]

By the remote not "working" do you mean it won't wake the display?

[pouyoux]

@Matt : I tried to launch MC with administrator rights to try avoiding the annoying UAC popup when a MC update occurs.
I don't think the problem is hardware related as everything was working fine before I scratch my HTPC one month ago. I was using MC17 with windows 7. Now I've a fresh install of windows 8.1 and MC19.

@glynor : When I say not working : after HTPC launch when I use the remote control the veris receiver led is blinking but nothing occurs on the screen. Then I connect throught RDP from my desktop computer, do a move with the arrows of the keyboard then I logon again on the HTPC and the remote works as expected. It's like something is uninitialized at start

[glynor]

It's best to not run MC as administrator

Matt is right.  You really can't do it that way.

If the UAC prompts are annoying when the updates are available, then either:

1. Disable UAC entirely (I don't recommend this, and it breaks Metro on Windows 8 if you do it).
2. Turn off the auto-updater entirely and update manually (maybe set a calendar reminder to come here and check for new builds once a month or something).

I suspect something is borked up from running things as Admin.  This is usually a Very Bad Idea on Windows, unless you know what you're doing.  It, essentailly, makes that application run as another user, and isolates it from the logged on user's processes.

Reinstall MC19 without doing anything fancy (just double-click on the installer, you also don't need to run it as an admin, it will automatically elevate as needed).
See if that solves your problem.
If not, uninstall MC (preserve both the registry settings and Library as part of the uninstall), reboot, then reinstall.

I think your copy of MC is "owned" by another user, and is acting funny.

[pouyoux]

Thank you Glynor for your answer.
I will try your suggestions ASAP (probably next week-end)

[pouyoux]

Ok, I've tried all 2 solutions, it's working at the first reboot and never again

I think I've found a part of the mystery, MC has not the focus at start and so ignore keyboard & remote control events.

It seems to be an old bug : http://yabb.jriver.com/interact/index.php?topic=75185.0. I've tweaked the mouse behavior as suggested by RussellS but with no success.

Any hints ?

[JimH]

In MC's options for startup, tell it to run Media Server on Windows startup.

[pouyoux]

Jimh : unfortunetly it doesn't work either

[mwillems]

Jimh : unfortunetly it doesn't work either

Previously, every time I started my computer, MC loaded into theater view, but then the OS would load something after MC, which would steal focus and prevent the remote from working correctly.  The only fix at that point was to either alt-tab until mc was on top, click on MC with the mouse, or sometimes the green button on the remote would foreground MC.  None of those is a perfect solution if you don't intend to use a mouse and keyboard.

I have a keyboard handy, but it still bothered me.  One solution that some people have had good success with (including me) is delaying MC's start so that it happens after all other startup processes have happened.  In Win 7 that's as easy as writing a batch file to launch MC after a long fixed delay, but I'm not sure if that will work in Win 8.  What worked for me in Win 7 was executing the following command in the correct directory (in a batch file on startup):

MC19.exe /StartAfterDelay 30000  

That starts MC after a 30 second delay.  Check out the wiki article on the command line for more info http://wiki.jriver.com/index.php/The_Command_Line

[Edited for clarity]

[JimH]

Have you tried setting MC to run Media Server on Windows start?

[mwillems]

Have you tried setting MC to run Media Server on Windows start?

Jim, if you're asking me, yes I had MC set to run server on start as well, but it had no effect on whether theater view was in focus after startup or not.  The only thing that addressed the focus issue for me was delaying MC's startup using the command line.

[JimH]

 Theater View wouldn't need to be in focus for a remote to work if the server was running.

[mwillems]

Theater View wouldn't need to be in focus for a remote to work if the server was running.

On my system, some remote commands work when theater view is not in focus, and some do not, even when server is running.  I have server running all the time, and occasionally theater view loses focus due to a system event.  This is usually signaled by the task bar appearing at the bottom of the screen superimposed over theater view.  

Whenever that happens (and this is with server running) some remote commands stop working.  

Buttons that usually continue to work when theater view has lost focus:

The Stop button and the Green button

Buttons that don't usually work when theater view has lost focus:

Volume control, pause, and the arrow buttons used for navigation (which is what OP seems to be experiencing).  

I've taken some obvious steps like disabling WMC integration, and am using one of the official HP JRiver remotes, but I can't always get focus "back" just using the remote. In those cases a mouse click is usually all it takes to get back focus. I think I can reproduce this pretty easily, so if a log would help, I'd be happy to send one in once I get home.

[Edited for clarity]

[JimH]

I don't think I've ever seen the Green Button not work.  Do you have Logitech software installed?

IR remotes can sometimes have trouble in brightly lit rooms.  Batteries can also be a problem.

[mwillems]

I don't think I've ever seen the Green Button not work.  Do you have Logitech software installed?

IR remotes can sometimes have trouble in brightly lit rooms.  Batteries can also be a problem.

The green button is one of the ones that continues to work, it just doesn't always restore focus.  I may not have expressed myself very well above; sorry to be confusing, I revised my post above to make it clearer

When I press the green button when theater view is not in focus, sometimes it restores focus. The rest of the time the green button causes theater view to cycle between playing now and the top theater view menu (meaning that JRiver is obviously receiving the green button press), but without restoring focus.  In those cases the task bar remains superimposed on theater view, and the remote control arrow keys and volume control continue to not work.  In those cases I need to grab the mouse.  

No logitech software of any kind, and it works the same way in the evening.  It's been this way for as long as I've used theater view, and it's always the exact same remote buttons that reliably work or don't work.  As soon as focus is restored, all buttons work correctly.  

If I don't use the delay at startup, this happens pretty much every time I start up my HTPC, which is what made me think that OP and I had the same problem. Other than at startup it might happen once every few days (often when something is trying to get my attention from the systray).

[JimH]

So the Windows Task Bar is overlaying Theater View?  That's not normal.  Take a look at what you have showing there.  Try to reduce it to a minimum.  We used to have problems like that when Haali or another DirectShow filter was showing something there.  It could be anything.

But when you hit the Green Button, and you see the root menu of Theater View, you should be able to use the arrow keys to navigate.  Anything else suggests that something is competing for "always on top".

You could also try changing settings for the Task Bar.  Auto Hide, etc.

[mwillems]

So the Windows Task Bar is overlaying Theater View?  That's not normal.  Take a look at what you have showing there.  Try to reduce it to a minimum.  We used to have problems like that when Haali or another DirectShow filter was showing something there.  It could be anything.

But when you hit the Green Button, and you see the root menu of Theater View, you should be able to use the arrow keys to navigate.  Anything else suggests that something is competing for "always on top".

You could also try changing settings for the Task Bar.  Auto Hide, etc.

I know what you mean about the green button; when any other program is in focus, the green button usually brings theater view right back to the top and everything works normally (focus restored).  It's just when the taskbar comes up and steals focus that the green button doesn't necessarily restore focus for me (but it will cycle theater view).  

The fact that delay "solves the issue" at startup suggests that something else loading at startup is causing the loss of focus.  The only software I launch at startup besides MC are some systray residents, which I suspect are the problem.  The main optional thing that I'm running in the systray other than mediaserver, is AnyDVD, but I need that for Blu-Ray playback.  

When I get home, I'll check my taskbar settings, and see if there are any other background processes I can get rid of.  

[pouyoux]

I won't be able to try anything before this week end, but I can say that I have exactly the same behavior as mwillems

[mwillems]

Well, I think I solved my problem, and OP this might work for you too.

I tried a number of things to deal with the focus issue like fiddling with the task bar settings, changing which programs were resident in the systray, etc. but none of them actually addressed the issue: theater view would still lose focus to the task bar on startup and occasionally thereafter.

What finally seems to have fixed it was to check "use full-screen exclusive mode for drawing" under the advanced options.  I had it disabled because I saw slightly better theater view scrolling performance with it off (I have a large library and being able to get to the middle faster is a bonus).  But with FSE on, the task bar no longer steals focus at startup, and if anything else tries to steal focus, the green button seems to fix it 100% of the time. 

So you might want to try that OP, if you haven't already.