Media Center

[ahousholder]

I bought a Sony Vaio VGCRB60G a couple of years ago.  Last year it crashes and I ran the system restore to get it to work again.  When I did this, my media center quit working.  Now whe you go onto media center I get this message:

Component Registration Failure
Some of the files needed to play radio or video are missing or corrupt.  Media Center component registration may have failed.

I click OK and I get this:

Critical Process Failure
A critical Media Center Process has unexpectedly failed.  If problems persist, please restart your machine and try again, or contact techical support. Code: 3

It's taken me a year, but I'm finally trying to fix it.  If you know what to do, I would really appreciate your help because I would really like this program back without going out and buying it.

Thanks

[ahousholder]

I forgot to mention that I am using Windows XP

[stevejohnson1958]

Based on your post, there's the strong possibility the crash affected some registry entries and the Media Center is now damaged.

The possibility that a clean install using the software provided by the vendor/manufacturer of your computer may be the only alternative you have to fixing the problem.

Consequently...I'd recommend backing up any important images, files, documents, folders, etc., etc...andperforming a clean installation using the recovery software provided by the computer manufacturer.

However, you may want to wait for further assistance from other mebers of this forum, before continuing.  I am almost positive, though, that a clean install is probably needed here.

[ahousholder]

I was never given any software when I bought the computer. 

[stevejohnson1958]

Check your local hard drive to see if there is a partition labeled for recovery of your system back to its factory specs.  Normally labeled as a "recovery partition".

To access the recovery partition, you may need to use one of your function keys at boot, but remember...doing this will wipe your hard drive clean and restore it to its original factory settings and you will lose any files, programs, etc., etc...you have added after your original purchase.

If this option is not available to you...and your local drive is not partitioned into two separate drives, you may want to go to Sony's Support page to inquire about recovery software for  your computer.  The software is relatively inexpensive...and needed...should you not have the afore mentioned recovery partition.

[stevejohnson1958]

Also...you may want to look at this support page...supplied by Sony's Support site.

[ahousholder]

I did a search and a lot of things came up.  VAIO recovery, VAIO recovery tools, create recovery discs, another VAIO recovery, and the VAIO recovery guide.  I'm reading through the recovery guide and it's telling me to do what I did when my computer crashed.  I'm just worried that since the last time I did this it messed things up that it would make it worse.

[stevejohnson1958]

There's a link on that page I provided you titled "System recovery and recovery disc information".

Click that link and then give it a good read.

Remember what I told you previously...should you choose to recover your PC...you will lose any data /programs you have added since its original purchase...

Sony's Recovery Wizard restores your computer to its original factory specifications.  So please remember to backup any programs and/or files, pictures, music, etc., etc., you wish to save.

[ahousholder]

I'm backing up everything right now.  This needed to be done anyways because my computer hasn't been running too well lately.

[stevejohnson1958]

Please keep us posted and let us know how the recovery process is going, please.

[ahousholder]

Ok, I post later on today.  It's gonna take me a while to back up everything.