The easiest thing is to use WMC_multi_tool option 0 to find out which DLLs have been changed and roll them back as required. Basically, WMC requires DLLs from 1709 (build 16299) or earlier to work perfectly but where the DLLs WMC actually uses are located depends on which version you are using. In my case, it was only CPFilters in system32 that needed rolling back but it obviously depends on which version of WMC you have. Except for V13, which effectively predates even V8.8.1 - in theory, the newer the version, the less it should be affected by changes to DLLs in system32 because the required DLLs are in ehome but we are seeing exceptions to the rule so it would be very helpful if you guys could let us know which version of WMC you are using and which DLL(s) needed to be changed.
Hi Anthony, thanks for that. Before I try, I run V8.8.3. Do I need 8.8.4 (and if so, where is the download link for that) ? What version are you on? A strange fact : I have three pc's running WMC, only one gave these problems .. the others were not affected by that W update?
I use 8.8.1 in order to keep DVBLink compatibility - I believe technodevotee's tools will work on any version as they're replacing windows files rather than WMC files. BTW thanks Techno (and the rest of the WMC community) for making such a great tool that gives easy fixes
@aquadextrous, I echo your thanks to the community for everything that that goes into keeping WMC alive. Without their help, I would have given up on it long ago. I've mostly just created easy ways of deploying the workarounds that people have publicised here and on other forums. You are correct in the case of Roll Back DLLs. It only replaces the DLLs in System32. However, WMC Multi Tool allows the ones in ehome to be replaced as well.
8.8.4 still works fine for me after allowing those 3 updates. Grovelling thanks again to Kévin Chalet and technodevotee for keeping WMC alive . Without the great work of you blokes i'd have done this by now:
@technodevotee As you know I am running win 10 64 and ver 8.8.3 with a manual update of dll's and other things and have a working music library that does NOT need "automatic download options" (retrieve cd album art, media information for dvd's and movies....) turned off. I have manually done a few other things in the past to keep things working and haven't made a note of what i have done. I think i have done a manual link in the start up folder, fix thumbnails ect ect... I have not done a clean install of 1903 but have upgraded to it because i don't want to mess things up plus its a PITA with all my games and software. I have put windows update on hold for this latest cumulative update, as i wanted to make a note of what files i have and where, so i can put them back after the latest update. I just tried your WMC_Multi_Tool and i thought it would list the current files and locations before making any changes, but it doesn't. Could you change it to show the locations and current files in use and give you the choice of what action you want to take, as in what files you want to change and to what version. It could then be used by people to inform others exactly what setup they are running quickly and easily. Failing that you could make another utility that could list all files and versions currently on their system and can back them up and restore them? Thanks Alan another +1 for all the people that keep WMC alive, keep up the good work guys and girls
@Bigal What you describe is exactly what it should do so please describe exactly what happens when you launch WMC_Multi_Tool.
I didn't run it all the way through, i got to the part where i was given 4 options but didnt go any further. I have now made a note and a backup of my dll locations and file versions, ready to update. my current file versions C:\Windows\ehome EncDec.dll file ver 6.6.9600.16384 prod ver 6.6.9600.16384 MSVidCtl.dll file ver 6.5.9600.16384 prod ver 6.05.9600.16384 windows system32 replaced CPFilters.dll file ver 10.0.17134.441 prod ver 10.0.17134.441 EncDec.dll file ver 10.0.16299.15 prod ver 10.0.16299.15 replaced MSVidCtl.dll file ver 6.5.16299.309 prod ver 6.5.16299.309 I will then try your tool and follow through all the way Please note that Im not using dvblink sean's wmc backup is no longer working for me ...error occured during copy...
Sounds like you have the original version as there are 9 options in the current version. I'd recommend downloading the new one.
I just updated windows after the update C:\Windows\ehome same windows system32 changed CPFilters.dll to file ver 10.0.18362.356 prod ver 10.0.18362.356 I used your old tool, I had already done this before reading your post. I chose option 1 replace dlls in windows\system32 It didn't give me the file version before or after or the option as to what version to swap to. It changed; CPFilters.dll to file ver 10.0.16299.15, put a file called cpfilters.10.0.18362.356.dll self explanatory It didn't change encdec.dll It changed; msvidctl.dll to file ver 6.5.16299.15, put a file called msvidctl.6.5.16299.309.dll self explanatory So i now have C:\Windows\ehome EncDec.dll file ver 6.6.9600.16384 prod ver 6.6.9600.16384 MSVidCtl.dll file ver 6.5.9600.16384 prod ver 6.05.9600.16384 windows system32 CPFilters.dll file ver 10.0.16299.15 prod ver 10.0.16299.15 EncDec.dll file ver 10.0.16299.15 prod ver 10.0.16299.15 MSVidCtl.dll file ver 6.5.16299.15 prod ver 6.5.16299.15 My music library still works, so maybe its my ehome dll's? I just downloaded your latest ver and read the readme
Yeah, with hindsight I guess I released it a bit early. Should have given a bit more thought to what was needed first.
not at all, don't knock yourself, I and others i'm sure, appreciate all you have done, keep up the good work. If and when i do a clean install, i will give your tool a try, i'm sure it will evolve, i saw the date in the readme file, maybe for all your further tool releases you could have version numbers just in case. Perhaps in your sig, you could have links to all your tools
technodevotee, What is the optimal output of option 0 to make sure everything possible in WMC is working? I just ran it and everything in ehome was different than system32, so I replaced those and now everything matches. Is this the best result, or is there some reason we want (even sometimes) a mix of versions in the different folders? C:\WINDOWS\ehome\msvidctl.dll version is 6.5.16299.15 C:\WINDOWS\ehome\cpfilters.dll version is 10.0.16299.15 C:\WINDOWS\ehome\encdec.dll version is 10.0.16299.15 C:\WINDOWS\system32\msvidctl.dll version is 6.5.16299.15 C:\WINDOWS\system32\cpfilters.dll version is 10.0.16299.15 C:\WINDOWS\system32\encdec.dll version is 10.0.16299.15
@jspenc3 Going on what you have listed, I guess that you are using V8.8.4. The DLLs in ehome are only used by WMC but the ones in system32 might be used by anything so, for maximum compatibility, it is best to leave the ones in system32 alone if possible. If the PC is only used for Media Center then it probably doesn't really matter. The thing is, each DLL in system32 used by WMC causes a different, well documented problem for WMC when updated by Microsoft and Kevin made successive modifications to work around them by putting the required version in ehome as they came along. In theory, WMC V8.8.4 should work fine with the ones that Kevin supplied and it certainly works great on the vast majority of PCs with no extra work. However, there have been exceptions where it doesn't work properly and we have found it hard to understand why because it seems to have been something different in each case. The idea behind WMC Multi Tool was to replace the DLL identified as causing the problem in ehome then try WMC. If that doesn't help, try replacing the one in system32 then try WMC. These are the known issues that have fixes available: There's no sound or picture when trying to play recorded TV or a message about no tuners being available or all tuners being in use appears when trying to watch TV. This is because MS changed the functionality of MsVidCtl.dll. WMC crashes when trying to watch Live TV or play recorded TV. This is because MS changed the functionality of CpFilters.dll. There are no thumbnails. This is because MS changed the functionality of EncDec.dll and in later versions, removed the DLL and the registry entries that link to it entirely. You can use the Restore Functionality of EncDec to fix that. It is not be possible to download initial TV setup data and/or PlayReady when installed on a PC that previously had another version. Errors in event viewer point to an invalid security token. You can use the Reset Security Tokens option to fix that. There is a significant delay before sound and picture begin when starting to view live TV or watch a recorded TV programme when installed on a PC that previously had another version. I found this was due to PlayReady needing to have its data file (%programdata%\microsoft\playready\mspr.hds) reset. You can use the Reset Playready option to do that.