[WINDOWS] HOW-TO use MCE remote in XBMC under Windows the easy way

(2012-03-18 23:03)elitegamer360 Wrote:  ...Words of Wisdom...

OK, I've uninstalled Eventghost, we'll see how I go when I get home to test.
Cheers

Hi,

I'm trying to get this to work with my Harmony One.
I programmed my Harmony as a Microsoft MCE Remote.
The customised MCE Remote Registry Setup finished without any error.
But now it isn't working. If XBMC is focused I can go left and right, but if it isn't focused, XBMC isn't responding at all.

Looking forward for help
Excuse my bad English

OS: Windows 7 64bit
Remote: Logitech Harmony One
Certified: I think so
IR receiver: RC6 Model IR605Q bought seperatly
No build in IR receiver
Listed as Microsoft eHome Infrared Transeiver
Eventghost is installed. "Disable HID service for this remote" in "Plugin: Microsoft MCE Remote" is unticked.
I used the Auto Installer method.
I am using XBMC 11.0 RC2
Remote Control sends Keyboard presses is enabled.

(2012-03-19 01:24)TheFonz Wrote:  

(2012-03-18 23:03)elitegamer360 Wrote:  ...Words of Wisdom...

OK, I've uninstalled Eventghost, we'll see how I go when I get home to test.
Cheers

Alrighty, uninstalling Eventghost made no difference. I will keep playing around with it. Maybe I need to uninstall and reinstall AutoHotKey.
Cheers

(2012-03-19 21:21)Cliff Wrote:  Hi,

I'm trying to get this to work with my Harmony One.
I programmed my Harmony as a Microsoft MCE Remote.
The customised MCE Remote Registry Setup finished without any error.
But now it isn't working. If XBMC is focused I can go left and right, but if it isn't focused, XBMC isn't responding at all.

Looking forward for help
Excuse my bad English

OS: Windows 7 64bit
Remote: Logitech Harmony One
Certified: I think so
IR receiver: RC6 Model IR605Q bought seperatly
No build in IR receiver
Listed as Microsoft eHome Infrared Transeiver
Eventghost is installed. "Disable HID service for this remote" in "Plugin: Microsoft MCE Remote" is unticked.
I used the Auto Installer method.
I am using XBMC 11.0 RC2
Remote Control sends Keyboard presses is enabled.

You need to setup one of your harmony remote buttons to send "Win-alt-Enter", then this button will enable you to bring focus to XBMC and control it like normal. I do not use harmony remotes so I would not be able to tell you how to do that but some one in here might be able to do so. :-)

Cheers,
EG.

(2012-03-20 00:14)TheFonz Wrote:  

(2012-03-19 01:24)TheFonz Wrote:  

(2012-03-18 23:03)elitegamer360 Wrote:  ...Words of Wisdom...

OK, I've uninstalled Eventghost, we'll see how I go when I get home to test.
Cheers

Alrighty, uninstalling Eventghost made no difference. I will keep playing around with it. Maybe I need to uninstall and reinstall AutoHotKey.
Cheers

hmmmm, if Eventghost made no difference, I doubt reinstalling autohotkey will help! something clearly not right on your PC. TBH if I were you I would just do a clear install of Windows 7 as explained before and test the setup. If it works then its not a hardware problem if does not then it is a hardware problem.

If it works then you can install your apps one by one but keep testing to see what exactly breaks your remote functionality, I would not know exactly whats wrong with your hardware without a proper hands on. After all what I suggested in the past did not work then something major is going on!!

TBH I even forget to ask you if you ever had the setup working with no issues in the past but then did it stop working at a later time? Or you never managed to get it to work at all!

Cheers :-) ,
EG.

(2012-03-20 03:55)elitegamer360 Wrote:  TBH I even forget to ask you if you ever had the setup working with no issues in the past but then did it stop working at a later time? Or you never managed to get it to work at all!

Yeah it was working perfectly in the past.
Not keen on a whole system rebuild, maybe when I have a couple of days free, but right now, I reckon I'll just keep troubleshooting it.
I might try reinstalling all the drivers for the remote

(2012-03-20 03:43)elitegamer360 Wrote:  You need to setup one of your harmony remote buttons to send "Win-alt-Enter", then this button will enable you to bring focus to XBMC and control it like normal. I do not use harmony remotes so I would not be able to tell you how to do that but some one in here might be able to do so. :-)

Cheers,
EG.

This works, but I thought this Registry edit is for controlling XBMC in the Background like it's possible with Eventghost.

(2012-03-20 05:35)TheFonz Wrote:  

(2012-03-20 03:55)elitegamer360 Wrote:  TBH I even forget to ask you if you ever had the setup working with no issues in the past but then did it stop working at a later time? Or you never managed to get it to work at all!

Yeah it was working perfectly in the past.
Not keen on a whole system rebuild, maybe when I have a couple of days free, but right now, I reckon I'll just keep troubleshooting it.
I might try reinstalling all the drivers for the remote

I see! Then you must've done something or installed something stopped it from working. What keyboard are you using? When XBMC is on and on your keyboard press "Win-Alt-Enter" if XBMC does not respond to it then its not a remote issue or a registry issue! because I already checked your registry settings and the settings was working fine with your remote aleady in the past. And if it is not Eventghost, then that leaves only two possibilities I think:

1- Windows Keyboard layout is messed up! What language are you using? As sometimes keys can differ with different key layouts!
2- Your Windows installation is messed up or an application on your PC is stopping the Green button combo from reaching XBMC !

I hope this might narrow down your troubleshooting

(2012-03-20 14:29)Cliff Wrote:  

(2012-03-20 03:43)elitegamer360 Wrote:  You need to setup one of your harmony remote buttons to send "Win-alt-Enter", then this button will enable you to bring focus to XBMC and control it like normal. I do not use harmony remotes so I would not be able to tell you how to do that but some one in here might be able to do so. :-)

Cheers,
EG.

This works, but I thought this Registry edit is for controlling XBMC in the Background like it's possible with Eventghost.

No this does not control XBMC in the backround! You have to use EventGhost and its the only solution that will let you use XBMC in the background. This setup is supposed to be used on a true HTPC, thats why the Green Start Button brings XBMC back to focus, just in case it loses it! If you want to uninstall XBMCCustomregis then use the same setup file you used to install and sellect "Uninstall" option.

I hope this helps,

Cheers,
EG.

elitegamer,

Can you help me with a couple things?

I'm trying to setup some useful buttons on my harmony one screen (for the wife)

1) Is there anyway I can have a button that will take me to my music but will take me directly to the albums view (its the only view i use and it really annoys me that i cant get the "my music" button on the home screen to go directly to albums - so a direct button on the remote would be even better)?

2) Is there anyway I can have a button that will take me directly to a specific album (there's an album we always play when getting our twins calm and ready for bed so its played a couple times every day)?

(2012-03-20 22:31)thebearnecessit Wrote:  elitegamer,

Can you help me with a couple things?

I'm trying to setup some useful buttons on my harmony one screen (for the wife)

1) Is there anyway I can have a button that will take me to my music but will take me directly to the albums view (its the only view i use and it really annoys me that i cant get the "my music" button on the home screen to go directly to albums - so a direct button on the remote would be even better)?

2) Is there anyway I can have a button that will take me directly to a specific album (there's an album we always play when getting our twins calm and ready for bed so its played a couple times every day)?

Look inside your keyboard.xml it should be found here %AppData%\XBMC\userdata\keymaps

you will find

the answer to 1) replace the above as follows.

Save keyboard.xml and restart XBMC, then assign "Ctrl-M" to one of your remote buttons, if you used my setup then it should already be assigned to the "music" button on the MCE remote, you just need to reflect that on your harmony remote.

in regard to 2) I am not aware of away to do that but you can use any button in keyboard.xml to send the code below, it will automatically open the recent played albums/music, so if you play it every day then it should be easy enough to get to it quickly that way :-)

In Keybaord.xml change [ m mod="ctrl" and </m>] to anything else not already used in xbmc.

I hope this help.

Cheers,
EG.