7. Click Ok to Start installing the feature. Done!

Windows 8 (and now 10) no longer comes with Windows Media Center by default. To get it, you can upgrade to Windows 8 Pro and purchase the Media Center Pack. And Windows 10 doesn’t have it at all.
If you’re using Windows 8 or 10 and don’t want to buy two separate upgrades just to use a program that once came standard with Windows, you can try one of these alternative media center applications for your HTPC.

Modern Apps

All Programs Windows Media Player

Modern apps deserve an honorable mention. Apps for Netflix, Hulu, and other media services look awfully similar to media center interfaces. If you want an interface to play back streaming video from your couch, these modern apps may be a convenient alternative to a new media center application.

Kodi (Formerly XBMC)

Kodi is probably the most popular alternative to Windows media Center out there. Kodi was formerly known as XBMC, and was was originally created for modded Xboxes. Today, Kodi runs on a variety of operating systems, including Windows, Mac OS X, Linux–even Android and iOS. In addition to interfacing with a TV capture card for live TV and recording, it supports every type of media format you’d want. It can also stream YouTube, Pandora, and more via add-ons. We’ve covered installing Kodi add-ons in the past.

Plex

Plex, based off XBMC, is another fairly popular media player. It contains two components – the Plex Media Server, which is the backend, and the Plex Media Center, which is the frontend. With Plex, you could make one computer in your house a media server and access it using the Plex Media Center on your home theater PC. You could also use the apps for iOS and Android devices to stream media to all of your devices from the central server.
Unlike XBMC and MediaPortal, Plex doesn’t support watching or recording live TV.
Read more about setting up Plex: How To Stream Video to Both iOS and Android Devices With Plex

MediaPortal

MediaPortal was originally a derivative of XBMC, but it’s been completely rewritten. If you’re not happy with XBMC’s interface, you might want to give MediaPortal a try. Like XBMC, it contains the standard PVR features for playing, recording, and pausing live TV, laying DVDs, and watching online video services.

Moovida

Update: This software appears to be unsupported now.
Moovida is the least well known option on this list. The Windows installer is packed with spyware and other junk that you’re opted into by default. If you do try this one, be sure to uncheck it all. We honestly wouldn’t recommend this option – there’s no reason to use spyware-packed installers when there are so many other good options higher on this list. It also doesn’t provide any integrated TV recording, unlike XBMC and MediaPortal.
However, if you’re not happy with the above options, you may want to give Moovida a go. It has two different interfaces – one optimized for file management on a PC and one optimized for finding and playing content on a TV. Moovida bills its TV-optimized interface as a “3D interface,” so it can provide some additional eye candy.
Programs
Many of these programs will play DVDs, too. We’ve also covered some other ways to play DVDs on Windows 8. You don’t need the Media Center Pack for that, either.
Which media center solution do you prefer for your home theater PC? Leave a comment and let us know.
READ NEXT
The Windows Media Center is a feature-packed software for watching TV, listening to radio and viewing pictures and videos. However, it is available in only a limited number of Windows editions, such as the Home Premium and Ultimate editions in Windows Vista, and the Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise editions in Windows 7. If your computer is running on one these operating systems, you can find the Windows Media Center on the 'All Programs' list or inside the Windows installation directory.

Start Menu

All My Programs Open With Windows Media Center

Step 1

Click 'Start' on the Windows Vista or Windows 7 taskbar and point to all 'All Programs.'

Step 2

Click on the program labeled 'Windows Media Center' at the top of the 'All Programs' list.
Wait until the Windows Media Center loads. The Windows Media Center uses up a considerable amount of system memory, so the time it takes to load can vary from computer to computer.

Windows Directory

Step 1

Media
Click 'Start,' and then click 'Computer.' This will open up the 'Windows Explorer' window.
All programs open with windows media center windows 10

Step 2

Double-click on the partition where Windows Vista or Windows 7 is installed.

Step 3

Step 4

Double-click on the green colored icon labeled 'ehshell.exe' to open up the Windows Media Center. The Windows Media Center uses up a considerable amount of system memory, so the time it takes to load can vary from computer to computer.

Video of the Day

Brought to you by Techwalla

More Articles

When I open a file, it opens Windows Media Player. I don’t know what happened. My mother just clicked something on home group. Please help!
  1. Hello, there is an easier way of doing this instead of fixing entries one by one. I am assuming that you are using windows 7 because of homegroup. Check to see if Default programs option shows when you click start button. If it does, click on it. If it doesn't try the following:
    -- right click on start button
    -- select properties
    -- in start menu tab, click on customize
    -- find the default programs entry and make sure to mark box next to it
    -- click on ok, then apply and then ok
    -- click on start
    -- click on default programs
    -- click on set your default programs and wait for it to load
    -- click on windows media player
    -- click on choose defaults for this program at bottom of screen
    -- select the options you want this program to open by checking the box next to it. If you see any entries that are not media files, such as word, pdf, etc., that are not multimedia files, uncheck them.
    -- Once you have selected the defaults for it, click on save
    -- try the new settings
    Driver Profile is made up of the performance of the driver and its success rate. Download nfs shift 2 for pc. You can also download.This award winning racing game will provide you a staggering driver’s experience with real world physics. This game was released on 15 th September, 2009. This game features accurate physics-based driving model which will let you feel all the impacts as well as every change of track surface. There is a Driver Profile which will track the evolution of a player and will let you know what type of driver you are.
    Let me know how it goes.
    • Hello Sir, every time i try that, i see a list with all the programas i have displayed and a check box, every check box is checked, but for some reason it does not allow me to unchecked. Could you please help me? Thankyou
      • you can try the following from winhelponline
        http://www.winhelponline.com/fileasso/lnk_fix_w7.zip
        http://www.winhelponline.com/fileasso/exe_fix_w7.zip
        so now once you repaired your file association go back to your earlier work and see the checkbox is fixed.
      • Hello, that is the long way of fixing this issue. Easiest way is the one provided by Ha14. What you have is an file extension issue. If you are running windows XP, use the link provided by Ha14 to fix it. If you are using vista/windows 7, try the following link:
        The following link will show you how to change the extension. This is similar to what I answer before just that this link has graphics to explain it:
        http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12196-open-change-default-program.html
        http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/12196-open-change-default-program.html
    • i am very much thank u fidelis to solve my laptop problum. thank u very much
    • This worked for the problem of 'Why have all my files become Windows Media Player shortcut ?' I had this problem since yesterday in my Computer. I was looking for solution on internet. I tried 'Microsoft Fix it' but did not help..I tried some other too..But what you suggested, I tried and it solved the problem..Thanks a lot..
  2. you have file association problems.
    you can try the following from winhelponline
    http://www.winhelponline.com/fileasso/lnk_fix_w7.zip
    http://www.winhelponline.com/fileasso/exe_fix_w7.zip
  3. Your mother probably set Windows Media Player as the default program for some file extensions.
    Right-click one of the files, point to 'Open With' in the right-click menu and select 'Choose Default Program.' You can make another program, instead of Windows Media Player, the default here. You'll have to repeat this for each file extension you want to change back.
Need to shut down your PC in a hurry? Simple. Here are two handy keyboard shortcuts to save you time and mousing.
Banlieue 13 ultimatum streaming. Close all open programs
A little-known set of keystrokes will shut down all active programs at once in no time.
Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete and then Alt-T to open Task Manager's Applications tab. Press the down arrow, and then Shift-down arrow to select all the programs listed in the window. When they're all selected, press Alt-E, then Alt-F, and finally x to close Task Manager.
For those of you keeping score at home, that's seven steps that can be accomplished in less than 10 seconds.
If you're concerned about having to remember these or other shortcut keys, press the Alt key to show the underline beneath the letter to press to activate each option.
There's more than one way to turn off your PC
At the end of a long workday your last official act may be to press the power button on your PC to turn it off. Alternatively, you can click Start > Shut down.
But there's a way to power off your system without taking your hands off the keyboard: in Windows 7, press the Windows key, then the right-arrow key, and then Enter; in Vista, press the Windows key, then the right arrow three times, and then u; in XP, press the Windows key and then u twice.

Related stories

Windows will prompt you to save any files that require it before closing the host app, just as it does when you press the power button or click 'Shut down' on the Start menu (which is an odd place for a 'Shut down' button, if you ask me).
Equal time for Mac users: open the shutdown dialog by pressing Control-Eject; activate sleep mode by pressing Option-Command-Eject; close all applications and restart the machine by pressing Control-Command-Eject (you'll be prompted to save changes to open documents); close all applications and shut down by pressing Control Option-Command-Eject (once again, you'll be prompted to save changes to open documents).
Keep in mind that some organizations want you to leave your PC running because updates and backups may be scheduled for the middle of the night. You can set the power button to put your system in hibernate or standby mode via Windows' Power Options.
To open Power Options, press the Windows key, type 'power options,' and press Enter. Click 'Choose what the power buttons do' in the left pane, click the menu next to 'When I press the power button' and make your selection: Shut down, Hibernate, Sleep, or Do nothing.
(If Windows seems to take forever to turn off your PC, check out my post from March 2008 titled 'Shut down Windows in an instant.')
Uber versus Lyft: Best tips to save you money when you hail a ride.
Tips to secure your Facebook account: It doesn't take long to make sure your Facebook account is locked down.