The Media Center Sandbox

Hi all,

I´m trying to develop a sample application which from a media center page, clicking on a button launches a winform (integrated in the project). Trying to show, then activate, bringtofront or select  accomplishes to bring the window over MC only if it´s not on full screen. If MC is on fullscreen the window launches behind it whatever I try.
Is there any way of minimize MC or setting my winform well above MC?

Thanks

When in full screen mode, Media Center uses DirectX "exclusive mode" for rendering to the display - because of this you can't bring a window to the front above Media Center (in fact, if I understand it correctly, technically the window behind isn't there - the "windows" part of Windows is temporarily removed from the display, and replaced with something else).

Generally speaking, it's going to be a bad user experience to do this anyway - the Windows form isn't going to fit in with the Media Center user experience at all.   If you really need a WinForm application you could consider launching an entrypoint that runs the WinForm application from within your Media Center application, which will minimise Media Center and run your WinForm app.

Cheers,
Andrew

Finally I managed to do this by launching the window as a separated application, minimizing the MC process, and then returning to it after the external app finishes.
Anyway I will try the entrypoint option as it seems to be much better.

Thanks a lot.