The Media Center Sandbox

I'm creating a desktop shortcut to launch my addin in Media Center through a WIX generated installer (based on the Z sample).  For some reason on my test machine it doesn't work, it simply starts Media Center but gets stuck on a standard blue background screen with no ui elements.  The same shortcut works fine on my development machine and the addin works fine on my test machine if launched from within Media Center.  I've checked the entrypoint and application id guids in the shortcut and they are correct.

Any ideas?

Thanks
Martin

Make sure you've got everything uninstalled from your dev machine before running the installer (i.e. check the GAC for remnants of your dev stuff).

Cheers,
Andrew

My dev machine has a completely clean GAC when I build the installer and when I run it so I don't think there's anything left hanging about.  My test machine has a completely new build of Vista Ultimate (which is re-imaged each time I use it using Acronis).  I'm seeing this problem on the test machine when I create the desktop shortcut manually as well.  Very odd!

I going to try using a different entry point guid and application id and create a new user on my test machine.

Nope, neither of these changes have helped.  I'm stuck!

The only difference I can think of between my environments is .Net 3.5 SP1.  I'll upgrade my test machine, but I can't see why that would make any difference.

Try enabling debugging in Media Center and see if you get as far as the launch method.  If you do, check it completes successfully.   If it does, have a look through your Resources file to make sure you've got all of the MCML files and images referenced.

Cheers,
Andrew

Thanks Andrew, I will try that, but it is weird that the add-in runs perfectly fine when started from within Media Center on my test machine, but not if launched from the desktop shortcut.  Clearly it can run, but for some reason the shortcut is having a problem.

I'm still seeing a problem with this.  If I remotely debug and start the add-in from the desktop shortcut, the Launch method completes just fine and the add-in starts.  The problem only happens when I'm not remotely debugging and I try to start the add-in through the desktop shortcut.  Starting from within Media Center is always ok.  Any further suggestions? I'm at a bit of a loss.

So just to check - you enable debugging in the Media Center registry, click on the shortcut and you see the debug dialog appear in Media Center?   You then attach the debugger and it works, but if you don't attach the debugger it doesn't work?

Cheers,
Andrew