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HOW TO SETUP an Xbox 360 on a Windows Media Center Edition 2005 machine to connect to music and pictures on a Windows Server 2003 computer (domain or otherwise):

A few things first:

Yes, you can add a MCE 2005 machine to a domain using the hack listed above. Not really so much of a hack, because if you add it to the domain during setup, you have no problems, or if you upgrade from MCE 2004, the feature is also available. However, there is a VERY specific reason it’s disabled by default in 2005: Media center extenders don’t work if the machine is part of a domain. The reason for this is as follows:

Media Center Extenders are really just a Remote Desktop Connection into the MCE PC, with an extra side channel for a/v data (try to use mstsc, the Remote Desktop Client in Windows XP, to connect to an MCE machine, but on port 3390 instead of the default port 3389. It won’t let you log in, but it proves the point that it’s just RDP). The key to MCX, though, is that when an MCX connects to the host machine, the user on that machine IS NOT BOOTED OFF. That works because of something in Windows XP called Fast User Switching that allows another user to connect without requiring the first user to log off (normally it “disconnects” the other user, meaning their programs are still running, but they aren’t actively controlling the session). On Windows Server, you can install Terminal Services Server to allow multiple concurrent active sessions. On Windows XP, even with FUS (Fast User Switching), only one session is allowed to be active at a time, with the notable EXCEPTION of MCX’s. So, MCX is based off of Terminal Services technology, but when you join a machine to a domain, FUS must be turned off. So, now we try our workarounds: in a beta build of SP2, Microsoft was going to allow two active sessions, not just one. So you can get a patch that “downgrades” that one DLL in normal Windows XP that will allow both a remote user and local user to have active sessions (and with some more tweaking, unlimited active sessions). In testing, though, that hack only works when a machine is NOT part of a domain. I’ve tested with a an MCE machine using CLASSIC login (not the Welcome Screen that normally allows FUS), manually re-enabled the FUS Service, and applied the patch, and I could do it. However, the patch does not work once a machine has been added to a domain. Sorry people no dice. MCE machines with MCX’s connected CANNOT join a domain.

Now, on to accessing your media on your Windows Server in other ways. For the MCX to access it, use the login script to map a network drive using alternate credentials as outlined above. When you add your content from within Media Center, remember, that drive shows up as a LOCAL drive to use the different credentials.

But I want to access my music from within games using Windows Media Connect? I have that one solved too. WMC CAN share folders from network shares. In an all WinXP environment with Simple File Sharing (NOT recommended by me ) enabled, it just uses the Guest account to connect. However, the Guest account doesn’t work to connect to WS2003. WMC runs on the WXP box as the Network Service account. So the logical thing is to give the Network Service permissions to that share. The problem with that, is that it is the network service on the WXP box, which when it tries to access the network defaults to the Guest account, or NO credentials at all. The solution, grant access to the shared folder to the NETWORK account. That allows ANYTHING that accesses it from the network, regardless of how they authenticate (or don’t authenticate). Yay! I have access to my music on a WS2003 Domain Controller both through an MCX and WMC running off of a MCE box!!!!!

If you’re having troubles with WMC, you can look at a more detailed log than the System Event log by doing the following:

Stop and start Folder Sharing in Windows Media Connect (Settings Tab, or WMConnectCDS in the Services snap-in). Open the Event Log, System, and one of them should list where the “real” log file is (you have to double click to get the details). On my machine it is C:\Documents and Settings\NetworkService\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Windows Media Connect 2\FileScanLogFile.txt.

Thanks, and Enjoy!!