Re: Messed UP IR Remote control [UK] - Update

Fitz wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a Windows XP MCE setup with the RC6 remote control and the
> OVU4003/00 IR trsansceiver. Until this morning this was working
> perfectly.
>
> However I then got overexuberant in installing optional updates via
> Windows Update - based on my obviously flawed logic that even if I do
> not actually need a particular update, installing it anyway is
> unlikely to cause any harm.
>
> The unfortunate result was that now certain keys on the remote no
> longer work - most annoyingly the "stop" and "back" keys. Now, I
> thought I was being sensible and creating a restore point before
> doing any of these updates - that way I could roll back any changes.
> However something went wrong here as the restore point does not exist
> (I guess I should have verified that it was correctly created in the
> first place!).
>
> Looking at the device manager, the problem may be related to the fact
> that I now have a driver for "Microsoft eHome Infrared Transceiver"
> under "Human Interface Devices". I don't think this used to be there
> (I think there are also extra instances of "HID-compliant consumer
> control device" and "HID-compliant device").
>
> There is no option to disable the "Microsoft eHome Infrared
> Transceiver" driver. However uninstalling it does make the device
> manger list of "Human Interface Devices" look identical to the
> previous working configuration. However at this point the IR remote
> does not work at all. Either re-booting or disconnecting and
> re-connecting the USB IR transceiver simply results in the "Microsoft
> eHome Infrared Transceiver" driver being re-installed. And we are
> back to the Remote partially working but not all codes.
>
> Anyone got any ideas. Apologies for my extremely non-scientific
> methodology!
>
> Regards,
> John

Some additional info I probably should have provided and an update

1) The computer is from Advent (MC 3040)
2) I am in the UK
3) Because of this the remote does not look like the standard MS MCE remote
since it supports teletext and has additional buttons for this (and for all
I know other differences as well).
4) One of the updates I probabably should not have installed was a rollup
for microsoft eHome transceiver. I say probably shouldn't as I now doubt I
have compatible hardware - but at the time I thought if that was the case
then the update wouldn't do anything!!!

Anyway once I found the relevant checkbox for displaying windows updates in
the add/remove programs dialog (doh!) I found all the updates that I thought
should be there but had been unable to find!

However uninstalling all the updates I had applied since I knew it last
worked did not restore the lost functionality. And the eHome drivers under
both USB and HID were still there. And they were not initially as can be
seen from this support page:

http://www.pcservicecall.co.uk/layout.aspx?ID={2923b69f-c99b-4b30-82da-2a882
3b36d7e}&CatID={b0ff7743-f701-44f3-9760-1fc1205089b0}

Manually uninstalling the eHome infra-red transceiver driver from under USB
caused all the relevant drivers to also be uninstalled. However the remote
then no longer works at all (not entirely unexpectedly). Scanning for new
hardware or simply unplugging/plugging the USB IR transceiver simply causes
the eHome drivers to be stubbornly reinstalled and the subsequent limited
functionality. Doh! Again.

But I do have it working again now.
But before getting up the hopes of anyone with a similar affliction, this
used the Advent System recovery program. This is a really neat application
which allows (assuming you bothered to create the system recovery DVD which
I thankfully did) to rollback the system files without affecting user data
or user installed applications.

This worked far better than I had any reason to expect. Only minutes later
my remote functionality was restored and all my user data and ALL
applications still working fine. Even setbox control, TV guide, previous
recordings, ripped music - no MCE reconfiguration was required - apart from
scheduled recordings which got zapped along the way. No big deal there.

Obviously all Windows update were now gone. So I applied the critical
updates. Still working. Applied the optional hardware driver updates. Still
working. Applied all the optional software updates BAR the eHome infrared
transceiver rollup. Still working. Installed the eHome update - nah! even
I'm not that stupid.

Interestingly enough however the eHome drivers ARE still showing up in the
hardware tree so I may be pointing to the wrong culprit. But I am now
working again.

Thanks all,

--
Fitz


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