MediaSmart DVD Suite Software Issue

[susansuth]

I have a desktop computer I bought at the end of 2009, which includes a Blu-Ray DVD player.

I recently purchased Voyage of the Dawn Treader blu-ray to play on my computer.  I got the same error message others have received, where the DVD player keeps asking you to update and yet doesn't update.

I understand this has something to do with the copyright protection on the blu-ray disc and Cyberlink/HP not having updated their software to the latest protection.  (Or perhaps you have to buy a newer version in order to play newer blu-rays?)

Before I found this answer, I was searching on the internet to find a solution, and on one of the HP forums, someone had provided a link to what was, in January, the latest version of the HP Media Software.  I downloaded this update, and then the computer no longer played this message of needing an update, but now would not recognize the Blu-Rays at all.

I restored to an earlier system restore on my computer, a restore for a few days before I'd downloaded the update today, and now the DVD portion of the Media Software suite will not open AT ALL.  I click on it, and it just returns back to the DVD Suite main menu.  All the other portions of the Media software suite work fine.

I'm ready to tear my hair out.  Any suggestions/help that could be offered would be appreciated.

Susan

[DavidPK]

Hi Susan,

It's quite likely that some of the files relating to HP MediaSmart DVD have been lost or corrupted during the System Restore process, so it may be best to try and reinstall it after removing the current version you have on the PC.

This assumes you are running Windows 7.

Download and install Revo Uninstaller from the link below.

http://www.revouninstaller.com/download-freeware-version.php

Run revo and and see if it detects your HP MediaSmart DVD Software.  If it does, uninstall it as follows.  Right click on the icon of the program you wish to remove and select Uninstall.  During the process you may be asked to delete registry entries, just select all and then click delete.  Do the same for any left over files and folders.  Once the uninstall has completed, restart the PC.

Next, download the latest installer for MediaSmart DVD on the link below and save it to your Desktop.

ftp://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp50501-51000/sp50935.exe

If you don't have an extraction utility installed, download and install 7-Zip.  Right click the installer you download, select 7-Zip, select extract files and then click Ok.  Open the newly extracted folder, open src and scroll down until you see the setup application ( 6th from the bottom with a size of 310Kb ).  Right click this Setup Application and select 'Run as Administrator' to start the installation.  When the installation has completed, restart the notebook and see if you can now play your Blu ray disc.

Regards,

DP-K

[susansuth]

Thank you so much for the quick reply!

In the interim, I had gone back to the Recovery Manager, so I have my original version back on the computer.  And I'm back to getting error messages when I try to play Blu-Ray discs, but at least it'll now recognize them and play DVDs.

I found out that the problem with the original link I used to get the latest software was that it was for a Notebook computer.

The link you have listed for the latest update to the software is also designed for notebook computers, not desktop.

Is there an alternate update link designed for the desktop?

Susan

[DavidPK]

Hi Susan,

Although the software installer is for a notebook, the installer should work just as well for your Desktop.  The main thing is to make sure you run Revo to uninstall the current version you have installed at present and then reboot before carrying out the installation process.

As a reference, you can see the same process ( and MediaSmart DVD installer ) working for a Slimline Desktop on the following link.

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Display-and-Video/Re-Blu-Ray-Burner-Won-t-Play-Blu-Rays/m-p/61...

Regards,

DP-K

[susansuth]

Thanks for the note.

I uninstalled the program and then loaded the download, as per your instructions.  I first tried to just click on the .exe downloaded file.  It would start to extract things and then the window would disappear and I'd have no installer screen at all.

I downloaded the 7-Zip and followed your instructions there.  I did get an installer window then.  The first time, it told me it probably wasn't installed correctly and asked if I wanted to try the recommended configuration.  I did that and it installed.  I rebooted and the program was there and I could open it.

It recognizes that there are DVDs and/or Blu-Rays in the disc drive and says they're ready to play, but when I push play, it churns for a bit and says "loading" and then returns me to the main screen where it says the disk is ready to play and "push play to start".  It will now neither play DVDs or Blu-Rays.

Should I not have chosen the recommended configuration but kept the one that may or may not have installed correctly?

Susan

[susansuth]

I just went back to reread the other thread and noticed that someone else had had the exact same results that I did.  You had asked him about his system, so I thought I'd get mine posted here.

I have Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit.

My computer is  an HP p2650t with an ATI graphics card and a combo Blu-Ray/DVD player.

I don't have any Comodo products installed (that I know of).

I use AVG for my anti-virus protection and have Spybot and Ad-Aware loaded.  I use the Windows firewall.

I have an extra hard drive attached, but no virtual drives.

I'm not sure what else you might need.

Thanks for your help.

Susan

[DavidPK]

Hi Susan,

As you've probably noticed, MediaSmart DVD can be difficult to install or update correctly - it may be that there are files relating to other versions left over after running windows System Restore.

Try this part of the process again - first, disable AVGs Resident Shield, restart the PC and then continue with the process below.

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Right click the installer you download, select 7-Zip, select extract files and then click Ok.  Open the newly extracted folder, open src and scroll down until you see the setup application ( 6th from the bottom with a size of 310Kb ).  Right click this Setup Application and select 'Run as Administrator' to start the installation.  When the installation has completed, restart the PC.

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The first thing that should happen when running this again is that the installer detects you already have MediaSmart DVD installed on the PC and should offer to uninstall this for you - accept this offer.  After uninstalling, it should then proceed to reinstall the application.  When it has completed, restart the PC and check whether it will now play Blu rays.

If it now works correctly, remember to re-enable AVGs Resident Shield.

Regards,

DP-K

[susansuth]

Thank you so much for your help!

It looks as if there is a major file that runs the DVD/blu-ray program that is identified as a virus by AVG.

As long as the virus shield is disabled, the program works.

I put an exception in the virus shield file to keep it from recognizing the major program file as a virus.

Is there any known virus connection on this file?  Or is this a false positive?

Thanks again for your help.  It does work now. 

Susan

[DavidPK]

Hi,

Blu ray software ( particularly the security routines ) can be mistakenly detected as Malware - as far as HP MediaSmart is conecerned, this is definetely a false positive and I have seen AVG detect this in the past.  There is absolutely no problem in adding the file that is mistakenly detected as harmful to the list of Excluded files in AVG.

Glad it's working now

All the best,

DP-K

[MrBobs]

I've been thru every HP Support Service (Phone, interactive, e-mail, etc) trying to get the BD drive on my new HP Pavilion Elite HPE-250f to play Bluy-Ray dvds.  No luck since Sept. 2010.  I installed a 30 day trial of Cyberlink Power DVD 10 and it played BD's perfectly.

I followed your links to download, install and run Revo Uninstaller on HP Mediasmart DVD.  It seemed to work OK and software indicted all was well.

I downloaded and ran the HP Mediasmart update (SP 50935) and and install screen came up Ver 4.2 Rev C of mediasmart software.  Process seemed to start by ran very fast.  No Mediasmart DVD software was actuall installed.

I had such high hopes that these recommendations would work.  What next?

Thanks

Robert Sterbenz