DV3 Laptop MediaSmart Errors: Won't patch, Update, or Uninstall

[Catherine_B]

Greetings:

I have a 64 bit DV3 HP laptop, running Vista, and have researched this problem, but nothing has so far worked.  I have just begun the common

"HP MediaSmart TV Resident Program Has Stopped Working" error message.

The health check advisor lists 2 updates for Mediasmart MVP (222mb) and Mediasmart DVD (61mb).  After downloading and attempting to install, I get

"Error!!  The Product Definition File Lost".

So I downloaded the software directly after choosing the 'correct software downloads' from the HP site: Same being sp43591.exe and sp43648.exe. Closing all programs, disabling antivirus and firewall, running as administrator, and using the installshield wizard, the final screen says:

"Error!! The Product Definition File Lost".

Then I found a post that gives a patch that is supposed to work for this problem on several models of DV laptops:   SP42505.exe. 

After attempting to install that one, it says it has detected HP Mediasmart already on the computer / would I like to uninstall it?  I have seen other posts where people have had to uninstall mediasmart and reinstall it to get this error message to go away, so I clicked Yes - and then I get the same message:

"Error!! The Product Definition File Lost".

So then I went to control panel, programs - and have tried to uninstall the mediasmart software.  Guess what, I get the same product definition file lost error.

I have attempted reinstalling and rerunning these downloads a number of times, no change.

This is SO annoying. ( I haven't contacted HP because I am NOT going to roll the computer back to square one after spending X number of frustrating hours on the phone.)

I will be so grateful for a solution from this forum!

Thank you in advance from Catherine.

[Kalt]

Option 1 

Step 1:  Download and run the Windows Installer CleanUp Utility

Step 2:  Manually remove the application using the utility.
Step 3:  Reinstall the application from the downloaded files or using the HP Recovery Manager.

Option 2

Run the HP System Recovery using the HP Recovery Partition.  This will erase all user data and reinstall the Windows Vista OS and the applications that shipped with the computer.

Message Edited by Kalt on 09-06-2009 12:14 PM

[Catherine_B]

Thank you for your suggestions. Option 2 is completely out of the question because of the extensive customizations I have on this computer. 

I'm not even using mediasmart.  I wonder if HP will come out another update to correct this rather common issue. 

It's frustrating when things go wrong like this with programs not being used.

Your option 1, recovery manager, to reinstall the drivers or applications, sounds like a plan, unless someone comes up with something simpler, soon. 

Since control panel will not uninstall mediasmart, I hope that would work.

I'll stay tuned to this thread.

[Kalt]

---

Catherine_B wrote:

Thank you for your suggestions. Option 2 is completely out of the question because of the extensive customizations I have on this computer. 

I'm not even using mediasmart.  I wonder if HP will come out another update to correct this rather common issue. 

It's frustrating when things go wrong like this with programs not being used.

Your option 1, recovery manager, to reinstall the drivers or applications, sounds like a plan, unless someone comes up with something simpler, soon. 

Since control panel will not uninstall mediasmart, I hope that would work.

I'll stay tuned to this thread.

---

If you're not using HP MediaSmart, just disable it from starting up.  Click here for help disabling startup items/services.

[Catherine_B]

I appreciate your trying to help this very frustrating problem.

It may come to having to disable it; hopefully not.  However, one reason I haven't used it is I've only had the computer 2 months and haven't had time to explore what it can do.  I want this feature working properly (without having to spend another 2 hours.

I did try typing in recovery in the startup box to try your option 2 - but it went right into making my 'one set available only' recovery discs, which is not what I wanted - so I shut the computer down and will try to access recovery from the programs.

Can anyone tell me how to fix the error in the first place?  The 'product definition file lost'?  And why the program will NOT uninstall?  That would make life easy.  Simply uninstall - then reinstall the 222 mb file.  What could be easier.

[Catherine_B]

I gave up on a real solution and went in to disable the MediaSmart from the startup programs - and the little devil is grayed out so it cannot be disabled!