This isn’t the first manual of its kind but the existing ones are a bit outdated. It answers also questions that people often had.

You got the XBOX 360 HD-DVD external USB drive because you noticed HD-DVDs are cheap now and the drive itself is, too.
Since the one with the remote control costs as much you give that one a go.

Being at home you wonder how to get it working with Windows Vista. (This manual requires you to install the brand new Windows Vista Service Pack 2).

Yet it was only known that it works with Microsoft Remote Control Receiver 1.0A for Media Center PC but it also does with

Dell Ergonomic Remote Control (RC6ir) & USB Infrared Receiver (OVU4003)
(both look exactly like Microsoft’s version!)

What you also need is Microsoft’s TweakMC, it will allow you to tell the Media Center to allow also universal remotes.

You will find out that there is a readme file included in the source archive (there is no compiled version available) that you need Visual Studio 2008 to compile it.

Well, you can have it easier: You can create a batch file doing the job for you, see granadaCoder’s Post in the forums.

Run the program as admin.

Now go to “Remote Control Settings” and enable Universal Remotes.

Enable Remote Control ID to 0 that will allow it to respond to all remotes.

After confirming and exiting you have to restart Windows.

Cool is (probably SP2 has new drivers shipped for it), that you can use now also keys like the channel up/down, volume up/down and “Mute” buttons for which the above mentioned guide refered to a key mapping software.

If you now worry responding to all remotes means if you use any other remotes in the near will cause your PC and its programs to react on the commands, then worry not; the setting ’0′ makes it working only for universal remotes like the XBOX360 remote, the remote shipped with the receiver or the new Cyberlink PowerDVD remote control with BlueRay.

Mark Uncategorized