Vista Windows Media Center Extender fails to connect with new HP MediaSmart Connect x280n

[CarterJonathanB]

Problem: New HP MediaSmart Connect x280n does not connect with Windows Media Center on HP Pavilion tx1000 Tablet Notebook PC running 32-bit Windows Vista Home Premium.

Background: After 7 days of trying to get the new home entertainment device from HP to connect to Windows Media Center on my HP notebook PC, I finally called HP Customer Service. While I kept telling the HP folks over in India that my router, firewall, NIS, and spyware programs were functioning properly and recognized the device, they kept telling me that the problem was one of the items noted above on my end. After turning things off, uninstalling software, and actually moving the router and server so that they could be hardwired to the new device near my HDTV, HP Customer Service finally gave up and agreed to escalate the call to Defcon 1 or something and promised to email me some links to their Knowledge Base and call me back with a solution. That was three days ago. The links were useless and sent from an email address that could not receive replies. And I still have yet to hear back from HP by phone.

Solution: Two days ago, I was once again attempting to install the Extender after making some adjustments to my router and NIS when by sheer chance I noticed the VeriSoft Access Manager 'Fingerprint Scan' icon pop-up in the System Tray for a second or two. I thought that this was strange because there was no reason for that icon to appear. There was nothing in the process that required a password. Once again, the process stalled and that pesky error message appeared on my HDTV screen stating that the Extender could not connect to Windows Media Center and that I should restart the device and try again. I did, two or three more times, each time noticing that the VeriSoft icon appeared in the System Tray each time before the process stalled. Finally, I disabled the actualy fingerprint scanner in Device Manager. No success. Then I uninstalled VeriSoft Access Manager. When I attempted to connect via the Extender, it finally worked! It appears that there is a software compatability issue between the HP MediaSmart Connect's Windows Media Center Extender and the VeriSoft Access Manager software that came pre-installed for my fingerprint scanner on my HP Pavilion tx1000 Tablet Notebook PC. Since I also couldn't connect the device to my wife's HP Pavilion dv9000 Notebook PC, which also has a fingerprint scanner running VeriSoft Access Manager, I conclude that the HP MediaSmart Connect will not connect to any HP PC running the pre-installed VeriSoft Access Manager.

Moving Forward: Please, HP/Microsoft, get it together. I understand that bugs happen and compatability issues arise. However, I am a very technology savvy consumer. If I had this much trouble trying to install this solution, how is John Q. Public going to have success using this product? I was planning to return the unit the next morning before I figured out the problem. I imagine many people will be returning this product if it doesn't work with an HP notebook PC like my two computers. Further, HP Customer Service did not seems to have a clue. And more troubling, they didn't seem to care whether or not my customer experience was successful. Not good... this is why more and more people are moving away from PC/Windows solutions!

see http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/941949

there is other fingerprint reader software that causes a conflict.
basically any program that pops up a window before allowing a logon
can do this or any program with certain kinds of pop ups.

I'm not sure if a solution if being worked on at MS, but will try to
check.

[CarterJonathanB]

I am experiencing the same problem with a new HP laptop (Dec 2008). Mr. Carter, do you know if by this time there is a fix for the fingeprint scanner issue with the Media Center extender?

Sorry, I have not found a fix for this problem. I had to uninstall the fingerprint scanner software and disable the device in Device Manager. Good luck!

the folks at Microsoft state that this needs to be fixed by the
folks that write the software for these fingerprint readers. contact
HP.

What version of Vista are you running?

Do you have a fingerprint scanner on the laptop

[Ian306]

I'm also having a big problem connecting to VMC.
I have a new laptop (HP 6730s) which I'm trying to connect to my new Linksys DMA2200. My router is a Netgear DG834GT. I have set up a static ip on the DMA2200 and my laptop. I can access the network and browse the internet on the laptop. I can also connect to the network and was able to download a firmware upgrade for the DMA2200.
Everything goes well up until the last point in Vista Media Center when the two have to connect to each other, which is when I get the following message:-
The extender was set up successfully but has failed to connect to this computer. Please try the following....
(i) Verify the extender is physically connected to the network. Answer - It is.
(ii) Turn your extender off, then on again.
(iii) Restart Windows Media Center on your extender.

I have done all of these but to no avail. I thought it might be my firewall (Comodo) so I turned it off. No joy. I've also tried connecting wirelessly and hard wired with the ethernet cable to my router and nothing works. Please help me because it's driving me nuts.

Regards,

Ian.

You are replying to a thread where the fingerprint reader on HP
laptops is known to cause a problem with extenders. If you read the
previous messages in this thread, you will see that this is the
issue being discussed.

The HP6730 specs show a fingerprint reader as an optional accessory
and I suspect that is your issue.