Creating custom banner in Windows 7 Media Center

**stephenx** · 23-01-2010

Hi, i recently upgraded one of my Vista computer to Windows 7 and found that media center of Windows 7 is compatible to generate a custom banner by some plugins. How to do that. I have a Media center Edition of Windows 7. I found some ready to use banner from internet. But what about custom banner. How to create custom banner in Media center of Windows 7 ? Help will be appreciated.

**Eric B** · 23-01-2010

You can easily create custom banners where you can insert different plug-ins.TO create a custom banner, first open the registry and navigate to the

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Media Center / Extensibility / Applications.

You will find various keys that represent the various plug-ins installed. Browse keys until you find the plug-in you want to integrate custom banner. In our example we set on the Plug-in Media Browser. Once you have located, rename the key (right click> rename or shortcut F2) on the left tree and copy its ID.

The ID of the plug-in is necessary to create the new banner. Go now to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Media Center / Start Menu / Applications and create a new key.

Rename the new key with the ID of the plug-in that you just copied

You must now create more values for this key:

Right Click> New> String Value: "Category" = "BandeauPerso1"
Right Click> New> String Value: "OnStartMenu" = "true"
Right Click> New> String Value: "Title" = "title banner Me"
Right Click> New> DWORD Value 32-bit "TimeStamp" = 0

**Glenny** · 23-01-2010

It should anyway, if you ever want to try to save the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Media Center. To do this:

Open the registry by typing regedit in the Start menu
Go to the key mentioned above
right click> Export and save the file in a reg

**stephenx** · 23-01-2010

Originally Posted by eric b

You must now create more values for this key:

Right Click> New> String Value: "Category" = "BandeauPerso1"
Right Click> New> String Value: "OnStartMenu" = "true"
Right Click> New> String Value: "Title" = "title banner Me"
Right Click> New> DWORD Value 32-bit "TimeStamp" = 0

Thanks for the quick help and simplifying the steps, Eric.. I understood all the steps but values that you had mentioned in the last, is little difficult for me to understand. Could you please let me know what are these values about ? Thanks again.

**Eric B** · 23-01-2010

Well, i'll make it simple with the job these values do, see this:

"Category" = "BandeauPerso1" is the category value to locate the banner from another registry key.

"OnStartMenu" = "true" will display (true) or hide (false) the band in the Media Center menu.

"Title" = "title banner Me" value corresponds Title under the banner displayed in Media Center.

"TimeStamp" = 0 defines a time in milliseconds to order a banner from another.

**Maq.H** · 23-01-2010

You also have a way to hide or rename the custom banner of windows 7 media center. To do this:-

Access to parameters of the strip from the

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE / SOFTWARE / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Media Center / Start Menu / Applications
Select the key to change the banner
Change the value OnStartMenu: "True" shows the band, "False" mask
Change the value Title to change the title of the strip.

By doing so, you can hide such bands ArcSoft Total Media Theater or MyMovies (although it can be displayed or hidden from the options MyMovies). This can be useful if you have such integrated modules of these plug-ins in a personalized banner.