XBMC 12.3 (Frodo) boot on startup on Acer Revo in Windows 7 Pro (The Installation Guide)

Step by step installation of XBMC Stable Version 12.3 (Frodo) on Acer Revo (Windows 7 Professional Platform) with XBMC Auto boot on start up.

Here step by step installation video HD (http://youtu.be/4fzFZwR6rs8)



Here is my media center setup :

1. ACER Inspire REVO R3610 as media player (XBMC)

2. DLink DNS-320L as Media Server Library (Twonky Server & DLink ShareCenter)

3. Samsung All In One Setup Box SMT-G7400 UPC Horizon as TV Receiver, modem, router and additional media player.

4. Sony DAV-Z260 5.1 Home Theatre System

5. Hitachi 42" LCD HD TV

First Step : PREPARATION

1. Download XBMC 12.3 Installation files from xbmc.org (http://mirrors.xbmc.org/releases/win32/xbmc-12.3.exe) or (https://www.dropbox.com/s/3000foklzglbc0f/xbmc-12.3.exe)

2. Makesure all Video/Audio, VobSub and Bonjour (Apple AirPlay) Codedc already installed on Windows 7.

2nd Step : XBMC Installation

1. Run xbmc-12.3.exe Installation File and follow on screen instruction (simple 3 click instruction)

The XBMC Installation Process

2. Finish the installation, then run XBMC to test that nothing wrong in installation process and XBMC run perfect. Then quit XBMC, don't change any setup yet. If you change it now, then you need to do it again later.

Test Run after Installation

3rd Step : To Set XBMC Auto Boot on Windows 7 Boot

1. Download 2 required file here
  - https://www.dropbox.com/s/pq9kmoffyk9h20x/xbmc.cmd.txt (this file is command file that to run xbmc.vbs after certain condition)
  - https://www.dropbox.com/s/gw1t030z89nul95/xbmc.vbs.txt (this file is another command file that tell windows to run xbmc.exe and run explorer.exe on exit/quit)

2. Please make sure command inside xbmc.cmd.txt as follow

@ECHO OFF

SET SourceDir=%~dp0

PUSHD "%SourceDir%"

start /max wscript.exe xbmc.vbs

xbmc.cmd

and then rename or save as xbmc.cmd  (this command file to tell windows to run xbmc.vbs)

3. Please make sure command inside xbmc.vbs.txt as follow

Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")

Return = WshShell.Run(chr(34) & "C:\Program Files\XBMC\XBMC.exe" & chr(34) & " -p -fs", 3 ,true)

WshShell.Run("explorer.exe")

xbmc.vbs

and then rename or save as xbmc.vbs  (this command file to tell windows to run xbmc.exe)

4. Copy both xbmc.cmd and xbmc.vbs into XBMC Folder (C:\Program Files\XBMC\)

XBMC Folder

5. Then specific user to run xbmc.cmd as a shell

Open the start menu, and type in the search box: mmc <ENTER>. Right click on mmc.exe, then 'Run As Administrator' Choose File -> Add/Remove Snap-in... Select Group Policy Object Editor and hit Add. In the wizard that pops up, click Browse..., go to tab Users, select your user account (the one that you set up to log on windows automatically) and hit OK. Make sure that the checkbox "Allow the focus of the Group Policy......" is Unchecked, and hit Finish. Hit OK in the Add/Remove Snap-ins window. In the User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System folder, open Custom User Interface. Select Enabled and enter the full path  (including xbmc.cmd) in the Interface file name textbox. Click OK and then reboot your system. It should now log in and start XBMC automatically on boot

Set XBMC to auto boot on start

and now Acer Revo will boot directly into XBMC and run explorer.exe if quit XBMC.

I will put xbmc setting video/audio and library on my next entry.