There are several settings you’ll want to change to configure your PC as a dedicated HTPC. First, configure your PC to log on automatically after you restart your computer. This saves you from having to type a password every time the computer restarts, which can happen when Windows automatically installs updates. This is only a good choice if you’re not at all concerned about security.
To configure your PC to log on automatically, follow these steps:
1. At the Start screen, type netplwiz and then press Enter.
2. In the User Accounts dialog box, clear the Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer check box.
2. In the User Accounts dialog box, clear the Users Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer check box.
3. Click OK and type your password twice when prompted. The next time you restart your PC, Windows will automatically log on with your account. In previous versions of Windows, Media Center provided a simple check box to configure it to start automatically when you log on. Media Center in Windows 8 lacks that option, but you can still configure Media Center (or other HTPC software) to start automatically when you log on. Follow these steps:
1. Open the desktop by clicking the Desktop app from the Start screen or by pressing Windows+D.
2. Open File Explorer. Type the following path in the address bar and then press Enter:
%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup.
3. Right-click in the Startup folder, click New, and then click Shortcut. The Create Shortcut wizard appears.
4. On the What Item Would You Like To Create A Shortcut For page, type %WinDir%\ ehome\ehshell.exe. Ehshell.exe is Media Center’s executable file. If you use other HTPC software, select the app’s executable file, which is probably located under C:\Program Files\. Click Next.
5. On the What Would You Like To Name The Shortcut page, type Media Center (or the name of your HTPC software), and then click Finish.
6. Right-click in the Startup folder, click New, and then click Shortcut. The Create Shortcut wizard appears.
7. On the What Item Would You Like To Create A Shortcut For page, type explorer.exe shell:::{3080F90D-D7AD-11D9-BD95-0000947B0257}. Running this command opens the Windows desktop, and creating a shortcut for it allows you to run the command automatically when Windows starts. If you were to automatically run Media Center or another desktop app at startup, it would start, but it would be hidden behind the Start screen. Opening the Windows desktop brings any running desktop app to the foreground. Click Next.
8. On the What Would You Like To Name The Shortcut page, type Show Desktop, and then click Finish. The next time you log on, Media Center (or the HTPC software you selected) will start automatically a short time after the Start screen appears. If you also configure Windows to log you on automatically, then Media Center will appear each time your computer starts, making it always available to everyone in your family. One last setting to verify: disable backups for your Recorded TV folder. Recorded TV takes up a great deal of drive space, and if you do lose your hard drive, it’s probably easier for you to wait for your episode to air again.
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