Customizing the Windows Media Center Start menu in Windows Vista

This article will serve as a central repository for topics that I have written about Windows Media Center Start menu customization in Windows Vista.  The techniques described here for customizing the Windows Media Center Start menu are specific to the version of Windows Media Center in Windows Vista.  They will not work for previous versions of Windows Media Center and may or may not work for future versions of Windows Media Center.

• Adding strips and tiles to the Windows Media Center Start menu in Windows Vista - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/08/04/689085.aspx
• Adding custom tiles to built-in Windows Media Center Start menu strips - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/08/07/691649.aspx
• How to control the ordering of tiles in custom strips in Windows Media Center for Windows Vista - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/08/22/713468.aspx
• How to control the ordering of custom strips in Windows Media Center for Windows Vista - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/10/13/how-to-control-the-ordering-of-custom-strips-in-windows-media-center-for-windows-vista.aspx
• How to author an MSI that orders tiles in a custom strip in Windows Media Center - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/08/24/720800.aspx
• Using multiple MSIs to add a custom strip and tiles to the Windows Media Center Start menu - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/08/27/727718.aspx
• How images are displayed for custom tiles in the Windows Media Center Start menu - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2006/11/03/mailbag-how-are-icons-displayed-for-custom-tiles-on-the-media-center-start-menu.aspx
• How to create a 64-bit MSI to register a custom strip for 64-bit versions of Windows Vista Media Center - https://blogs.msdn.com/astebner/archive/2007/08/09/4317654.aspx

Many of these topics will be covered in the Windows Media Center SDK for Windows Vista, so I recommend referring to the SDK for additional information.

<update date="10/22/2008"> Added a link to a post about 64-bit installers to register custom strips on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista Media Center. </update>

Comments

• Anonymous
  October 31, 2006
  I have found myself digging through my blog archives several times in the past couple of weeks to send

• Anonymous
  November 03, 2006
  Question: I have read through the collection of posts that you wrote that describe how to customize the

• Anonymous
  February 25, 2007
  I recently received a question from a friend of mine who is developing a Windows Vista Media Center application.

• Anonymous
  July 25, 2007
  In the past, I've posted examples (such as this and this ) demonstrating how to create installers for

• Anonymous
  July 25, 2007
  In the past, I&#39;ve posted examples (such as this and this ) demonstrating how to create installers

• Anonymous
  May 19, 2008
  Making MCE IR blaster universal How to control your TV etc from Media Center (tags: mediacenter) Customizing the Windows Media Center Start menu in Windows Vista (tags: mediacenter)...