MyMovies client server issues. ARGH!

[Brent94Z]

Posting in a separate thread because I don't want to clutter the MyMovies thread with something that isn't directly related

This is killing me so asking for help. I can't even get MyMovies up and running correctly as far as getting the client to connect to the server.

I've got my Windows XP Pro Sage HTPC setup with Collection Manager running in the server/client mode. I've installed Collection Manager on a Windows 7 Pro computer as well in the client mode. I have the Windows Firewall OFF on both computers but am running Zone Alarm on both computers (but not getting any Zone Alarm messages and nothing in the ZoneAlarm logs indicate it is blocking anything). I can't get the client computer to connect to the server computer.

I have located the folder on the XP Pro server computer and verified that during the install it was setup automatically to share. It was set to a hidden share (with the $ at the end) and I removed that during troubleshooting (I removed that so it wasn't hidden and changed the registry setting on the client too so the shares matched).

I can now SEE the MyMoviesFileStorage share on my Windows 7 client computer but when I double click it (from within Windows Explorer) it tells me I don't have permission to access \\SAGEHTPC\MyMoviesFileStorage. I am Administrator on both computers and don't even login with a password. Both computers are in the same Workgroup. I can access several other drives on my XP Pro HTPC (server) with my Windows 7 (client) but can't access this folder. Heck, I copy DVDs from my Windows 7 computer to drives on my HTPC and the shares are setup exactly the same from what I can tell

In a last ditch effort, I shared the entire C drive on my HTPC. From my client computer I can drill down all the way from the C root until I get to "All Users" but as soon as I get to the "Application Data" folder THAT is when I get the message that I don't have permissions. I'm thinking that since the MyMoviesFileStorage is UNDER the "Application Data" folder that that is why I'm having all these issues.

Heck, I even did everything in REVERSE meaning that I originally had my Windows 7 computer setup as the MyMovies server and the HTPC setup as the client but the SAME THING... I couldn't get my HTPC machine to access my Windows 7 computer. Got fed up with screwing with it thinking that it was a Windows 7 thing and knew that I could access my HTPC from my Windows 7 computer so uninstalled MyMovies from both computers (and also deleted the registry entry so it would completely uninstall) and switched the server and client machines around like I described above.

Anyway, I think it has something to do with hidden/system folders maybe but who knows. Just been working on this for 4 hours and no joy so hoping maybe some of you smart networking type guys might have run into this before and know what might be wrong.

Thanks much for any ideas. Would really like to get this up and running

[Peter_h]

At this point I would start over from scratch. For me zone alarm is suspect.

You have altered quite a bit on the extreme end by altering the hidden share location and registry settings. These are fields that should not need to be altered.

Uninstall and undo everything you did, then disable the windows firewall AND zone alarm and do a fresh install.

If you still can't connect at that point, head over to the mymovies forum and grab your log file and post it up. There is a template with questions to fill out and instructions on how to grab the log file. I think you would get better help over there.

[Peter_h]

Here are two pages from the MyMovies Wiki that should get you started with the problems you are having.

TroubleShooting

Multizone Connection

[Brent94Z]

Thanks, Peter. I had read some items over there and done some searching. I thought it might be because I am NOT using passwords on my computers but others were saying they were connecting fine without passwords.

Can you or anybody who is running a client... can you access your MyMovies files from the client machine using Windows Explorer? I'll try starting over from scratch but it seems like it sure has something to do with the permissions settings. For some reason I can access most folders on my server computer but can't access some of the folders... seems to be related to the hidden type folders.

[Peter_h]

Yes, I can access the "MyMoviesFileStorage$" directory from windows explorer. It works as a hidden network share should. If I use network neighborhood to browse I can not see the directory. If I type it in, I can access it without issue.

[Fuzzy]

It may very well have to do with having a blank password on your server. Quite often windows limits some administrative tasks when blank passwords are in use (there are tweaks to change this behavior, but it's better to just set a password). Most likely, that is what is stopping access to the administrative share. Try setting up a password on the server, and see if it works then. (hint, if the only reason you are running without a password is to have auto-logon, you can set that up by Start -> Run -> Control userpasswords2 -> uncheck 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer').

[sleonard]

Make sure Simple File Sharing is off on both computers. That's what did the trick for me. That and creating identical local accounts on both computers.

S

[PLUCKYHD]

Definately wouldn't change the shares in the registry i know that is not supported and can cause issues. Also it is meant to be a hidden share you can still map to it or access directly. That being said you will not be given access to the share until your client connects successfully to the server of mymovies. I believe that is when access rights are given.

I hope you get it sorted I know most issues are firewall and security related and you just need to give mymovies access to the ports it and the SQL server need.

I wish I could offer more but like Peter said mymovies guys wrote and support that

[Brent94Z]

Hey Guys! GOOD NEWS!

Fuzzy, that is why I don't use passwords. I think a few Windows operating systems ago, using no passwords was the only way to have the computer automatically come back up after a reboot. That wasn't what was giving me the problems though but thanks much for that bit of info!

sleonard, I had read about simple file sharing earlier in my troubleshooting when I had the server installed on the Windows 7 machine and Windows 7 doesn't actually have a "setting" for this but I made sure all was set correctly for sharing and networks (like share with no passwords, etc.). However, after a few hours of this and not being able to get it to work, I switched things around and made the Windows XP Pro SageHTPC be the MyMovies server. The simple file sharing setting slipped my mind as being a possible problem... I had never seen this setting before and for years have been moving, adding, deleting, files between my networked computers with no problem. However, your mentioning of this got me to dig into this a little more. I found the setting, changed it, and added "Everyone" to the MyMoviesFileStorage share. I then went to my client computer and tried to run Collection Management. It came right up... I added a DVD, went over to the HTPC server, and it was there!

I then installed the MyMovies Plugin and it seems to be working considering I have no Points yet or anything like that. Working except when I try to play online movies, nothing happens. But, I was reading about this in the other thread so will revisit that

Plucky, what I did in the registry was on the client machine. I couldn't even get past the startup screen (couldn't find server) so I put in the IP address of the client computer and it came up but came up in like a server setup I think since I told it to look at itself. But, this "filled in the blanks" in the registry. I then just went into there and changed the IP address to the IP address of the server and took the "$" off the end of the share location. I have this actually all working right now (with the only difference is that it is a visible share) so I'm a bit reluctant to change things back. LOL!

One thing that I did find out that I'll post which may help others is that when you uninstall the MyMovies software, it doesn't FULLY uninstall. This creates problems if you want to change your installation from a Server/Client to just a Client. There is some registry stuff left over that even after you think you've completely removed the software and then reinstall it, even if you select "client" during the installation, the software doesn't even try to connect to the server. I was able to fix this by uninstalling again, deleting the registry key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\My Movies" and then reinstalling. I'm thinking that was what I did on my Windows7 machine and the Windows XP machine is similar but without the wow6432Node.

Anyway, thanks much for the help and suggestions guys. I'm on the right track now Now, just have to get a huge DVD collection out of DVD Profiler and into Collection Manager.

Thanks much again!

[Fuzzy]

Originally Posted by Brent94Z

Fuzzy, that is why I don't use passwords. I think a few Windows operating systems ago, using no passwords was the only way to have the computer automatically come back up after a reboot. That wasn't what was giving me the problems though but thanks much for that bit of info!

That control panel and setting has been there since winxp, the panel itself is just always hidden (except on server OS's). That's why you have to run it from the RUN prompt.

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by Fuzzy

That control panel and setting has been there since winxp, the panel itself is just always hidden (except on server OS's). That's why you have to run it from the RUN prompt.

I'm old... I remember Windows 3.0 and compressing my 40meg hard drive so I could put 80meg worth of stuff on it. LOL!

Anyway, if you could do it before, I didn't know how and just did the workaround of not using passwords

Thanks!!!

[Peter_h]

Also, the reason it does not fully uninstall is because that is how you update to a newer version. You uninstall the old version and when you install the new version, it will automatically pick up the database so that you don't have to rebuild.

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by Peter_h

Also, the reason it does not fully install is because that is how you update to a newer version. You uninstall and the old version and when you install the new version, it will automatically pick up the database so that you don't have to rebuild.

That makes sense (I'm thinking you meant UNinstall ) but that assumes you are keeping the same installation arrangement. I may have missed it or something but when installing the client and then running it for the first time, I'd always get the pop up which asked for the location of the server. However, when I uninstalled the server version and then installed the client version, this screen was skipped and I went right into a brand new database. I got the screen which asks where your server is back by deleting that registry entry. I know there is a option in Collection Manager to connect to a server but being a new user and not overly familiar with it, I didn't know if that would work to correctly switch it over to a client machine. It might have but I didn't want to go through all that work only to find out that my installation was messed up and I needed to start over

But, for future references, do you know if doing that would be an acceptable way to uninstall a server version then reinstall a client version?

[Peter_h]

Thanks, I edited my post with the correct wording.

I'm not quite understanding what the question is.

My understanding is that you should try to keep the server version up to date and you should not try to run the client version if the server version is not installed. ie.. update the server version first while a client is not connected, then update the client version.

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by Peter_h

Thanks, I edited my post with the correct wording.

I'm not quite understanding what the question is.

My understanding is that you should try to keep the server version up to date and you should not try to run the client version if the server version is not installed. ie.. update the server version first while a client is not connected, then update the client version.

Yep, I understand that. The problem originated when I swapped around where I was running the client and the server/client. When you uninstall a server version of Collection Manager then go to re-install the program again as a client, the screen which asks you to log into the server is bypassed and you go directly to a blank database. I'm thinking this is because of the registry entry and deleting that registry entry allowed me to install the program "from scratch" and select the server.

The question was under "File" in Collection Manager there is an option to connect to a server. I didn't know if NOT editing the registry setting and just doing this option (after the login to server screen was bypassed on initial startup of the client) if it would be the same as installing a client version on a new computer (where no Collection Management had ever been installed before).

[Peter_h]

Originally Posted by Brent94Z

Yep, I understand that. The problem originated when I swapped around where I was running the client and the server/client. When you uninstall a server version of Collection Manager then go to re-install the program again as a client, the screen which asks you to log into the server is bypassed and you go directly to a blank database. I'm thinking this is because of the registry entry and deleting that registry entry allowed me to install the program "from scratch" and select the server.

The question was under "File" in Collection Manager there is an option to connect to a server. I didn't know if NOT editing the registry setting and just doing this option (after the login to server screen was bypassed on initial startup of the client) if it would be the same as installing a client version on a new computer (where no Collection Management had ever been installed before).

I'm not entirely sure but I think so. You are supposed to be able to connect to more than one server via the "File" menu so it should work like that.

[Brent94Z]

Originally Posted by Peter_h

I'm not entirely sure but I think so. You are supposed to be able to connect to more than one server via the "File" menu so it should work like that.

Gotcha. I was reading on the MyMovies forum where a guy had issues re-installing and couldn't get it to work until he deleted this registry entry so I just took the safe route since I wasn't upgrading and instead doing a client-server switch.

[fresnoboy]

It's not just that file sharing has to be on, the client has to be able to have proper permissions to access the share. I do autologon to a SageTV user account on the sagetv server that my movies runs on. But my client workstation, where I am trying to run the collection management client is run under my own userid. This doesn't work.

However, if I mount the share manually, and provide the sageTV user id (mount using another user's permissions), then the client connects just fine.

This is actually a poor user deisgn. The protocol between the client and server should handle all the access without needing windows shares to work right.

I guess I should probably just move the share to a common NAS directory that everyone has permissions to, but it's not a clean design the way the mymovies people did it.

[PLUCKYHD]

Originally Posted by fresnoboy

It's not just that file sharing has to be on, the client has to be able to have proper permissions to access the share. I do autologon to a SageTV user account on the sagetv server that my movies runs on. But my client workstation, where I am trying to run the collection management client is run under my own userid. This doesn't work.

However, if I mount the share manually, and provide the sageTV user id (mount using another user's permissions), then the client connects just fine.

This is actually a poor user deisgn. The protocol between the client and server should handle all the access without needing windows shares to work right.

I guess I should probably just move the share to a common NAS directory that everyone has permissions to, but it's not a clean design the way the mymovies people did it.

hmm I don't think so I mean technically it is a "server" installation any client user id's should have access to the server shares anyways at least that is how my network is setup, but that is my opinion and I had nothing to do with that coding

[Fuzzy]

I had no sharing problems the first time i set it up, I didn't have to tweak any shares, and I don't share any user names across systems. It works out of the box just fine, as long as you don't have some 3rd party firewall or security suite getting in the way.