Fixing Windows Media Center Extender error message when connecting to Xbox
If you want to use the Extender for Windows Media Center (to connect your PC to an Xbox 360, in this case), and have your Windows Firewall turned off at the same time, then you are bound to get an error message. This is because, when you are running the Windows Media Center Extender, your Windows Firewall is a necessity that allows your Media Center PC to communicate with the Xbox 360. Moreover, your firewall should also be updated to the latest version for this to work smoothly.
This article will guide you to first turn off the firewall settings required to let the Extender do its job and connect your PC to the Xbox console. Then, you will be shown how to turn your firewall back off – if that is the setting that you prefer.
Starting Windows Firewall
- Open the Run dialog from Start -> Run.
- Enter services.msc.
- In the Services window that is launched, scroll down to locate the Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) option.
- Double-click on this option.
- In the General tab, under the Service status heading, it will display Stopped. Click on the Start button just below it.
- Click on OK.
- Exit the Services applet.
After this, you can run the Extender for Windows Media Center once more, and this time things will go through smoothly.
After you have finished extending your PC to your Xbox 360 using the Windows Media Center Extender, you can once again turn off the firewall using the following steps.
Switching off the Firewall
- Go to Start -> Run, and enter firewall.cpl.
- In the Windows Firewall window that comes up, under the General tab, select the Off (not recommended) option.
- Click on OK.
Remember that to carry out all of the above actions, you need to be logged in as an administrator. A guest account will not let you change the firewall settings of your computer.