Windows Media Center?

[gtghm]

Hi, I just picked up the new DEL XPS M1330 with Vista Ultimate which also includes Media Center.

Awsome machine btw!

I have a network setup with 2 other machines. It has been a challenge to say the least to get this new Vista thing opened up enough to see the rest of my network drives from the other machines.
My problem is that until now I haven't had a reason to get things set up to share music and pictures from the other machines.

Now with Media Center I figured I'd set it up to find every audio, pic, and video located on the drives that I setup shareing on. Problem is that Media Center only wants to look in the "Shared____" folders like the "shared documents folder" or "public" folders.

Is there a way that I can force Media Center to include folders other than "shared" type folders?

Thanks

BTW the XPS M1330 specs

Tuxedo Black XPS;

XPS M1330, Intel Core 2 Duo Processor T7500
4GB, DDR2, 667MHz
13.3 inch Wide Screen WXGA TL CCFL Backlit LCD with Camera, XPS M1330
128MB NVIDIA GeForce 8400M GS, for XPS M1330
200GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive
8X DVD+/-RW Slot Load Drive
Integrated Sound Blaster Audigy
Intel 3945 WLAN (802.11a/g) Mini Card
Dell Wirless 355 Bluetooth Module (2.0+EDR)
Fingerprint Reader
LoJack Theft Recovery Service
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate 32-bit Edition
Microsoft Office 2007 Professional Edition
DataSafe Online 20GB

[Leonardo]

(I'm assuming the other computers on your home network are Windows XP.)

Excuse my ignorance of Vista, but I will make some assumptions about it's legacy functions. In Windows Explorer (or My Computer) you should be able to 'mark' any folder, drive, or partition to be shared on the network. Have you done that with your XP machines and with the Vista computer? Is Vista ignoring drives/folders that you have registered for sharing? It could be just ignoring (not 'seeing') subfolders within marked, large, main folders.

From one of your XP boxes, open the Search window, and perform a search on the other XP computer for *.wmv or some other type of multimedia file. Does it return files from the other computer? When I've set up folders on my network before for sharing, often I had to select more than the main folder or partition. Sometimes I had to select sub-folders for sharing within the larger folder for other computers to see them. (hope I didn't confuse you)

[Leonardo]

Look at the screenshot. In this example, although D:\ is shared, other computers can only see sub-folders within D:\ that are also specifically designated as shared. Within the sub-folder Programs & Apps, other computers only see the internal folders that are marked as shared, even though the parent folder, Programs & Apps is marked as shared. Within prime folders, that is folders with no substructure (only files within), the other computers can see all the files, as long as the parent folder is marked as shared.

(you can laugh at some of the old junk that I haven't cleaned out yet!)

[gtghm]

Yep and nope :)

I can't be certian that I may not have a few unshared sub folders so I will go through it again. That may be it.

I will get back to ya, prob not til later in the day tomorrow, work you know... ;)

As for the nope part I do understand, it was not over my head thank you :)

Cheers

[Leonardo]

It's very good to see you around! Don't be a stranger. Still a Volvo fan?

[gtghm]

No not a Volvo.

Prius

[gtghm]

I checked all my permissions on the drives and folders that I want to connect to and they are set correctly.

I still wasn't able to get media center to find the other files/folders.

"g"

[Leonardo]

No not a Volvo.

PriusSo then it's safe assume we won't see you with an avatar of your car fiercely smoking it's tires, as was the old Volvo avatar? :D

Concerning the multimedia files auto detection: sorry, I have no other suggestions.