Somebody passing off Home Basic or Business, or even an "N" version, as Home
Premium maybe?
(N versions don't include Media Player)
If you open a command prompt then enter in "slmgr -dli" without the quotes
Vista will report the version, your license status and also give a partial
product key (last 5 digits) that should correspond with either the key you
entered in during installation or with the automatically assigned numbers
for the Vista versions below.
The default partial product key values if you don't enter a key when
installing Vista are:
Business - MRW4W
BusinessN - QXX44
Home Basic - 3V4VD
Home BasicN - GFJBT
Home Premium - 76PKF
Ultimate - RP8F7
In any case if the Vista discs are OEM it's up to the OEM supplier to remedy
your situation.
"Bob" <nowhere@nowhere.net> wrote in message
news:2pGdnRqiTM8gx1DanZ2dnUVZ_oKhnZ2d@comcast.com...
> Contrary to the info you find on the web, when I purchased my Home Premium
> machine there were some less expensive OEM Home Premium versions that did
> not include MCE.
>
> "BenZappa" <BenZappa@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:C1BB52C3-3C23-4EFC-9509-E667E1D3A07C@microsoft.com...
>> Yes. I also copy and pasted "Windows Media Center" (without the quotes)
>> to
>> the search box with the same result.
>>
>> "SG" wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> Are you typing "Windows Media Center" just under the Start button at the
>>> very bottom in a white box that states "Start Search" and just to the
>>> right
>>> is a magnifying glass?
>>>
>>> --
>>> All the best,
>>> SG
>>>
>>> ALEX NICHOL
>>> (1935-2005)
>>> http://www.aumha.org/alex.htm
>>> You will never be forgotten my friend
>>>
>>> "BenZappa" <BenZappa@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>>> news:4C144E40-7A8B-4609-81EB-179E79E4A313@microsoft.com...
>>> > No icon comes up. What comes up is "Search Everywhere" and "Search
>>> > the
>>> > Internet." If I click on "Search Everywhere" what comes up is "No
>>> > items
>>> > match your search." I must not have the magic touch.
>>> >
>>> > "Carey Frisch [MVP]" wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Click on the Start button and in the Start Search box
>>> >> type in: Windows Media Center. Then click on the Windows Media
>>> >> Center
>>> >> icon that magically appears at the top on the Start Menu.
>>> >>
>>> >> --
>>> >> Carey Frisch
>>> >> Microsoft MVP
>>> >> Windows Shell/User
>>> >>
>>> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------
>>> >>
>>> >> "BenZappa" wrote:
>>> >>
>>> >> I bought an OEM version of Vista Home Premium for a new build.
>>> >> Everything
>>> >> seems to run fine but there is no Media Center in the programs list.
>>> >> Nothing
>>> >> happens when I push the green button on the remote.
>>> >>
>>>
>>>
>