Making Sure You Have the Latest Version of Media Center
If you bought your Media Center PC before September 30, 2003, it came with the initial version of the Media Center software. That date marked the introduction of the first major upgrade to the Windows XP Media Center Edition operation system. Even if you bought your PC in the months following that introduction, remember that it can take several weeks for PCs built before that time to filter down through the retail sales channels of stores and mail-order distributors, and so on.
caution
If you were one of the thousands involved in testing interim, or “beta,” versions of Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 (aka Harmony)—or somehow obtained a beta version of the OS to run on your PC through unofficial channels—you cannot immediately upgrade to the final RTM (release to manufacturing) version of the operating system. Before you can upgrade, you will need to revert to the previous official RTM version of the software—the original Windows XP Media Center Edition (aka Freestyle)—before you can complete the upgrade successfully.