[Montclairguy]

Running 3CX 8.0.10708.0 with a demo key, on XP SP2, dual Xeon 2.8ghz box. I have no VOIP provider and no hardware. Just using the 3CX Skype Gateway and softphones for now. I have the following issues.

1) If the mediaserver service is running, everything breaks. Extensions cannot call extensions, extensions cannot call out, calls in don't get routed -- nothing works. When I stop the media service, the system appears to work correctly (mostly.) Starting the mediaserver service results in me hearing my windows default error wav file, with -no- pop up dialog box. Once the first call is made or received with this service running, I hear the same windows error sound one more time (with no pop up dialog), and from that point forward, nothing works right until I stop that service. There's nothing in the logs indicating any error from the mediaserver service.

2) None of the system extensions are registered, other than FAX. I am using the demo key, which is supposed to unlock everything. This is a huge deterrent in convincing me to purchase the product. If I cannot test voicemail, call routing via the digital assistant, ring groups, API calls, etc., then I how can I evaluate this system properly?

[StaffKB]

Hi there,

Please uninstall 3cx.

Upgrade to Windows XP SP3.

Re install 3CX

Re enter Demo license

Reeboot Machine.

Please advise.

[Montclairguy]

SP3 crashed every box we have when it auto installed upon initial release. Honestly, putting that on to eval this software is asking a lot.

Can you possibly advise me how to get this working under SP2, or why you think SP3 is going to fix this?

[SY]

SP3 crashed every box we have when it auto installed upon initial release. Honestly, putting that on to eval this software is asking a lot.

Can you possibly advise me how to get this working under SP2, or why you think SP3 is going to fix this?

Why SP3 crashes every box? Did you try to troubeshoot this issue?

Regarding your problem.
What is the media player installed on your computer? Do you have any software for video conversion installed on your PC? Do you have any recording software (DVD video/CD audio) installed on your PC?

Thanks

[Montclairguy]

Why SP3 crashes every box? Did you try to troubeshoot this issue?

Good question. No, we didn't bother troubleshooting it, as SP2 is solid on the boxes we have. When SP3 downed every box, we just didn't bother with it. The machines are all up to date on all the windows updates other than the SP3 bulk update, so there really wasn't any reason to spend time figuring out why Microsoft's service pack crashed the boxes.

What is the media player installed on your computer? Do you have any software for video conversion installed on your PC? Do you have any recording software (DVD video/CD audio) installed on your PC?

As in windows media player? Version is 10.00.00.4074. And, yes, on this particular machine there are various products to do DVD video, CD audio, and video conversions. Most of them are older, and rarely (as in never) used. They all worked fine the last time I tried them, as does media player.

There aren't any audio/video issues with the box at all, and there aren't any specialty dvd/cd/audio/video services running on the box. Does your mediaserver service require some specific microsoft services be enabled in order to function properly -- or where are you going with this line of thought?

[Montclairguy]

Any follow up, please?

[SY]

Any follow up, please?

I've sent you PM.

[Montclairguy]

Thanks to Sy pointing me in the direction of codecs, and through some detective work with SysInternals File Monitor, I was able to track down the problem causing the system extensions to remain unregistered, and the MediaServer's unwillingness to work.

An old, unused codec was the problem. I backed up and deleted the problematic files from the windows\system32 directory, and dumped the codec references via device manager, and finally, everything started working.

So, if you run across this issue and hear windows playing your standard error "beep" sound when the 3CX system is loading, grab a copy of SysInternal's File Monitor (just google it), and log all the activity until you hear the error sound. Whatever you see loading immediately before the wav file, is the culprit.