Record at least one TV program. Close Media Center.

Safeguarding Your Recorded TV Programs

Most television broadcasters do not encrypt programs, so a recording can be played on any Media Center PC. A recording of a broadcaster- encrypted TV program, though, can be played only on the PC that recorded it. To protect your ability to play recorded TV programs, follow the instructions in “Safeguarding Your Recorded TV Programs” in this document.

When you record TV programs using Media Center, the TV program broadcaster may have an encryption code that Microsoft includes as a special code in the recorded files. This code is keyed to your PC and is required to play broadcaster- encrypted TV programs previously recorded to your hard disk drive, copied to DVD, or copied to other media. When you perform a system recovery or replace the hard disk drive in your PC, you lose the special code.

You can safeguard your capability to play recorded TV programs by making a backup CD and using it as described in the procedures provided here. Make the backup CD now, before you need it, so that you can use the CD after you perform a system recovery, or replace the hard disk drive in your PC. If you do not have the backup CD after you perform a system recovery or replace the hard disk drive, you will not be able to play any previously recorded TV programs that are broadcaster-encrypted.

The procedures that follow describe how to prepare your PC, make the backup files you need, copy the file to CD, and use the backup CD to restore the files to your PC after a system recovery.

To safeguard your recorded TV programs you need to:

■Prepare the code key files.

■Make a backup CD.

■Perform a System Recovery, if necessary.

■Use the code key backup CD after System Recovery.

Preparing the Code Key Files

1 After you set up your PC and turn it on, complete the initial Microsoft Windows setup. Open Media Center and complete its setup.

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4 Open the Microsoft Backup utility: Click Start on the taskbar, choose All Programs, Accessories, System Tools, and then click Backup. The Backup or Restore Wizard opens.

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The code key files and backup CD you make can be used in your PC only.

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