To configure a Windows 7 PC as your hardware player, there are several steps that we would recommend to ensure the best possible performance and experience from the device.
There are Mandatory Configuration Steps, and Additional Configuration Steps beneath.
Mandatory Configuration Steps
Step 1: Install the latest Windows Updates
The first stage is to ensure your hardware device has all of the latest Windows Updates installed:
Firstly please click on the Start (Windows Icon) button and then select the Control Panel option.
From the Adjust your Computer's settings window, please now click the Windows Update option.
From the Windows Update window, please click the Check for Updates option on the left side menu.
After checking for updates, and if you have any, please click the Install Updates button.
Your updates will now download and install (you may need to restart your device).
You may also wish to now switch off Windows Update so that it does not attempt to install any further updates or show window prompts on your display in the future. If you wish to take this step then please follow the section "Step A: Switch off your Windows Updates".
Please Note: You will also need to install .NET 4.5 as this is not installed by default. This can be downloaded from here.
Step 2: Disable the UAC (User Account Control) Settings
The next step of configuring your player is to turn off the UAC (User Account Control) to ensure that no notifications are shown when programs try to install software or make changes to your Windows settings.
To begin this process of disabling the setting you will need to:
Please click on the Start button and then select the Control Panel option.
From the Control Panel window, please now click the User Accounts option.
From the 'Make Changes to your Account' window, please click the 'Change User Account Control Settings option.
Drag the slider to the Never Notify option - A box on the right will reflect that change and tell you how often you will be notified of system changes
Click OK to Apply those changes.
When this setting has been made you can now proceed to the next stage of this guide.
Please Note:Please ensure that your user account is set to have Administrator privileges and set to auto-login to Windows if you require this.
Step 3: Configuring the Power Options
The next step to set the Power Options correctly on your device:
Firstly please click on the Start button and then select Control Panel.
From the Control Panel window please now click on the Power Options setting.
From the 'Select a Power Plan' window, under the Balanced (recommended) option please click the Change Plan Settings option.
From the 'Change settings for the plan: Balanced' you will need to ensure:
Option to Change | Correct Setting |
Turn off the Display is set to | Never |
Put the Computer to Sleep is set to | Never |
If you make any changes, click the Save Changes button and then go back into the same 'Change Plan Settings' area again and click Change Advanced Power Settings. If you made no changes, just click Change Advanced Power Settings to proceed.
Under the Power Options window, you will now need to set the following:
Option to Change | Correct Setting |
Under the Balanced option (Require a Password on Wakeup) | No |
Under the Hard disk option (Turn off hard disk after setting) | Never |
Under the Wireless Adapter Settings option, set the Power Saving Mode setting to | Maximum Performance |
Under the Sleep option, set the Sleep after setting | Never |
Under the Sleep option, set the Hibernate after setting | Never |
Under the PCI Express option, set the Link State Power Management option | Off |
Under the Display option, set the Turn off display option to | Never |
When all of the settings have been set, you can now click on the Apply button to proceed to the next stage of making settings.
Here it is a good idea to check the settings you have just made to ensure they correct, and have been saved.
Step 4: Configuring your Page File
Making this change will ensure your player is able to handle its own resources as required. You can do this by following these steps:
Firstly please click on the Start button and then select Control Panel from the menu.
From the Control Panel window, please select the System option.
For the Control Panel Home window, please click Advanced System Settings option from left side menu.
From the System Properties window, please now click the Advanced tab.
On the Advanced tab, please click the Settings button under the Performance area.
From the Performance Options window, please now click the Advanced tab.
Under the Virtual Memory area, please click the Change button.
You will now be on the Virtual Memory window and will need to set your player to either "Automatically manage paging file for all drives" or untick that option and select Custom > Then select the "System Managed Size" to allocate your own amount of Virtual memory to the PC client.
When you have made your selection, you can now click the OK button to finish.
Step 5: Setting the Performance Options
To ensure the Performance Options are optimised, follow these steps:
Firstly please right click anywhere on your Windows Desktop.
From the menu that appears, please click on the Personalize option.
Under the Personalization window, set the theme to be 'Windows 7' which is under Aero Themes.
Once selected, please now click on the Control Panel Home option that is shown.
From the Adjust your Computer's Settings window, please click the System option.
From the Control Panel Home window, please click Advanced System Settings from the left side menu.
From the System Properties window, please now click the Advanced tab.
On the Advanced tab, please click the Settings button under the Performance area.
On the Performance Options window under the Visual Effects tab, please click the Adjust for Best Performance tick box.
All settings below should now be un-ticked, so now please click the Custom option and ensure the following settings are ticked:
You will now be required to set the following options within the Visual Effects window:
Option to Change | Correct Settings |
Enable Desktop Composition | Ticked (If Available) |
Smooth Edges of Screen Fonts | Ticked |
Use Visual Styles on Windows and Buttons | Ticked |
All other options on Performance Options window | Unticked |
Once selected you can now click the Apply button to finish and move on.
Step 6: Turn off the Recovery Failures
The next step is to configure your player so that in the event it is unexpectedly powered off that it does not show the Windows Recovery screen, to do this please go through these steps:
Firstly click on the Start button and then select Run.
Within the Run command, please type cmd and a Command Prompt will appear.
Select that you would like to ‘Run as Administrator’
Please type (or copy and paste in) the command: bcdedit /set {default} bootstatuspolicy ignoreallfailures
You can now click OK and the command will process. You can close command prompt when complete.
You have now successfully run the command and can move to the next stage of the process.
Step 7: Install the Codec Pack and Codec Tweak Tool
The next stage is to ensure you have the recommended Basic K Lite Code Pack installed on your hardware player.
You can install the Codec Pack by following these steps:
Download the Basic K Lite Codec Pack
Complete the installation process.
At the end of installation, click the tick-box next to 'Launch Codec Tweak Tool'
The next step is to Configure the Codec for handling Video Playback
Under Configuration > Select DirectShow Filters > Open LAV Video decoder
Find the 'Hardware decoder to use:' dropdown, and set this to be DXVA2 (Copy-Back).
Please Note: If you have a VISION PC, you will need to use the DXVA2(Native) option to avoid playback freezing.
When you have completed the above. Please click either Apply and Close.
Now, Select Win7DSFilterTweaker under Preferred Decoders
Under 32-bit decoders section select the “LAV Video” radio button in the H.264 section
Under 32-bit decoders section select the "MPCVideoDec" radio button in the VC1 section.
When finished click “Apply & Close”.
You have now successfully installed/configured the Basic K Lite Codec Pack software and Configured your Codecs for Handling Video Playback. You can move to the next stage of the process.
Step 8: Install the DirectX software
The next step of the process is to ensure you have DirectX installed onto your hardware device. To begin installing DirectX you will need click on this link and it will guide you through the rest of the process.
Step 9: Install Adobe Flash Player
The next step is to ensure you have the latest version of Adobe Flash Player installed onto your hardware device by going to this URL and downloading the latest version of the software.
After you have installed Adobe Flash Player we recommend you follow these steps to prevent any update messages:
Please click on the Start button and then select the Control Panel option.
From the Adjust your Computer's settings window, please click the Flash Player option.
With the Flash Player Settings Manager window now open, please click the Advanced tab.
On the Advanced tab, under the Updates section, please click the 'Never check for updates' option.
You can now close the Flash Player Settings Manager window.
Step 10: Install Signagelive
Please Note: We no longer provide access to the legacy PC Client for new installations, so if you require this particular client then please raise this with the Signagelive Support Team or your Sales Account Manager. We will then assist you accordingly.
Step 11: Configuring your Windows Firewall
After you have installed Signagelive then the next stage of configuration is to set up your Windows Firewall. Whether you wish to have your firewall switched on or off is up to you, however, we recommend you follow the steps below:
To begin please click on the Start button and then select the Control Panel option.
From the Adjust your computer's settings window, please click on the Windows Firewall option.
On the Windows Firewall window, please select ‘Allow a program or feature through Windows Firewall’ from the left side menu.
On the Allow programs to communicate through Windows Firewall window, please click the Allow another Program button.
On the Add a Program window, please now click on the Browse button and you will then need to locate both the Signcontroller.exe and Signagelive MediaPlayer.exe on our player. Enter this path: C:\Program Files (x86)\signagelive\ then double click on your Version folder to locate these two programs.
When selecting both options you will need to click the Add button to ensure they are added to the firewall.
Once you have allowed both through the firewall they will both now be added to your Allowed Programs and Features list. You can now click OK to finalise this process.
Step 12: Check whether your Graphics or Networks Drivers need an update
We also recommend that you check whether your graphics or networks drivers need an update on your device. Depending on the type of hardware you have, please load up one of the following links in a web browser on your device and the Automatic Update Utilities will help you discover whether you need make any updates:
Additional Configuration Steps
Step A: Switch off your Windows Updates
You may then wish to switch further updates off to prevent any window prompts of update messages being shown in the future. To do this:
Firstly click on the Start button and then click Control Panel.
From the Adjust your Computer's Settings window, please click on the Windows Update option.
On the Windows Update window, from the left hand side menu please click the Change Settings option.
On the Choose how Windows can install Updates window please now click on the Important Updates drop-down menu and from this area select 'Never check for Updates (Not Recommended)' option.
Once you have made the selection you can confirm your changes by pressing on the OK button.
Step B: AMD Graphics and Taskbar Issue
If you are experiencing issues with the taskbar appearing over the top of Signagelive and you have an AMD graphics card, then we recommend you make the following setting:
Click on the Start button and then click Run.
Within the Run command please type the word msconfig and then press OK.
Within the System Configuration wizard click on the Startup tab.
Please locate the 'Catalyst Control Center' option and then ensure this option is unticked.
When you have made your change you can now click on the Apply option and then click OK to finish.
You have now successfully configured the MSConfig to not allow the Catalyst Control Center to launch when the device boots.