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Linux: TwonkyMedia Server Licensing Problem Workaround

The system I use at home consists basically of my shuttle server sitting in the cupboard streaming to my XBox360 so that I get HD and upscaling. I’ve tried a few different UPnP media streaming apps and while I’m sure a lot of them are great, I just didn’t have the time to fiddle about constantly and the one which worked out of the box first was the TwonkyMedia trial so I was sold on the convenience.

The problems began after the trial had run out and I purchased the product – the license key didn’t seem to want to play ball. The result of this was a back-and-forth with support while the whole time there were no films or TV to be had so a workaround was needed.

After doing a little research, I found a file in the /bin directory called “.tv5”  and checked the content:

root@merlin:~# find / -name .tv*
/bin/.tv5
root@merlin:~# cat /bin/.tv5
upnp av.xml

Strangely enough, it was created on the very date I installed the trial! And indeed, stopping the twonkymedia daemon, removing this file and restarting the daemon allowed me to carry on in trial mode whilst the licensing was sorted with support. And very helpful they were too >:)

root@merlin:~# ps aux | grep -i twonky
root       957  0.0  0.0   1884   268 ?        S<   Sep01   0:00 /usr/local/twonky/twonkymedia
root       958  0.1  0.3   8068  2432 ?        S<l  Sep01  38:32 /usr/local/twonky/twonkymediaserver
root      3410  0.0  0.1   3340   884 pts/2    S<+  20:38   0:00 grep -i twonky
root@merlin:~# kill 958
root@merlin:~# rm /bin/.tv5
root@merlin:~# /usr/local/twonky/twonkymedia
twonkymedia        twonkymediaserver  twonkymedia.sh
root@merlin:~# /usr/local/twonky/twonkymedia
TwonkyMedia Version 5.0.61
using logfile /tmp/TwonkyMediaServer-log.txt

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Windows: Controls on this property sheet are disabled because one or more other Network property sheets are already open ..

This article details how to fix the seemingly eternal windows error from XP onwards: “Controls on this property sheet are disabled because one or more other network property sheets are already open ..”

Scenario: You boot your PC and want to change your IP / DNS / other network setting and you get:

“The controls on this property sheet are disabled
because one or more other Network property sheets
are already open. To use thse controls, close all
these property sheets and then reopen this one.”

Except you don’t have other property sheets open. Reboot, no joy.

To be honest, I don’t know how this happened, the only change I think I made was to re-enable the bluetooth service on my laptop but who knows, maybe there was an auto-update.

Anyways, checking through my startup programs using startup.cpl by Mike Lin (a great utility) I found the following:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce]   “NCInstallQueue”=”rundll32 netman.dll,ProcessQueue”

Delete the string value or untick it if you’re using the utility, reboot and you are now the master of your own network settings again.

Hope this helps!

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De-branding and updating the N97 firmware to 12.0.xxx

This is of course all gleaned from other sites so no credit to me but this is what worked for me, all pulled together. All contributing sites are listed below.

Disclaimer: I’m not responsible for anyone bricking their phone, at your own risk etc etc

Equipment

  • N97 & standard data cable
  • XP 32 bit
  • JAF software and OGM Pkey emulator – available HERE at time of writing (thanks to Benjezzy) or HERE and HERE (thanks to dailymobile.se)

Instructions

  • Check your firmware version using *#0000# – if it’s already version 12.0.xxx click HERE to buy a T-Shirt
  • Backup your entire phone using OVI / PC Suite
  • Install JAF
  • Plugin your N97
  • Click on the OGM_JAF_PKEY_EMULATOR_V3.exe proggie – if all is well you get a “Box driver” error, just click OK and JAF should open.
  • Select BB5, Product Manager, Service and then Read Values on the resulting window – make a note of your product code.
  • Get yourself a new product code from HERE corresponding to your hardware, insert it and hit “Write Values” – et voila! Your phone is practically debranded.
  • Fire up the Nokia SW Updater from OVI / PC Suite – it will tell you that there is new software for your phone and would you like to update. After just over 100MB download it will update your phone and tell you that all is well.
  • This is blatantly not the case as when you start it up it bleeps and flashes on and off in an odd random manner somewhat akin to an old C64 loading screen, scary enough as that’s supposed to be a £400 phone.
  • Change underpants and relax – it’s all good.
  • Hold down the SHIFT (bottom left), SPACE and BACKSPACE (top right) buttons and press and hold the power button until you see light.
  • When the phone comes back up, enter *#0000# – you should see the 12.0.xxx version of the firmware
  • Restore your backup

You should now find that the nasty Vodafone / O2 / Three programs are gone and hopefully you have a more stable phone! Worked for me on Vodafone with RM-505. Have phun kidz.

Refs:

http://forum.dailymobile.se/index.php?topic=1525.0

http://www.nokiausers.net/forum/nokia-n97/27726-n97-product-codes.html

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