Windows Experience Index Doesn't Work

[mikeynavy1]

For whatever reason, shortly after installing Windows Vista Ultimate back in
January my Windows Experience Index won't update. I thought it was a driver
issue so I have all up-to-date drivers, including the latest from Nvidia.
The OS will run the tests, but when it gets to the end it says something
failed to work and therefore doesn't change anything. Any way to repair this
or find out what is hanging it up?

[dean-dean]

Go to C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT, and look at the winsat.log. Can you
see anything (towards the end of the log) that indicates the cause of the
failure?

"mikeynavy1" <mikey...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:A75072C6-9C72-4F3E...@microsoft.com...

[mikeynavy1]

Thanks. This was the error message I saw in there:

198406 (3144) - winsat\main.cpp:1161: > Running Assessment: media '-input
{winsatencode.wmv} -encode {winsat.prx}'
198828 (3144) - winsat\main.cpp:1430: > Assessment FAILED due to an error

That doesn't really help in that I don't what "what error" caused it to fail.

[dean-dean]

It appears to mean that around the time it tried to play a test media file,
it failed. Go to C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT. Try to play the files
winsatencode.wmv and winsat.wmv. Do they Play?

If so, try this. In C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT, rename the folder
DataStore to OldDatastore, and try running the Update My Score again.

"mikeynavy1" <mikey...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:9F36007E-BF41-488B...@microsoft.com...

[mikeynavy1]

Winsat.wmv played. Winsatencode.wmv started and then stopped very fast
(after like a second). It looks they are the same video, but winsatencode
may have some how corrupted. Do you know where I can download the same file
to try?

[dean-dean]

Is Windows Media Player the default player for .wmv files on your computer?
Yes, both files are only about a second long, winsatencode.wmv seems to play
even faster than the other, and ends abruptly. As long as Windows Media
Player played it, and didn't freeze or crash, things should be okay. To
check the file, try running the System File Checker. To do this, right
click on Command Prompt (Start Menu\Programs\Accessories), and choose Run as
Administrator. Copy the following, and Paste it after the prompt:

sfc /SCANFILE="C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\winsatencode.wmv"

Press Enter. Then do the same for the other file:

sfc /SCANFILE="C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\winsat.wmv"

Press Enter. If things are okay and you are given the text message "Windows
Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations", or that it found
errors and they were corrected, proceed to renaming the folder DataStore to
OldDatastore, under C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT, and try running the
Update My Score again.

"mikeynavy1" <mikey...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:5C373BD9-6B99-4FA6...@microsoft.com...

[mikeynavy1]

I checked both files like you said, and confirmed that Media Player is the
default player. I ran the test again and same thing. Maybe it will be
something Microsoft can fix when they eventually come out with SP1. I'm not
sure what else to try. I think the assessment is more a tool for choosing
software and has no bearing on actual Windows performance right?

[dean-dean]

Did you try renaming the DataStore folder under
C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT to OldDatastore? If that didn't work, rename
it back to DataStore. Open the DataStore folder, and create a New Folder
within the DataStore folder. Cut and Paste, or Drag, all the XML Documents
(.xml files) in DataStore into the New Folder. Drag the New Folder to your
desktop. Then try to update your score. If this doesn't work, move the .xml
files back as they were, and delete the empty New Folder. If it does work,
delete the New Folder, and all the files in it.

You're right, the Score doesn't affect how your computer runs. The only
caveat I'm aware of is that you can't turn on the Aero theme unless your
computer meets a certain criteria of the Windows Experience Index.

"mikeynavy1" <mikey...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:78320D3E-026C-40B7...@microsoft.com...

[mikeynavy1]

Thanks for helping. Still nothing. I tried all those things and after
running all the tests it still comes back with the error message and updates
nothing. Right now my computer shows a score of "4.0 Unrated" I am able to
run Aero though (transparent windows and what not). Is there a way to
reinstall Media Player? That is all I can think of right now. My Nvidia
drivers are the most up-to-date and have always been...so I don't think
that's it. Frustrating.

[dean-dean]

If you want to see if Windows Media Player is in need of repair, try running

the System File Checker. To do this, right click on Command
Prompt (Start Menu\Programs\Accessories), and choose
Run as Administrator. Copy the following, and Paste it after the prompt:

sfc /scannow

Press Enter. It will scan all your system files, and this includes Media
player's files. It may take a few minutes. If things are okay, you are

given the text message "Windows Resource Protection did not find any

integrity violations".

"mikeynavy1" <mikey...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message

news:067894F4-85E6-43E0...@microsoft.com...

[Aliem J.]

My Winsat log had this.

23387061 (4628) - winsat\main.cpp:1161: > Running Assessment: media '-input
{winsatencode.wmv} -encode {winsat.prx}'
23389775 (4628) - winsat\main.cpp:1430: > Assessment FAILED due to an error

Other than that there was no error. I tried everything posted here with no
luck.

[Fergarbu]

Having exactly the same problem here. Also tried uninstalling the codecs
packs on WM Player without success. Does anyone have any clue to solve it
please? Thanks.

[PuraPro]

I have found a solution to it not working on my machine, perhaps it will help
with yours?

I used to be able to get my rating, until I updated my NVidia drivers,
required vista patches etc, at which point it started failing on the Windows
Media section.

Yesterday I followed all the things in this thread to test, and had no
problems with them, yet I still couldn't get it to finish. Now being once
again stuck, I gave up. Today I happened to look at the other problems that
were awaiting a solution, and noticed one where a crash occured because of
something called ffdshow. It suggested downloading the latest version, which
I decided now to do. When it was installing, i noticed one of the things it
does it replaces decoding for codecs on wmv.
I installed it, and now the scan works ok.

The installer can be found at http://sourceforge.net/projects/ffdshow-tryout

On a side-note, with the latest NVidia drivers etc, my Graphics dropped from
5.0 to 4.8, and my Gaming Graphics went up from 5.1 to 5.2, so apart from now
having a lower base score, I suppose I am happy to get slightly better gaming
:D

[Fergarbu]

Thanks PuraPro. I had already ffdshow codecs installed in my PC and have
reinstalled the latest version, as well as the latest nvidia drivers and
still get the smae error and the same message in the log. I am completely
lost now, and need someone from Microsoft to try and solve the problem, as I
do not understand why the test does not work when the multimedia section
runs, as I can see great quality videos in WMP without problems. Thanks again
for your help.

[Markisha]

Hi all!
I have the same windows experience index score problem (we're becoming a
community!!! :-) ).
Searching on the web i found something interesting: it seems that if you
install pinnacle studio 11 you change the codec of wmv (windows media video)
and this should be the problem that cause the encoding problem encountered
during the score.
Unfortunately i found nothing about to solve this....
WMPlayer seems to be not reinstallable and i don't know how to reinstall wmv
codec only....
Maybe some MVP could tell us!
Obviously i also tried all the suggestion posted in this thread (delete
datastore, winsat by command line, update of the drivers, ecc...)
Sorry for my poor english, i hope you understand.

--
Markisha

[Marcel]

All,

I have the same problem. Is there a solution already

Why isnt this fixed by Microsoft

Thanks

[RickyIT]

I had the same problem which, after eeding theese posts, I understood was
caused by Pinnacle Studio 11.
I solved it by removing Studio 11 and all its applications (Hollywood FX,
etc.) and then reinstalling it but selecting the CUSTOM installation. In the
screen with all the options I unchecked the MFC update (which is the Windows
Media format Component included in Studio and which is not fully compatible
with Vista) and continued the installation by clicking next in all the
following windows.
After installing everything, I re-run the WEI assesment tests and it worked
fine.
I hope this helps!

[Markisha]

great guy!!!!
I'm sure that the poblem was caused by pinnacle, but i cannot find a way to
solve this.
Now i try with your suggestion!!!!!!!!!!!!
--
Markisha