# Media Access Key/TIVO TO GO...HELP!!!



## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

Hey everyone,
I have everything set up correctly as far as I know, but my TIVO TO GO software still says MEDIA ACCESS KEY DOES NOT MATCH.
I have reinstalled the software 3 times, checked and unchecked and rechecked again the allow transfers button on the MY ACCOUNT section of the TIVO website, and verified that the MAK is the same on the TIVO in my living room as it is on my computer.
I CAN get tomy TIVO by going throught the web browser and putting in the user name and password, but CANNOT get through with the software.

PLEASE HELP ME!!

Thanks,
Robert


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## wscannell (Dec 7, 2003)

Make sure that you do not have any spaces in front of or following the Media Access Key when you enter it in TiVoToGo. You can reset the Media Access Key from the File menu in TiVo Desktop.


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

Nope.....no space...grrrr....what the heck is going on here?!?!?!


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> Nope.....no space...grrrr....what the heck is going on here?!?!?!


You _are_ typing it in, not copying and pasting... right?


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

yup


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

it actually seems like it just isnt even saving


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> it actually seems like it just isnt even saving


Every time you go into that screen in TivoDesktop the box for your MAK will appear blank.

You can verify it is saving by going into the registry and deleting these two keys.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TiVo\SharingKeys\TiVoToGo Media
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\TiVo\SharingKeys\TiVoToGo Metadata

Reset your MAK again and they *should* reappear.


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

What I am most curious about is the fact that I can share my music and photos to the TIVO itself, and I can also go through the web interface to get into the TIVO box from my pc. However when I download the .tivo files, and try to play them it says that the files cannot be decrypted. Wouldn't the MAK have something to do with that? That'swhy I think the MAK is not being registered on the computer correctly. Just trying to follow somebasic sort of logic here.


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> What I am most curious about is the fact that I can share my music and photos to the TIVO itself, and I can also go through the web interface to get into the TIVO box from my pc. *However when I download the .tivo files, and try to play them it says that the files cannot be decrypted.* Wouldn't the MAK have something to do with that? That'swhy I think the MAK is not being registered on the computer correctly. Just trying to follow somebasic sort of logic here.


Now you've giving us the missing piece of the puzzle. 

If you are able to download them (_using TivoDesktop and not just the web browser_) then your MAK is correct, otherwise you would have gotten that error as soon you tried to. If you cannot play them back and you get that error, well... believe it or not, codecs can cause that as well.

See if Media Player Classic will play them back
http://www.afterdawn.com/software/video_software/video_players/media_player_classic.cfm

It uses it own codec, regardless of what you have installed as your default in Windows. (I think you have to pick all files *.* to see .tivo files in it).

Let us know the results of that. Pretty sure if you want WMP, etc to work you will need to try a new MPEG-2 codec.


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## dcahoe (Jan 29, 2006)

You may also want to convert from the .tivo format to true .mpg format. A quick and free tool to do this is DirectShow Dump.

Also, another program to use to copy files from your DVR is TiVoPlayList. Give it a try.


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

Yeah....I can download the files from the WEB interface, but NOT Tivo desktop....I will try that link when I get back to my house tonight....this is getting VERY frustrating ! I miss my DIRECTIVO......grrrrrr


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

dcahoe said:


> You may also want to convert from the .tivo format to true .mpg format. A quick and free tool to do this is DirectShow Dump.
> 
> I tried direct show dump but it wouldn't transfer the files....said something about not being able to decode


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> I tried direct show dump but it wouldn't transfer the files....said something about not being able to decode


DSD requires a working TivoDesktop to decrypt the file... 

You _typed _ it in? No cheating now...


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

I SWEAR.....I typed it in....You know, the funniest thing is, I am a computer technician where I work, and have been working with computers for my entire life. You name it, I've done it. And now a little black TV man is sarcastically laughing at me from behind the glass, and making me admit defeat!


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> I SWEAR.....I typed it in....You know, the funniest thing is, I am a computer technician where I work, and have been working with computers for my entire life. You name it, I've done it. And now a little black TV man is sarcastically laughing at me from behind the glass, and making me admit defeat!


I only say that because if you copy 'n paste from manage your account on Tivo's site it could possibly include invisible characters at beginning and end.

Do you have a parental password on your Tivo? I know with the web method you have to include the 4-digit password tacked onto the MAK. Not sure what (if anything) you have to do different with TivoDesktop.

Have you installed TivoDesktop as a different user than what your a logged into now? Are you admin?


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

greg_burns said:


> Every time you go into that screen in TivoDesktop the box for your MAK will appear blank.
> 
> You can verify it is saving by going into the registry and deleting these two keys.
> 
> ...


Hey Greg,
I deleted them and they DID reappear, but get this (AS ZERO LENGTH BINARY CODE)

hmm.....


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> Hey Greg,
> I deleted them and they DID reappear, but get this (AS ZERO LENGTH BINARY CODE)
> 
> hmm.....


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## TivoSlinger (Oct 28, 2005)

If you have installed Cisco VPN software on your machine, then UNCHECK "Stateful Firewall (always on)". When this is checked, TTG doesn't seem to work.


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## powerbyte (Aug 6, 2006)

Noooooope....no firewall, and I tried the tivo software talked about above, and that will let me in, but the files will not play correctly either.....they are blank and with no sound....I have also installed EVERY CODEC KNOW TO MAN>>>>> 

......The little black tivo man is mocking me


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## greg_burns (May 22, 2004)

powerbyte said:


> Noooooope....no firewall, and I tried the tivo software talked about above, and that will let me in, but the files will not play correctly either.....they are blank and with no sound....I have also installed EVERY CODEC KNOW TO MAN>>>>>
> 
> ......The little black tivo man is mocking me


Every codec will require TivoDesktop to be setup correctly. Having TivoDesktop installed (w/ MAK) is what set's up the TivoDesktop.dll DirectShow filter thingie. If that is not setup, then no codec will be able to decrypt the files for playback.

What do the prior versions of TivoDesktop do on your machine?

http://home.comcast.net/~greg_burns/TivoDesktop/


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## dm-mm (May 31, 2006)

Posting my solution in case any one else searches for this.

I had zero-length keys being generated as well. TivoSetKey.c/exe failed for me as well but I could manually change the key via regedit so I started digging.

Summary: If your Protected Storage service is not running, the encryption calls will fail and TivoDesktop will not be able to generate the keys.

Settings > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services

Look for Protected Storage and make sure it is not disabled.

DM


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## pnwsun (Feb 5, 2007)

Hi,
thanks for the tip. I have been having difficulties and have traced it to lack of MAK. It seems that the key is "lost" at times. After I reset it, evreything is fine.
Do you know how the "protected storage" flag is managed? Maybe this isn't a Tivo problem but a Windows problem.
SAN


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## dm-mm (May 31, 2006)

Protected storage is a service, i.e. a part of windows that runs in the background. It is used when the tivo desktop needs to have a chunk of data encrypted or decrypted.

I'm not sure how tivo desktop reacts if the service isn't running but the key has been stored in the registry.


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