Non English MCE Keyboard

If you are using a localized (non English) version of Windows XP Home and are not able to download the hotfix from MicroSoft; here is a workaround.

The workaround is to extract the files from the hotfix and update the dllcache and the %windir%\system32\drivers directory with the "hidir.sys", and "irbus.sys" found in the hotfix. The problem is that the Windows File Protection (WFP) kicks in and replaces the hidir.sys (since Windows treats this as a system file) with the original hidir.sys (which does not work with MCE keyboard).

WFP tries to replace your new "hidir.sys" file by searching the %windir%\dllcache folder first. Then it searches for your installation media (i386 folder) and if it does not find it, it will prompt you to insert a CD/DVD with the installation media. On the prompt for the media you should choose "Cancel" and OK on the warning message - and then reboot your PC. But to come back to the "prompt for media..." you must search for the "driver.cab", "sp1.cab", "sp2.cab" on your hard disk(s) and rename them before replacing the files. That's the trick.

Here is a detailed checklist:

1. Download the English hotfix for "eHome IR receiver..." from MicroSoft and save it somewhere on your disk.
2. Extract the hotfix files to somewhere on your disk using some cab-extraction Software. OR you can execute the hotfix and when receiving the message "This is not intended for your language..." message for the hotfix - do not click OK. Then you will have the extracted files on a directory named "4769971498..." something on your hard disk - search for newly created directories or something. Save the files "hidir.sys" and "irbus.sys" somewhere else where you can fetch them later. Now you can dismiss the message.
3. Search your disk(s) for "driver.cab", "sp1.cab", "sp2.cab" and rename them so that WFP can't find them.
4. Copy the "hidir.sys" and "irbus.sys" to %windir%\system32\dllcache folder first. Then copy the files to %windir%\system32\drivers folder.
5. When receiving the message "Insert installation media ...." choose "Cancel" and dismiss the warning message.
6. Reboot. Voilá and you have a working MCE keyboard in XP Home!

The messages described are by no means correctly literally - it is only there to describe that you will receive a message with that meaning. The same goes for the folder "3476237489..." - it is in reality some other combination of letters and numbers.

After the installation you could rename the "driver.cab", "sp1.cab", "sp2.cab" back to original - however WFP may replace the files again. There should not be any problem to leave them renamed as well - since WFP primarily uses the dllcache folder for looking for the original files.

This workaround should not do any harm to your computer since it only replaces the IR related sys files. If you have any problems you could probably just remove the IR receiver from the USB - and the drivers should not load - then you could do the reverse thing to restore the original files.