Heatwave, one of the more popular weather plugins for Windows Media Center and one of the first plugins to be covered here on Hack7MC has been updated to support the final release version of Windows 7. Previously, a small change to the Windows 7 Media Center code had made running the application problematic for those with the final release to manufacturing version. Luckily, version 1.2 brings support for the RTM version and Media Center enthusiasts can once again add this handy, stylized app to their complete setups. For those taking a first look at this plugin let’s check out some of the features that Heatwave has to offer.

To get started with Heatwave 1.2 just download the correct version for your operating system, either 32-bit or 64-bit and install the plugin. You’ll notice that the installer includes an option to add the plugin to the start menu, an option becoming more common in Windows 7 Media Center plugins, though you’ll need to take some extra steps to enable it after installation.

Once installed, launch Media Center and browse to the Extra Programs menu to locate and launch the Heatwave plugin. Now at the top of the screen you’ll find a Settings option where you can enable the start menu strip, add locations, change languages and more. To ensure that the start menu strip appears the next time you launch Windows 7 Media Center you’ll need to ensure that the start menu options are selected in settings and then save the options. A restart will be required to load the new start menu strip though you should probably establish your locations, language and other options first.

To add your location to the Heatwave listings select the Add Location page from the list of settings on the left and enter your city, state/province and country or your zip code to search for your location. Next select the correct listing from the results below to add it to the list of locations Heatwave gathers weather data for. Be forewarned that this version of Heatwave contains a bug that crashes the plugin when trying to launch the onscreen keyboard however, so it’s best to avoid that button at this point.

To edit, rearrange or remove locations, including those that come with Heatwave by default, enter the Edit Locations page. Here you’ll find a listing of all the locations currently saved to Heatwave and scheduled to be updated. Pressing the pencil icon will allow you to edit each location while the arrows will allow you to move the order in which each location appears in both the main menu and the start strip. Of course, pressing the X after each location will remove it from the plugin’s listings entirely.

That’s it! Just save your settings, restart Windows 7 Media Center if you’ve edited the start strip options or just installed the plugin, and you should be all set to start viewing your weather in style with the Heatwave plugin.

From the main page you’ll get a complete five day forecast for each location as well as the ability to switch between day and night by pressing OK on your Media Center remote (or Enter on the keyboard). Forecasts are retrieved from Weather.com, the official website of The Weather Channel, and each forecast has a very nice set of icons that are easily identifiable at a glance.

If you’re searching for a weather plugin to fill the gap in your Windows 7 Media Center be sure to give the newest version of Heatwave a try. It’s stylish interface and start strip support are sure to go a long way toward filling a gap in easy, accessible weather information for your ten foot interface.