Vista and driver issue

[Base1studio]

Hello all,

I recently had my old laptop go blue screen and after trying to have it fixed twice without much success, I broke down and got a new laptop...of course....with Vista on it. Before going through the whole deal of installing XP and having to download all the xp drivers and such, I thought I'd try loading SAW on vista as I've seen a few people here doing it. Everything went fine and Vista even sucessfully loaded older MME drivers for my RME Cardbus....at least it said it was sucessful..??....But when I try to playback even a single stereo track in SAW, the meter registers for just a second and then stops, but the cursor is still moving down the timeline as if the engine is still running, and then I have to do a force engine shutdown to get the cursor to stop. Tried changing in/out buffer settings as high as they can go, but with the exact same results. Doesn't show a buffer overun anyway. Does this sound like a driver type issue? I would have thought Vista wouldn't even have accepted the old drivers.

Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

Todd

[Ian Alexander]

Here's a guess.

You can probably install all kinds of old windows programs, drivers, etc. in Vista. But you probably can't expect Vista to test all the calls made in the driver before allowing installation.

I'm guessing that since others have reported that MME doesn't exist in Vista, when the driver puts out those MME commands, maybe Vista tries, but fails, and then the driver hangs SS.

Kudos for trying, but it sounds like the others were right. No MME in Vista.

[MMP]

You would need to go to a newer driver and then use ASIO in Vista.

I have three RME cards running in my edit system in Vista presently.

When all is said and done, you may want to load XP on the machine.

Regards,

MM

[Base1studio]

Thanks guys!! I'll try ASIO first, but probably end up back at XP...rarely ever had a problem there.

[Fat Cat Music]

Hello,
The current RME ASIO drivers from the RME website are working with no issues on my Vista Laptop. Make sure to choose the ASIO setting in SAW and everything should work without any problems.
DRBurroughs

[Bruce Callaway]

Hello,
The current RME ASIO drivers from the RME website are working with no issues on my Vista Laptop. Make sure to choose the ASIO setting in SAW and everything should work without any problems.
DRBurroughsI am about to go through the same process. I have purchased a laptop with Vista and was going to remove it and load XP. I will be using an RME HDSPe ExpressCard for Live Mode recording/mixing so getting low latency is paramount.

Are you using Live Mode? If so, are you getting the low latencies you expect with your RME card?

[Pedro Itriago]

BTW, did you know that there are some sony vaio with both pcmcia & pci express??

[Bruce Callaway]

BTW, did you know that there are some sony vaio with both pcmcia & pci express??Well I didn't know this however I picked up a HP Pavilion 2.2Ghz Core Duo with 667Ghz 4Gig RAM, 320Gig HDD and 17 inch screen for AU$1800 :)

[Bruce Callaway]

Well I got my laptop and installing XP is much more troublesome than I thought, the install disk doesnt recognise that the laptop has any hard drives. After searching the net for hours looking for easy answers, there are none. HP would have to make sata drivers available for this model and I cant see that they have so I am going to try vista :o I will be using an RME Digiface and HDSP Express card on the laptop. These haven't arrived yet.

For those vista users out there, do you have any tips/tweaks or advice to maximise its use for SAW?

Thanks in advance....

[Base1studio]

Well I got my laptop and installing XP is much more troublesome than I thought, the install disk doesnt recognise that the laptop has any hard drives. After searching the net for hours looking for easy answers, there are none. HP would have to make sata drivers available for this model and I cant see that they have so I am going to try vista :o I will be using an RME Digiface and HDSP Express card on the laptop. These haven't arrived yet.

For those vista users out there, do you have any tips/tweaks or advice to maximise its use for SAW?

Thanks in advance....

Been Saw on Vista for a couple of weeks and haven't gotten to tweaking to maximize yet. I would be interested in any tweaks if anybody has any yet. I have had some issues with my digiface....ADAT's 1 & 3 lock up fine, but 2 won't lock up. Since the digiface is working fine with my desktop...i.e..all 3 ADAT's synced, could this be the propeitary cable problem with my cardbus?

[Bruce Callaway]

Been Saw on Vista for a couple of weeks and haven't gotten to tweaking to maximize yet. I would be interested in any tweaks if anybody has any yet. I have had some issues with my digiface....ADAT's 1 & 3 lock up fine, but 2 won't lock up. Since the digiface is working fine with my desktop...i.e..all 3 ADAT's synced, could this be the propeitary cable problem with my cardbus?Sorry I am, not able to help as yet however can you provide more details. For example, what are the ADATs connected to and how are they synched? I may be in the same situation soon.

Vista does have performance vs presentation modes however the real concern for me is Bob's comments on how it messes up audio (must use ASIO) and whether this will create latency issues.

[Base1studio]

Sorry I am, not able to help as yet however can you provide more details. For example, what are the ADATs connected to and how are they synched? I may be in the same situation soon.

Vista does have performance vs presentation modes however the real concern for me is Bob's comments on how it messes up audio (must use ASIO) and whether this will create latency issues.

Hi Bruce,

ADAT's lightpipes connected to 1 Presonus digimax LT and 2 Behringer ada8000's into digiface. ADAT 2 is one of the ada8000's....but all is well when I go through the desktop and RME pci card and digiface...problems only occur when going through cardbus on laptop...since they are two different types of cable that RME uses for connection to digiface from desktop or laptop, I thought it could account for the reason ADAT 2 doesn't seem to lock going through cardbus

[Bob L]

The connection difference between the desktop PCI RME card and the Cardbus should make no difference.

Make sure the RME master/sync settings are the same on both systems.

I usually have the RME set as master and use both in and out adat cables to the Behringers which are then set to Optical ADAT sync... this has worked perfectly on all of the systems I have assembled and that is quite a handful. :)

If you are using more than 1 RME card in a system, you must then set the second and/or third card to wordclock sync and use a bnc cable from the wordclock out of the first card to the wordclock in of the second... and do the same from the second to the third.

Others use a house clock source from some other clock generator box and set all RME cards to wordclock sync from it... the Behringers would still be set the same as Optical ADAT sync.

Bob L

[Fat Cat Music]

Hi,
Are you using the Alesis serial sync cables to connect the Adats?

I always used a BRC with the Adats. If not the BRC then at least as they would drift without the serial sync cable to lock them together.

DRBurroughs

[Bob L]

I am not using ADATS themselves... just the light-pipe ADAT connections between the RME and Behringers.

Bob L

[Base1studio]

The connection difference between the desktop PCI RME card and the Cardbus should make no difference.

Make sure the RME master/sync settings are the same on both systems.

I usually have the RME set as master and use both in and out adat cables to the Behringers which are then set to Optical ADAT sync... this has worked perfectly on all of the systems I have assembled and that is quite a handful. :)

If you are using more than 1 RME card in a system, you must then set the second and/or third card to wordclock sync and use a bnc cable from the wordclock out of the first card to the wordclock in of the second... and do the same from the second to the third.

Others use a house clock source from some other clock generator box and set all RME cards to wordclock sync from it... the Behringers would still be set the same as Optical ADAT sync.

Bob L

Hi Bob,

The thing is, before I had to get a new laptop, all worked perfectly on my old laptop. My settings have remained the same, which is RME set to master and behringers set to Optical ADAT sync. the only difference is that the ADAT 2 behringer won't lock up. It can't be a a malfunction in the Behringer because it locks up fine when I use it with the desktop pci card. And of course, it's not any malfunction in the Digiface because it works just fine with the pci card too. The only places I can see it could be is either the cardbus itself is having a problem or the cable for the cardbus, since it's a different one from the pci cable. I guess maybe I'll just try purchasing another cable for the cardbus. I'd rather not have to go to a new cardbus if in fact, the cardbus is malfunctioning somehow...I just don't see what could have changed just changing laptops with all my settings the same.

[Base1studio]

I am not using ADATS themselves... just the light-pipe ADAT connections between the RME and Behringers.

Bob L

This is what I'm using as well.

[Bruce Callaway]

here are some links for Vista tweaks, you can turn that annoying user account popup off...

http://www.pcregistrycleaner.com/blog/windows-vista-performance-tweaks/

http://www.stevesinchak.com/ShowCategory280.aspx

[MMP]

I do believe there is a firmware update required to run the Vista drivers. Have you completed the firmware update?

Regards,

MM

[Bud Johnson]

Well I got my laptop and installing XP is much more troublesome than I thought, the install disk doesnt recognise that the laptop has any hard drives. After searching the net for hours looking for easy answers, there are none. HP would have to make sata drivers available for this model and I cant see that they have so I am going to try vista :o I will be using an RME Digiface and HDSP Express card on the laptop. These haven't arrived yet.

For those vista users out there, do you have any tips/tweaks or advice to maximise its use for SAW?

Thanks in advance....
Bruce, I just went through this yesterday. Where as my vendor has published drivers for sata, the initial ones I loaded were generic, and they seemed to work fine. Look in the driver database sites. I did put in the correct ones since then though. Put them unzipped, on a floppy. A usb floppy worked for me. Press F6 when it asks about 3rd party scsi drivers.
That said, I can't seem to find the right video drivers or wifi. Still looking though. It's an Acer. core duo 1.7ghz, 2 gb ram, 256mb vid, express card, usb and firewire, 17" screen. Only $800! from buy.com What I'm worried about is the firewire. It's a Ricoh. Anyone know if they make their own chips? Could be anyone's if not. Will see if it's flakey:cool:

[Base1studio]

I do believe there is a firmware update required to run the Vista drivers. Have you completed the firmware update?

Regards,

MM

I did the flash update and software update...that's all I could find on the website. They were the newest and listed Vista as one of the OS's supported...

[Base1studio]

here are some links for Vista tweaks, you can turn that annoying user account popup off...

http://www.pcregistrycleaner.com/blog/windows-vista-performance-tweaks/

http://www.stevesinchak.com/ShowCategory280.aspx

Thanks Bruce!

[Bruce Callaway]

Bruce, I just went through this yesterday. Where as my vendor has published drivers for sata, the initial ones I loaded were generic, and they seemed to work fine. Look in the driver database sites. I did put in the correct ones since then though. Put them unzipped, on a floppy. A usb floppy worked for me. Press F6 when it asks about 3rd party scsi drivers.
That said, I can't seem to find the right video drivers or wifi. Still looking though. It's an Acer. core duo 1.7ghz, 2 gb ram, 256mb vid, express card, usb and firewire, 17" screen. Only $800! from buy.com What I'm worried about is the firewire. It's a Ricoh. Anyone know if they make their own chips? Could be anyone's if not. Will see if it's flakey:cool:Thanks Bud, I shall try to find the drivers. I would rather load XP if I can.

FYI, when I boot from the XP install disk, I get to the first screen where it asks you to press enter to install XP. I press enter, I then get a screen that says the PC does not have any hard drives installed and that XP installation cannot proceed. So I will try the boot again to see where I can press F6.

[Bob L]

This is because your drives are all SATA drives and Windows requires a special SATA driver at the install level for Windows to see the harddrives.

There are usually SATA drivers available for the motherboard or laptop model... these must be placed on a working floppy disk and drive... a usb floppy drive is fine.

Then you press F6 at the start of the Windows disk read and install these extra drivers, just like you had to do in the old days to install on SCSI drives and controllers that were not supported in the Windows instal directly.

Bob L

[Richard Rupert]

Vista appears to be a dying OS:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-gives-up-on-Vista/

[Bruce Callaway]

This is because your drives are all SATA drives and Windows requires a special SATA driver at the install level for Windows to see the harddrives.

There are usually SATA drivers available for the motherboard or laptop model... these must be placed on a working floppy disk and drive... a usb floppy drive is fine.

Then you press F6 at the start of the Windows disk read and install these extra drivers, just like you had to do in the old days to install on SCSI drives and controllers that were not supported in the Windows instal directly.

Bob LThanks Bob, I will try this....

[Pedro Itriago]

Vista appears to be a dying OS:

http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsoft-gives-up-on-Vista/

Hope it dies pretty soon.

[Bruce Callaway]

Well I finally got XP installed by removing vista. It took a long time but worked. The F6 method didn't work for me so I used nlite to add the sata drivers into an newly burnt XP install disk. This thread although tailored for HP laptops provides a good description http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=165319

Now, I sit and wait for the RME Digiface and HDSPe express card to arrive before the next round of fun begins :)

[Bud Johnson]

I wasn't quite so lucky. I got the dual boot going and XP installed, but Nvidia-Acer won't release the mobile version of the graphics driver for XP.The closest I could come was a "modded" version of the .inf file that makes the driver see the card and install. It did, but is totally unusable. Graphics won't refresh or leaves black holes on the screen. (that's what I need during a live show!). Everything else works fine. Soooooooo, till they improve the mod process, or Nvidia or Acer stop the conspiracy to force new notebook purchases to Vista...................yeah, that'll happen.:mad:

[Bruce Callaway]

I wasn't quite so lucky. I got the dual boot going and XP installed, but Nvidia-Acer won't release the mobile version of the graphics driver for XP.The closest I could come was a "modded" version of the .inf file that makes the driver see the card and install. It did, but is totally unusable. Graphics won't refresh or leaves black holes on the screen. (that's what I need during a live show!). Everything else works fine. Soooooooo, till they improve the mod process, or Nvidia or Acer stop the conspiracy to force new notebook purchases to Vista...................yeah, that'll happen.:mad:Thats a real pain Bud. FYI the hardest drivers to find were the Nvidia drivers that would work with XP. One could surmise that there seems to be a closing of the manufacturing ranks with MS on Vista enabled machines. In many cases, they do not make it easy to revert back to XP.

[Pedro Itriago]

Damned Vista. I just spent around an hour to be able to send a fax because the fax module, unlike xp and previous, is only available for business & premium.

I got even on the net, but the aggravation lingers

[Bud Johnson]

Thats a real pain Bud. FYI the hardest drivers to find were the Nvidia drivers that would work with XP. One could surmise that there seems to be a closing of the manufacturing ranks with MS on Vista enabled machines. In many cases, they do not make it easy to revert back to XP.
Did I say conspiracy? I meant collusion.
There is a class action in there somewhere. I elect Piedro to lead. That way it would stay interesting!;)