discoinferno70

hi, thanks for replying. i've just done a complete re-install but have exactly the same problem. i wouldn't know how to turn drive letter recognition on or off so i doubt i managed it. the machine has a 150gb hard-drive though i often have an external drive and a few other bits'n'bobs attached. the routine for testing drive speed didn't come up this time, is there a way to start it deliberately? the help file didnt help, amazingly... any other ideas? ta, A

hi, i have a fresh installation of the latest sonic stage on my new dell laptop (windows 7 professional). it does everything EXCEPT when i go to create an audio, atrac or mp3 CD it insists "device/media not connected". yet it imports CDs from the same drive very happily, and other software (windows media player etc) can burn CDs without any problems. is there a way to point SS to the hardware and make it recognise it? if i did a complete uninstall and re-install would that solve it? thanks for your help, it's been a while since i came to the forum, it's great to know it's still going on, A.

fair enough, thanks for your time, A.

wise words. so the ME machine HAS accepted version 2 (!!!) which was the only one i had on CD, it runs well enough BUT of course that early version wont burn audio CDs, which is the most important thing i want to use it for. it seems that the relevant point is between V.2 ( which creates openMG - or OMG aka OH MY GOD... - files that don't work with bl##dy anything else) and V.3.3 which creates openMG AUDIO (.OMA) files, which do - and can be burnt off as audio CDs. i make live recordings of music performances and spoken word from my mixing desk ( i'm a sound engineer ) and produce these for the artists to use, so it's vital i can burn CDs, so i'm still tucked up like a kipper, unless i can... make the ME system work with V4.3 or make a fresh installation of V3.3 ( which always worked well for me before this hiccup ) any further thoughts? oh BTW, i've just scored 25 brand new ( well, unopened ) mini-discs for

a-ha, here's some interesting developments. i downloaded the slightly earlier version ( without the 'cosmetic tweaks') of 4.3 to a memory stick ( i get online at my local library, which the council are trying to close but that's another story...)and have successfully installed it on one machine - this one is running XP professional version 2002 service pack 3 - and it works beautifully. on the original machine though ( running ME 4.90.3000 ) it installs 'music server controller' and 'open mg secure module' but then opens a window which says 'installation process for sonic stage 4.3 has been terminated ( 2051, 20689 ) ' it HAS had the effect of largely removing the original 3.3 programme though, so you'd probably consider that a bonus! it may not be great but this particular machine/programme has served me well for some years and i'm a bit stuffed without it. is there anywhere else i could get a copy from? cheers, Alan.

hi again. ok, i've now tried 5 times to download and install the 'ultimate' SS and every time BOTH my computers tell me the files are corrupt and the install fails. i'm running ME on one machine and XP on the other - maybe i'm just going about it the wrong way? i have included those 'microsoft system requisites' but it's made no difference - perhaps they need to be put somewhere in the system first? it's SS version 3.3 thats gone wrong on me and i'd be perfectly happy to continue using it, maybe i could download that version instead? A.

hmm - windows media player will indeed locate and play the files that sonic stage refuses to admit exist, so i can probably burn them off from there. nothing else on the hard drive is difficult to replace, so i was going to re-install till i realised that the discs i got with my 2 HiMDs are version 2 - and there are some unfortunate limitations to the programme. i've been using a later version that a friend installed by download and i don't see how i could do that again - unless perhaps i got a mobile broadband dongle and put the machine online just for that purpose - in which case maybe i can upgrade completely... what is this '4.3 ultimate download' you mention? the best ever version of SS? in which case i should go for that, and you seem to suggest that uninstalling is unneccessary. what do you think? A.

ok, all good advice. it's not so tragic - there's nothing irreplaceable involved. it seems that SS insists on going online to authenticate the database, and it cant possibly do that. what if i uninstalled it and put it back on again - started over from scratch, any problems with that, do you think? A

hi, i've got the same problem - but on an old machine running ME that has never been online and has worked well for years. i did try and post a new topic about it but can't find it right now. lets stay in touch and maybe we can help each other, regards, Alan. hi, i've got the same problem - but on an old machine running ME that has never been online and has worked well for years. i did try and post a new topic about it but can't find it right now. lets stay in touch and maybe we can help each other, regards, Alan.

hi, i'm starting to use a laptop in my work as a mobile DJ. it's a modest machine and i'm using a programme called Traktor V1.6 it's happy reading music files from memory sticks or MP3 players, it will even read MP3s that i've put onto mini-discs, which was encouraging. what i'd like to do is use it with the huge library of music i already have on mini-disc, which are in, i guess, the 'open MG' file format - but it just won't do it. the software manufacturers help file gives a list of what it will read and these are not on it, so is that all there is to say? any chance of a patch or something that will make it work? thanks, A.

thanks for getting back. no, i didn't do a system restore and the machine has never been on the internet so there's no malware. i've never looked at file conversion tool - wouldn't know why! i did try to use SS to play some tracks off an audio CD and that seemed to precipitate the crisis. i'll check the database pointers as you suggest... thanks again, A.

hi, out of the blue sonic stage told me it had to'update its database'. on re-starting it's now empty of all the tracks i had in there (although they're still happily on my hard-drive) and on trying to import a CD it fails to do so as it can't 'locate' or 'add to' it's database. it probably just needs pointing in the right direction but i'm bonzoed if i can find how. it's never done this before in the 4 years or so i've used it. can anyone help? thanks, Alan.

thanks for getting back (is this the right way to reply, i wonder... ) yes, i am in HI-MD, previously there was never a problem but this time windows recognises 'new hardware' but NOT as USB mass storage. do you think it worthwhile going to http://sonicstage.update.sony.net ? A.

hi, i've downloaded sonic stage onto a new computer, it runs well enough but now i've connected my MZ-NH600 via USB to transfer some live recordings. on my old machine this worked perfectly but now sonic stage simply isn't recognising the player is connected - it doesn't list it in the transfer drop-down menu. my windows XP sp2 does notice it though, and is going through the 'add new hardware wizard' routine. i've let it go online to look for drivers but this doesn't work and was never necessary with either of my two previous machines. anyone got any suggestions? thanks, A.

thats done the trick! excellent, thank you, A.