Avrin

Let me start a new topic, since the solution is here, and it is a very simple one. Assume you have a clean machine. 1. Download OpenMG Secure module 4.6 from http://dl1.aii.co.jp/contents/connect/_dat...openmgsetup.zip, unzip the file, and run setup.exe with a command line depending on your operating system language: setup.exe /v"OMGCOREINI=OmgCore_GA.ini" - for English (and presumably other European languages) setup.exe /v"OMGCOREINI=OmgCore_JP.ini" - for Japanese setup.exe /v"OMGCOREINI=OmgCore_CN.ini" - for Chinese setup.exe /v"OMGCOREINI=OmgCore_KO.ini" - for Korean 2. Download PA Driver from http://dl1.aii.co.jp/contents/connect/_dat...r/pa_driver.zip, unzip the file, and run setup.exe. The driver is actually not needed if you are going to use Hi-MD mode only, but will help you avoid the "Unsafe Device Removal" message each time you disconnect your Hi-MD unit, or switch it to NetMD mode. 3. Download MD Simple Burner from http://forums.minidisc.org/downloads/download.php?file=93, unzip the file and run setup.exe. 4. Restart your computer. 5. Enjoy an uncluttered and easy configuration, which allows you to download songs and to edit song-titles on the disc. MDSB may experience some crashes when you connect your device or switch it to a different mode for the first time, but this is only temporary. After all required drivers are installed, no more crashes should occur.

I suggest you uninstall SonicStage (and all its components, including the OpenMG Secure Module, and the OpenMG Limited Patch) completely, and then reinstall it. I would actually recommend installing SonicStage 4.2, since you are not using Vista.

Try this: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?s=&am...st&p=117697

Ral-Clan, bravo! But all this in not that obvious to a new MD convert. Like myself and superboy. Just double checked your post. It looks like 1. Yes. 2. Yes, in Japan. 3. In Japan only. Well, anyone may be lucky.

Welcome to the forums, turbodemon! Hope you'll enjoy your new unit when it arrives!

Nice one! Very objective. But please correct 'concieved' to 'conceived' and 'japanese' to 'Japanese', and put some references to pictures' sources.

There are some screenshots of a pre-release (or a leaked release) of SONY Media Manager for WALKMAN in a Russian forum. I don't like the looks of those. No ATRAC, no gapless, etc. Video is what it is all about. Hope it won't be that bad...

Under Vista you may use SonicStage 4.3 to transfer your music. But it requires first ripping to the SonicStage library, and then transferring to the device. Takes more time, and requires enough disk space, but produces exactly the same result (with a wider choice of bitrates, actually). The only difference will be in NetMD mode. Files transferred in this mode to the device using Simple Burner may then be uploaded back using the RH1 and SonicStage. Files transferred in NetMD mode using SonicStage can not be uploaded back. But this does not apply to Hi-MD, where you may do anything you want with your files, as long as you do not check the "Add Copy Protection" box when ripping.

You may actuallly try using the backup tool from the original hard drive to see if it works. If it does not - upgrade SonicStage to 4.2, and try the File Conversion Tool again.

Looks like the original version with a new installation script.

No.

That's a reliable approach!

There is some update (Version 4.3.01.14280) - full installer without drivers, released 11/20/2007, on the VAIO ftp site: ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/DOWNLOADS/SO/...01198207-UN.EXE. I am not sure what it does, since the files inside do not seem to be updated at all. I think the old 4.3 drivers will still work: ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/DNA/VISTA/MD/PA_DRIVER.EXE.

If you rip with the Add Copy Protection box unchecked, everything should be OK. Not sure about uploaded self-recordings. Check file properties, if it says Copy Protection: Present (or something like this), convert the files to remove DRM. Experienced recordists may correct me.

storm shadow, please, explain how this worked: 1. Installed SonicStage. 2. Imported some CDs with Add Copy Protection unchecked. 3. Transfered the music to a few Hi-MD discs using RH10. 4. No longer had the RH10 (got a moneyback for it). Bought an RH1. 5. Completely uninstalled and reinstalled SonicStage a few times in the meantime (different versions), cleaning all traces of it, including all keys (these are file- and registry-based, and unique for each installation, even when reinstalling on the same computer). 6. Never used the Backup Tool. 7. Uploaded all the music from the Hi-MD discs using the new RH1 (the RH910 also works) into the computer. No problems. 8. Downloaded the music to new discs (in the process of rearranging my collection). No problems. 9. Everything downloads, uploads. and plays fine. And this one: 1. Freely moved tracks between different SonicStage installations (by burning them to a DVD+RW disc). No problems.

This is true only for DRM'd tracks, that is, tracks ripped from CDs with the "Add Copy Protection" box checked, or tracks purchased from the CONNECT store. Tracks ripped (or converted from other formats) with the "Add Copy Protection" box unchecked transfer without any problems anywhere you want them. The only exception is the NetMD mode, where files are always encrypted, and upload (check in) only to the original library, as long as they are registered in it.

But NEVER use the SonicStage Backup Tool. If you use it backup a library on one computer, and then restore it on another computer, the original library on the second computer will be completely erased. If you want to transfer files to another installation of SonicStage, follow the above advice from A440, then burn the files to a removable media (such as a DVD+RW), then insert this media to the second computer, and import the files. SonicStage will offer to copy them to its folder. If you use non-removable media (such as a HDD) to transfer files, don't forget to copy the files manually, and then import them into SoniStage. In any case, I recommend upgrading to SonicStage 4.2 (but not 4.3).

Don't forget about 105 kbit/s ATRAC3, which is not padded in Hi-MD mode, thus allowing you to put 20 hours and 40 minutes of very decently (cassette-like) sounding music on a single 1 Gb blank, or 6 hours and 10 minutes on a standard 80-minute blank (of course that won't be playable on legacy equipment). Very good for portable listening. SonicStage does not officially support ripping directly to 105 kbit/s, but the solution is here: http://forums.minidisc.org/index.php?showtopic=15928

There are known fake batteries for the RH10 on eBay. They do not hold charge sufficiently, and may swell inside the unit, damaging it forever. The best battery for the RH[9]10, and for other units which take a gumstick battery, is actually the GP gumstick, which can be found very easily. And yes, you have to press the STOP/CHG button to start charging the battery.

Such resoldering requires sufficient skills in electronics. If you do have such skills, a quick look at R105, R106, R205, and R206 on the Main Board in the service manual (pages 33 and 62) will tell you the whole story.

Welcome to the forums. For Vista you need not only a new driver, but a new version of SonicStage - 4.3, which includes the required driver package. The only exception is the VAIO version of SonicStage, which has no drivers. In this case you may get the drivers here: ftp://ftp.vaio-link.com/pub/DNA/VISTA/MD/PA_DRIVER.EXE

What exactly happened to your hard drive? Is it completely dead, or just glitchy? If you are able to start Windows from it (at least in Safe Mode), you may try using SonicStage Backup Tool to backup your files, and then restore them on another computer. The original copy protection license will transfer this way.

The only unit that can upload old MD recordings is SONY MZ-RH1 (or its MZ-M200 variation). The music can either be uploaded in Hi-SP format (which should be avoided, since it is transcoded from SP ATRAC 292 kbit/s to Hi-SP ATRAC3plus 256 kbit/s) or in uncompressed WAV format, which can be used to create MP3s. It is faster than realtime. You'll need SonicStage (version 4.2 is preferred, since you have Windows XP), and an encoder such as LAME to encode your music to MP3. The RH1 can even upload music from pre-recorded MDs.

SONY is working on it: http://support.sony-europe.com/dna/hotnews...p;f=NW_security

Try the following (I am not sure that it will work, but at least it is worth a try). 1. Make sure that the original (old) hard drive has enough space to back up your old library. 2. Connect this drive to the new PC as the first (C:) drive. Disconnect all other drives. Also disconnect the computer from the Internet. 3. Start Windows in Safe Mode. Thus you will avoid most, if not all of the missing drivers and configuration change problems. Let's hope Windows does start (there may actually be problems related to activation, since the motherboard is different). 4. Start SonicStage Backup Tool, and make a backup of your original library on the hard drive. The Backup Tool works in safe mode, so let's hope it will save the original authentication data. 5. After the backup is complete (may take some time), turn off your computer, restore the needed configuration, connect the old hard drive with the backup to any available connector, connect to the Internet, and try restoring the old library from the backup. Don't forget that any new library you may have created on the new computer will be completely deleted in the process. Hope this works. If it does, the first thing you should do after restoring the library is to convert all files removing the copy protection, so you won't face this problem in the future.