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Advice re hi-md / vista + 32/64 bit systems

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badkat

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Hi everyone,

I hope this isn't too much a repeat of other posts...have been having a great time reading through the forums after quite a while away.

I use my MZ-RH1 for recording live concerts + then upload to my very lowly old desktop ( running windows ME ( don't ask!!) and only 40gb HD with sonic stage v3.4). it's done me very well over the years...but about to be put into permanent retirement by a new lap top. Obviously the standard software seems to be Vista, and the new system I've been looking at comes with 64bit Vista home premium - will this be compatible with the sonic stage v4.3? I can down grade to 32bit- but would prefer to get the best system possible I can.

In addition...an upgrade to Windows 7 is offered...am I right in thinking from other posts I've read that to run sonic stage on this, it's going to be necessary to run it through XP on a VMware type platform?

Hope this makes sense...as I'm not particularly computer literate!!

Thanks for any help and advice

Badkat

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Most probably (but I may be wrong), SonicStage will work even with Vista 64-bit, as long as you are recording in Hi-MD mode, since no drivers are required for that. Drivers for NetMD mode don't work with a 64-bit OS.

And, in any case, you can always install a 32-bit version of Windows on a VMware virtual machine to get full functionality.

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  • 1 month later...

Most probably (but I may be wrong), SonicStage will work even with Vista 64-bit, as long as you are recording in Hi-MD mode, since no drivers are required for that. Drivers for NetMD mode don't work with a 64-bit OS.

And, in any case, you can always install a 32-bit version of Windows on a VMware virtual machine to get full functionality.

You will NOT get "full" functionalitly. I have yet to find a VMware machine that supports ripping/playing AUDIO CDs. They're very frustrating... I tried Micro$oft's Virtual PC, that wouldn't support the NetMD drivers... then I tried VirtualBox, which read my MD player, but I could never rip CDs to Sonic Stage.

If anyone has had luck with another VMware machine for the 'full' functionality as mentioned, by all means please share. I tried a dual boot system with XP and Vista 64, and somehow my computer didn't like that after a while. I can't believe how much frustration I've gone through just over Sonic Stage recently since I upgraded to Vista 64. I've reinstalled windows like 5 times, tried various VMware & dual boot combos just so I can use minidisc... very annoying, but I refuse to hang up this format.

Now I have Sonic Stage working on 64 just fine in HiMD mode only, which to me is pointless as I prefer to use NetMD LP2 format.

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Microsoft Virtual PC is totally useless for MD users, since it has no USB support.

As for problems with ripping CDs from under a virtual OS, these may be caused by Upper or Lower filters installed in the host OS for the CD drive. They prevent the guest OS from gaining full access to the drive. Quite a few programs install such filters. E.g., the PxEngine installed along with SonicStage (and many other CD/DVD authoring/burning software) is known to install the PxHelp20.sys driver as a Lower Filter for the CD drive.

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Oh, Vista64.... never even considered it, since W7 is basically released. The 32 bit version works fine and the 64-bit version supports XP compatibility mode by running a whole virtual (but integrated) copy of XP.

Sorry about that. I think history will show that Vista was a strange and mostly unnecessary stop along the way.

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