Problem Uploading Net MDs to PC from MZ-RH1

[Waldner]

I’m a newcomer to this forum and not a technical expert or very knowledgeable about MiniDiscs, so I apologise in advance if I say something naive or foolish.

I have a large (200 or so), precious collection of Net MDs that I would like to upload to my PC running on Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit.

A few years ago, I purchased an MZ-RH1 for accomplishing that very purpose and uploaded a small fraction of my collection with no problems at all. (I think I was using XP or Vista at that time.)

Now, as I said, I am on Windows 7 32-bit, and I want to upload the remainder of my collection, but am encountering severe problems, which are as follows:

1. When I plug my MZ-RH1 into the PC with a Net MD inside, its display is blank and it is not recognized by Windows (the display works normally when not plugged into the PC);
2. When I check under 'Devices and Printers' in Control Panel, 'Net MD/Hi-MD' is showing with a yellow warning triangle indicating a problem;
3. When I right-click on this icon and check under properties, it says: 'The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)', although I have in fact got Sony’s Personal Audio Driver installed (http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/product/MZ-RH1/downloads/pad);
4. When I try to 'Update Driver', 'Browse my computer for driver software', and select the Personal Audio Driver under C:Program FilesSonyPersonal Audio Driver, I am informed: 'Windows was not able to install your Unknown Device. Windows could not find driver software for your device. If you know the manufacturer of your device, you can visit its website and check the support section for driver software';
5. If instead of 4. above, I try 'Update Driver' and 'Search automatically for updated driver software', I receive the message: 'Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device. Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it. Net MD. Driver is not intended for this platform. If you know the manufacturer of your device, you can visit its website and check the support section for driver software.'

I am at a loss as to how to proceed further. As far as I understand it, driver problems with Windows 7 relate to the 64-bit version, but I am using the 32-bit version. Is there another driver I can download? Or is there something I am missing? If anyone can offer any suggestions, I would be very grateful.

Many thanks

Waldner

[sfbp]

More later - in a hurry at the minute....

[Waldner]

Many thanks for your quick reply.

I downloaded the 'NetMD Driver 64-bit Win7 or Vista' driver, extracted it and placed it in the Sony Personal Audio Driver folder, as instructed in the video tutorial. I followed through the rest of the steps in the tutorial, but was thwarted when I tried to install the new driver. The message I received was the same one I have received previously:

'Windows encountered a problem installing the driver software for your device.

Windows found driver software for your device but encountered an error while attempting to install it.

Net MD.

Driver is not intended for this platform. If you know the manufacturer of your device, you can visit its website and check the support section for driver software.'

Is the fact that I am on Windows 32-bit, rather than 64-bit relevant? Any further help or advice you could give would be much appreciated.

Many thanks again

Waldner

[sfbp]

That's what happens when I answer in a hurry. Everyone else has the opposite problem, that they need the 64-bit driver.

My apologies.

There is really no reason left for anyone to want to use 32-bit Windows 7, unless your processor is very low in capabilities.... in which case you should go back to XP (forget Vista!).

You may have to remove all the "other" NetMD stub drivers. Please see

The other thing you need is Sony's NETMD052.SYS driver. This is the one that comes with the RH1. If you got the "personal audio driver" install, that is for completely different hardware and may or may not get in the way of the correct driver. Check and see if you were originally attempting to install NETMD052.SYS, or some earlier version, such as NETMDUSB, NETMD031 or NETMD033.

You've come to the right place... we'll get you running.

[Waldner]

Thanks for your reply again, Stephen. My brother-in-law, the tech expert in our family, installed the 32-bit version – I’ll have to ask him why!

So, I followed steps 1 to 5 in Avrin’s post that you linked to.

In step 5 (removing the 'phantom' devices), there were no instances of 'Net MD' or 'Sony USB Device' in Universal Serial Bus controllers, and no instances of 'SONY Hi-MD WALKMAN USB Device' in Disk drives; there were a few phantom instances of 'Generic volume' in Storage Volumes, which I deleted.

I then plugged in my RH1 with a Net MD inside, but the problem is exactly the same as outlined in my previous two posts:

1. the screen on the RH1 is either blank, or says ‘ACCESS’, but never actually accesses anything;
2. the RH1 does not install a driver;
3. in Device Manager I get the same message as before that ‘The drivers for this device are not installed. (Code 28)’.

I checked in C:WindowsSystem32drivers and C:Program FilesSonyPersonal Audio Driver, and deleted all instances of NETMD031.sys, NETMD033.sys and NETMDUSB.sys (not sure if this was the right thing to do). There were no instances of NETMD052.sys.

I then followed steps 1 to 5 in Avrin’s post again, and plugged in my RH1 with the same result.

Any further help you could give would be much appreciated. I’ve definitely come to the right place with this forum!

[sfbp]

You desperately need the rh1 driver files.

Funny, I was in the same boat as ur brother in law until I discovered that in windows 7/64 basically everything is handled transparently. Even on the most basic "home" editions.

You had it working before on xp. Any chance to look on that machine? Sony may have disguised the install file a bit but I am sure it will be on the cd that came with rh1.

Meantime you have inspired me to post my "one driver fits all" solution for 32 bit Windows. I'll get it sorted asap.

Cheers

PS its actually slightly worse than the Russians made out. In the hidden windowsinf directory there are copies of anything installed but named oem <nn>.inf

Get your techie family member to help you get rid of any recent ones that mention Sony Net MD in the text of the file.

By the time you did this I should be organised. Done... go check in downloads!

[Waldner]

Stephen. You. Are. A. Genius!

I deleted six oem<nn>.inf files that mentioned Net MD, as you suggested, followed Avrin’s 5 steps, and downloaded your ‘NetMD driver (NETMD052) for all 32-bit Windows’. I then plugged in my RH1 and installed the driver. There was a slightly anxious wait as Windows decided whether to install it successfully – and, hey presto, it worked!

I then went into SonicStage 4.3 and uploaded an hour’s SP live-recorded Net MD material – and it took only six minutes to upload!

To say I am grateful would be a ridiculous understatement: I really can’t thank you enough! That you would go out of your way to help me, an anonymous individual on the Internet who you don't know from Adam - well, you’ve restored my faith in humanity!

Many thanks again

Waldner

[sfbp]

You're most welcome. I should have done this months ago but we were living in someone's basement with most computing stuff "in store" at the time I first considered it.

Just one word of advice. LEARN TO LOVE THE FCT (File Conversion Tool) with your uploaded files. It will decrypt them for you. That way they are not locked to the PC you uploaded them on. As everything EXCEPT LPCM is actually encoded as 24-bit, you may want to choose the upload option TO Hi-SP (one of the import options) and convert to WAV later - it won't cost you in quality, is my sincere belief. Editing and handling of metadata is so much better with real ATRAC files.

(Sony Sound Forge 9 or later will edit/convert .OMA (ATRAC) files directly, if that information is of any use). Provided they are decrypted (unprotected).

I will be making an announcement shortly about serving up OMA files over a network. So I know whereof I speak.

[Waldner]

Thanks. I'll look into the FCT - steep learning curve ahead, methinks!

[sfbp]

Actually it's pretty simple to use. You can access it by selecting the centre bar of SS ("My Library") and you will find a menu option under "Tools" saying "Start File conversion tool".

I can't remember whether it's important but I recommend always starting it from this place, NOT as a standalone program.

[tonyjoe78]

Hi!

I'm new here and also new on Hi-MD. Just got a MZ RH1 and was looking forward to connect it to my computer to transfer some of my earlier MD recordings (like so many others here I guess..). I first tried to install the sonic stage program etc with the cd that came with the recorder. However this was from 2006 and was not compatible with my op. system- windows 7 -64 bit. Home premium. The program was installed, but it wasn't working properly. It wasn't possible to move files from the PC to the recorder and the other way round. I then uninstalled the program and tried to download the updated Sonic Stage 4.3 and install that on my PC. I also downloaded the driver (which is a winrar file) and tried to unpack it with the winrar program. I'm no computer expert so I'm not sure if I did everything right. I'm very unsure about the download of the driver and how to unpack it. Should i use "extract here" or should I place it somewhere special? Until now I have managed to open sonic stage, but my MZ RH1 won't connect with the PC. It seems like the driver is missing cause I get the same message as Newbie. The red exclamation mark etc. However, I don't manage to update the drivers nor does windows manage to find drivers from the net or anywhere.. If someone please could give me a guide on how to fix this problem I would be ever thankful.

 

Right now I'm so disappointed with my purchase of the MZ RH1, and it wasn't cheap either! I already have a MZ R50, which I have had for many years,but I felt that the MZ RH1 would be great for the transfers between the PC and the MD. I was also interested in the Hi-MD, which can store much more music than the old 74/80 min. So I really I'm hoping for a solution for my problem..

[PhilippeC]

Everything will going well with Windows 8 64bit and your beloved RH1 if you follow this topic.