Guide to getting your Net MD Walkman working on Windows 10

[MIchael Kachuk]

Windows 10 installation (Net MD):

1) Download the files in description

2) Double click on "SS43_Ultimate.exe" and install the "SonicStage" program.

3) Go to Program Files (x86)

-> Sony

-> Personal Audio Drivers

-> Sort by type

-> Highlight all the ".inf" files, right click on one of them and hit install.

4) Unzip the second attached file "sony-net-md-drivers-win764.zip" and open up the folder "Sony Net MD Drivers".

5) Right click "NETMD760.inf" and hit install.

6) Go to Program Files (x86)

-> Sony

-> SonicStage-> Right click on "Omgjbox.exe

-> Click on Compatibility

-> Under the Compatibility tab, click the box and select "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)"

Launch SonicStage, plug in your Walkman and a "NET MD" tab should show up in Sonic Stage.

If the "NET MD" tab does not show up for you, then you need to find the correct driver for the individual Microdisc player

You may receive an error when starting it, just click "next" and agree" and open it up a 2nd time without problems.

Learning how to use SonicStage is very easy.

SS43_ULTIMATE.exe

sony-net-md-drivers-win764.zip

[sfbp]

Note that the 760 driver only applies to Windows 64. There are lots of installations of Windows 10-32 out there and they either need the 32-bit omnibus driver (better if you plan to run multiple devices when one of them is the MZ-RH1/M200) or the original 32 bit drivers which are part of the existing SS ultimate installation.

I wish i knew enough to duplicate Avrin's packaging to include the newer drivers, but I don't. Tant pis.

[NomadBrighton]

I have installed SS43 Ultimate. It recognises my MZ-NH700 but it refuses to convert files. It does inialize  the disc but that is as far as it goes.

[sfbp]

1. We need to know which version of Windows (64 or 32). I am assuming Windows 10. This might be better in its own thread... we shall see

2. We need to know what kind of disk you are using: Legacy (NetMD), Legacy (reformatted to HiMD) or HiMD (1GB - only HiMD format possible).

3. You don't need to convert **some** files. Please give us detailed information about what you see and what you are trying to do. For example: "it tried to transfer LP2 files and appeared to manage the first one, then hung up saying "converting files"......

4. The files you are trying to convert... what are they? Originally MP3, originally recorded on MD or did you get them from somewhere else?

That's enough questions for now.... there will be more.

[707r]

I was wondering if someone could assist with my problem installing the driver. I get as far as step 5 (install NETMD760.inf) but it will not install, my laptop throws up an install error about "the hash for the file is not present in the specified catalog file." Sonic stage installs fine and I can open and run it but it will not recognize the MD , due to no driver.

My laptop is running Win10 Pro 64bit and the MD is the 707.

Any help is appreciated!

 

EDIT:

 

I managed to sort out the driver install by disabling driver signature enforcement. The MD shows up in sonic stage now!

[Hmmm Music Lover]

I am getting the same error 707r. What step(s) did you do to be able to install NETMD760.inf?

Thanks!

[Fox Gabanna]

I got the drivers installed on my computer. I recommend watching this youtube video thats how i did it. 

 

 

[eli griggs]

The youtube links are not there and there are several other issues including only one .inf file in step 3.4.

[sfbp]

I just played the video.

You only need one .inf file (if 32 bits then NETMD052.inf, if 64 bits then NETMD760.inf)

There may be an issue with UNinstalling some other inf files depending on what the installer did.

Most importantly, you have to disable driver signature enforcement (temporarily) in Windows. This can be done by rebooting in a special way (as it is hard to hit f8 at the right time during Windows 10 boot sequence). It's well documented here.

[Kox5564]

On 4/3/2018 at 4:10 AM, Fox Gabanna said:

I got the drivers installed on my computer. I recommend watching this youtube video thats how i did it. 

 

 

You had the device already installed. But how to make my MZ-N910 visible to win10? Installing drivers didn't do it.

[Kox5564]

Pls help me to get my MZ-N910 visible to win10

[sfbp]

You have to get rid of all oem<nn>.inf files that contain the string "Sony Net MD" from the directory C:\Windows\inf

This is all the standard drivers which will NOT work with 64-bit Windows (if you had 32-bit windows you would never have seen the problem).

[BerryG]

Where are the files to download for WIN10  operation of the MZ-NHF800 MiniDisc recorder that the people here keep referring to please?

The device is very poor without the ability to off load the files as digital streams that can then be named, edited & converted . It is a recorder - with a microphone - it can do live - it's not all music with copyright is it?

Any help with this would be very much appreciated

 

[sfbp]

"Download" meaning PC to NHF800?

[PhilippeC]

The  MZ-NHF800 is a recorder so it can record live with a microphone as any CD or Line in music.

But it cannot record the radio station sound, except if you connect an external radio.

[sfbp]

Does one try putting the headphone jack of the radio to line in?

I still have no idea whether he wants to move music TO or FROM the minidisc.

[zvx]

Hi, i created an account just to ask for help since i dont know where else can i get some

I recently bought a minidisc MZ n710 that sounds great, but i cannot make windows 10 pro 64bits recognize the USB driver, it doesnt appear anywhere when i connect it

I tried installing the driver NETMD760 and NETMDRH1disabling the driver signature enforcement and nothing happen, it says that the instalation was a success but still doesnt show the NetMD on the Device Manager so i cannot transfer anithing :/

I dont know what im doing wrong, or even if its possible to connect this MD model to Windows 10, but i cant get the MD driver show as installed, i dont know if someone knows something im missing :/

 

 

[zvx]

hi again, after giving it sometime i solved it changing de usb cable since i bought it without the original lol

Anyways thank you for the thread!

[sfbp]

You'll need a disk in the RH1 before you will see a legacy (MDLP) disk in SonicStage.

[PhilippeC]

Bad quality old RCA cables and all kind of USB cables are subject to problems sooner or later. In Asia it is common to buy very cheap things... which don't work or work one month ! The micro-USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 formats are specially dreaful.

[markrs]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for this howto. Followed all the steps and after an recovery thing the Sonic studio launches and appears for about 1sec and then disappears. Any ideas on how to fix this?

ciao 

[Sony81]

Thanks, followed the steps and works for me on Windows 10.

[henry's cat]

I've just finished building a 64bit Windows 10 PC and followed the instructions in this post for the NET MD driver and it worked first time!  In fact, the whole transfer of my Sonicstage library to the new PC was painless since I used the Sony Conversion Tool to remove copy protection on my files.

I'm using Sonicstage Ultimate SS43.  I've also had no problems moving files between Sonicstage and my Sony NW-HD3 player either.

[PhilippeC]

Hi henry's cat (Henri is my son's name). 

There are less problems if you use SS only for tracks transferring and editing. All my tracks are stores as MP3 (some), Flac 44,1kHz and Flac Hi-Res (a huge lot). I use foobar200 and jRiver Media Center for listening. I just convert (make a copy) my files in "WMA lossless" just the time to transfer my tracks to MDs, then delete those WMAs. No SS library at all.   

 

 

 

 

[Jamesie]

On 1/22/2018 at 9:04 PM, MIchael Kachuk said:

5) Right click "NETMD760.inf" and hit install. 

Ok at this stage I don't get and option to "install" when I right click.

I get only "open / copy/ properties"

[sfbp]

Installing a driver only happens when you have a unit plugged in that is requesting a driver. Maybe you have to "update" - start in device manager with the device which will have a VID of x054C (Sony). If this description is way too nerdy, we'll try to walk you through the steps.

If you need help, it is best to tell us your hardware and software in detail.

Thanks

[ManicDJ]

I have a MZ-N510 MD player. I've followed every instruction, and no drivers are located. I use Windows 10, but the driver's don't seem to be compatible.

[sfbp]

Version of Windows 32-bit or 64-bit?

Have you removed all the oem<nn>.inf? (?"huh"? I hear you say)

Have you turned on hidden devices and removed all NetMD whether visible or not?

Have you enabled the installation of unsigned drivers? (requires restart of W10)

Not to jump down your throat or anything..... but it WILL work. When you get it right.

[Adrien33]

Hello Everyones,

Files are not available anymore , do you know where can I download ??

Thanks

[sfbp]

huh?

1. Please state what you are trying to do and for what hardware

2. Please state what does happen

There is an infinite number of unavailable files out there in the universe. However the ones that have drivers for NetMD are present. I just checked.

[FernandoB]

Hi there, I've been trying to turn on again SonicStage working with my MZ-NF700 as it used to work but it doesn't recognize it. I assumed it was due to using Win10 64 bit (although I'm almost sure the last time I used it was in another Win10-64bit PC). I searched and found this forum, followed every instruction until I got stucked in question "5) Right click "NETMD760.inf" and hit install." When I do so my Laptop sends an Instalation error in spanish (I'm in Mexico) saying something like this: "The hash for this file is not present int the catalog file specified. It is posible that the file is damaged or has been manipulated." I don't know if the word HASH is correct as that's how is shown and has no translation in spanish. I tried other forums where there are other drivers and does the same thing. I also followed the rest of the instructions and still no luck. Hope someone can help me. Regards. Fernando

[FernandoB]

2 minutes ago, FernandoB said:

Hi there, I've been trying to turn on again SonicStage working with my MZ-NF700 as it used to work but it doesn't recognize it. I assumed it was due to using Win10 64 bit (although I'm almost sure the last time I used it was in another Win10-64bit PC). I searched and found this forum, followed every instruction until I got stucked in question "5) Right click "NETMD760.inf" and hit install." When I do so my Laptop sends an Instalation error in spanish (I'm in Mexico) saying something like this: "The hash for this file is not present int the catalog file specified. It is posible that the file is damaged or has been manipulated." I don't know if the word HASH is correct as that's how is shown and has no translation in spanish. I tried other forums where there are other drivers and does the same thing. I also followed the rest of the instructions and still no luck. Hope someone can help me. Regards. Fernando

One correction. My MD portable device is MZ-NH700. I used it together with SS for at least a couple of years converting hundreds of songs recorded in my dozens of MD's into MP3 (or were they WAV's?) Here is the message that I get when I try to install the "NETMD760.inf" file -->

[sfbp]

That error message is perfectly correct - and you should IGNORE it (to do so you need to dis-able driver signing enforcement for long enough to install this driver package).

[Reincartios]

Can i have the driver download link for MZ-N505 The link in the first page no longer works.

[sfbp]

same driver for all (pick 32 or 64 bit)

[miketrike]

 

I had a few issues disabling the windows driver signature enforcement as the method using the startup settings and hitting F7 as on the video did not work on my windows 10 pro build 1809, I just got a blank screen with no choices.

After much head scratching I realised it was a video card issue, and connecting to the on-board graphics instead to reach the choices screen  was the answer. I had posted a much more complicated way to disable the enforcement which I have now removed as it was a bit extreme. Hope this may save someone else the time I have wasted!

 

 

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by miketrike
Found the reason for the blank screen

[sfbp]

I think the problem may be that you have to hit f8, not f7. But you can always get advanced startup by holding shift and then using the Windows "button" (LH bottom corner) to select restart. Also if you did an upgrade (and installed a second OS) good old Boot Manager still allows you to hit f8 before choosing (but after selecting) one of the OS's in the menu.

This reference seems on point:

https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/windows-10-advanced-startup-options-menu

[miketrike]

I think sfbp is referring to something else than me. The F7 is further into the process of disabling driver signature enforcement on the video. Here is Microsoft's version of how to do it:-

1. Go to Settings > Update & security > Recovery > Advanced startup > Restart now.
2. Choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart > F7 or 7.

Once it restarts, you may now install any third party drivers. Note that the next time you device restarts, driver signature enforcement will be enabled again."

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by miketrike
Original post too long

[sfbp]

The F8 menu DOES have "disable driver signature enforcement" as one of the options.

There's a minor problem with W10 where it's impossible to hit f8 or any other key because the system boots so quickly. But f8 works on all versions after xp ( and in xp is unnecessary).

You're right, there is no difference between F8 and 8 in the menu you mention. But it's on the screen with lots of explanation and therefore hard to go wrong. The  "F8 menu" I refer to is a low level function long before that fancy (blue) menu gets called.

[miketrike]

There are several ways to get to the same point in Windows! The problem with the F8 safe mode boot menu sfbp is referring to which works fine for W7 is that W10 boots faster and if you have UEFI bios or an SSD drive pressing F8 probably will not be detected in time. In fact some windows 10 sites say it has been disabled by default now.