IT Solutions







------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Windows Guide - Windows 8 Optimizations and Troubleshooting.

Accessing the Windows 8 Control Panel
  • For many of these settings, you will be visiting the Windows Control Panel. To access the control panel, follow these steps:
    • From the Start screen, move your mouse to the top-right corner of the screen and hold it there. Some "charms" will appear along the right edge of the screen.
    • Click on Search (the magnifying glass), and type in Control Panel.
    • Control Panel will show up in the results. Press Enter to open it.
    • Click the box next to View By and select Large Icons.
    • This will give you a good view for working with the Control Panel.
  • Microsoft video tutorial on accessing the Control Panel in Windows 8


Pro Tools 10 and earlier are not supported on Windows 8
  • Please note that some of the steps given in this article apply only to Pro Tools 11 and higher. Previous versions of Pro Tools are not supported on Windows 8.


Optimizations



Update Graphics Driver

In many cases, outdated graphics drivers will not effectively utilize the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), and will instead tax the computer's processor, stealing valuable resources from Pro Tools and causing a noticeable decrease in performance. Therefore, for optimal performance it is required that graphics drivers are kept up to date.
  • Nearly all computers use a graphics controller (or graphics card) from Nvidia, ATI, or Intel. To find the make and model of your graphics controller, do the following:
    • Open the Control Panel.
    • Click on Device Manager.
    • Click the triangle next to Display Adapters.
    • Your graphics card model will appear directly below.
    • Double-click this item to view its properties.
    • In the General tab, make a note of the model (shown at the top of the window), and the manufacturer.
    • Select the Driver tab.
    • Make a note of the driver version and date.
  • To find the latest driver for your Graphics Controller, go to the appropriate manufacturer's web site:
  • Locate the appropriate driver for your graphics controller. If your current driver is earlier than the latest version offered on the manufacturer's website, download and install the latest version.




Update Network Adapter Driver

The quality of network adapter drivers may severely affect system performance. Outdated or poor quality drivers may cause Ethernet controllers to consume vital processing resources unnecessarily, limiting plug-in and track count and generating DAE errors during playback and record passes. It is therefor recommended to keep these drivers up to date at all times.
  • Follow the same procedure listed above to access the Device Manager, but instead look in the Network Adapters category.
  • Network adapters come from a variety of manufacturers. In many cases they are built into the computer's motherboard, but sometimes are installed as optional PCI or PCIe cards in the computer's chassis.
  • Locate and install the most current drivers for your network adapters by going to the adapter manufacturer's web site.
  • There will often be more than one network adapter listed in the Device Manager. Try and update all network adapter drivers to the latest versions.



Disable Turbo Boost and C-State Transition (BIOS)

These settings are not available on all computers, but it is very important to disable them if possible. Turbo Boost and C-State Transition affect the way the clock speed of the processor is managed. When either of these are enabled, the processor will dynamically change speeds depending on computing activity, and this throttling will generally cause errors in Pro Tools. You will need to access your computer's BIOS setup to change these settings.
  • Consult your computer or motherboard manufacturer to determine if either of these settings are available on your system, and learn how to disable them if so.



Adjust Power Options

This optimization prevents the computer from going into Sleep Mode, which can cause playback issues with audio interfaces. This will also prevent the hard drives from going to sleep, and disables USB Selective Suspend, which can cause pops and clicks during record and playback with USB interfaces when enabled.
  • Open the Control Panel.
  • In Large icon View, click on Power Options.
  • Select the High Performance power plan. Click on the Change plan settings link.
  • Set the display's sleep time to Never.
  • Set the computer's sleep time to Never.
  • Click on the Change advanced power settings link.
  • Click on the + sign next to Hard Disk.
  • Click on the + sign next to Turn Off Hard Disk After.
  • Click in the value box; the text entry field will now be accessible.
  • In the text entry field, type Never.
  • Click on the + sign next to USB settings.
  • Click on the + sign next to USB selective suspend setting.
  • Double-click where it says Enabled and click on Disabled.
  • Click on the + sign next to Processor power management.
  • Click on the + sign next to Minimum processor state.
  • Type 100 in the Setting (%) text entry field.
  • Click Apply then OK.
  • Click Save Changes.
  • Close the Power Options window.

Supplemental: Disable USB Power Management (USB interfaces only)
This optimization frees up bandwidth on the USB bus and can help resolve problems with device recognition and driver installation.
  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Click on Device Manager.
  • In the Device Manager window, double-click on Universal Serial Bus Controllers.
  • Double-click on the first USB Root Hub item.
  • Click on the Power Management tab.
  • Uncheck the box that says Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. and click OK.
  • Repeat this process for all other USB Root Hub items.



Run as Administrator

This can help with various launch issues as well as a variety of MIDI issues (i.e., no MIDI output or control surface communication) and using the Avid/Digidesign hardware driver in third-party DAWs.
  • From the Windows 8 Start screen, click on the Desktop tile.
  • Right-click on the Pro Tools Icon on your desktop.
    • If using a third-party DAW, right-click on that application's icon instead.
  • Choose Properties.
  • Click on the Compatibility tab.
  • Check the box that says Run this program as an administrator.
  • Click Apply and then OK.



Hard Disk Optimizations

This optimization allows your hard drives to work more efficiently when recording and playing back audio files, and can sometimes resolve DAE Error -9073.
  • Show the Charms by hovering your mouse at the top-right corner of the Windows 8 Start screen.
  • Click on Search, type in Computer, and hit Enter.
  • Right-click on the first drive you intend to use for audio storage.
  • Choose Properties.
  • If checked, uncheck Compress this drive to save disk space.
  • Click Apply and then OK.
  • Repeat the process for each of your audio drives.



Install Latest Device Drivers

It is always important to install the latest drivers available for your audio interface to ensure maximum compatibility with Pro Tools.
  • If you have an Avid/Digidesign interface, visit this page to download the latest drivers compatible with Pro Tools.
  • For third-party interfaces, visit the manufacturer's website to download the latest drivers available for your audio interface.



Adjust Processor Scheduling

This optimization allows the computer to run Pro Tools more efficiently.
  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Click on System.
  • Choose Advanced System Settings.
  • Click the Advanced tab.
  • Under the Performance section, click the Settings button. This will bring up the Performance Options window.
  • Click the Advanced tab.
  • Under the Processor Scheduling section, select the Background Services option.
  • Hit Apply and then OK to close the Performance Options window.
  • Click OK to close the System Properties window.
  • Restart the computer for the changes to take effect.



Disabling Screen Saver

This optimization will prevent a screen saver from starting. An error may occur if the screen saver starts while Pro Tools is open.
  • From the Windows 8 Start screen, click on the Desktop tile.
  • Right-click on an empty area of the Desktop and select Personalize.
  • Click on Screen Saver.
  • In the Screen Saver menu, select None and click OK.


Troubleshooting



Not Hearing Input or Output

If you are unable to get input into or hear output from Pro Tools, either of the following troubleshooting steps may fix the problem.
Default I/O Setup:
  • Open a Pro Tools session.
  • Click on the Setup menu.
  • Click on I/O.
  • By default, you'll be on the Output tab. Click on the Default button towards the bottom left corner.
  • Click on the Input tab and then the Default button again.
  • Click on the Bus tab and then the Default button once again.
  • Click OK to save these changes.
  • The input and output paths should now be set to the default settings for your audio interface.
  • Double-check your input and output settings in the Mix window of Pro Tools to make sure that they're now set correctly, and test again.
Alternatively, create New Session With Stereo Mix I/O Settings:
  • Launch Pro Tools.
  • From the Quick Start menu, choose Create Blank Session.
  • Click on the >> button next to Session Parameters.
  • Under I/O Settings choose the Stereo Mix option.
  • Click OK.
  • The session will now be created with the default input/output settings for your audio interface. Do a test recording or import some audio and see if your issue persists.
If you want, you can rename the I/O paths to how you had them set before as long as everything is working properly. In the I/O Setup, just double-click the name of the path that you want to rename, type in the new path name, and then hit Enter.




Delete Pro Tools Preferences

If Pro Tools is behaving abnormally or fails to launch, deleting preferences is a good place to start when troubleshooting.
To delete Pro Tools preference files in Windows 8:
  • Make sure Pro Tools is closed.
  • Show the Charms by hovering your mouse at the top-right corner of the Windows 8 Start screen.
  • Click on Search, type in Computer, and hit Enter.
  • Double-click on the C: drive.
  • Double-click on Users.
  • Double-click on your user name.
  • Go to the AppData folder.
    • NOTE: If the Appdata folder is not showing, click on View at the top of the window.
    • Check the box next to Hidden Items.
    • Click View again. AppData should now be visible.
  • Open the Roaming folder.
  • Open the Avid folder.
  • Select all files in this folder and delete them.
  • Restart the computer after deleting these files.
  • These files will be rebuilt the next time you launch Pro Tools.



Disable Network Adapters

If you have updated your network adapter’s drivers and are still receiving DAE errors during playback or record, you can try disabling network adapters completely. In addition to freeing up system resources, disabling network adapters can sometimes alleviate some DAE Errors. This applies to both Wi-Fi and Ethernet adapters.
  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Click on Device Manager.
  • In the Device Manager window, double-click Network adapters.
  • Right-click the Network adapter you wish to deactivate, and choose Disable.
  • Close the Device Manager window.




Disable System Startup Items

In addition to freeing up system resources, this can resolve conflicts with other applications that automatically start up when you boot your computer.
  • Hold down the Windows key on your keyboard and press the letter R to open up the Run dialog.
  • Type msconfig and click OK.
  • The System Configuration window opens. Under the General tab, choose Selective startup.
  • Deselect Load startup items.
  • Go to the Services tab and check the box to Hide all Microsoft services.
  • Click Disable all.
  • Click on the column labeled Manufacturer to sort items by manufacturer.
  • Check all items with Avid or PACE listed as the manufacturer.
  • Click Apply.
  • Close the System Configuration window.
  • Click Restart to restart the computer.
  • If needed, you can revert to the original settings by running msconfig again and choosing Normal startup.



Enable Legacy FireWire Controller Driver (FireWire interfaces only)

This will change the FireWire controller on your system to the legacy controller previously used on Windows XP and Vista. In many cases, the legacy controller improves FireWire performance on Windows 7 and can resolve many Pro Tools issues such as DAE errors, freezes, and pops and clicks.
  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Click on Device Manager.
  • In the Device Manager window, double-click on IEEE 1394 Bus host controllers.
  • Double-click on the controller (or port) that your FireWire interface is connected to.
  • Click on the Driver tab.
  • Click on Update Driver.
  • Choose Browse my computer for driver software.
  • Choose Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer.
  • Choose 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy).
  • Restart the computer.



Turn off User Account Control

Turning off UAC can help with the Session must be on an audio record volume error and various other issues when launching Pro Tools.
  • Open the Control Panel.
  • Click User Accounts.
  • Click on Change User Account Control Settings.
  • Set it to Never notify.
  • Click OK.
  • Restart the computer.



Disable Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery (Laptops only)

This will disable the battery management functionality in Windows. This can help alleviate playback and record errors and improve performance, even when the laptop is powered from an outlet. Please note that this will generally disable the battery alerts and charge meter in Windows, so it is a good idea to re-enable this when not using Pro Tools if you run your laptop on battery power.
  • Open the Device Manager.
  • In the Device Manager window, double-click on Batteries.
  • Right-Click on Microsoft ACPI-Compliant Control Method Battery, and choose Disable.
  • Close the Device Manager window.




Install iLok / PACE drivers

Having up-to-date PACE iLok drivers installed can help resolve iLok/PACE related errors while launching Pro Tools. It is also a good idea to update drivers if you are having authorization problems with any iLok-authorized plug-ins. The below procedure will re-install the iLok License Manager, along with the necessary iLok drivers.
  • Download the latest iLok license manager by clicking here.
  • Open the LicenseSupportInstallerWin64.zip file.
  • Run the License Support Win64.exe file.
    • If a Warning window pops up, click Run.
  • The file will go through a short extraction process.
  • When the InstallShield Wizard pops up, click Next.
  • Wait for the installation to complete.
  • Restart the computer when prompted to do so.



Create a New User Account

This can be useful if there are conflicting or corrupt user preferences that are causing Pro Tools to be problematic. In many cases, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint what exactly is causing the problem due to the number of applications installed on the system. In these cases, creating a new user account will be free of these conflicting preferences and allow Pro Tools to run without conflicts.
  • Show the Charms by hovering your mouse at the top-right corner of the Windows 8 Start screen.
  • Click on the Settings charm.
  • Click on Change PC settings in the lower-right corner.
  • Click on Users in the left column.
  • Click on Add a user.
  • For troubleshooting purposes, it is recommended to create a local account.
    • Click Sign in without a Microsoft account.
    • Click Local Account.
    • Create a User name.
    • Create a Password and Password hint (if you do not want a password, leave it blank).
    • Click Next, and then Finish.
To log into the new user account:
  • Press ctrl+alt+delete.
  • Choose Sign out.
  • Click anywahere to view the list of available users.
  • Click the account you just created to log in. It will take a little while for the system to set up the new account.
  • Launch Pro Tools.



Enable DEP

Enabling Data Execution Prevention (DEP) can sometimes help resolve issues with installing and launching Pro Tools software. If you have disabled this for any reason, it is often recommended to re-enable it.
  • Right-click on an empty area of the Windows 8 Start screen, and click on All apps.
  • Look for the Windows System heading.You may have to scroll right to see it.
  • Under this heading, you will see Command Prompt. Right-click this item.
  • Click Run as administrator in the menu that appears at the bottom of the screen.
  • You may need to enter your administrator password.
  • Type or copy and paste this into the command prompt window: bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx OptIn
  • Hit enter and you should see the confirmation: Operation completed successfully.
  • Restart the computer and DEP should be on for the entire system.




Other Configurations

  • Avoid connecting audio interfaces to USB/FireWire hubs. Performance is generally much better when audio devices are plugged directly into a port on the computer.
  • Avoid running any unneeded programs at the same time as Pro Tools.
  • Turn off any software utilities that run in the background, such as Windows Messenger, calendars, and disk maintenance programs. See Disable System Startup Items above.
  • Turn off or disconnect any non-essential USB devices while running Pro Tools.
  • If your video display card supports it, enable Bus Mastering in the manufacturer’s Control Panel.


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How to troubleshoot hardware and software driver problems in Windows XP

Summary:

This article guides you through troubleshooting steps for hardware and software driver problems in Windows XP. The article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user. However, it does contain an "Advanced troubleshooting" section for more advanced users.

You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

Note Several of these methods require you to restart your computer or leave the page that you are viewing now. So, before you continue, you might find it helpful to create a shortcut to this Web page on your desktop. To create a shortcut, follow these steps:

  1. Right-click an empty area on this page, and then click Create Shortcut in the list that appears.
  2. In the Internet Explorer dialog box, click Yes or OK to create a shortcut to this article on your desktop.
Locate the shortcut on your desktop and double-click its icon to return to this article when you need to.

Note When you are finished with this article, you can right-click the icon and select Delete to delete it from your desktop

Symptoms:

 There are many reasons why you might have a hardware or software driver problem. You might have installed an update that caused your driver to stop working. You might have installed some new hardware and not yet installed the necessary driver for that hardware, or the driver might be incompatible or corrupted.

To help us know which method we should ask you to try first, please select the symptom that most resembles your problem.

After you install new hardware, new software, or hardware drivers on a Windows XP-based computer, you experience the following symptom:

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