PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

hesnotthemessiah wrote:hi there John. :) I am currently using two graphics cards in the PC. I removed the second graphics card and replaced it with the Xite1 card. Switched on the Xite-1 then switched on my PC. The PC started up for a few seconds, stopped and restarted again, then stopped and restarted again in this continuos loop. There was just a blank black screen. So I switched the PC off and tried again but got the same result. So I removed the Xite-1 card from the PC and left that second graphics card slot empty. When I restarted the PC I got the message "Main BIOS checksum error" or words similar to that. This message was displayed for a few seconds and then Windows XP loaded fine. :-?

So my PC doesn't seem to like the Xite-1 card in it's PCIEx16 slots?

Sorry. I didn't realize you had 2 video cards. The BIOS checksum error was because it had been set up for SLI, then when you pulled one, it tried to recover. Anytime you get that, all you need to do is boot up the BIOS, reset to a known good state, or startup defaults, save and boot, then go back and bump whatever settings you need.

I pretty much agree with the other advice you've been getting, especially the part about substituting cables (unless they've been blessed by S/C). Now that you know that the x16 slots are good, I second the advise to remove everything from the computer except 1 video card, get that to work properly w/o the BIOS complaining, then install the Xite card and go from there.

Chances are the PCIe slots are OK, but at least you know for sure the extra video card slot is good, so you can test with that.

The Scope driver errors are the same ones I got with PCI-Scope 5 before I installed my Scope 5 drivers. Clearly it's a driver problem, either the driver is not being installed, or it's the wrong driver, or it's the right driver but having problems detecting the hardware.

I know this is a bit like saying the patient died because his heart stopped, and your fustration level has to be redlining at this point. But most computer problems are fixible by the old Sherlock Holmes method of reducing the possibilities.

FWIW, here's a step by step that I would follow.
1. make sure the computer is otherwise working properly.
a. make sure it's a compatible OS (Windows XP Service Pack3 in this case, as you've stated)
b. make sure your chip drivers are installed (this has been pointed out already. since you've bought this as a prebuilt DAW, I would assume they have done this, but you never know. It's easy enough to double check. You can download the INF drivers for your chipset from Intel, and if you don't know the chipset, there is a chipset ID utility. But the easiest thing is to just call the supplier of the computer. They probably included a CD, if not they will be able to supply a URL where you can download. It's a simple thing to install, just run the install program Intel supplies. You DO need to eliminate chipset drivers from the list of suspects, so take the time to do this and be done with it.

2. make sure the card is properly installed and seated in a working slot. I use a flashlight to peer into the case to make sure the card is seated. I pull it out and reseat it once or twice to make sure, then carefully screw down the holder ear, double check everything with the flashlight again. Those slot fingers are close together, and it's more likely a card is seated improperly than the slot is bad.

3. make sure the cabling is properly seated. Same deal, a careful, even obsessive flashlight inspection.

4. finally, turn on Xite-1 and boot up. Most likely you will get the same message, "Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1." This is Scope looking for its drivers, obviously.

....everything up to this point, you've already covered ad nauseum. I'm just trying to lay it all out in order, to eliminate as many variables as possible.

5. Install the drivers. My guess is that the hardware is all working OK, and the problem is somewhere in those three words: Install the drivers.
a. First try a shortcut. Go to the driver directory. It should be: "Scope\Driver\Windows XP & Vista (32-bit)" - at least that's what it is in the PCI version of Scope5. If not, go to "Scope\Driver" and look around for something that looks like "Windows XP 32." Inside the XP32 driver folder you should see a file with the ".inf" extension. Right click on that file, and select the context menu item, "Install." It may or may not work, don't be dismayed if it doesn't as many don't.

b. if that doesn't work, go ahead and run the install program from the S/C disk again. It's OK to reinstall Scope over an existing install, as long as it's the same version. I know, madness is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Think of it as ritual. If you get to a choice that allows you to install your own drivers, take it and lead it to the Scope Driver folder where the .inf file is located. It should give you something that indicates it found the drivers, and you can Next out of it and be happy.

c. if not, then install the driver manually:

- Go to: Start - Settings - Control Panel - Add Hardware. You will get a pop up dialog that says "Welcome to the Add Hardware Wizard."

- Click "Next." After a moment or two it will ask if you have already connected the hardware. Be sure Xite is turned on, and say "Yes...," then "Next."

- It will give you a list of installed hardware. You MAY get a listing for "Sonic Core Scope" or some such. If you do, highlight it and follow through, giving it the Driver folder with the .inf file.

- If none of this works, exit out and go to the Device Manager. One way to get to it is: Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - Hardware tab - Device Manager button.

- Look at "Sound, video and game controllers." See if "Sonic Core Scope" or some such is listed. If it is, right click on it, and select "Update Driver." If it is not, right click on "Sound, video, etc." and select "Scan for hardware changes." If it shows up now, select and "Update Driver."

- If you get to "Update Driver" it will display "Welcome to the Hardware Update Wizard" which will ask if Windows can look for it. Let it do this, sometimes you get lucky. If not, back up and do it manually. You will get to a dialog that asks for the installation CD. Most likely you will find a Scope/Driver folder in the CD that will work, but I don't know if S/C compressed their install program. Best just go to your already created Scope/Driver/Windows XP 32 (or whatever) folder where the .inf file is. This is what it wants. Give it that, and the driver should install.

- if you had to "Scan for hardware changes" in the previous step, and it did not find something Scope related, then you have gone as far as you can. It really isn't finding the hardware, and there is nothing else left to do but wait for S/C to help out. At least you will have proven that the problem is with the S/C hardware and not the computer or your installation.

I hope this helps and doesn't just add to your very understandable frustration level.

johndunn wrote:

hesnotthemessiah wrote:hi there John. I am currently using two graphics cards in the PC. I removed the second graphics card and replaced it with the Xite1 card. Switched on the Xite-1 then switched on my PC. The PC started up for a few seconds, stopped and restarted again, then stopped and restarted again in this continuos loop. There was just a blank black screen. So I switched the PC off and tried again but got the same result. So I removed the Xite-1 card from the PC and left that second graphics card slot empty. When I restarted the PC I got the message "Main BIOS checksum error" or words similar to that. This message was displayed for a few seconds and then Windows XP loaded fine.

So my PC doesn't seem to like the Xite-1 card in it's PCIEx16 slots?

Sorry. I didn't realize you had 2 video cards. The BIOS checksum error was because it had been set up for SLI, then when you pulled one, it tried to recover. Anytime you get that, all you need to do is boot up the BIOS, reset to a known good state, or startup defaults, save and boot, then go back and bump whatever settings you need.

I pretty much agree with the other advice you've been getting, especially the part about substituting cables (unless they've been blessed by S/C). Now that you know that the x16 slots are good, I second the advise to remove everything from the computer except 1 video card, get that to work properly w/o the BIOS complaining, then install the Xite card and go from there.

Chances are the PCIe slots are OK, but at least you know for sure the extra video card slot is good, so you can test with that.

Fluxpod wrote:Sorry about the problems.Just 1 question.Why 2 gfx cards in a computer for audio? I could see why if you use 3 or 4 screens.

Thanks for all the info John. I will have to work through all that tomorrow. I did have 2 cards setup to run 3 monitors in total. These worked fine, so I know the PCIEx16 slots are working OK. I did not have SLI enabled. I have removed my other graphics card and put the Xite card in it's place but I still get the message Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1" when I try to install the driver.

is it possible to check with another pc?

does sonic core check every xite-1 with the supplied cable before send to customers?

Chances are the PCIe slots are OK, but at least you know for sure the extra video card slot is good, so you can test with that.

@ johndunn does xite will work on both x1 and x16 slots?

@JohnDunn - That is the best free advice I've ever seen

firubbi wrote:does sonic core check every xite-1 with the supplied cable before send to customers?

ask them. I would think they do, but the only people to confirm are the folks at S|C.

Chances are the PCIe slots are OK, but at least you know for sure the extra video card slot is good, so you can test with that.

@ johndunn does xite will work on both x1 and x16 slots?

firubbi: it would be a rare case where nothing but a gfx card works in that particular slot, but there are boards rumoured to behave that way. check with the manual.
normally a card with fewer lanes is supposed to run in a slot with more lanes with no problems.
I can't tell if there is a certain incompatibility with pcie v1.0 x1 cards running in a pcie v2.0 x16 slot that even might be restricted to gfx cards, but I would have assumed that the xite host card would at least work in a x1 slot or the x4 slot that he has, provided the review for the scan daw is correct, and he has a GB EX58 UD4.

HNTM, what bios revision does that board run with?
is there something changed in the pcie clock and voltage settings in the bios? did you try disabling NX?
maybe you could verify what mainboard is exactly installed. the pdf on scan.co.uk may be outdated...

Then again all this advice is pretty exceptional

hesnotthemessiah wrote:My PC has 2 lots of PCIE xI6 slots which I was using to run two graphics cards. I removed the second graphics card and tried the Xite-1 card in the PCIEx16 slot. Still get the same message Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1" when I try to install the driver and the card is not seen as an unknown device (with a yellow exclamation mark) in the device manager.

I think I have got a dodgy card!!

This is VERY VERY scary info for me to hear since my Motherboard is pretty identical to yours (i have the EX58 UD4P). I hope its not a mobo conflict. I should have my XITE-1 very soon, when i install it if i have success i'll let you know.

I have been in touch with Scan Computers who supplied my PC. I asked them about the chipset driver and they gave me a link to the latest one. I downloaded it. ran it. Got the message:-

This computer currently contains software version 9.1.0.1012, which is newer than the version you are about to install.

Are you sure you want to overwrite the current software with the older version 9.0.0.1008?

I checked on the intel website from where I downloaded the driver and the website confirmed that 9.0.0.1008 was the latest driver. I have emailed these details back to Scan Computers and am hoping for a reply back on Monday.

A very friendly, helpful and knowledgable computer repair person called round today with his own PC for me to test the Xite card on. The Xite card did not appear in any shape or form in the Device Manager on his PC. Nothing appeared as an unidentified device. But adding the Xite card to his PC caused some sort of conflict with his CDROM drive and so we were unable to use his CDROM drive to see if we could install the Xite driver on his PC. We tried disconnecting the CDROM drive in my new PC to see if that affected the Xite card - but the Xite card was still not recognised. He was pretty sure though that there was a fault with the card as Windows should have recognised that a card had been put into his PC and should have shown up in the device manager.

I really hope you get it working as it is such a pleasure to use.
I ran the C ++ x86 app first, then the Scope XITE-1 install, and everything was automated and easy.
I think everyone here knows I am a Moron with tech savvy stuff, but I didn't even have to call GaryB. I usually call him just for the simplest things as he can explain what to do over the phone w/o a PC in front of him.
I lack the knowledge to even guess what's wrong, but if the pins on the 1X card got bent somehow that would nice to know it's something so basic.
And as far as shipping w/o testing the unit, I find that very difficult to imagine.
I am sure on Monday things will get sorted out.
You must get this working...........Such a nice PC and rack of DSP's, I'd be having nightmares myself.
Besides, I need you guys to start posting so we can share things we discover and get our messages and wish lists back to Holget and the boys.
Strength In Numbers............


Cheers.

Hi there John. I have responded to your very helpful post below. I have highlighted my comments in bold:-



Sorry. I didn't realize you had 2 video cards. The BIOS checksum error was because it had been set up for SLI, then when you pulled one, it tried to recover. Anytime you get that, all you need to do is boot up the BIOS, reset to a known good state, or startup defaults, save and boot, then go back and bump whatever settings you need.

I pretty much agree with the other advice you've been getting, especially the part about substituting cables (unless they've been blessed by S/C). Now that you know that the x16 slots are good, I second the advise to remove everything from the computer except 1 video card, get that to work properly w/o the BIOS complaining, then install the Xite card and go from there.

Chances are the PCIe slots are OK, but at least you know for sure the extra video card slot is good, so you can test with that.

The Scope driver errors are the same ones I got with PCI-Scope 5 before I installed my Scope 5 drivers. Clearly it's a driver problem, either the driver is not being installed, or it's the wrong driver, or it's the right driver but having problems detecting the hardware.



[bI don't think it's a driver problem. The Xite card should appear in the device manager as an unknown device (with a yellow exclamation mark) and should be flagged as multimedia controller - it doesn't!![/b]



I know this is a bit like saying the patient died because his heart stopped, and your fustration level has to be redlining at this point. But most computer problems are fixible by the old Sherlock Holmes method of reducing the possibilities.

FWIW, here's a step by step that I would follow.
1. make sure the computer is otherwise working properly.
a. make sure it's a compatible OS (Windows XP Service Pack3 in this case, as you've stated)



yes, it Windows XP Service Pack 3



b. make sure your chip drivers are installed (this has been pointed out already. since you've bought this as a prebuilt DAW, I would assume they have done this, but you never know. It's easy enough to double check. You can download the INF drivers for your chipset from Intel, and if you don't know the chipset, there is a chipset ID utility. But the easiest thing is to just call the supplier of the computer. They probably included a CD, if not they will be able to supply a URL where you can download. It's a simple thing to install, just run the install program Intel supplies. You DO need to eliminate chipset drivers from the list of suspects, so take the time to do this and be done with it.



please see my previous post about my latest attempts to do this!



2. make sure the card is properly installed and seated in a working slot. I use a flashlight to peer into the case to make sure the card is seated. I pull it out and reseat it once or twice to make sure, then carefully screw down the holder ear, double check everything with the flashlight again. Those slot fingers are close together, and it's more likely a card is seated improperly than the slot is bad.

3. make sure the cabling is properly seated. Same deal, a careful, even obsessive flashlight inspection.



all well seated



4. finally, turn on Xite-1 and boot up. Most likely you will get the same message, "Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1." This is Scope looking for its drivers, obviously.



I don't know if you are thinking I get the message "Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1." once Windows XP has booted and XP should have recognised that a new card is in the PC. This is not the case. Windows XP does not give me any messages regarding finding a new device. The "Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1." message only appears when I try to install the Xite driver. I have tried to install the driver by:-

1) double clicking Xite-1 CDROM logo and following the procedure of installing the Scope5 software/Plugins and then the driver.
2) installing just the driver by double clicking SetupDriverScopeXite icon on the CDROM.

AlI I then get is the "Neither of the following devices found: "Sonic Core Xite-1." message.



....everything up to this point, you've already covered ad nauseum. I'm just trying to lay it all out in order, to eliminate as many variables as possible.

5. Install the drivers. My guess is that the hardware is all working OK, and the problem is somewhere in those three words: Install the drivers.
a. First try a shortcut. Go to the driver directory. It should be: "Scope\Driver\Windows XP & Vista (32-bit)" - at least that's what it is in the PCI version of Scope5. If not, go to "Scope\Driver" and look around for something that looks like "Windows XP 32." Inside the XP32 driver folder you should see a file with the ".inf" extension. Right click on that file, and select the context menu item, "Install." It may or may not work, don't be dismayed if it doesn't as many don't.



I right clicked the file and selected "Install". Nothing happened.



b. if that doesn't work, go ahead and run the install program from the S/C disk again. It's OK to reinstall Scope over an existing install, as long as it's the same version. I know, madness is doing the same thing and expecting different results. Think of it as ritual. If you get to a choice that allows you to install your own drivers, take it and lead it to the Scope Driver folder where the .inf file is located. It should give you something that indicates it found the drivers, and you can Next out of it and be happy.



I didn't get any option to install my own drivers.



c. if not, then install the driver manually:

- Go to: Start - Settings - Control Panel - Add Hardware. You will get a pop up dialog that says "Welcome to the Add Hardware Wizard."

- Click "Next." After a moment or two it will ask if you have already connected the hardware. Be sure Xite is turned on, and say "Yes...," then "Next."

- It will give you a list of installed hardware. You MAY get a listing for "Sonic Core Scope" or some such. If you do, highlight it and follow through, giving it the Driver folder with the .inf file.


- If none of this works, exit out and go to the Device Manager. One way to get to it is: Start - Settings - Control Panel - System - Hardware tab - Device Manager button.

- Look at "Sound, video and game controllers." See if "Sonic Core Scope" or some such is listed. If it is, right click on it, and select "Update Driver." If it is not, right click on "Sound, video, etc." and select "Scan for hardware changes." If it shows up now, select and "Update Driver."

- If you get to "Update Driver" it will display "Welcome to the Hardware Update Wizard" which will ask if Windows can look for it. Let it do this, sometimes you get lucky. If not, back up and do it manually. You will get to a dialog that asks for the installation CD. Most likely you will find a Scope/Driver folder in the CD that will work, but I don't know if S/C compressed their install program. Best just go to your already created Scope/Driver/Windows XP 32 (or whatever) folder where the .inf file is. This is what it wants. Give it that, and the driver should install.

- if you had to "Scan for hardware changes" in the previous step, and it did not find something Scope related, then you have gone as far as you can. It really isn't finding the hardware, and there is nothing else left to do but wait for S/C to help out. At least you will have proven that the problem is with the S/C hardware and not the computer or your installation.



Again the same thing:- nothing appeared relating to Sonic Core in "Sound, video and game controllers." . Everything in the list could be identified and accounted for as not being the Xite-1 card. "Scan for hardware changes" found nothing. I think I can safely say that there is a problem with the S/C hardware and not the computer or my installtion.



I hope this helps and doesn't just add to your very understandable frustration level.



Thankyou very much for spending so much time helping me sort this out. It is very much appreciated.

XITE-1/4LIVE wrote:I really hope you get it working as it is such a pleasure to use.
I ran the C ++ x86 app first, then the Scope XITE-1 install, and everything was automated and easy.
I think everyone here knows I am a Moron with tech savvy stuff, but I didn't even have to call GaryB. I usually call him just for the simplest things as he can explain what to do over the phone w/o a PC in front of him.
I lack the knowledge to even guess what's wrong, but if the pins on the 1X card got bent somehow that would nice to know it's something so basic.
And as far as shipping w/o testing the unit, I find that very difficult to imagine.
I am sure on Monday things will get sorted out.
You must get this working...........Such a nice PC and rack of DSP's, I'd be having nightmares myself.
Besides, I need you guys to start posting so we can share things we discover and get our messages and wish lists back to Holget and the boys.
Strength In Numbers............


Cheers.

hi there Jimmy. yes, it is very frustrating having a brand spanking new PC and the Xite-1 but not being able to use it. What is really frustrating is that I took voluntary redundancy a few months ago and decided to upgrade to the new PC and Xite-1 with a large chunk of the redundancy pay. Now that I have spent this money, I really need to think about looking for a new job!! I was really looking forward to having a few weeks to use my new gear, getting it setup and running as I want before I have to get myself a new job (if I can get one!! ) I did try the C ++ x86 app you sent me but this made no difference - thanks anyway I really have tried everything to get it working!!

Well, I'm sorry none of it worked for you. Clearly you have done everything possible to eliminate issues outside of the Xite hardware, so it pretty much has to be a problem with Xite. Hopefully S/C will be able to jump on this and get you up and running Xite bliss soon.

I don't remember where, nor I know if this is the case, but there was once an issue with XP that it has a fixed number of possible audio driver installs that leave a trace in the registry...something like 5 or 10...so if you don't uninstall them properly when you have something new you arrive at a point where it doesn't let you install anymore....Does anyone remember?

Hello,

could have been this one:
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_support_tech ... q_10entryd

Hope that helps.

Cheers Rolf

alfonso wrote:I don't remember where, nor I know if this is the case, but there was once an issue with XP that it has a fixed number of possible audio driver installs that leave a trace in the registry...something like 5 or 10...so if you don't uninstall them properly when you have something new you arrive at a point where it doesn't let you install anymore....Does anyone remember?

Thing is, this PC is brand new - I have had it for about two weeks and I have only tried to install the Xite-1 card on it.

Rolf wrote:Hello,

could have been this one:
http://www.rme-audio.de/en_support_tech ... q_10entryd

Hope that helps.

Cheers Rolf

Messing about with registries is not something I would do myself. I would need to get a Scan (the computer supplier) engineer to look into it. But I am 99.9% certain this is not the problem. It's a brand new PC with SP3 installed.


Thanks for the help though chaps. All you Zers have been great in helping me solve (or at least narrow down) the problem!

So did you ever get it running?....

hesnotthemessiah wrote:Messing about with registries is not something I would do myself. I would need to get a Scan (the computer supplier) engineer to look into it. But I am 99.9% certain this is not the problem. It's a brand new PC with SP3 installed.

No need to mess with the registry - it's just a command to tell windows to show all installed drivers, even for nonpresent devices. Even though your pc is brand new, chances are the good folks at Scan may have installed some other audio card for testing purposes, or something like that. Even old installations of your current hardware may still be there.

I once had that problem with MIDI drivers:

http://forums.planetz.com/viewtopic.php ... xp#p149295


Hope you get it running soon!

T

Tau wrote:

hesnotthemessiah wrote:Messing about with registries is not something I would do myself. I would need to get a Scan (the computer supplier) engineer to look into it. But I am 99.9% certain this is not the problem. It's a brand new PC with SP3 installed.

No need to mess with the registry - it's just a command to tell windows to show all installed drivers, even for nonpresent devices. Even though your pc is brand new, chances are the good folks at Scan may have installed some other audio card for testing purposes, or something like that. Even old installations of your current hardware may still be there.

I once had that problem with MIDI drivers:

http://forums.planetz.com/viewtopic.php ... xp#p149295


Hope you get it running soon!

T

I have installed my old Audiophile 2496 PCI soundcard in the PC for now. No problems with it. So I think that rules out the XP having "a fixed number of possible audio driver installs that leave a trace in the registry" problem as mentioned by Alfonso.

johndunn wrote:So did you ever get it running?....

It should be with Sonic Core today for them to take a look at it.

Hope they find, repair & send it back to you as quick as possible.

iSiStOy wrote:Hope they find, repair & send it back to you as quick as possible.

Cheers iSiStOy.

Well, I have been advised by Parcel Force that my Xite-1 is in Coventry in England. It hasn't left England yet! Not bad considering it left my local Post Office 6 working days ago and Global Priority to Germany is supposed to be a guaranteed 3 days! Parcel Farce told me I could make a claim for compensation, so I might have a chance of getting my £50 back. I used the Parcel Farce online tracking system, which is a joy to behold:-


Date Time Location Tracking Event

15-07-2009 06:00 International Hub Despatched from hub
14-07-2009 22:04 International Hub Left origin country
14-07-2009 02:35 International Hub Arrived at outward Office of Exchange
13-07-2009 18:51 National Hub Sorted in hub
09-07-2009 23:30 International Hub Arrived at outward Office of Exchange
08-07-2009 19:04 Reading (Satellite) Depot On route to hub
08-07-2009 13:42 Reading (Satellite) Depot Collected from customer
08-07-2009 13:39 School Road Collected from Post Office Branch
07-07-2009 16:43 WDM Online


So, it arrived at the outward Office of Exchange International Hub on 09-07-2009 at 23:30 . It was then sorted in the National Hub on 13-07-2009 at 18:51. It then arrived (again) at the outward Office of Exchange International Hub on 14-07-2009 at 02:35.

It then left the origin country from the International Hub on 14-07-2009 at 22:04. It then left the International Hub again 8 hours later at 06:00 . Oh yes, Parcel Farce advised me a few minutes ago (15-07-09 at 14.30) that it is still at Coventry, England.