Specifications

[stublack]

In the list for 4.1 it says something about computer specifications.

Will these specifications be for just 4.1 or for all future changes for 4.xx?

What are the specifications? For each specification can you tell us how to tell if we meet them now or not.

If we no longer meet specifications can you give some advise of ways to get to spec in an inexpensive way for those of us who cannot do the work ourselves?

Thanks, Stu

[ddouglass]

Any specification changes would be for all forward, not just that version.
I don't know where your looking because there are no specs listed for just 4.10. In fact the changes for 4.10 have been removed from the list as the next version is not ready yet. There are specs for your computer listed on the Video Hoster 4.06a page and those are currently the requirements.

[stublack]

It said something about when you install 4.1 it will check or have you check that you meet specs and you cannot continue until you do or something like that. I can't find that statement again. Where do I find the specs for 4.06a?

[ddouglass]

The next version released will check that you have a computer processor that is fast enough and that you have enough memory in the computer. That is all it will check.
The specs for 4.06a are on the sales page for 4.06a listed as Computer Requirements. As long as you meet the minimum then you should be ok.

[Joe Nieves]

Hey Dale

What's Up with 4.10 there is an eerie silence around is everything ok?

Joe....

[ddouglass]

I am not at liberty to say. Admin should be posting something soon (and I don't mean a couple of hours).

[Joe Nieves]

Thinks for that dale

Joe...

[stublack]

I found the 4.06a specifications

I definitely meet #1 and #2 but have no idea if I meet #3 and #4

I have 5 laptops (4 - XP) (1 - Vista)

3 and 4 are listed as 1 and 2 below

1. Graphics Video card with at least 128MB of RAM (or on-board graphics chip using at least 128MB system RAM) that supports Direct-X 9.0b or higher (cards with less than 32MB RAM usually don't support 9.0b). Dual-display requires an ATI Radeon 9000 or higher, or NVidia equivalent (not recommended). S3 video cards or chips in laptop computers do NOT support Direct-X 9.0.
2. Processor running at least 1.5 GHz. Windows XP runs correctly with 1GB system RAM, while Vista requires at least 2GB RAM to run smoothly

Thanks for any help you can give me on helping determine if I'm Good here. If not any suggestions on what to do about it

[ddouglass]

Right Click on My Computer icon on your desktop and go to Properties. The screen that opens tells you about your computer Processor speed and amount of RAM at the bottom of the first tab.
Your Video Ram is trickier especially for laptops. Most use what is called Shared Memory (RAM) which means it is borrowed from the main memory. This information you would need to find in the specs for your computer from the manufacturer. Shared memory has been causing sync problems for some using laptops for any 4.0x version. With this there is a lot of tweaking of background programs and services to get the sync right, but it will work.
I take it you haven't upgraded to any of the version 4 releases.

[stublack]

I have upgraded all 5 computers and having a couple problems with 2.

1 laptop is very slow when bringing up the singers database. 3 laptops the singers database works fine, the other one I've not tried I have other problems with that laptop mentioned below.

1 laptop on 4.03 and now on 4.06a will take 30 - 60 seconds to start playing the first song of the night, then it's fine from that point on.
Since I've upgraded this one to 4.06a I have an additional problem. 6 out of 10 times I've run a show on this laptop since the upgrade, I've had a Hoster not responding and it will shut down. One night it happened twice. 3 out of the 7 times when I bring Hoster back up, the marquee is set back to a previous setting and the play list will be old as much as an hour old. I've worked through this. I've not tried to use the singers database on this second computer so I don't know if it's a problem as well.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by stublack

1 laptop is very slow when bringing up the singers database. 3 laptops the singers database works fine, the other one I've not tried I have other problems with that laptop mentioned below.

If this is what I think it is this has been worked on and fixed for the next release. The problem usually involves singers with large groups of songs and the refresh/listing setting. Just out of curiousity does the first singer in the list have a large number of songs?

Originally Posted by stublack

1 laptop on 4.03 and now on 4.06a will take 30 - 60 seconds to start playing the first song of the night, then it's fine from that point on.

Make sure you have done all the items listed in one of these two links depending what OS it is.
http://www.mtu.com/upgrades/hoster/v...de-hoster4.htm
http://www.mtu.com/upgrades/hoster/xp-changes.htm

Originally Posted by stublack

Since I've upgraded this one to 4.06a I have an additional problem. 6 out of 10 times I've run a show on this laptop since the upgrade, I've had a Hoster not responding and it will shut down. One night it happened twice. 3 out of the 7 times when I bring Hoster back up, the marquee is set back to a previous setting and the play list will be old as much as an hour old. I've worked through this. I've not tried to use the singers database on this second computer so I don't know if it's a problem as well.

The information saving (Playlist, etc.) has been fixed for the next release. The problem was it only saved when you close the program normally. Now it saves anytime you make a change.
Not sure about the crashes, but I suspect it may be something to do with either WMP or IE since Hoster uses both programs. Make sure you have all the Custom updates from Microsoft except the Hardware ones.

[stublack]

I have always made all custom updates. I was not aware till now that I shouldn't make the hardware updates. The computer I'm having the crashing problem on has always been XP. I say that because I converted 2 of my laptops from Vista to XP and I have one more that I will convert soon (No problems with 4.03 on this one so far).

Should I do a system restore on this XP laptop that is crashing?

I did not understand the hiding and how to do that.

[Joe Nieves]

Hi stublack

You may be better off to repair from your Xp operating system disk.

Just boot from it and chose repair option.

Joe....

[Beavis]

here it is step by step:

http://www.informationweek.com/windo...leID=189400897

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by stublack

I have always made all custom updates. I was not aware till now that I shouldn't make the hardware updates. The computer I'm having the crashing problem on has always been XP. I say that because I converted 2 of my laptops from Vista to XP and I have one more that I will convert soon (No problems with 4.03 on this one so far).

Should I do a system restore on this XP laptop that is crashing?

I did not understand the hiding and how to do that.

What Joe and Beavis aren't saying is a restore will not remove any of the upgrades/patches that are installed so no that won't work.
My suggestion would be to go to the MFG web, find the driver updates they have for your model and install them from there. Or if you remember what hardware was "upgraded" in the Hardware Device Manager find the item(s) and rollback the driver.
The not installing the Hardware upgrades from Microsoft is a recent "discovery" when several people were suddenly having problems after installing video or sound card updates through them. They are not always the most current or correct drivers for your system. Best place for getting driver updates has always been the MFG.

[Beavis]

dale i could have swore the last time i did it, it did remove all updates (windows that is). maybe im wrong.

[stublack]

Thanks, I'll try to do this. I will not get to it until sometime next week, I'll keep you updated on my progress.

[stublack]

What should I do for any hardware updates I might have made from those XP laptops that I converted from Vista?

Thanks, Stu

[ddouglass]

What brand are they? They should have both Vista and XP drivers.

[stublack]

One is Compaq the other Gateway. The third one that I have not converted yet is HP.

The guy who did the conversions for me said that the MFG did not have XP drivers available for the Vista machines, said something about an agreement with Microsoft. I know he was on google trying to find drivers that would work. There is one driver on the Gateway machine (a driver that I can do without, don't remeber now what it was) that's not there because he could not find a replacement. I don't know if others who converted their machines ran into these same problems.

I called some of the computer stores in the area and they told me the same thing about unavailable drivers and the need for trial and error to make the Vista to XP conversion.

If there is a simpler better way I'm certainly all ears!!