MicroStudio 3.004. My laptop won't recognize working folder contents correctly

[EdS]

MicroStudio 3.004. My Toshiba 1955 S-805 laptop won't recognize default working folder contents correctly, after I copy files from my home computer to my laptop. The .kma and .bin files are displayed in Windows XP explorer on the laptop, but 3.004 doesn't show them as being present. On my home computer, MicroStudio 3.004 reads default working folder contents correctly. Using VISTA on home computer and XP on laptop.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by EdS

MicroStudio 3.004. My Toshiba 1955 S-805 laptop won't recognize working folder contents correctly, after I copy files from my home computer to my laptop. The .kma and .bin files are displayed in Windows XP explorer on the laptop, but 3.004 doesn't show them as being present. Using VISTA on home computer and XP on laptop.

I don't think Microstudio version 3.004 works .kma or .bin files. What version are you using on your desktop?

[EdS]

On my home computer, MicroStudio 3.004 reads default working folder contents correctly

[ddouglass]

3.004 was so far back I can't remember. Just as a wild stab, what size are the individual files on the laptop after you copy them there? Do they show a size of 3 - 6 Mb for KMA files and 30 - 40 MB for the BIN files?

[EdS]

Yes; and, the files are the EXACT same size in both locations. No problem with the home computer recognizing them and playing them perfectly.

[George]

BIN and KMA came into being in Microstudio with version 3.000...

This is strange...usually this could be expected with Vista, not XP.

You don't have Internet Explorer 7 do you? I and others have encountered similar problems with it and went back to IE6.

[EdS]

I have IE-7, but I use FireFox. Anyway, what would an internet browser's presence have to do with 3.004's operation? Also, IE-7 is present (and used occasionally) on the home desktop computer, but it doesn't affect that computer. Thanks.

[George]

Originally Posted by EdS

I have IE-7, but I use FireFox. Anyway, what would an internet browser's presence have to do with 3.004's operation? Also, IE-7 is present (and used occasionally) on the home desktop computer, but it doesn't affect that computer. Thanks.

The problem I had with IE7 was programs being denied access to some folders which made absolutely no sense at all for a browser. When I went back to IE6 the problem went away. It's screwy because others are using it with no problems, but some of us went nuts dealing with it. Same with Vista, it's a case by case situation.

When I saw you missing files, the possibility of it being related to the problem I had (program being denied access to folders) popped into mind with IE7. Vista proper is being blamed for a degree of stuff that's being caused by IE7, which is bundled with Vista.

Take care

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by EdS

I have IE-7, but I use FireFox. Anyway, what would an internet browser's presence have to do with 3.004's operation? Also, IE-7 is present (and used occasionally) on the home desktop computer, but it doesn't affect that computer. Thanks.

I have used IE7 since it came out and never had any problem either.
The only other outside thing I can think of is your laptop current with the Microsoft Updates from the Custom updates?
Also how were the files imported and did you use Songverter to convert them to those formats? Reason I ask is there was a minor problem where Microstudio would not read some of the conversions but that was fixed in next version.

[EdS]

I didn't use songverter - I don't own it. I did, however, create these files with KHP 4.107. Again, my VISTA desktop has no problems. I always download the windows updates for the laptop whenever I get the notice that updates are available. Are there special non-routine updates that I should look for?.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by EdS

I didn't use songverter - I don't own it. I did, however, create these files with KHP 4.107. Again, my VISTA desktop has no problems. I always download the windows updates for the laptop whenever I get the notice that updates are available. Are there special non-routine updates that I should look for?.

Absolutely. Go to Start/ Windows Update. When the web page opens to give you options choose the Custom and not the Express. The Auto Update you use and the Express Update on their web site only install those items deemed by Microsoft as being critical security updates.There are a lot more updates that do not install with the Auto Update. I always advise everyone to install all of those listed for your computer, because you never know what will fix your problem. One person had installed everything except a Korean Language update and still could not get an MTU program to work right. When they installed it the program started working. Go figure!
Be sure and keep going back to the Update page until there is nothing left, because patches and updates for some programs like .Net Framework will not show until the basic is loaded.

[EdS]

Well ... I feel pretty embarrassed. I assumed that the software read the folder contents all by itself. NOPE !!! I wasn't heeding the "Refresh My Songs" button.

And of course, it adds every audio file that I happen to have in the same folder to the list, so now I have to sort through that mess to determine which are karaoke files and which aren't (I often name the karaoke track the SAME as the backing track, as a bookkeeping convenience to me).

My heartfelt thanks to you people who reached out to support me through this idiotic situation.

Is it too much to expect, that the software would accomplish this, all by itself? Is there ever a situation where you wouldn't want the the folder's content to be up-to-date? So why, when the software starts, doesn't it look for; and LIST, the current karaoke-type files ONLY? What are those people doing at MTU to make the product perform like a "mainstream" Windows product?

[ddouglass]

I wasn't sure when they added the refresh button to the screen, so I didn't mention it....sorry. If you import a cd song then it adds it to the list. Also, if it is the first time you have gone to a folder with Microstudio then it creates the list.
The purpose behind making it a "manual" refresh was to prevent Microstudio from having to rebuild the list every time you go into a folder. This was included when Microstudio was given the capability to play and use KMA files to burn back to CDs. Most of us using Hoster have many thousands of KMA files in one folder. To rebuild that list every time takes far to long.
If you were to update to the latest version those files (karaoke and audio) show in separate lists depending on the button you use. It also has amazing error correction for bad CDs. I have seen for myself a badly scratched CD import all of the files with little to no glitches in the graphics.

[EdS]

Thanks, again, for all your troubles. I would definitely upgrade, but they have a caveat on their site that says it won't run on laptops. I seem to be able to run the the newest version's demo OK, but I want to be sure everything is under control before I make a major leap into "breaking my fixed situation."

[EdS]

.

[EdS]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

I wasn't sure when they added the refresh button to the screen, so I didn't mention it....sorry. If you import a cd song then it adds it to the list. Also, if it is the first time you have gone to a folder with Microstudio then it creates the list.

I am not sure that this is true for 3.004. I actually UN-INSTALLED it (3.004) from my laptop with Control Panel, and re-installed it from the website and it still gave me the IDENTICAL old troubling "cached" folder result.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by EdS

Thanks, again, for all your troubles. I would definitely upgrade, but they have a caveat on their site that says it won't run on laptops. I seem to be able to run the the newest version's demo OK, but I want to be sure everything is under control before I make a major leap into "breaking my fixed situation."

Where did you get that it won't run on laptops? The only requirements for the newer ones (4.003 and beyond) is that they be connected to the internet when installing for registration purposes and be Windows 2000 or newer.

[EdS]

I got this from the 4.006 specs page: Computer Requirements

1. A Windows/PC computer with at least 2GB of free hard drive space. NOTE: Microstudio 4.001 and higher requires Windows 2000+SR4, or XP Home/Pro/Media Center+SR2, or Vista with .NET Framework v1.1 or higher.

2. Graphics video card with 32MB or more of RAM that supports Direct-X 9.0 or higher (cards with less than 32MB RAM usually don't support 9.0 - MTU recommends ATI Radeon cards).
Video cards with S3 chips {sic !!} [[ or in laptop computers ]] don't support Direct-X 9.0. ....... I can say that the demo APPEARS to be functioning correctly in my Toshiba laptop.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by EdS

I got this from the 4.006 specs page: Computer Requirements

1. A Windows/PC computer with at least 2GB of free hard drive space. NOTE: Microstudio 4.001 and higher requires Windows 2000+SR4, or XP Home/Pro/Media Center+SR2, or Vista with .NET Framework v1.1 or higher.

2. Graphics video card with 32MB or more of RAM that supports Direct-X 9.0 or higher (cards with less than 32MB RAM usually don't support 9.0 - MTU recommends ATI Radeon cards).
Video cards with S3 chips {sic !!} [[ or in laptop computers ]] don't support Direct-X 9.0. ....... I can say that the demo APPEARS to be functioning correctly in my Toshiba laptop.

There not saying all laptops. And todays laptops do support DirectX 9. As long as the demo works for yours then there is no reason you can't upgrade to 4.006.

[EdS]

Originally Posted by ddouglass

They're not saying all laptops. And today's laptops do support DirectX 9. As long as the demo works for yours then there is no reason you can't upgrade to 4.006.

My Toshiba is a 2003. I can hardly qualify it as a "today's laptops", but I am optimistic. I will try to delve deeper into the video hierarchy of the Toshiba to see if it utilizes S3 chips. Also, is there a way to tell if I can utilize DirectX 9 on my laptop?