Incomplete Imports in New Microstudio

[jahern]

I am having no success importing complete songs. The program will start importing a song then say that the song is imported when the song is either not complete or even has a Name but zero size. If the process actually gets underway and I see the import progress bar, there is invariably a long pause somewhere in the middle, then the program says the song is imported without finishing the progress bar.

Microstudio 3.xxx says my drive reads and writes and I was able to import songs with the demo (incomplete of course) and I purchased the new software even though my earlier version works fine with the plextor drives I have installed in my desktop.

This drive is a USB
HP DVD Writer 840e 66FF
I have the software installed on a laptop, hence the need to use the USB Drive
(The program is pretty useless to me if I can't use this drive)

I have been out of these forums for a while so I don't know if the issue has been discussed.

[ddouglass]

Which version are you using? 3.003 fixed most problems with the drives, so if you are using any of the other 3.00x then you need to upgrade.

[jahern]

I'm using 3.003

I guess I just bought the software before I knew that it would work for me. I get partial imports. Some other software, the demos I have are also "hampered" will import exactly the amount of time that they say. Sometimes there are problems with the quality of the imports. When I compare them, the Microstudio imports have the same problems (using this drive, which was the whole point of getting the software) Usually when I switch to a computer with a Plextor drive the imports are good using older versions of Microstudio. I have not tried to install the new Microstudio to the other computer.

Oh well.

Perhaps hampering the demos in a different way will give a better idea of compatability (Like complete random imports or a logo or something)

At least it wasn't $39; it was discounted for the holidays

[admin]

Welcome back jahern. Can you give us some facts we can work with. It is clear you have a problem, but you have given us no facts to go on.

Try installing on your system with the Plextor drives. I don't know if the HP DVD will work or not. From what we are seeing from thousands of users, version 3.003 is very clean. There are no reported problems with partial imports. Also, I clearly remember your prior complaints about Microstudio cutting off the end of imported songs. We tested that on a number of drives with 3.300 and never found a problem. The 3.x code is new, not an evolution of the older Microstudio 2.613 code.

To start with, please read these instructions for asking for help.

Give a clear description of the problem, any error messages you get, what DiscIDs you are using, are they multisession or not, how long are the original files and how long are the imported ones, etc.

Please, don't confuse everyone with multiple problems reported in the same sentence or paragraph. Clearly define one problem in a post. If you have a second problem, it is best for everyone if you make a second post. That way, we can quote the one we are answering and it is clear to everyone what the analysis is from anyone answering you.

[jahern]

What kind of information would be helpful?
I gave the Drive #
It's USB
I get partial imports

I haven't installed my new software on the computer with the Plextor Drives, but I will if I can.

PS. I was going to congratulate you on getting rid of the way Microstudio Player would cut off the last few seconds of a song (sometimes cutting the music short). I tested for that before receiving the above post.

[jahern]

Installed Microstudio on my computer with the Plextor Drives

Tried to import "Friends in Low Places" from a cd-r Disc (Not original store disc)

Results:
Microstudio with Plextor-Complete Import Clean as a whistle 4:30
Microstudio with HP DVD840-Incomplete Import, but Clean 1:56
XXXXXX Software with HP DVD840-Complete Import, Useable but not perfectly clean -a little dirty before 1:56 mark, but starts to really get dirty some time after the 1:56 mark. Listed as 4:28 (not sure where the two seconds came from)

[admin]

Originally Posted by jahern

Installed Microstudio on my computer with the Plextor Drives

Tried to import "Friends in Low Places" from a cd-r Disc (Not original store disc)

Results:
Microstudio with Plextor-Complete Import Clean as a whistle 4:30
Microstudio with HP DVD840-Incomplete Import, but Clean 1:56
XXXXXX Software with HP DVD840-Complete Import, Useable but not perfectly clean -a little dirty before 1:56 mark, but starts to really get dirty some time after the 1:56 mark. Listed as 4:28 (not sure where the two seconds came from)

As stated above, please read these instructions for asking for help.

The detail in this post is more helpful. It appears that our 3.303 code may not be recognizing the HP DVD drive fully. To test this, please try importing some store bought CDG discs and report what you find. Try more than one disc, and please, don't use SC or Chartbuster discs... anyone else is better!

Since your CDR custom disc imported correctly on your Plextor drive, that seems to support my hyphothesis that the HP drive is not being recognized correctly.

PS: Sorry about my mistake on "import" versus "play". Yes, we tested playing and ending short. I had added this problem to our spec when you repored it a long time ago and we looked for but never found a bug. The problem was tied to our prior evolved Microstuido 2.x code. The 3.x code (from Hoster), as you see, solved the problem. Our Play.lib source code is identical in both 2.x and 3.x. I never doubted the accurancy of your reported problem, we just couldn't spend any more time than we did trying to find the cause. Just goes to prove that software can be very finiky at times!

[jahern]

Four Points:

1-Testing on other more pristine discs is not relevant to my need. Mine is not a professional, or Hoster-Worthy, situation. The purpose for purchasing the new Microstudio was so that if someone came to me with one of their discs, I could use my drive to download the song and play it on the laptop that my school issued to me. I got a great deal on the drive ($40 with rebate) and was optimistic that everything would work together.

2-I tried my drive with the Demo. I guess I didn't test it well enough and bought the full version. My conclusion, similar to yours was expressed in the third post. My drive doesn't work well with the software.

3-I found other software the day before yesterday, free even, that imports the songs fully, but not cleanly, so in a way my real problem is solved.

4-I'm sure I will get good use out of this new Microstudio, but not now. I think I'm done with this issue.

Sorry if I "confused everybody"

[admin]

When Microstudio 3.100 is released (it will be announced on our web home page), you can get a free copy by running your Microstudio, click the Help menu and "Check for Updates" command. In the page that appears there is a Download button. Click it and save the 3.100 file to your hard drive... and make a CDROM backup.

We replaced the CD/DVD drive interface code with new code that "should" work with all drives. One of our Beta Testers has an HP 840VI DVD Light Scribe drive. However, he has had some problems with it being recognized, which indicates this drive is using some interfacing means that is not fully MMC compliant. We will continue to work with him to try to work with this drive also. Just wanted to give you a heads up...

[jahern]

1. I look forward to the update, thank you for your good work.

2. (FYI) MTU issued me a help ticket response advising me to upgrade the firmware. When I installed it, the software that I said imported the songs completely, but not cleanly, started importing the songs incompletely matching the import lengths of Microstudio. I reset my hard drive to before the install. This info might be helpful. (FYI)

[dclark]

Originally Posted by jahern

2. (FYI) MTU issued me a help ticket response advising me to upgrade the firmware. When I installed it, the software that I said imported the songs completely, but not cleanly, started importing the songs incompletely matching the import lengths of Microstudio. I reset my hard drive to before the install. This info might be helpful. (FYI)

So, a firmware upgrade of the HP Drive actually made the other vendor's software get worse? Do you have the version numbers of these two firmware versions? Maybe HP needs to be informed about this.

[ddouglass]

Originally Posted by jahern

(FYI) MTU issued me a help ticket response advising me to upgrade the firmware. When I installed it, the software that I said imported the songs completely, but not cleanly, started importing the songs incompletely matching the import lengths of Microstudio. I reset my hard drive to before the install. This info might be helpful. (FYI)

What firmware did you update? Restoring to before the install of any firmware isn't going to change that update. Firmware is resident on the equipment item not part of the software on the hard drive.

[jahern]

Upgraded to 4.000 and have the same incomplete imports. Darn!
In the mean time I found another good deal on a USB Drive and this one works with 3.004 (Haven't tested it with 4.000 )