AIW Driver Mess... Sifting through and getting confuzzled

Judas · Jul 6, 2004, 07:18 PM

OK..

I've basically worked this all out in my head now after taking suggestions from Chaos about installing the nessities for my 9000pro AIW...

HOWEVER... now i feel that i've got it all figured out how to install the omegas... plus the drivers for the aiw wonder parts....

I'd like to now install the latest updates FRESHLY on my next format... (gonna go through a format and install about 1 once a day or every other day till i get it all full out flat with ZERO problems or backstepping to trying to figure out something that might have been messed up... with the latest updates in one go...

Anyways... currently here's how i did it in my last install...

Install omegas fully

Reboot

Open installer for the official 4.6's and hit custom install.... uncheck Control Panel AND Drivers.... and keep Multimedia Drivers selected... install

reboot

Pop the ATI Disk from my 9000 pro aiw in and start the installer for it... hit custom install... uncheck DRIVERS and Control panel along wtih Multimedia Drivers... i also uncheck optional Hydra vision and the Guide Plus whatever it is... Leaving me with the DVD Decoder.... Multimedia ceneter 8.1 and a few others... but one thing that stands out is "Unified Component Install" (i installed this)

reboot

done

NOW... i've downloaded Multimedia Center 9.1 and the latest DVD Decorder and whatever this DAO/MDAC is...

Now am i right to assume that "Unified Component Install" and the DAO/MDAC are pretty well the same thing.... as there the only two i'm not sure of.... and i can't find updates for the "Unified Component Install" let alone DAO/MDAC drivers on the install disk...

Anyone else want to pass on a little info about there method of installation and how you cope with updates..

I do beleive that i think ...personally.... that ATI should develop a similare package that are for current "High speed" drivers.... only have one additional "Highspeed FULL AIW" drivers which includes the latest Hydra vision, Latest DVD Decoder... the works so we don't have to nit pick and run multiple installers and try and figure this out... it almost makes even ME want to just drop the ball and just use the Supplied disk for the package regardless of the updates as the installation process is pretty picky...

NO offence.... just spitting out my useless opinion

... But i would GREATLY appreciate... and i KNOW alot of other would appreciate a FULL massive installer for AIW cards only.... This in the end may actually save ATI alot of installation greef for those with problems and wish to update or those who are like me and just want the latest updates regardless wether or not they have issues with the supplied installation.... AND it may actually save Bandwidth as seperating all these installers into seperate packages most of the time results in larger download when put together....

Catalyst maker, any form of responce from you would be GREATLY appreciated....

Judas · Jul 6, 2004, 09:37 PM

er.... If anyone thinks the unified completely AIW only Driver package is a good idea.... i'd suggest you spit out a responce... or it'll never even be considered....

Vampyromaniac · Jul 6, 2004, 11:59 PM

you can download the WDM/capture drivers seperately, you know.
so I would:

install WDM/capture drivers, no reboot
install Omegadrivers with CP
reboot
install DAO/MDAC (from Internet)
install DVD decoder (from Internet)
install MMC (from Internet)
rebooting whenever the latter 3 ask you to

DAO is needed for the MMC Library. I don't know what the UCI is, don't worry about it, prob been phased out.

Personally, I just install the one big package from ATI, then the DAO/DVD/MMC.
Yes, a true "one big Catalyst" package would be nice for broadband users, since all those are technically part of CATALYST.

Judas · Jul 7, 2004, 01:26 AM

I was reading up on the installation notes.... kinda confusing there as they mention something about sticking in the orginal CD and then having it download from the internet itself and install.... er...... *lost*.... I know you can install the nessary drivers.... but it's somewhat confusing when the names given in the driver sets and what's displayed for downloads are different...

Vampyromaniac · Jul 7, 2004, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Judas
I was reading up on the installation notes.... kinda confusing there as they mention something about sticking in the orginal CD and then having it download from the internet itself and install.... er...... *lost*....

that would be the DVD decoder.
you download their file, run it, it asks for the CD for proof of purchase, then downloads the actual decoder files.
no biggie.

Quote:

I know you can install the nessary drivers.... but it's somewhat confusing when the names given in the driver sets and what's displayed for downloads are different...

the WDM/capture drivers are labelled "tv-capture-wdm....",
the DAO/MDAC is labelled "mmc......dao-mdac",
the CD verifier for the DVD decoders is "atiCDwiz.....",
and the mmc itself is "mmc......" without dao-mdac at the end

Judas · Jul 7, 2004, 01:54 AM

The "WDM/Capture drivers" are actually labled as "Multimedia Drivers" in the installers...

Vampyromaniac · Jul 7, 2004, 02:41 AM

ahh thought you meant filenames

Rayder · Jul 7, 2004, 01:27 PM

One thing I found absolutely necessary......especially when updating drivers without updating the MMC is after updating your drivers, re-run the MMC setup.exe and select "repair" to reassociate the MMC with the updated drivers. I never had a problem doing that, might work with Omega drivers too.

Where I get a little confused is updating the MMC, I usually just install them right over top of the the older MMC, so far I haven't had any problems doing that.....other than seeing multiple versions listed in add/remove programs. I know SOME versions of MMC require previous installs of an older MMC to be there before it will allow the update....quite confusing at times.

As for that needing the original install disk thing.....yeah, that's for the DVD decoder. I just tend to have the disk in the drive when updating the MMC, when it asks for the disk number, open explorer and copy/paste the number that the disk comes up as in the drive, it will then proceed to give you an option to download the updated decoder from ATI or to load it from a specific location if you already downloaded it before.

It does seem a little on the complicated side, doesn't it? I mean, an AIW card has alot of driver pieces to install.....I wish ATI could find a way to simplify that a bit. It gets quite tedious after awhile, especially if you have multiple PC's with AIW cards to update.

Judas · Jul 9, 2004, 12:47 AM

agreed Rayder.... i'm considering setting up a few PC's with AIW cards considering the power they have and the excellent abilities..... I'm even pushing to build Massive Multimedia Entertainment setups for some people.... and with AIW tech.... there is pretty well no limits.... i actually had a buddy over and even with the crappy tv i have with crappy built in audio... he was pretty well drooling AND having a hard time keeping his jaw of the floor..... This in one of my buddies that i had been telling him over and over that a computer in any decent form could blow ANY console package out of the water.... Load up Quake 1.... then load up NHL2001.. then NES Metroid or SMB3 or Super metroid or .... hell you name it.... Midnight Club 2.... image quality surpasses it in EVERY form.... True Surround sound support.... And not even the slightest hint of a slowdown PLUS the ability to INSTANTLY take advantage of say setting up or getting a new tv or amplifier... I think every household could easily afford a fairly cheap Media center computer.... i could build on HERE for well under $1000 and that'll build em a pretty damn nice rig....