VIDA DICE, which one to buy?

[precopster]

I've been running a VM Ware Image of Vida 2012B on my main PC from these links:

https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... it=VM+Ware

now for almost 4 months and they are virus and vice free (well they were virus free 4 months ago)

[mouseskowitz]

Thanks. I'll have to look into that. I had tried installing VM ware on my desktop but it didn't play nice. Might have to try it on one of my laptops. The laptop I've been messing with is a spare and is old and slow.

[benrk]

I do not have Dice yet & haven't been playing with windows machines in a couple of years, but USB to COM drivers having trouble & devices through such a driver not being recogniced sounds to me as if you could possibly have not set the com port # correctly, I've had such troubles with phone data cables & GPS antennas that were designed for serial port a decade or more ago, windows assigns a port # to these virtual ports & always starts with 1 with the device 1st connected, you can assign a # manually in the device driver which windows then will mostly use with said device (sometimes it forgets) & then you should be able to assign said # to the device in the software you want to use & now that windows & the programm both use the same port, it usually works.
As I said, I have no direct experience with your problem at hand, if this has nothing to do with it, just disregard.

Good luck, Ben

[mouseskowitz]

I know what you're talking about with the COM port issues, I've messed with a GPS or two as well. I'll go back and look harder, but I haven't seen anything for port settings in the applications. With the device recognition issue I'm not sure things are even getting to the point of talking to the port.

[mouseskowitz]

It turns out XP can be a royal pain to install!!! I have several hours into it today and still no luck. We'll see what the next few days hold.

[sergio]

mouseskowitz, I installed mine on an old laptop after reformatting the HD and installing a version of XP SP3 (instead or the original Vista).
If you don't have an old computer to dedicate to this, try a double boot.
I'm not sure how to double boot with an older version of Windows. Windows doesn't accept an older version on top a newer one, but I think I have done it /seen it in the past.

If that doesn't work, you may have to reformat your computer, install a XP first, then your newer Windows. But you will have to re install ALL your programs.
It is drastic, but a purge doesn't harm windows.
Backup your ALL documents if it ever come to this.

[mouseskowitz]

That's kind of where I'm at right now. I haven't been able to get the dual boot to work with Windows 7 installed. I need to make sure my wife has all her files off it before I do a full reformat of the drive since it's her old computer. The problem I'm having at the moment is on the restart of the installation I get an error that could be one of a ton of things. I'll keep messing with it and hopefully get it up and running soon.

[sergio]

You could also use a hard disk clone/backup program to save whatever you have, if ever something happened.
Consider programs like Acronis. "//thepiratebay.sx" is a good place to look for

[mouseskowitz]

I have a Windows Home Server, so backup isn't an issue. Right now the USB drive keeps getting screwed up on the install. I'm wondering if the installation process is changing a file on it and causing the restart to fail. I'm reformatting it again. If it doesn't work this time I'll figure out where my DVDs are, burn one and get my USB DVD drive up and running.

[mouseskowitz]

Finally got XP installed. If you have the option use or burn a disk, installed without a problem with a DVD. So, this DICE is officially a broke @$$ POS by my assessment. Same lack of being recognized by windows and reported as malfunctioning. Waiting to hear back from the seller on a refund or whatever.