Cannot install Earthsoft PV4 on my 3 computers...

[Mysteriouskk]

I'm having problems installing my PV4 on three of my systems.

I have two systems with a E6600 and Gigabyte mobos, and one system with a AMD 64 processor and Asus mobo.
Plenty of ram for all the systems and I have tried Vista, XP and 2000 on each of them, but none of them worked with the Earthsoft. It either does not recognize the card when I placed it in the system, or there are driver issues.

Anyone have any luck installing this or maybe the PV3? What kind of system did you have?

Also, because it is a Japanese product, would that have any effect on installing it on a US computer? Do I need special drivers or something, because I tried installing the Japanese IME language stuff and codecs, but it didn't work either. Could the PCI card be broken? It recognized the card before, but had driver issues.

Thanks

[oldandinthe way]

From the info on their site, there may be issues based on PCI slot voltages. 3.3v ok, 5v possible problem.

It also appears they may have to flash updates for certain configurations.

Might be a neat gadget but not yet a product in the open the box and install sense.

Lots of luck trouble shooting this given the language barrier.

Do you have any documentation on address space, and IRQ requirements. Often nifty products like this may conflict with requirements of vodeo cards and other devices.

[Mysteriouskk]

Do you think I should try installing it without the graphics card?

How would I know if the pci slot voltages are getting it messed up? or IRQ reqs?

I saw the flash updates, but I not sure how I would flash it? Anyone that can read Japanese can help me?

[oldandinthe way]

Motherboard manual should have PCI slot voltages.

A diagnostic program for the PC would help, unfortunately I don't know of any that are free. But any good diagnostic should catch memory conflicts. But frankly without more detailed specs than are on their website I couldn't troubleshoot this. And even with more info I can't think like a Japanese.

I'd suggest a gamer's site but google doesn't show any more than superficial references.

Perhaps you can find useful info with Google on the PV3, this appears to be basically a later rev of that product.

[Mysteriouskk]

Anyone know of something else that could be wrong. What happens if the comptuer doesn't even recognize the device? (ie. doesn't show install hardware popup)?

[Nelson37]

Did you look in control panel, system, hardware, for an unknown device?

You have four different PC. Has it ALWAYS failed to recognize, EVERY TIME, on the SAME PC? Or has the behavior CHANGED, on the SAME PC?

Did you remove all the installed software, including Registry references, on a PC which at first recognized "new hardware", and now does not? If there are still drivers, and/or Registry references, then it is not "new hardware", and won't be recognized as such. BUT, there should be some sort of reference in Device Manager.

You are probably being too scrutable. Everyone knows the Japanese are INscrutable.

Hardware does not care what language the human using it happens to speak. From what I have read about this and similar cards, it ain't ready for prime time, the drivers are half-baked, and there is no support.

Describe in detail the "driver issues". That could be anything from "you don't have any drivers", to "installing them reboots the PC or locks it up", to a simple check box that needs selected.

At this point all I could do is confirm that it is not working, and I can't even do that. Have you ever attempted to actually use the device?

Simplify your PC as much as possible. That means rip out everything not absolutely essential for basic functionality. RAID, Power saving, ANY and ALL unnecessary cards, extra RAM, everything. Modem, Ethernet card, anything that CAN be removed SHOULD be removed. May not help but you won't know if you don't try. You can't re-design the motherboard, but you can make as much address space and IRQ's open as you can.

Try every available slot, check your mobo manual for voltages. Find someone who can READ japanese and make a new friend.

[Mysteriouskk]

Should I have gotten the SkNet Monster X Capture card instead? There seems to be more support for that card.

[Nelson37]

If you don't wish to follow standard diagnostic procedures, suggestion one would be to find one that is well-documented and supported, suggestion two would be to get a pro to install it for you.

Still no guarantee it will work, but at least some level of certainty that everything possible has been tried. This kind of hardware is not for those who are impatient and/or unskilled.

[Mysteriouskk]

What does it mean if the pc does not even recognize the device is there? I've tried reformatting the hard drive and it still does not recognize or see the device in device manager. It saw it before, but now it doesn't show.

I've tried the card on a couple of computers and its the same....

Does it mean the card is broken?

[Seraphic-]

Mysteriouskk,

Earthsoft posted that there was an issue with the 1st gen Pv4 cards when using a select few CPUs.