Last year I replaced my desktop computer. Not before time, as I'd had it for 5 years, during which time the only upgrade was additional memory and new peripherals (NEC Spectraview 2190 monitor, Wacom tablet, USB disk drives). In an attempt to make the new machine last as long as possible, I went for a 64-bit operating system. This means you can use more memory, which should speed up heavy-duty processing of photographic images. Seemed a good idea to future-proof against the demands of higher-resolution cameras. I thought I'd checked that my existing kit was compatible. But not carefully enough, it transpired.
Here's a list of (the most important) stuff that didn't work for me:
Canon driver for 5D camera (web searches suggested this is down to the installer rather than the driver itself)
Adobe Photoshop (CS3) Bridge (various windows mysteriously greyed over; increasingly frequent crashes)
Nikon CoolScan 5000 35mm film scanner (no 64-bit drivers available)
Wacom Intuos 3 graphics tablet (all sorts of hassles)
Asus WL-BTD201M Bluetooth dongle (failed to install)
Installation of ICC profiles
Sound card (stopped working)
Of course, it's possible that some of the above was down to user error. I've been using PCs for over 20 years but have never considered myself an expert. Just learned as much as I needed to get by, with the aid of a resourceful and helpful local supplier: The Real Computer Shop. After patiently fielding my frustration for many weeks, they finally advised me to give up and revert to 32-bit XP. I've now been running that for a week. Bliss! I'd forgotten what it's like when everything installs and works first time. Of course it may be that a more expert user wouldn't have had as much grief. But I suspect my own computer skills are no worse than average. So, if anyone considering a 64-bit system finds this posting, I hope it might save you hassle.
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2 comments:
HI David, I have a problem with my ASUs M51vseries that I recently bought. When I plug the usb directly into the computer it kills it. When I use a hub sometimes it works and othertimes it doesn't recognise the coolscan. Very frustrating. I was wondering if you had a similar problem. Any help would be appreciated. Carla
Hi Carla. I don't think I mentioned that my PC is by Asus (which as it happens it is) but you maybe found my post because I mentioned the Asus bluetooth dongle as one of the things that didn't work with Vista-64. Sorry but I can't help you with your problem (unless you too are using Vista-64 in which case all I can suggest is you ditch that OS and revert to a 32-bit system). All my hassles disappeared when I gave up on Vista-64 and had the shop install XP-32 instead.
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