I bought an M-Audio Omni Studio to replace my Creative Sound Blaster AWE64 Gold maybe 12 or 14 years ago? Don't remember. I'm the sort of guy that would rather pour his money into a new guitar than replace hardware that is still doing the trick [and still doing it well]. Thing is, the A-Holes at M-Audio won't upgrade the drivers past WIN 7. I may soon upgrade to WIN 7 [64 bit, updates, etc.] Right now though I am in my usual lazy, don't want to rock the boat mode so I am still using an old, extremely reliable version of WIN. My heart goes out to the the rest of us.

And I drive a 1984 Ford Pickup Truck.

 

This is problem all over web, check this http://www.getdriver.com/how-to/2410/make-windows-7-drivers-work-windows-8-8-1-inf-modding.html

7 and 8 are very similar OS so driver should work, 10 i do not know.

 

I quit using xp when security essentials wasn't supported anymore,
every other other anti virus/malware felt bloated on xp.

My household is running mainly windows 7 with ad-blockplus and security essentials/defender as the only protection

 

I love XP. For me, apart from Apple's iOS, it's still the OS most straightforward to use, comparing it with later Win versions, Linux variants and Mac OS X.
It just doesn't break your workflow as often as Win7 does, especially when it comes to system-related operations.
MS obviously wanted to introduce a "more dumbass way" of using it to make it more accessible to the unexperienced, but imho only achieved a bad compromise that's neither great for first-time users nor for experienced users.

However, you only stay with an older OS as long as you have the choice to do so. Most DAWs still run on XP, yes, but more and more applications require Win7 - some can be tricked into working on XP, some not.
I still do use XP on older machines I'm too lazy to install Win7 on, audio-wise mainly for Adobe Audition, Ableton Live 8, Sonic Syndicate Orion 7, Mackie Tracktion 3 and some pre-XP hardware drivers and control software that can be tweaked to run on XP but not Win7.
Overall, strange UI decisions apart, WIn7 is for me now what XP has been for years before, and some drivers (especially USB stuff) really work better than under XP.

Another issue: 64bit support.
You only need a few Spectrasonics plugins and some Kontakt libs loaded to max out XP's 2GB-per-DAW limit, and it can get annoying to have to freeze and unload plugins all the time.

 

couldn't afford free?

 

I faintly remember Eric (Persing) of Spectrasonics telling me a long time ago there was a way of tricking Omnisphere into believing you had between 3 and 4 GB ram, I cant remember how, but if you contact him @ Spectrasonics, I'm sure he will help.

 

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/04/technology/security/atm-windows-xp/

This article is 2014, they race to tell ms to keep updating, thats why ms make extension for $$$$$

I post this since comment was marked dumb & funny. Is true. XP best ;)

 

hello, all windows experience version for audio work lovers,

thanks for the question, deluge of thanks for the many, yet before this thread, unknown links.

still do... the hard disk drive on my experimentation machine is partitioned with two slimmed down installs, one might be used for internet access, the main one is for running all those beautifully designed plug-ins, programs, that do not exist on the x64 or on the osx architecture.

from time to time, there comes up some former experiment to be remembered, thus this somewhat old notebook serves as the possibility for doing some out of the box thinking, some out of this world sounding work.

until this machine gives out its last breath, it will be used for such purposes, just hope it will last couple of years long more.

when it does, which is unavoidable, will set up one similar installation on the mac, still needs research, what options, solutions, exist for that task.

from all that there is, wish all of us the best...

 

Last edited: Aug 29, 2015

Windows 10 update is free for a year to 7&8 owners, that's all that is free in MS land right now

If you know something that I don't, do tell, because, yeah I tried to find I way to save up, but of course, legal way

 

Last edited by a moderator: Aug 29, 2015

Not free, but must keep eye on sales like this one

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Windows-7-P...uct-Key-DVD-/201397746005?hash=item2ee43db955

Oem dvd + COA + random untested computer so to follow EULA

("You are purchasing this software which is bundled with an untested Dell/HP/Lenovo/Acer/ETC laptop/desktop computer system. If you choose Free Shipping - I will ship the software for this system (licensed computer drive bay plastic cover/ram cover included")

So is legal, but he dance around rules send you only drive bay plastic over just tell MS computer very used, only plastic cover survive zombie apocolypse

 

Thanks for that, I stumbled upon similar offers, but Windows 7 is off limits OEM, that's actually only version of Windows Microsoft decided to put off limits, before and after that version they let personal system builders like myself to acquire OEM's for their needs, but not this branded ones (Dell/Lenovo and etc) because they are already tied to an machine.

I was eyeing Vista, but stumbled upon few offers that ask too much or they are used, but OEM's must be new/unused or else they are off limits (already tied to an machine and without sticker probably).

 

Last edited by a moderator: Aug 29, 2015

hello, all audio lovers,

at the time my above mentioned machine was bought, there were three possibilities to get as operation systems to use with it, the experience version, the one called vista, plus windows seven.

vista did not have very good reviews, seven was still very new, thus the experience professional choice came out as the clear winner.

till all software was supported on it, it was really good as audio workstation operation system, still runs these days very smoothly, despite the loads of software installed onto it.

will try windows ten, some time later, when this notebook dies, but somehow am not really enthusiastic about it, even if its looks are to my liking.

xsze, you clearly are not supposed to even eyeing vista, that is sure.

all the best for all of us, keep up working with the experience version of all the mighty microsoft releases...

 

I heard horror stories about Vista, but probably that's more because of early adopters nightmares, guess by the end that version of OS was good enough, here's the benchmarks, again, nothing to scream home about over XP

Yeah, I really like Win 10 minus all the spying stuff they added, I'm not confident that OS is heading in right direction with all of that, guess Win 7 is new XP

 

what price do they ask fro windows 10?it s a free update,even if the windows u have instaled now is cracked

 

Well, cheapest path I found is around 70 euros (Win 8 + free update).

Yeah, they told everyone is up to update, but not everyone will have genuine licenses, pretty much they just saved someone little trouble from scoring some non genuine key or whatever, pretty much illegal again.

 

Be warned, xsze, most companies offering paid Win7/XP license are frauds, I happened to stumble upon many of them.
Anyways, XPs x86 are good, but for DAW usage, it might be better to get 64bit version (for which is difficult get drivers). Also it's mostly about convincing software to install - e.g. there's that warning sign that your OS is not supported, etc..
But overall, it's still a great OS to run. I have it installed in dual-boot with 7, mainly to load software incompatible with anything newer.

 

i think you misunderstand the terms of microsoft's offer. there are plenty of threads on this forum discussing it in detail. it is not "free for a year". you have one year to get it for free as an update. after that you will need to pay. if you have any windows 7 or windows 8 installed (even a cracked version) microsoft will allow you to upgrade for free. once you upgrade to version 10, it is yours for as long as the computer lasts - not just one year.

 

Thanks for warning, yeah there's plenty of folks selling all kinds of stuff, even from DreamSpark servers, which isn't legal to sell, just use personally.

Got genuine unused XP Home for Serbian market, as it happens there's plenty of leftovers people are trying to sell and there's market for it, because new law demands everyone doing business to have legit Windows, so yeah, many are going for cheapest route and prices are competitive because of it, that's why I got mine for 10 euros. :dancing:

 

Last edited by a moderator: Aug 29, 2015

I never said that, I said that's only free thing from Microsoft, please read again, but non genuine license doesn't become genuine no matter what, that's confirmed and you should know that if you spend time reading about it.

 

Something for those who are using Windows 10, or planning to. should consider.

1) If you install(ed) with default options, A company (licensed by Microsoft) will be able to view EVERY keystroke you make, including banking details, who you talk to, as well as detailed lists of your calendar and contacts.

To switch these so called BENEFITS off, go here:-

http://www.oo-software.com/en/shutup10