Can't get Firefly working on Windows 7 x64

[budgie]

Hi all,

Still working on my new build (see http://forums.sagetv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47251), but I simply cannot get my Firefly remote to work. It's the same one I'm using on my existing setup, so I know the remote and its receiver are fine. I've tried following the instructions here:

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22...11/article.asp (both sets, but primarily the second set since the first is supposed to be just for x32; I get to the point of opening the Control Panel applet, but pressing buttons on the remote at that point does nothing)

and here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwR5zcDl_IY (I get to the point where it asks to reconnect the receiver, but it doesn't detect that it's been reconnected. I've tried all 9 USB ports, and have also tried rebooting and resuming the setup, but it never gets detected.)

I'm at a loss at this point, and I don't know if there's something else I can try, or if I need to look into getting a different remote. I'd prefer to keep the Firefly since that's what we're used to, and I like that it uses RF instead of IR (because I'm not sure if using an IR remote will cause confusion with the UIRTs and/or the IR receivers on the HD PVRs).

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! My project is at a standstill until I can get this working.

Thanks,
Ron

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by budgie

http://www.lmgestion.net/@en-us/4/22...11/article.asp (both sets, but primarily the second set since the first is supposed to be just for x32; I get to the point of opening the Control Panel applet, but pressing buttons on the remote at that point does nothing)

While the remote receiver is plugged in: find it in task manager and either:

* force Windows update to pick up an updated driver: for it to work correctly with the X10 drivers, the device in device manager must be name "X10 USB Wireless Transceiver (ACPI-compliant)"

* uninstall the device so that it will be redetected as a "X10 USB Wirelesse Transceiver (ACPI-compliant)"

[SWKerr]

Post again if you still can't get it working. I use a Firefly with LM Remote on my main desktop which is Win7-64 and it works perfectly. You can get it working.

[budgie]

Ok, I've found the object in Device Manager as "X10 Hid Device" under "Human Interface Devices." When I right-click on it, my only options are "Update Driver Software," "Scan for Hardware Changes," and "Properties." Unlike other devices in the list, I don't have the option to disable or uninstall it. If I try to update the driver, I'm told that it is up to date already. If I go to the properties of the driver, the information is as follows:

Driver files: c:\windows\system32\drivers\x10hid.sys
Provider: X10 Wireless Technology, Inc.
Driver date: 11/10/2006
File version: 6.0.0.209

I'm guessing this is coming from the installation of the X10 driver I downloaded from lmgestion. If I try to uninstall it from the Programs list, I get an error saying that it appears to have already been removed from the system, and it offers to remove it from the Programs list as well. The device remains in Device Manager with no way to delete it. Am I looking at the right object, or is there something else I need to do to get rid of it (or be able to update it properly)?

[budgie]

Quick update: I was able to remove the device from Device Manager by renaming the driver file and rebooting -- it then gave me the disable/uninstall options. After uninstalling it (I did NOT check the box to remove the driver from the system), I rebooted and plugged in the receiver, but nothing happened. I also tried the instructions in the video again (since I hadn't tried that without the device being installed earlier), but it still didn't detect the receiver when it asked for it to be reconnected.

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by budgie

Ok, I've found the object in Device Manager as "X10 Hid Device" under "Human Interface Devices."

No, this one is actually a sub-device that gets installed after the main driver is installed.

The real device is filed under "Universal Serial Bus Controllers" as "X10 USB Wireless Transceiver".

If I try to uninstall it from the Programs list, I get an error saying that it appears to have already been removed from the system, and it offers to remove it from the Programs list as well

That's the problem with the X10 drivers, the uninstaller usually don't work at all (ditto for the Snapstream driver as it is also coming from X10).

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by budgie

After uninstalling it (I did NOT check the box to remove the driver from the system), I rebooted and plugged in the receiver, but nothing happened.

What do you mean when you plug / unplug the device you don't hear the usual Windows sound?

I also tried the instructions in the video again

If I'm not wrong this video is about installing the Beyond Media Basic allright: don't use this. Unistall Beyond Media Basic and try to uninstall all the X10 driver package installed thus far (if they don't no big deal).

Find the device in the device manager, uninstall and if you can ask windows to remove the driver from the system. reboot. Plug the remote back, let windows find a driver, then install the X10 drivers (you can download them from my web sites or from the X10 web sites)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[budgie]

Here's what I'm finding now: the device is showing up as an "Unknown Device" under "Other Devices." It says that the drivers for the device are not installed. If I try to update the driver and do "search automatically," it says that Windows could not find driver software for the device. If I do "Browse my computer" and point it to the directory that has the X10 driver executable, I get the same result. If I choose "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" and then choose "Show All Devices," it allows me to pick "X10 Hid Device." If I install this, the device shows up as X10 Hid Device under Human Interface Devices like before.

At one point, I managed to actually get the device to show up as "USB Receiver," but Windows still didn't know what the device actually was; I'm not sure how I did that. I've never been able to get anything that says "X10 USB Wireless Transceiver" or anything related to the device listed under "Universal Serial Bus controllers."

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by budgie

Here's what I'm finding now: the device is showing up as an "Unknown Device" under "Other Devices." It says that the drivers for the device are not installed.../...If I choose "Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer" and then choose "Show All Devices," it allows me to pick "X10 Hid Device." If I install this, the device shows up as X10 Hid Device under Human Interface Devices like before.

Well it seems that it is still the sub device. If you check, in the device manager, the properties for the device, it will say "Location : Unknown" (this means that this is not the physical device). The real physical device does have a "Location", such as "Port_#0001.Hub_#0001"

At one point, I managed to actually get the device to show up as "USB Receiver," but Windows still didn't know what the device actually was; I'm not sure how I did that. I've never been able to get anything that says "X10 USB Wireless Transceiver" or anything related to the device listed under "Universal Serial Bus controllers."

So you may have a dead receiver. Try to plug it in another USB port. Also when you use the device manager, select "View" -> "Device by connection". This will allow you to browse the devices by their location on the PC.

For the USB devices, the path (in the tree view) is something like this:

Computer Name -> ACPI PC -> Microsoft ACPI -> PCI Bus -> USB Host Controller -> USB Root Hub ( -> Generic USB Hub) -> X10 USB Wireless Transceiver.

So by expanding all USB Host Controller nodes, you should be able to find the right USB port where should be found the Firefly receiver (it's easier if you locate another working usb device on the same usb controller)

Regards,
Stéphane.

[budgie]

Success!! As I was following your last response, I found a window hidden behind some others saying that Windows Update was not configured to download updated drivers for new devices. I configured the option to always do so, and BANG, everything came up as it should. I then successfully ran a test with the default profile. Thanks VERY much for sticking with me on this!

I installed the newest LM Remote and downloaded the latest Sage profile (SWKerr) and have installed my first PVR. Am I correct in assuming that I should only install the driver, and not the ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme software (because Sage will be handling that piece)? If so, I'll install the second PVR (and run the driver software again if necessary), hook up the UIRTs, and install Sage. Anything missing?

[StephaneM]

Originally Posted by budgie

Am I correct in assuming that I should only install the driver, and not the ArcSoft TotalMedia Extreme software (because Sage will be handling that piece)? If so, I'll install the second PVR (and run the driver software again if necessary), hook up the UIRTs, and install Sage. Anything missing?

For Arcsoft TMT I'm not sure because it will also install MPEG2 and H264 decoders that you'll be able to use with SageTV.

SageTV does have a built-in MPEG2 decoder with hardware acceleration, but it doesn't have a built-in H264 decoder with hardware acceleration.

Otherwise I don't know if TMT can screw up SageTV, my best guess would be to install TMT first, then SageTV...

Regards,
Stéphane.

[SWKerr]

You can install the TME software. It will give you something else to compare video quality against. By default it will not make the Arcsoft codecs available in Sage but you can register them manually if desired.

If you are using Win7 and SageTV7 then just select the Microsoft codecs in the Detailed setup. I would also install ffdshow for Audio as well as the MatroskaSplitter. (all Free tools)

[Doubledose]

I could not load the firefly driver from StephaneM's web site(I suspect because of win 7 64bit), so I downloaded the x-10 codes and they installed ok. I then downloaded the donators version on lm software and installed it, I then selected the firefly remote in the lm software. But it does not act right, it jumps multiple lines. What am I missing?
Thanks
Wayne