ATi wants $10 for new drivers

[mikeford]

I have a Radeon AIW, and I am just now putting it into a system and running into all sorts of trouble (thinkking the KK266R motherboard may have been a big mistake) getting all the software working. All sorts of stupid they made crappy software types of problems, like system hangs, and glitches changing modes in their multimedia software.

When I go the website I find out that they want to charge me $10 before I can update to the latest software (my driver CD I guess is too old). Is it worthwhile?

 

[Confused]

That will probably be for sending you a CD with the drivers on.

Downloading the drivers should be free. If you're on dialup, get some kind of resumer software and just let it download.


Confused

 

[Mem]

Download Express 1.5 is free(no spyware) from here ,great little download manager program,handy for 56k users or even cable users like myself ..

I would also download Driver Cleaner 2 from from here ,it`ll find and remove any old ATi/Nvidia drivers,just follow the instructions.

 

[mikeford]

ATi wants $10 for a newer CD so that you can INSTALL the newest drivers that are free to download. When the installer runs you have to put in your driver CD, and if it isn't new enough the install doesn't work.

 

[Slogun]

Installation via CD can't be the only way of installing those drivers.
Common practice for companies to charge for a driver CD to be mailed out.

 

[sswingle]

Acutally, if he needs software for an AIW, such as the DVD player, TV player, video capture program etc, I don't think ATI has a download.

 

[DahDee]

Drivers:

ATI drivers and other files

 

[tallman45]

An Aiw has a lot of software, both by ATI and others. I installed one in the spring and there are a lot more apps that an average vid card. Pinnacle Studio 8 was also included, but it was on a separate CD.

 

[rbV5]

Acutally, if he needs software for an AIW, such as the DVD player, TV player, video capture program etc, I don't think ATI has a download.

Yes there is a download. The $10 is for the CD that contains the DVD decoders that are not available for download. The free download available directly from ATI includes everything except those DVD decoders. The DVD software that originally came with his AIW will work with the newest MMC package.

Seriously, folks need to read the readme files and install notes right there on the ATI sight. Its all clearly explained. All the software needed for the full functionality of the cards (excepting the DVD decoders which are always included in the installation CD that comes with the card) is and always has been freely available for download from the ATI site.

 

[Brian48]

The DVD Decoders are a licensed product. I'm not surprised there is a small fee for a new CD. $10 is actually pretty reasonable, all things considered.

 

[Pete]

Is nDVD free? If not, it's reasonable for ATi to not give away their DVD player (which I'm sure someone would quickly hack to work on all cards, thus screwing PowerDVD and WinDVD and other DVD players people have to pay for).

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Originally posted by: rbV5

Acutally, if he needs software for an AIW, such as the DVD player, TV player, video capture program etc, I don't think ATI has a download.

Yes there is a download. The $10 is for the CD that contains the DVD decoders that are not available for download. The free download available directly from ATI includes everything except those DVD decoders. The DVD software that originally came with his AIW will work with the newest MMC package.

Seriously, folks need to read the readme files and install notes right there on the ATI sight. Its all clearly explained. All the software needed for the full functionality of the cards (excepting the DVD decoders which are always included in the installation CD that comes with the card) is and always has been freely available for download from the ATI site.

Well stated I had the original Radeon 32mb AIW with it's driver disc and downloaded MMC 8.5 *newest at time and it worked perfect with my card, and yes they just wanted you to have the older DVD decoder to allow use of the new one. The new suite fixed the TV recorder issue using win XP that my card had too :beer: BTW, I didn't like their DVD players interface so I was using PowerDVD 5.1 anywho. I do use NVDVD 2.0 that came with my eVGA Personal Cinema but that's only because the Dolby audio features and enhancements work so well with my Shuttle SN45G cube with Soundstorm. BTW, nVidia charges $39.95 for 2.0 so consider ATI's price a HOT DEAL!

 

[mikeford]

All I know is that doing all the stuff I am supposed to do, deleting all old driver files, setting to pci vga or whatever (I printed the instructions and followed them from the readme) I still get a blue screen special. I am beginning to suspect its a conflict with my Iwill KK266r+ motherboard, so next step is to try a different newer motherboard.

My hope was that maybe downloading the full set of software from ATi would help, but it isn't worth another $10 to me to find out.

 

[rbV5]

My hope was that maybe downloading the full set of software from ATi would help, but it isn't worth another $10 to me to find out.

It won't cost you anything mikeford. Go ahead and download the latest catalyst drivers, and MMC software. The new catalyst package includes an ATI uninstaller.

Its critical that everything is in order before you start installing the drivers and MMC software package. By this I mean, you'll need to make sure your AGP driver for your motherboard is up to date (VIA Hyperion 4in1 drivers) and DX9a installed.

Follow the instructions for the ATI installer first to remove stray files you may have. Then install using the installation notes. Myself, I downloaded the full package for the drivers, and simply clicked setup and the Driver, WDM's and control panel were all installed without event on both my Nvidia and Via boards.

After your driver installation is trouble free, then on to MMC. You need to have Windows media encoder9 installed first. Followed by the DAO / MDAC package. At this point you can install DVD player 7.6 and use your original ATI installation CD to verify. Then install MMC 8.7 unchecking the DVD player, and all should be well.

 

[Supa]

You should change the title of your post ....


---

 

[Looney]

Originally posted by: mikeford
I have a Radeon AIW, and I am just now putting it into a system and running into all sorts of trouble (thinkking the KK266R motherboard may have been a big mistake) getting all the software working. All sorts of stupid they made crappy software types of problems, like system hangs, and glitches changing modes in their multimedia software.

When I go the website I find out that they want to charge me $10 before I can update to the latest software (my driver CD I guess is too old). Is it worthwhile?

That's because the AIW has a lot of software that they had to license. I know the DVD playback requires licensing, and possibly Gemstar too (i believe that's what it's called).

 

[mikeford]

Time is the big loss when trying to get computers working. Each time I uninstall the ATi stuff, reboot and get everything set correctly, reinstall and apply all the updates, basically a whole evening is shot. At some point its wise to pull the plug and try a different arrangement (new motherboard in this case).

What is kind of amazing to me is that in 1989 I had troublefree video playback on a Mac IIx with a RasterOps card, and now 14 years later ATi doesn't seem to have it quite figured out.

 

[Jolt2]

You may want to check over at amdmb.com at the I-will forum board. It looks like that board had a lot of issues when it first can out and the info on that page may help.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: mikeford
Time is the big loss when trying to get computers working. Each time I uninstall the ATi stuff, reboot and get everything set correctly, reinstall and apply all the updates, basically a whole evening is shot. At some point its wise to pull the plug and try a different arrangement (new motherboard in this case).

What is kind of amazing to me is that in 1989 I had troublefree video playback on a Mac IIx with a RasterOps card, and now 14 years later ATi doesn't seem to have it quite figured out.

14 years ago 3d video cards hadn't even been invented yet. Drivers were only for 2d and everything else you did for yourself.

AND ATI's got the drivers figured out, it's the users who have a problem installing them...

 

[mikeford]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024

Originally posted by: mikeford
Time is the big loss when trying to get computers working. Each time I uninstall the ATi stuff, reboot and get everything set correctly, reinstall and apply all the updates, basically a whole evening is shot. At some point its wise to pull the plug and try a different arrangement (new motherboard in this case).

What is kind of amazing to me is that in 1989 I had troublefree video playback on a Mac IIx with a RasterOps card, and now 14 years later ATi doesn't seem to have it quite figured out.

14 years ago 3d video cards hadn't even been invented yet. Drivers were only for 2d and everything else you did for yourself.

AND ATI's got the drivers figured out, it's the users who have a problem installing them...

3D gameplay could be fine, what freaking doesn't work is watching tv and going back and forth to the Gemstar schedule listings. IE the problems are on the DUMBF... side, not something hard.

Like it or not I watched TV just fine on my Mac IIx with 8 mb of ram back in 1989, and I also ran two monitors, a 13" color 640x480 and a two page grayscale.

If users have trouble with the drivers, guess what, ATi doesn't have them figured out.

 

[Krugger]

it takes you a whole night to uninstall/reinstall drivers and software? um, how/why? uninstall the software/drivers, use regcleaner to clear out remaining reg entries, and the program specifically geared towards removing ati/nvidia files (forget name), and reinstall. should take maybe 10 minutes... where's the problem?
-Krugger

 

[rbV5]

ATi doesn't have them figured out.
.

They also don't charge $10 for new drivers. Speaking of not figured out, if this entire rant post of your was about gemstar specifically...why is it you never even mentioned it?

 

[mikeford]

Gemstar is fine, apparently this thread is about inability to read and process the information.

The problem is the ATi software package, be it drivers or the MMC, and it is FULL of stupid bugs. Things like not recognizing a corrupted file and crashing.

ATi says the $10 CD (which you CAN'T download) is to allow the latest DVD player to install, I however don't KNOW the extent of how this is effecting my problems, and therefore don't like it.

 

[rbV5]

what freaking doesn't work is watching tv and going back and forth to the Gemstar schedule listings. IE the problems are on the DUMBF... side, not something hard.

I was refering to this when I say gemstar. What exactly is not working? You click on "watch"..it goes to the channel playing in the channel box, Ctrl+E...it goes back to gemstar....is that not what your does?

ATi says the $10 CD (which you CAN'T download) is to allow the latest DVD player to install, I however don't KNOW the extent of how this is effecting my problems, and therefore don't like it.

You keep saying that, but its not true. I have the qualifying installation CD and I can download the latest DVD player from ATI for free, and have done so a couple times. Gemstar is on your original CD, and the rest of the installation CD is available freely to download.

What problem are you having other than the guide problem? Have you tried the newest Catalyst drivers and MMC software?

 

[Johnbear007]

Originally posted by: mikeford
ATi wants $10 for a newer CD so that you can INSTALL the newest drivers that are free to download. When the installer runs you have to put in your driver CD, and if it isn't new enough the install doesn't work.

Ok this is the deal:


YOU DONT NEED A CD TO INSTALL DRIVERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! JUST DOWNLOAD THEM!!!! YOU DONT NEED A CD TO INSTALL JUST THE DRIVERS



Ok now that that is done. If you want new versions of the DVD decoder and special software, that is what you need the new CD for. If you dont want new versions, you dont need a new CD.