Theory behind Adaptec's ASPI Warning. What do you think?

[AquamanA]

On adaptec's site, the following is stated:

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DO NOT install ASPI32.EXE with Windows 2000, Windows ME, Easy CD Creator 4.x, or with Windows Media Player 7.0. If you have one of these applications (or OS) you will be using a different ASPI layer that will conflict with the one provided in this file.
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Before EZCD Creator version 4.02, aspi32.exe is installed as part of the process. As of 4.02, EZCD uses direct I/O control thus disposing of the need to update the Windows ME ASPI layer.

See for yourself: Install 4.02 directly and check the ASPI layer; it has not changed.

It is clear that Roxio provides instructions for updating 4.0x to 4.02; thus, the updated Adaptec ASPI layer can reside on an ME machine.

So why the warning?

It is my belief that the "ASPI layer" that is referred to in the Adaptec warning is the ACMWRAPPERSERVER.DLL and/or the ACMWRAPPER.DLL layer installed as part of build 1954 of Windows Media Player 7. And WMP7 is part of Windows ME and 2000, but not 9X. I do not know if the file installs with later builds. The ACMWRAPPER is the Adaptec CD Burning Engine built into WMP7.

Roxio explicitly states that the ACMWRAPPER files must be renamed as .bak before installing EZCD 4.00 or 4.01 which install ASPI32.EXE.

Are you beginning to see the point?

The ASPI layer can't be correctly updated in ME or 2000 (IMHO) unless you rename the ACMWRAPPER files which (I think) appear as an ASPI layer in the registry.

So, I believe the Adaptec warning should read, Do not install ASPI32.EXE in ME, 2000, or other with WMP7 unless you remove the ACMWRAPPER ASPI layer first.

I think this agrees with the following facts from researching the newsgroups.

1) Many of the problems people are having are related to ACMWRAPPER not found messages when a EZCD install was done with the ACMWRAPPER files intially present and found.

2) There are numerous posts of people using the 4.60 (1021) ASPI layer in ME and 2000 successfully, just as there are numerous posts of those with problems

Now the question remains:

If WMP7 requires the ACMWRAPPER files to burn, and these files get renamed, can you rename them back without destroying the 4.60 ASPI layer?

I think you can.

Maybe I'll try it if I'm feeling brave this weekend

 

[Noriaki]

I don't have WMP7 but I do have EZCD 4.02 and I do have Win2000 Pro.

There is an ASPI folder on my EZCD folder....I copied the 4 files from there into my WinNT/System32 folder, then I ran ASPI32.exe (4.60 1021) and it works fine. With CDRWin and EZCD 4.02, no WMP7 though

Point 1 makes some sense I think, becuase I've never had a previous version of EZCD on my system at all.

But for ASPI32.exe to install right you need some previous Adaptec ASPI layer...and I copied those files out of the directory on my CD to be that previous layer...

I should find out what version they were...maybe they are v4.60 1021, and then you just need the ASPI32.exe to register them to windows....

 

[Radboy]

WMP7 comes with WinME (along w/ MP6.4), but I don't think WMP7 is part of W2K.

 

[rbV5]

Win2k OS installs no ASPI layer. I always use AspiChk to check my ASPI layer, and I use ForceAspi to reinstall it. Works everytime.


AspiChk

ForceAspi

 

[Auric]

Yeah, ASPI ain't included with W2K and neither be WMP7. I was surprised to see that warning since I did install it and update it. I have since removed ECD and DCD but it's still doing it's thang for Nero and Fireburner and such.

 

[AquamanA]

Thanks for the replies. So WMP7 is not included in Win2k. I still believe that the problem and the associated warning lies with some sort of registry confusion in Windows. Now, there seems to be a general consensus from this forum and the newsgroups that ForceASPI works in ME and 9X. Now as best I can tell, ForceASPI just copies the 4.60 (1021) Adaptec files to the appropiate directory and makes the following critical registry entry in in 9X/ME.
(The registry tweak is different for Win2k)

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\APIX]
"ExcludeMiniports"=""

Can anyone comment on the registry changes that Aspi32.exe from Adaptec makes? This could be the real insight into why the warning exists. Perhaps the Adaptec installer makes additional and problematic entries.