Worries about windows 7 64 bit

[Tommy B]

Hi everyone,

My old laptop is just too slow and too bulky now to cope with the increasing amount of software i'm using for astrophotography. Found loads of nice new laptops fit for my needs but I have worries about compatibility with windows 7 64 bit version.

I currently use the following,

Artemis Capture

Artemis RGB

PHD guiding software

Stellarium

New Astronomy CCDCalc 1.5

Deep Sky Stacker

Registax 5.1 & 6

Does anyone know if any of these programs suffer problems under win 7 64?

Thanks for reading.

[Bizibilder]

I don't know about Artemis but all the others run under Win 7 32 and 64 bit with no problems (You may need new drivers for your guide camera etc?).

[Carbon Brush]

There is definitely a forum for PHD, so you could get help there if needed. Sorry I can't remember the link, but if you have PHD you should be able to find out.

[ianaiken]

PDH is fine on Win7 x64

[Interested]

I use all of the programs you have listed with no problems on a windows 7 laptop if that helps?

[Earl]

I use

Stellarium

New Astronomy CCDCalc 1.5

Registax 5.1

on Win 7 64 without issues

[continuum]

I have recently bought a new laptop with Windows 7 64 bit and have found no problems with any of my software including Artemis and PHD through Shoestring GPUSB BUT mine has USB3 as well as USB2 ports and the USB3 gives me the Blue Screen every time I try to use it for imaging ( 2CCD's, GPUSB via DLink powered Hub).

I raised this on the Shoestring forum and the Yahoo Stark-Labs forum but without conclusive results except that it would seem that not all 1.1 and 2.0 devices work through a USB3 port despite it beihg backwards compatible. Fortunately as mentioned I have USB 2 ports so these I use leaving USB3 redundant for astro imaging.

RonJ

[Spikey]

Hi everyone,

My old laptop is just too slow and too bulky now to cope with the increasing amount of software i'm using for astrophotography. Found loads of nice new laptops fit for my needs but I have worries about compatibility with windows 7 64 bit version.

I currently use the following,

Artemis Capture

Artemis RGB

PHD guiding software

Stellarium

New Astronomy CCDCalc 1.5

Deep Sky Stacker

Registax 5.1 & 6

Does anyone know if any of these programs suffer problems under win 7 64?

Thanks for reading.

I have used and do use all of those on Vista 64 bit and Windows 7 64 bit & 32 bit.

The only issue I had was with PHD and found it was better to run it as administrator but that could be a local issue for me. Stellarium can be a bit resource hungry for the imaging laptop so I don't bother to use it anymore. CdC is preferable for me.

[tillery]

Orion's StarShoot Autoguider drivers will not operate with USB 3.0. Newer laptops only have USB 3.0 ports. I discovered this after spending lots of money on a new Acer Ultrabook. Orion says that the driver "doesn't play nicely with USB 3.0." That is an understatement because it doesn't work at all. Orion doesn't point out this incompatibility on its web site, in its sales info or any other documentation.

[scorpio1948]

Hi, Stellarium works under 64, the only trouble I have is running C2A planetarium software. Also a few problems with Synscan Firmware. (See my thread 'Updating Synscan Firmware').Pete.

[Gina]

Orion's StarShoot Autoguider drivers will not operate with USB 3.0. Newer laptops only have USB 3.0 ports. I discovered this after spending lots of money on a new Acer Ultrabook. Orion says that the driver "doesn't play nicely with USB 3.0." That is an understatement because it doesn't work at all. Orion doesn't point out this incompatibility on its web site, in its sales info or any other documentation.

I think thta's disgraceful! If the USB3 standard is supposed to be backwards compatible with USB2 and 1.1 then it should be so. This does tend to be a problem with getting the very latest of things though. Particularly new OSs. I don't have the money to go for the latest laptop but go for used office equipment from places like Morgans or sometimes Amazon. These tend to be higher quallity products than you get from places like PC World and come with the Professional versions of Windows. I think they represent great value for money.

[JamesF]

I've found a number of USB peripherals that don't seem to work with USB3 ports, including a Microsoft-badged keyboard. Makes me wonder if there might not be chip manufacturers out there playing a bit fast and loose with the specs.

James

[Steep]

Newer laptops only have USB 3.0 ports.

I bought a new Asus laptop a month ago, it came with two usb3 and one usb2 port. I'm sure there are others out there with similar specs.

[continuum]

I also have an Asus Laptop with 1 x USB3 and 2 X USB 2 and have had endless problems with PHD and Blue screens.

I still don't know what the answer is but it surely drives me crazy. PHD is the only program affected and it does not matter whether

I am plugged into a USB 2 or 3 port.

I am close to dumping this laptop and getting another but will I get the same problem and other than used all laptops are

Win 8 ( more problems?) and have USB 3 ports.

Incidentally I have tried running in compatibility mode as Win XP and Vista as well as as Administrator without success.

Ron

[andyo]

I use stellerium,phd,artemis capture on a windows 7 Toshiba i3 with usb 2 ports and they run fine never had a blue screen or a problem with phd.I did have an acer duel core processor running windows 7 previously and with that laptop I had a fair few blue screens and other problems

[tonedeaf]

the "§$"$§%"§ usb3 ports hate my qhy5II and my rs232 adapter as hell...

at least i have only one

one thing seems odd -> my 5m 4x usb extension into the usb3 port and then the qhy5II into the extension works

on the other side i have no problems at all with windows 7 64

except my 4gb ram seem to low to drive stellarium and all the other programs smoothly

[Cath]

I have recently bought a new laptop with Windows 7 64 bit and have found no problems with any of my software including Artemis and PHD through Shoestring GPUSB BUT mine has USB3 as well as USB2 ports and the USB3 gives me the Blue Screen every time I try to use it for imaging ( 2CCD's, GPUSB via DLink powered Hub)

If you're getting blue screens then it'll be badly written drivers/software from the camera manufacture, even if the camera doesn't like USB3 the drivers/software should NOT crash, they should have been written to deal with any problems in graceful way.

And I agree, if any hardware fails to work on a USB3 port, then they have also badly designed the camera hardware.

[Cath]

I've found a number of USB peripherals that don't seem to work with USB3 ports, including a Microsoft-badged keyboard. Makes me wonder if there might not be chip manufacturers out there playing a bit fast and loose with the specs.

Very possible James. It can also be down to the device manufacture not doing proper USB matching on their PCB.

[Cath]

I also have an Asus Laptop with 1 x USB3 and 2 X USB 2 and have had endless problems with PHD and Blue screens.

I still don't know what the answer is but it surely drives me crazy. PHD is the only program affected and it does not matter whether

I am plugged into a USB 2 or 3 port.

I went through PHD's source code a while back, found some not nice coding styles in there and some areas that will certainly lead to blue screening/crashes on some systems

[continuum]

So Cath is there an answer to PHD problems?

I know there are other guiding softwares but none seem to be as simple to use or give the same results as PHD.

Thus it would seem we are stuck with it.

Ron

[Cath]

Only way to fix PHD is to wait for the author to fix there coding errors.

I have yet to enter the world of guiding so can't yet suggest an alternative Ron. Others should be able to help there I would guess.

[Gina]

Hmmm... oh dear! I've just bought an Asus laptop to replace my obsy netbook. It has one USB2 and one USB3 port and runs Win7 Home Premium 64bit. Intel Core i32330M CPU @ 2.2GHz and 4GB RAM. I'm just installing software ATM and haven't yet tried it on the hardware. I wonder if I'll have problems. I've been using PHD for guiding which I'm well used to and which is working quite well with OAG, Lodestar and netbook. I also have the Lodestar provided software and AA5 so might have to give PHD a miss - remains to be seen...

[Daddystu]

Hmmm... oh dear! I've just bought an Asus laptop to replace my obsy netbook. It has one USB2 and one USB3 port and runs Win7 Home Premium 64bit. Intel Core i32330M CPU @ 2.2GHz and 4GB RAM. I'm just installing software ATM and haven't yet tried it on the hardware. I wonder if I'll have problems. I've been using PHD for guiding which I'm well used to and which is working quite well with OAG, Lodestar and netbook. I also have the Lodestar provided software and AA5 so might have to give PHD a miss - remains to be seen...

As it works well why not use the netbook for PHD guiding still and the laptop for capture ?

[Gina]

As it works well why not use the netbook for PHD guiding still and the laptop for capture ?

Could possibly do that - thanks

I now have the Lodestar connected through a USB hub to my new laptop and have installed the SX software and drivers, plus PHD and both are working it seems At last I can see a plain image which varies in brightness when I cover/uncover the camera.

[andyo]

Hmmm... oh dear! I've just bought an Asus laptop to replace my obsy netbook. It has one USB2 and one USB3 port and runs Win7 Home Premium 64bit. Intel Core i32330M CPU @ 2.2GHz and 4GB RAM. I'm just installing software ATM and haven't yet tried it on the hardware. I wonder if I'll have problems. I've been using PHD for guiding which I'm well used to and which is working quite well with OAG, Lodestar and netbook. I also have the Lodestar provided software and AA5 so might have to give PHD a miss - remains to be seen...

May be no problem for you Gina as I am running windows7 home premium 64 bit Intel core i32350M CPU @2.3GHz 6Gb RAM and always use PHD fingers crossed never had a problem with it only have usb 2 though