Has anyone successfully installed SIMetrix Intro onto a pc running Vista?
I have been using SIMetrix for a number of years and have just replaced my pc with one that has Vista Business on it. I have installed Intro v4.5 (which I prefer) and the latest v5.3 onto the new pc and find that in both cases the grid does not display correctly in the schematic window.
There are 22 columns of dots followed by a similar number of blank columns then a further 22 columns of dots then another series of blank columns and this continues across the full width of the screen.
I am using a 19" WS monitor with the resolution set to the recommended (native) 1440 x 900 and the alternating dotted and blank sections persist at different levels of magnification within the schematic window. The 'snap to grid' still works in the blank sections but obviously without the dots to identify the grid positions accurate component placement becomes difficult.
Catena have not come across this problem before but suspect that it is display driver related since the two versions use completely different underlying graphics subsystems. Having checked, I am using the latest driver for both the monitor and the graphics controller (Intel 946GZ chipset).
Any suggestions as to how to resolve this problem would be gratefully received.
Geoff
I have been using SIMetrix for a number of years and have just replaced my pc with one that has Vista Business on it. I have installed Intro v4.5 (which I prefer) and the latest v5.3 onto the new pc and find that in both cases the grid does not display correctly in the schematic window.
There are 22 columns of dots followed by a similar number of blank columns then a further 22 columns of dots then another series of blank columns and this continues across the full width of the screen.
I am using a 19" WS monitor with the resolution set to the recommended (native) 1440 x 900 and the alternating dotted and blank sections persist at different levels of magnification within the schematic window. The 'snap to grid' still works in the blank sections but obviously without the dots to identify the grid positions accurate component placement becomes difficult.
Catena have not come across this problem before but suspect that it is display driver related since the two versions use completely different underlying graphics subsystems. Having checked, I am using the latest driver for both the monitor and the graphics controller (Intel 946GZ chipset).
Any suggestions as to how to resolve this problem would be gratefully received.
Geoff
TwoSpoons said:
I don't do Windows (no time to put up with 3rd rate OS), but both the PC guys at the 'puter shop i work at are trying to keep their customers away from Vista. Vista i understand is doing a great job convincing people to swith to Linux or OS X.
dave
Thanks for the suggestions. I too would have preferred to avoid Vista but unfortunately it was not an option in this case.
Yup..first Gateway lost a sale due to their insistance that they bundle Vista, and now I'm running the Ubuntu distro of linux..LTSpice runs perfect under Wine. I still have a Xp partition for a few proggies though..as soon as I can find replacements under linux, it to will be gone.
valveitude said:
When i get my new Intel Mac, one of the 1st things i'm going to download to try is the OS X verion of WINE (Cross-over Mac)... have you tried running MathCAD (MJK worksheets) in WINE yet? Duncan's PSUD? TubeCAD?
dave
planet10 said:
Dave
As a moderator you should know better than to hijack threads. If you want to ask questions like this please move the off topic posts to a new thread.
Geoff
Just following the conversation.... and not off topic if one considers the real question to be "problems with Vista"
In every instance i've run into with issues like this on Windows is that the user -- after considerable frustration with getting it to work on Vista has had to go back to XP.
If you can't get XP on the new computer you got, i would take it back and get a refund or swap for one that will run XP.
dave
In every instance i've run into with issues like this on Windows is that the user -- after considerable frustration with getting it to work on Vista has had to go back to XP.
If you can't get XP on the new computer you got, i would take it back and get a refund or swap for one that will run XP.
dave
if the laptop is running vista buisness then u can legaly install xp pro. the licence is down gradable.
planet10 said:
The conversation is definitely off topic. The 'real question' was related to running SIMetrix on Vista, not that Vista sucks. If I wanted to discuss problems with Vista I would go to a different forum.
dark_avenger said:
That's fine but I don't happen to have a copy of XP Pro and I do not have the resources to buy one.
To all future posters, if you are unable to provide any positive assistance please don't just go down the path of suggesting ditching Vista. This is not an option.
Geoff-
The cold, hard reality is, unless SIMetrix themselves have come up with a patch, running their software on Vista in all probability isn't an option..the list of apps and peripherals that don't, or will ever run on this pig of an OS is already legend. Even (former) bigtime fans have finally excepted this fact..
http://meanderingpassage.com/2007/0...-in-chief-down-on-vista-thinking-about-linux/
The heat has gotten so intense, that Microsoft has authorized owners of gear purchased with Vista bundled can "downgrade" to Xp at no charge. Here's an article describing how..
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;660822421;fp;2;fpid;2
From the article..
I am quite sure based on your earlier replies that this is not the "positive" advice you were seeking, but I hope you see it in the spirit in which it was offered.
Casey
The cold, hard reality is, unless SIMetrix themselves have come up with a patch, running their software on Vista in all probability isn't an option..the list of apps and peripherals that don't, or will ever run on this pig of an OS is already legend. Even (former) bigtime fans have finally excepted this fact..
http://meanderingpassage.com/2007/0...-in-chief-down-on-vista-thinking-about-linux/
The heat has gotten so intense, that Microsoft has authorized owners of gear purchased with Vista bundled can "downgrade" to Xp at no charge. Here's an article describing how..
http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id;660822421;fp;2;fpid;2
From the article..
I am quite sure based on your earlier replies that this is not the "positive" advice you were seeking, but I hope you see it in the spirit in which it was offered.
Casey
Casey
Thanks for the links. The second one was particularly interesting.
SIMetrix runs quite happily under Vista with the exception, on my machine, that the schematic window grid doesn't display correctly. I have spoken with Catena (the software publishers) and they have confirmed that SIMetrix is normally fine when run under Vista and that mine was the first report of a display problem.
Geoff
Thanks for the links. The second one was particularly interesting.
SIMetrix runs quite happily under Vista with the exception, on my machine, that the schematic window grid doesn't display correctly. I have spoken with Catena (the software publishers) and they have confirmed that SIMetrix is normally fine when run under Vista and that mine was the first report of a display problem.
Geoff
If you have an on-board video card, try to get a PCIXpress or AGP board and see if that works.
Have a look for video driver updates or reinstall them and change the resolution and/or refresh rate to see if it makes any difference.
Have a look at the bios video settings of your motherboard. You'll need the manual to find out what can be altered.
/Hugo
Have a look for video driver updates or reinstall them and change the resolution and/or refresh rate to see if it makes any difference.
Have a look at the bios video settings of your motherboard. You'll need the manual to find out what can be altered.
/Hugo
Hugo
Thanks for the suggestions. As indicated in my original post, this pc has one of the more recent Intel graphics chipsets and I have ensured that the drivers for both the graphics chipset and the monitor are the latest available versions.
The problem persists even when I change the screen resolution or refresh rate away from the native settings for the monitor. This was one of the first things I tried.
The documentation for this machine is very comprehensive, for a change, so I will see what it has to say about the bios video settings though to be honest I'm not sure whether I will be able to recognise anything that is relevant to this problem.
Geoff
Thanks for the suggestions. As indicated in my original post, this pc has one of the more recent Intel graphics chipsets and I have ensured that the drivers for both the graphics chipset and the monitor are the latest available versions.
The problem persists even when I change the screen resolution or refresh rate away from the native settings for the monitor. This was one of the first things I tried.
The documentation for this machine is very comprehensive, for a change, so I will see what it has to say about the bios video settings though to be honest I'm not sure whether I will be able to recognise anything that is relevant to this problem.
Geoff
Netlist said:
Hugo
Thanks for trying to help. Unfortunately I can find no reference to this in any of the pdf manuals nor when using the diagnostics tool that enables viewing of the various bios settings etc.
Geoff
Geoff,
I remember your help when I was a newbie here, years ago. 🙂
Open up the box if you can and look for something like
'Intel desktop board D865GBF' or 'D915xxx' or 'DQ35JO' or..., written on the board.
Or look what is on the drivers CDRom if supplied.
/Hugo
I remember your help when I was a newbie here, years ago. 🙂
Open up the box if you can and look for something like
'Intel desktop board D865GBF' or 'D915xxx' or 'DQ35JO' or..., written on the board.
Or look what is on the drivers CDRom if supplied.
/Hugo
Netlist said:
Hugo
I'm glad someone remembers me!
The pc is an HP Compaq dx2300 and the motherboard is labelled "Microstar MS-7336 ver1.0".
The chipset used is Intel 946GZ Express and information on the pc indicates that it is using the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 3000 (though the original product description quoted GMA950).
I have a pdf file which goes into some detail regarding the pc's specification and I can send you a copy if it may be of assistance (email me so that I can attach it). I would have posted a link but it seems to have been removed from HP's website.
Geoff
Problem solved - or at least the cause determined.
One of the first things I did when initially customising Vista was to select 'Adjust for best performance' in the 'Performance Options', just as I had done in XP, because I am not interested in fading in/out etc.
A short while ago I decided to try the 'Adjust for best appearance' option and found that the grid in SIMetrix now displayed correctly.
Some experimentation with custom settings revealed that for the grid to display as it should the 'Enable desktop composition' and 'Use visual styles on windows and buttons' had to be enabled.
This is a great pity because I much prefer the 'classic' (Win 9x) Windows appearance and optimisation for best performance.
One of the first things I did when initially customising Vista was to select 'Adjust for best performance' in the 'Performance Options', just as I had done in XP, because I am not interested in fading in/out etc.
A short while ago I decided to try the 'Adjust for best appearance' option and found that the grid in SIMetrix now displayed correctly.
Some experimentation with custom settings revealed that for the grid to display as it should the 'Enable desktop composition' and 'Use visual styles on windows and buttons' had to be enabled.
This is a great pity because I much prefer the 'classic' (Win 9x) Windows appearance and optimisation for best performance.
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