What should I expect if moving from Win7 to W10?

[Jean-Pierre Pineau]

Hello there!
I'm using an aging setup based on W7. Moreover, I use Sonar Platinum and I experienced recently real big problems with compatibility due to some MS Visual CC++2015 issues. The guys at Cakewalk support just urge me to take the W10 road. Following what I read about IEEE1394 bad relationship with W10, I fear to turn my DM-4800 in an oversized paperweight. I may just update the OS to W10 for awhile, leaving some time gap before the big move of building a new DAW which, in my case, might take 4-5 days, even if my sound libraries and the audio data are on 2 separate SSDs and can remain untouched by the process. So, according to your experiences, what would you do, avoid? I've seen the IF FW MK II Mac driver issued in 2016 but no sign of its Windows 10 counterpart. I am aware of the beta drivers existence, though. I've read that Firewire cards with VIA chipset might be troublesome, and so on...

All this and every pitfall I may encounter can sum up to many hours of googling and tweaking at the end of the day, without any success guaranteed. As I make a living from this, time is money. Worst of all, I am really afraid of investing a chunk of cash in a potent DAW to end up with a money pit mess. Should I stick with W7 and stop updating the Sonar stuff each month (Lifetime plan)? After all, it works and would get the jobs done for many years on a DAW on steroids. On the other hand, W7 is getting really old and unsupported by many software editors. Will Tascam maintain its commitment to their DM series users? Doubts, doubts...

All your lights are welcome.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Arjan P]

Hi Jean-Pierre, and welcome! You probably didn't notice on your first visit here, but there's a complete sub-forum about the DM3200/4800. On top of the list of subjects is Windows 10 compatibility, and many of us have everything running like clockwork. See here: http://www.tascamforums.com/forums/tascam-dm-3200-dm-4800.28/

 

[Jean-Pierre Pineau]

Thanks Arjan! Sorry to be at the wrong place. After reading extensively, but maybe not enough, the many topics related to my concerns, I dropped this post in the Firewire section because of, well, its title. You are right. I should move it to the appropriate forum. In fact, the solutions may be there. This said, my current problems, which are software related, popped up this week in the middle of a production for a TV show, and I am on a schedule. As you read, Cakewalk Support staff can't help. They redirect me to MS Support. I've always managed to clear my way through the tech stuff since 1981 without asking really, but I am facing a choice I do not like for the time being : reinstall from scratch on a old architecture or building a new one in the middle of this project... I have spent the whole week trying to resolve the problem. Fortunately, I can work on another app to clear the way, but cannot really feel at home with it. The move to W10, as recommended, looks like a mine field for the DM-4800, hence the "panic".

So, as all the experiences available seem to be here...

 

[Arjan P]

No worries about the location of the discussion. Maybe a moderator sees this and moves it for the benefit of consistency..

You mention two choices: starting from scratch with W10 on the current hardware or build a new PC and do the same, but there is a third option: Update your current rig from Win7 to Win10. Ofcourse after everything is backed up, and creating a System Restore Point or System Image. I went this route myself and though it took some hours, everything went remarkably smooth. This is ofcourse no guarantee for your situation, but with the right precautions it could be something to consider.

 

[skier]

Arjan has offered several options, and he's right. Unfortunately, your equipment and mix of hardware and apps is almost assuredly different. Having been through many updates of all kinds myself and with my clients over the years (more than I'll admit here, or anywhere else for that matter), here's what I suggest for someone who NEEDS his system for production. If you can afford it, I'd go with setting this up on a new PC. Here is my thinking:

1. You're in a production environment and have schedules you have to meet;

2. A new machine with a new OS together are usually cheaper than getting them separately;

3. In addition, a new machine and OS will get you the benefit of the latest technology. I've been burnt several times when I tried upgrading major portions of a system piecemeal, and a computer and OS are major in the scheme of things;

4. Problems with an attempt to upgrade your current machine could break some things and you may not, therefore, be able to work and meet schedules;

5. Some of your software may burp and have problems requiring research and upgrade purchases to work with the Win 10, taking you still more time;

6. The fact is, the more apps you run, the more time you'll need to complete this conversion. The more there is that you need to test and potentially upgrade to run on the new system, the more time you'll need. The more you need to research and ask on forums, the more time you'll need. You get the picture.

At the very least, keeping your existing system the same and producing product from it means that you have no "drop dead date" to completing the new system. And because we cannot guarantee that a conversion will be done by some deadline, I know that I sleep better when I'm not being squeezed like that and can keep my work and upgrade separate. It'd be terrible to have a mess with little working when you've got deadlines to meet and clients to keep happy and coming to you.

Good luck with your decision and progress!

 

[Jean-Pierre Pineau]

Hello,
I've managed to keep up with my schedule and set my current system to work on a previous incarnation of the Sonar platform, which is sufficient enough for the current tasks.
For the moment, I feel like I've bought some time...

This said, I've considered the suggestion Skier made, as to develop a new system on a second computer, but I use rackmount cases, 3 SSDs (System & PG's, Libraries linked to softwares, Audio - as usual) and outboard cards like FW for instance, etc. This would necessitate a lot of hardware moving just to test the new system along the way, unless buying everything in double. Maybe I am just getting lazy... aside the fact I am reluctant to buy an off-the-shelf computer that comes usually bundled with OEM OS trimmed for the said unit. I've build my studio computers since the 90's, buying the branded computers for business activities. I have some preconceived opinions. Lol.

If there was a trick (and there may be some, after all those years... ) to change my motherboard and processor without having to reinstall all the MS OS from scratch plus all the stuff I've gathered over the years, that would be a breeze to have two system disks running separately, updating the SSD OS disk after each evolution.

I am just afraid to have no way out...

 

[cmaffia]

My rig is rack mounted as well. That's why I favored the approach I took. I dual boot from another physical drive. I knew I'd have no hardware incompatibility issues being that it was the same hardware. I didn't have to swap any cables to another computer and I could quickly be up and running if things went south by just rebooting to Windows 7.

 

[Jean-Pierre Pineau]

Hello cmaffia,

The dilemma I am facing is that, even if I'd switch to W10, the current setup needs to be updated as well, so whatever I'do on the current DAW will be lost as soon as I mount a new motherboard and new CPU, which ask for a complete OS reinstall, activation and so on for everything else. I doubt that I could skip the process...

For the moment, W7 is back on track but I can't actually update it with WU because of recurrent errors. Some updates pass, others repetitively fail. I've just given up on it. I have not tried to reinstall Sonar Platinum, as I can have my jobs done on X3. When it works...

The real bottom line is : should I reinstall my new system under Win7 Pro for some years, given the aging hardware (DM, Frontier Design stuff, Me...) but at risk of some possible software obsolescence, or W10 Pro, risking hardware obsolescence?...