#WINDOWS XP SOUNDS INSTALL#
You can select this individually for each application, and this should let you install and run some applications that are otherwise cranky, such as Steinberg's Setup MME utility, which needs to be run in Windows 98/ME mode until the next update. Well, there's a compatibility mode in XP that 'changes the operating environment' to emulate Windows 95, Windows 98/ME, NT 4.0 (Service Pack 5), or Windows 2000. I've spotted queries on user forums from musicians whose Windows XP PCs give an error when attempting to install one of their favourite applications, asking what to do next.
#WINDOWS XP SOUNDS DRIVERS#
Although some musicians may have heard that Windows XP combines the stability of Windows 2000 with the hardware support of Windows 98, this doesn't mean that you can necessarily use the same drivers and software versions.ĭespite such warnings, some people still seem determined to upgrade before they check whether or not their existing hardware has suitable drivers, and whether or not their applications will run on it.
#WINDOWS XP SOUNDS PC#
Remember, it's a completely different platform to Windows 98/SE/ME, more akin to Windows 2000 (see last month's PC Notes). If you intend to create a fresh partition to try out Windows XP, then by all means go ahead, but don't assume that your existing hardware and software applications will automatically run on it. However, compared to Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP offers significantly faster startup times, has much greater software and hardware compatibility, simplified security features for easier setup and use, a simplified log‑on procedure, faster user‑switching so that you can move more quickly from your music to general‑purpose accounts, a new user interface featuring context‑sensitive, task‑oriented views, and enhanced support for digital media files such as video, pictures, and streamed music. This is due to its 32‑bit architecture and fully protected memory model, so that even if a badly behaved application crashes, your PC will carry on running happily. Most musicians will be tempted by Windows XP's promise of greater robustness and stability, which it shares with Windows 2000. So, I'm going to concentrate on the factors that really determine whether or not it's a wise move to rip out the most fundamental piece of software on your computer - the operating system - and replace it with another completely different engine. As always, the requirements of real‑time music applications are dramatically different from those used by your average punter, and so what may be considered invaluable by Microsoft might be one of the first things we musicians disable.
Should you upgrade your computer? Here's the definitive guide.Īs promised in last month's PC Notes column, I'm going to devote this PC Musician to Microsoft's new operating system, Windows XP. Windows XP is probably the most important PC operating system upgrade since Windows 95, but as always, its new features come at a cost. With new soft-sculpted windows and buttons, or your choice of skins, more helpful menu options, and many new user options, the new Windows XP user interface is more attractive and easier to use than ever before.
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