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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219 |
I tried to install my 160 USB GB Hard Drive yesterday but ran into a few problems. Alyssa on the Technical Help Desk was wonderful and although she was very busy, she helped me three times to try to sort out the problem and even arranged for a replacement to be sent to me. She instructed me to dismantle the unit and re-seat the internal drive connection, as it had suffered during transit to the U.K. I finally gave up trying yesterday.
Today it seemed to be working all right but has just gone wrong again. When I connect the USB lead to my PC the disk just clicks over and over but does not actually connect. I will be returning it for a replacement.
Owing to the file size of the 2010 programme, I have decided to just use this 2010 version directly from the provided hard drive. Can I just ask two simple questions?
1. Should to blue lights on the end of the hard drive, stay on constantly? When mine did connect, they flashed on occasionally but mostly were off. When the unit is just idling should the lights be completely off?
2. Once I have made backups of my original C:\bb and Real Band folders, do I just delete the old ones with the delete key as opposed to uninstalling the programmes? Obviously I mean before I run the new USB installation.
Many thanks.
Richard (Stan's Fan)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493
Journeyman
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Journeyman
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 493 |
1: The blue light on the drive should be on when the drive is reading or writing, otherwise it will be off. Miscellaneous Windows functions (such as AutoPlay) may occasionally cause it to flash, Windows indexing the drive for faster searching will make it flash, etc. but for the most part if you aren't doing something involving that drive it will be (mostly) off. That is all normal.
2: The delete key works great, but the total size of the files is usually going to be too big for the Recycle Bin, so they will actually be deleted with no means to recover them from the Bin (after-market programs might be of help for that). So be sure you really have everything you want backed up.
Sorry to hear you had trouble with the drive. I have been lucky so far in that all of mine have worked out of the box. I wish that were true of every computer component I have purchased, but that is not the case so I understand any frustrations you might have. PGM will fix it for you, you can count on that.
Good luck.
By the way, if you haven't tried another usb cable you should. Seems to have worked for some folks on the forums here in fixing similar problems to yours.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Quote:
1. Should to blue lights on the end of the hard drive, stay on constantly? When mine did connect, they flashed on occasionally but mostly were off. When the unit is just idling should the lights be completely off?
The LED should only flash during Read/Write cycles.
Quote:
2. Once I have made backups of my original C:\bb and Real Band folders, do I just delete the old ones with the delete key as opposed to uninstalling the programmes? Obviously I mean before I run the new USB installation.
I like to install the new bb version right overtop of the old one, in the same folder first.
This way, I keep any addons from previous versions, plus all my own folders with my own songs and my own styles, etc. right there and intact.
If I want to run the program from the external drive, then I copy the bb folder to the bb folder on the hard drive *after* doing the above, creating a backup of *my* BiaB installation that includes all previous addons, all my songfiles, all my own created styles and aftermarket styles, all of my own created harmonies, my setup files, etc.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
Ditto on the USB cable. I was going to return a drive and all that was wrong was that only 1 cable out of the 20 I have worked with it. Nothing wrong with the drive at all, except for the fact the system didn't have enough juice in the USB to run it. The one that worked was actually longer, but seemed to have a much more robust wire in it. The two latest drives I got have a plug for a power supply, I don't know the voltage but Radio Shack used to sell a wall wart with selectable voltages and adapters for any thing. I forgot my power supply when I went north one year and my keyboard wouldn't work. I went to Radio Shack and bought that gizmo and now keep it in my electronic cable cabinet, which is growing fast enough I could make a horror movie out of it.... 
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,161
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,161 |
My 2009 version Hard Drive does have a Blue light which is constantly on but flashes when active. This drive did develop a problem after 6 months failing to work with a regular clicking sound which indicated that the head was having problems. Rather than dumping the drive, I smacked it with a plastic ruler when the power was off and it has worked perfectly ever since. It is not a practice I would normally recommend, but has worked for me on a couple of occasions. The 2010 Hard Drive flashes only the drive is working.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
I remember that being tried with a wooden ruler when I failed to work. Grade 7. There was a new blonde girl sitting beside me. Forget math.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219 |
Thank you Bary, Mac John and Lyn.
My new USB Hard Drive obviously had a hard knock in transit to the U.K. The black plastic end that clips in was open and would not push back. I had to unscrew two screws to release the other end and pull out the mechanaism and re-seat the hard-drive connection. I wondered if the clicking when I try to connect up to an already running PC, is something to do with damage caused to the drive. It works if I connect it all up before booting up the PC, it doesn't click then. I would not want to have to turn off my PC every time I want to connect the drive to use BIAB. All my other USB hardware devices just connect when I push in the plug and I always disconect using "Safely Remove Hardware" option.
Richard (Stan's Fan)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,333 |
So did you get it to install the software and are you getting the replacement drive?
BTW, my " " " future " " " son in law just went back to Kent. He goes to the U of Kent, lives in Canterbury while going, but is from near Deal, Ham and Sandwich. Odd chap, Asperger's or something, IQ of 150 taking organic chemistry and he and my daughter have been going out for 2 and a 1/2 years. She spent the summer in Deal, traveling to France.
He was here for a month. University must be soft, heck our people are lucky to get 10 days off.....not a month.
John Conley
Musica est vita
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
Quote:
It works if I connect it all up before booting up the PC, it doesn't click then. I would not want to have to turn off my PC every time I want to connect the drive to use BIAB. All my other USB hardware devices just connect when I push in the plug and I always disconect using "Safely Remove Hardware" option.
Try connecting both of the two USB plugs first, with the *other* end of the cable, the one that goes to the drive, disconnected from the drive.
Once the two connectors are snug in the respective two USB receptacles, then plug the tiny connector into the drive and see if it will spin up.
Sometimes, with certain computer power wiring schemes, plugging in the USB A connector first will not be quite enough power but just enough to freeze the drive's startup routine. Plugging in both USB connectors first can solve this problem.
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,486
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,486 |
Hi Richard
One interesting point is that although my booted computer fails to recognise the ext BIAB drive when plugged in - if I use Paragon Partition Manager it shows up there but without a drive letter assigned - if I assign the next drive letter then it works fine and shows up correctly in the computer drives
There is an area in the power settings > advanced settings > USB that allows the program to selectively suspend > enable/disable - I have not explored this yet
jazzman
BIAB - RealBand - 2022
Windows 10 64
Zoo computer with 7i processor- SSD 1TB -2TB HDD
Roland keyboards
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219 |
Well Mac you have done it again . . .
I have just tried your method of connecting the two plugs first followed by the small unit’s connector and it worked. I will give more tests and should not need to return it thank goodness. Thank you very much Mac.
Jazzman,
I must have a look at the Windows advanced setting as you suggest. Thank you.
John,
Now that I can connect up to my already running PC the way Mac has suggested and see that Jazzman has similar problems connecting the Hard Drive, I should have no need to return the unit to PG.
I live between Royal Tunbridge Wells and Hastings.
thank goodness.
****** WOULD IT REALLY MATTER IF I JUST LEFT THE UNIT CONNECTED AND RUNNING ALL OF THE TIME, EVEN IF I AM NOT USING BIAB? IT COULD COME ON AND GO OFF WITH THE PC EVERY TIME THEN. ******
Richard (Stan's Fan)
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 38,502 |
I leave my PGMusic USB hard drive connected to the desktop in that fashion all the time, haven't had a problem.
The only times I disconnect it are when I need it to take to an outside gig or demo to use with my laptop.
I love this way of doing things, as compared to having two separate installs complete of BiaB on each machine and forgetting to take the time to copy my new songfiles made on the desktop over to the laptop before skipping out the door. One answer with everything identical no matter the machine.
Yes, leave it hooked up. If you are like me, you will be using it every day anyway...
--Mac
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,486
Expert
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Expert
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,486 |
Hi Richard
Pleased you resolved your problem
I just solved mine by using a third set of USB leads - and will keep it connected most of the time
jazzman
BIAB - RealBand - 2022
Windows 10 64
Zoo computer with 7i processor- SSD 1TB -2TB HDD
Roland keyboards
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219
Apprentice
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OP
Apprentice
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 219 |
Thank you Mac and Jazzman.
You have saved me a lot of trouble by not having toreturn the unit. I will probably just leave it connected as you say.
Richard (Stan's Fan)
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