PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Help! Tech S.O.S (Off topic) Problem with Coolsoft's Virtual Midi Synth program and Win 10 - 20H1

I am seeing a problem with the latest Windows 10 version released a few days ago.

This would be Version 2004 (OS Build 19041.264) also known as 20H1

I downloaded the ISO directly from Microsoft so it is not a hacked version but is instead the official release that is available to the public.

When Windows boots up I get the following message from the Coolsoft program:

"MIDI Driver is not correctly installed on this system.
Do you wish to fix it?
BEWARE: admin privileges are needed"

You then get a YES or NO option. When you press YES you get the following message from Coolsoft:

"MIDI Driver installation fixed, please restart the program".

Once you reload Virtual Midi Synth, the program loads and runs properly and works as my Midi Output Driver in BIAB x64

HOWEVER, if you shut the PC down and tune it back on, the same problem arises and you have to go through the steps again to get it to load.

I then loaded up the October 2019 official release of Windows Version 1909 (OS Build 18363.418), again the official ISO download directly from Microsoft and installed it.

The problem does not exist in the last public release and Virtual Midi Synth works properly each time the PC starts.

The problem is not with BIAB but there is an obvious conflict with the latest Windows and Virtual Midi Synth as far as I can see.

The is no mention of this problem yet on Coolsoft's website or on their forum.

Any one else who has upgraded seen this problem yet?

https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/virtualmidisynth

hi
You may find this off interest
i wont be doing mine until they send it to my automatic updates and then i may delay for a further days if
possible.

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1289114/Windows-10-May-2020-Update-Release-Date-Microsoft-Avoid-It-Do-Not-Download/amp

Mike

I sent a lengthy description to the Virtual Midi Synth forum along with some screen shots. Hopefully the folks over there will now be aware of this problem and can start working on the problem.

In the meantime, since BIAB and Virtual Midi Synth are the main programs I use, I will reload my system image from last week using the earlier release and will wait for a response back from them.

BTW, I also noticed that when using Firefox and you play a video in full screen, the back arrow no longer works also with the new version.

Sounds awfully familiar coming from Microsoft. Duh.

Here is the problem and the temp fix.

https://coolsoft.altervista.org/en/forum/thread/880

My own method was to use a batch file to...

1. Backup the problem registry entry once Virtual Midi Synth fixes it's error

Since the driver (VirtualMidiSynth.dll) is removed by Windows every time it boots up...

2. I use a restore batch file in the Startup Folder of Windows to

a) Restore the correct registry entry from the backup made in the 1st step.
b) Use the START: command in the restore batch file to load Virtual Midi Synth each time Widows boots after the driver is reloaded.

It works flawlessly each time.


From the VMS Forum:


"Latest Windows 10 builds (10.0.19033 and newer) keep "uninstalling" VirtualMIDISynth driver registration at each reboot (and also after some time the system is up and running).

Registry key where VirtualMIDISynth registers itself is somehow "reset" at each boot; the effect is that VirtualMIDISynth (and MIDIMapper) are not available anymore to MIDI applications, though they're still installed.

VirtualMIDISynth detects this at its startup and prompts the user for re-installation of the driver but, as said above, this fix won't last for a long time.

Well, this is not an OS bug to fix (by MS) but a new Windows OS "feature" we're forced to manage .

They changed the way Drivers32 registry key is managed by the Plug&Play subsystem.

So they now require (and suppose) VirtualMIDISynth to work as any other Windows driver (WHDL and stuff...).

Packaging it as a driver requires a lot of additional and costly steps: obtain a code-signing certificate, register myself as a driver developer, submit driver binaries to WHDL quality tests, sign binaries and, finally, distribute them.

The most expensive step is the code-signing certificate; it's not a standard certificate but one released from a few CA that Microsoft consider safe for kernel drivers... and it costs a lot of money

BUT... unfortunately VMS is NOT and doesn't need to be a kernel driver (.sys).
It's an User Mode driver (.dll), so it should not really need to be certified, because it won't harm the system at all (even if it contains some bug) and doesn't interact with the kernel.

Still looking for a workaround..."