installing vst's in windows 7 64 bit enterprise

[Jesse Gorter]

Hi,

some vst's keep prompting me for a registration key. When I enter, they often state they cannot make a registry file. Jbridge demo even asked me if i am an administrator. I checked the configuration manager and my inlog user is an admin. What gives?

[Dj Troy]

im runing all my vstis on it with no problem cant think of anything man sorry.

[Jesse Gorter]

weird.
must be a system -user setting or something?

[DevonB]

Do you have UAC disabled or not?

Devon

[Jesse Gorter]

i just disabled it :) but it still does not seem to remember when i enter a registration key for a lot of vst's. is it somehow possible to prevent a user from writing to the registry?

[DevonB]

i just disabled it but it still does not seem to remember when i enter a registration key for a lot of vst's. is it somehow possible to prevent a user from writing to the registry?

Absolutely. Win7 file and registry security is significantly changed as well as where it places data by 'default'. If the plugin isn't written for Win7, it simply might not work because of all the added security. That's why I prefer plugins with a single .dll and not a bunch of other junk.

Devon

[bmrzycki]

If at all possible you should really move your VST directory out of Program Files or Program Files (x86). Those directories are now "special" in the eyes of Windows 7 and need all sorts of permission to write files in there. I created the following structure:

D:\Music
D:\Music\VST
D:\Music\VST64
D:\Music\Plugin Data

Since I've done this I no longer have all the problems I initially had with everything in the Program Files directory.

Hope that helps.

[Jesse Gorter]

Wow! That was it....major thanks :D

[Kalamata Kid]

If at all possible you should really move your VST directory out of Program Files or Program Files (x86). Those directories are now "special" in the eyes of Windows 7 and need all sorts of permission to write files in there. I created the following structure:

D:\Music
D:\Music\VST
D:\Music\VST64
D:\Music\Plugin Data

Since I've done this I no longer have all the problems I initially had with everything in the Program Files directory.

Hope that helps.

Ok if?
C:\Music
C:\Music\VST
C:\Music\VST64
C:\Music\Plugin Data

[Tempest]

Yes. To the best of my knowledge, most hosts lets you choose your vst plugin directory. You can put it anywhere and then set your host to find it's location. Tou could even put in on your desktop if you wanted.

[DevonB]

If at all possible you should really move your VST directory out of Program Files or Program Files (x86).

Excellent suggestion. I've been doing that for years under XP that I didn't even think about the obvious ramifications with Windows 7. I've done

c:\vst
c:\vst\instruments
c:\vst\effects

etc. No problems so far for me, but I haven't loaded in all my plugins yet.

The only problem I know of though is some developers force you to put a bunch of garbage on OTHER parts of the drive, even if you select the VST directory where you install the software. Those still might have difficulties.

Devon

[bmrzycki]

Ok if?
C:\Music
C:\Music\VST
C:\Music\VST64
C:\Music\Plugin Data

That should be just fine too. As Tempest said any decent DAW will let you set your VST 32-bit and VST 64-bit folders. I just like keeping my OS on a separate drive from data in case I have to re-install my data is isolated. I've been doing it this way since Windows 3.1. I suppose some old habits die hard.

The reason I keep a Plugin Data directory is because it saves time on startup when DAWs scan the files in VST/VST64. All those presets and configuration files can get quite large (Omnisphere, Zebra2 presets).

The only problem I know of though is some developers force you to put a bunch of garbage on OTHER parts of the drive, even if you select the VST directory where you install the software. Those still might have difficulties.

Absolutely correct. I prefer to install the "receptorized" versions of windows plugins because they often don't touch the filesystem or the registry. Sometimes it's unavoidable.

For example, with Spectrasonics plugs they still like to place their stuff into C:\Program Files\VSTplugins even if I steer them to D:\Music\VST. I end up deleting the extra .dll files manually (and the RTAS garbage) from C:\Program Files after the installer does its thing.

Sadly it's not much better on a Mac. They have 2 plugin directory structures and some plugs only work in one or the other...But that's a tale for another day.

[Kalamata Kid]

My new computer will have Windows 7 64bit and 32bit and 64bit VST's. Where should the jBridge be installed? Sorry for such a primitive question but computer knowledge is limited.

Bmrzycki,
You consider VST's as Data and thus put them in your D drive?

[Tempest]

Just took a quick look at jBridge...just install in your program files as prompted, then once you run jbridge, you can set your folders as you choose.

[bmrzycki]

My new computer will have Windows 7 64bit and 32bit and 64bit VST's. Where should the jBridge be installed? Sorry for such a primitive question but computer knowledge is limited.

Bmrzycki,
You consider VST's as Data and thus put them in your D drive?

I don't use jbridge, I'm waiting for my plugins to become 64-bit native.

I install everything that isn't the core OS to another drive. So I actually have all my programs installed on there too:

D:\Programs 32-bit
D:\Programs 64-bit
D:\Music\VST
D:\Music\VST64
D:\Music\Plugin Data

I have things like Reason and Reaper installed into the D:\Programs 32-bit directory and things like Reason 64-bit installed in D:\Programs 64-bit.

While most programs won't work if I re-install the OS and then just run the program on D drive, I do save all my data and preferences. I can usually just re-install over the app in the same place and all my preferences are saved.

It's not perfect, but in the case of my OS falling apart I do save a lot of my information.