Windows 11 drivers for audio interfaces

[LeVzi]

Are people actually going to jump on Oct 5th ? tbh I am always dubious about it just because its a nightmare for bugs.

[starflakeprj]

I jumped on 3 weeks ago. I have had one problem, but I don't think it's related to Windows 11 specifically, and that is that my soft eLicenser was no longer available, so I'm getting warnings about it everytime I'm trying to open a Steinberg plugin (or Cubase). Even though I'm using the HW dongle and not the soft eLicenser.

Ok, I lost the activation of two other plugins as well, but I could reactivate those easily.

Otherwise, not a single problem so far.

[msimsek]

Are people actually going to jump on Oct 5th ? tbh I am always dubious about it just because its a nightmare for bugs.

Not for actual work I think, but why not at home? I only use my home desktop to play games, browse and for ampsims.

At the very least, you will be familiar with it when workplace inevitably switches later.

PS. Release candidate is out, you can switch now.

[LeVzi]

But until SP1 , traditionally windows releases are buggy as hell

[starflakeprj]

But until SP1 , traditionally windows releases are buggy as hell

SP1? AFAIK there haven't been any service packs since Windows 7. And buggy as hell? Sure, Windows 8 and Windows ME weren't the most stable releases, but otherwise I haven't had that much problems.

[BONES]

It hasn't. It's still a couple of months until it gets officiall launched. Thus there are no Windows 11 drivers for most stuff yet.

Windows 11's official launch is October 5. It wanted to install on my machine last week but I told it to f**k off. It's a long time since I've done that, since I first got onto the Windows 8 beta in 2011 or 2012, but I have no intention of upgrading until I am 100% sure I will still be able to use the Windows 10 style Start.

Anyway, I'd just try reinstalling the Win 10 drivers, I reckon that will probably fix it.

[BONES]

I wonder what's changing with Windows 11 that breaking compatibility? maybe its a sign there may be audio improvements!

There were plenty of audio improvements with Windows 10 but hardly anyone takes advantage of them. Try running your host with Windows Audio instead of ASIO. I get pretty much identical performance with Studio One.

Seems great to me if MS leave the stupid idea to do constant creators updates and stuff and still everything called Windows 10.
System requirements has always been for gear/software - Windows 10 64-bit.
- but they could be very different depending which updates were done
When you hear Windows 11, 12 or whatever - everybody think before upgrading, and vendors with drivers become more aware there is major changes.
The way it used to be for Windows 7 with updates was perfect in my book. Even prefer paying for upgrades and have it that way. One size does not fit all.

Except that Windows 7 drivers mostly work with Windows 10. You don't need to update your drivers every time you upgrade Windows. Vista was the last time they broke backwards-compatibility and look how that turned out. I think they learned their lesson.

Are people actually going to jump on Oct 5th ? tbh I am always dubious about it just because its a nightmare for bugs.

You do understand that there are more than one million beta-testers, right? And they have been testing Win 11 for most of the year. The only bugs will be from very unique set-ups, most of us will have no problems at all.

But until SP1 , traditionally windows releases are buggy as hell

No, they aren't. I've been using beta versions on my main computer since before Windows 8 was released and never had any serious problems at all. As I said, you have to have a really strange set-up to be too worried about having problems.

[LeVzi]

But until SP1 , traditionally windows releases are buggy as hell

SP1? AFAIK there haven't been any service packs since Windows 7. And buggy as hell? Sure, Windows 8 and Windows ME weren't the most stable releases, but otherwise I haven't had that much problems.

They don't call them Service packs anymore they are just different versions. But essentially they are what was the old service packs. And there are always bugs in Windows on initial release, only have to browse windows forums to see what happens. Win 10 was one of the better releases in fairness, but that had issues too. I didn't get Win 10 until after many months had passed, but I remember on some gaming forums I used to be on, that there were many faults with FPS drops etc, stability, a lot of blue screening because driver support was a bit iffy. It all gets worked out, and before anyone says driver support is the responsibility of the vendor, not microsoft, thats what I am referring to, so once all the bugs/drivers etc are working fine, i'll move to Win 11. Which will be 2022 probably.

[LeVzi]

I wonder what's changing with Windows 11 that breaking compatibility? maybe its a sign there may be audio improvements!

There were plenty of audio improvements with Windows 10 but hardly anyone takes advantage of them. Try running your host with Windows Audio instead of ASIO. I get pretty much identical performance with Studio One.

Seems great to me if MS leave the stupid idea to do constant creators updates and stuff and still everything called Windows 10.
System requirements has always been for gear/software - Windows 10 64-bit.
- but they could be very different depending which updates were done
When you hear Windows 11, 12 or whatever - everybody think before upgrading, and vendors with drivers become more aware there is major changes.
The way it used to be for Windows 7 with updates was perfect in my book. Even prefer paying for upgrades and have it that way. One size does not fit all.

Except that Windows 7 drivers mostly work with Windows 10. You don't need to update your drivers every time you upgrade Windows. Vista was the last time they broke backwards-compatibility and look how that turned out. I think they learned their lesson.

Are people actually going to jump on Oct 5th ? tbh I am always dubious about it just because its a nightmare for bugs.

You do understand that there are more than one million beta-testers, right? And they have been testing Win 11 for most of the year. The only bugs will be from very unique set-ups, most of us will have no problems at all.

But until SP1 , traditionally windows releases are buggy as hell

No, they aren't. I've been using beta versions on my main computer since before Windows 8 was released and never had any serious problems at all. As I said, you have to have a really strange set-up to be too worried about having problems.

Yes I am more than aware there are many beta testers, as there have been for ever version of windows, doesn't mean they can test every single system setup there is.

And yes they are traditionally buggy, from Win98 to Millenium, even XP was a bit of a mess on its release, Win 7 wasn't without issues, 8 was a disaster, so 10 was one of their better "at release" versions but nothing works smoothly at all, and you'd be deluded to think it will.

Vendors need time to update drivers, microsoft will begin the rollout of fixes , because there will be many. So if you are that naive, sure jump ahead on it tomorrow. If you get a working system , DAW, interface, plugins, and there are no issues, bully for you, but i'd not believe you anyway.

But hey, apparently now you are a beta tester for microsoft too, great, so you'll have the inside information. You'd have had Win 11 running for months.

Sorry, I don't believe a damn word you say about anything.

[msimsek]

You do know that Windows 11 is not a new operating system with a new kernel, new core utilities and such, right? It more like a new desktop environment; you can even use old file manager and start menu by changing some simple registry entries.

[BONES]

That's possible in the betas but sometimes Microsoft take out old features like that for the final release, so I'm waiting to see if it's still there in the release version before I take the plunge. There is no way I am putting up with the W11 Start.

Yes I am more than aware there are many beta testers, as there have been for ever version of windows, doesn't mean they can test every single system setup there is.

Actually, before Windows 8 most testing was done in house and with trusted partners. Win8 was the first time they invited anyone and everyone to test new builds.

And yes they are traditionally buggy, from Win98 to Millenium, even XP was a bit of a mess on its release

Just saying stuff doesn't make it true. Back then a new OS came on a CD-ROM and it cost money. No-one was going to pay money if it didn't work properly. This whole thing with releasing half-arsed upgrades has only been around since broadband internet. Me was rubbish because it hogged system resources and slowed down your computer, not because it was unreliable, and XP was the first NT-based consumer release, so everyone had to get new drivers for everything, like going from 32 bit to 64 bit. But it was a development of Windows 2000 and it was rock-solid from the get-go.

Win 7 wasn't without issues, 8 was a disaster, so 10 was one of their better "at release" versions but nothing works smoothly at all, and you'd be deluded to think it will.

Absolute bullshit! Windows 8 was rock-solid from Day 1 and I never had to update even one driver, all my Vista/Win7 drivers worked perfectly from the very first public beta. I never had so much as a single crash in Windows 8, just as Windows 10 has never crashed on me, either. Not even once.

Vendors need time to update drivers

More bullshit. Drivers only need to be updated to take advantage of new features. If you have Windows 7 drivers, they will work perfectly well in Windows 8, 10 or 11. And as we mostly use ASIO, we won't need to worry about any new features, so Win11 will just work. The last time I had to update a driver was when I upgraded to Windows XP, in 2003.

So if you are that naive, sure jump ahead on it tomorrow.

That's rich, coming from someone who hasn't got the first clue. I've been on beta versions of Windows, sometimes 6 months before they were available to the public, and still I've never had a single crash in a decade. So I have just a little bit more first-hand knowledge than you do.

If you get a working system , DAW, interface, plugins, and there are no issues, bully for you, but i'd not believe you anyway.

What, you think I'm as stupid as you and I'd put up with something that didn't work? Can you even think of a reason anyone would be that dumb?

You'd have had Win 11 running for months.

If you'd bothered to read the thread, you'd have seen that I have no intention of updating to Windows 11 until I know I can reinstate Win10's Start.

Sorry, I don't believe a damn word you say about anything.

Because... ?

[LeVzi]

Just saying stuff doesn't make it true.

Oh the irony

[BONES]

Oh, the stupidity! You have just said stuff without offering anything to support it. OTOH, I have used my own personal experience to explain my position. If you don't understand the difference, then...

[LeVzi]

Oh, the stupidity! You have just said stuff without offering anything to support it. OTOH, I have used my own personal experience to explain my position. If you don't understand the difference, then...

Just saying stuff doesn't make it true.

[AdvancedFollower]

You do know that Windows 11 is not a new operating system with a new kernel, new core utilities and such, right? It more like a new desktop environment; you can even use old file manager and start menu by changing some simple registry entries.

Yeah it's essentially Windows 10 21H2. "Windows 11" is just marketing/branding, probably because the UI changes are bigger than with the traditional bi-annual Win10 updates and they implemented some new security features that require TPM 2.0 and a more modern CPU, increasing the system requirements.