I just installed MC3 and am using Vista Ultimate 32 with SP1.  Have 8gb of ram ..even though Vista really only see 3.5 gb of ram.

I keep getting...

"For software only ver. the approved virtual memory setting is 2700mb.  Your virtual memory is set to 2999mb.  Please use 3GB.exe to adjust your virual memory."

I click continue and MC3 crashes.

I run the 3GB.exe file (which is a DOS prompt) and reset it to 2700mb, hit enter and close the window.  I then reboot and try to launch MC3 and get all the same as above.

Any ideas on how to get MC3 running?

There is also a setting in Vista where one can change the virtual memory settings and I have tried as well but no luck there either.

Jim-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Change the size of virtual memory

If you receive warnings that your virtual memory is low, you'll need to increase the minimum size of your paging file. Windows sets the initial minimum size of the paging file at the amount of random access memory (RAM) installed on your computer plus 300 megabytes (MB), and the maximum size at 3 times the amount of RAM installed on your computer. If you see warnings at these recommended levels, then increase the minimum and maximum sizes.

1. Click to open System.

2. In the left pane, click Advanced system settings.  If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

3. On the Advanced tab, under Performance, click Settings.

4. Click the Advanced tab, and then, under Virtual memory, click Change.

5. Clear the Automatically manage paging file size for all drives check box.

6. Under Drive [Volume Label], click the drive that contains the paging file you want to change.

7. Click Custom size, type a new size in megabytes in the Initial size (MB) or Maximum size (MB) box, click Set, and then click OK.

Increases in size usually don't require a restart, but if you decrease the size, you'll need to restart your computer for the changes to take effect. We recommend that you don't disable or delete the paging file.

Jim,

Under Vista, you need to make certain your BCD is properly configured.  This could be a little tricky if you are running under UAC.  You will first need to open a command prompt with Administrator privileges.  At the command prompt, type BCDEdit.

This should give you a listing that looks something like:

Windows Boot Manager
--------------------
identifier              {bootmgr}
device                  partition=C:
description             Windows Boot Manager
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {globalsettings}
default                 {current}
resumeobject            {5253aeb7-773d-11db-ac43-9b5bdffc3c3c}
displayorder            {current}
                        {4d722715-4000-11dd-a5d0-ff701cb7d5a9}
                        {d6ae7122-780d-11db-90f5-005056c00008}
toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}
timeout                 10

Windows Boot Loader
-------------------
identifier              {current}
device                  partition=C:
path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe
description             Microsoft Windows Vista
locale                  en-US
inherit                 {bootloadersettings}
bootdebug               No
nointegritychecks       No
osdevice                partition=C:
systemroot              \Windows
resumeobject            {5253aeb7-773d-11db-ac43-9b5bdffc3c3c}
nx                      OptIn

Notice the listing under Boot Loader, you might see a few if you are multibooting.  There should be a line that says increaseuserva 2700.  If you can't see one you can type the following command and then reboot to increase the virtual address space in user mode:

bcdedit /set increaseuserva 2700

Note, your some BIOSes are not compatible with this.  For example, my Mac Pro under Boot Camp just will not allow me to go above 2GB.  Every Windows system qualified by Avid should work, though.

Thanks for your reply

I did as you suggest and it appears it was already set to that----

I am pasting what I got in the command prompt using admin privilages.

By the way I am using mac pro but I reinstalled vista ..full install… and no longer see boot camp, however if I reboot and hold down the control key I can still get into the Mac Leopard.

Do you think it is a Bios problem?  If so I cant get into it like I used to when running just Vista computer.

Here is the copy of what my command prompt says

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.0.6001]

Copyright (c) 2006 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>BCDEdit

Windows Boot Manager

--------------------

identifier              {bootmgr}

device                  partition=C:

description             Windows Boot Manager

locale                  en-US

inherit                 {globalsettings}

default                 {current}

resumeobject            {ca2b4628-0047-11dd-8600-886b75a80e23}

displayorder            {current}

toolsdisplayorder       {memdiag}

timeout                 30

Windows Boot Loader

-------------------

identifier              {current}

device                  partition=C:

path                    \Windows\system32\winload.exe

description             Microsoft Windows Vista

locale                  en-US

inherit                 {bootloadersettings}

osdevice                partition=C:

systemroot              \Windows

resumeobject            {27ec2c07-45bc-11dd-99d1-a6e730a62062}

nx                      OptIn

increaseuserva          2700

C:\Windows\system32>

 I am almost certain that it's your Mac Pro.  There is something about the EFI (something akin to a BIOS) on the Mac Pro that prevents Vista or XP from seeing more than 2GB.  This is a personal pet peve of mine, since I like to use my personal Mac Pro for development at home.

There isn't much you can do at this point, except hope that Apple releases a new EFI to address the problem.  But with Vista 64 out, I don't think it's high on their radar.  Vista 64 sees all of the RAM just fine - speaking from personal experience.

By the way, I guess I should follow this up by saying that running MC 3 under Boot Camp is not a qualified configuration.

 Oh Great!

I called the sales support people and asked them if a Mac Pro could be a problem and they said no.  This was before I bought the upgrade just to make sure there would be no problem.  I uninstalled Boot camp before I did a clean install of Vista (of course the clean install deleted all old programs).

Jeez I am so sick of all Avid's conflicts and problems....

There is $500 out the window.
I have a 64 bit Vista Ultimate DVD but it only works if you are updating from XP 64bit.  It will not install over a 32 Vista.

Well of course a Mac Pro can be used, under Mac OS X 10.5.3 (with the caveat of the known Apple Firewire issue with Adrenaline and Mojo SDI).

The EFI memory issue is also Apple's issue.

Your Avid license/dongle will work with XP, Vista and OS X.  You just need to run the qualified platform with the qualified OS.

 Ok I will look into that.

Thanks you BTW for giving me some more options and advice.

Jim

One other question.  My running Vista is not dependent on Boot camp.  When I turn on my computer Vista loads.   Is the Mac EFI running?  Vista shows me I have 8gb of ram but is a Mac really only allowing 2gb?

It there any way to just uninstall the Mac OS or remove its hard drive and elimate this problem.  There is nothing I use Mac for now.  (perhaps this is a question for Apple...?)

Jim

Brian Williams:

Well of course a Mac Pro can be used, under Mac OS X 10.5.3 (with the caveat of the known Apple Firewire issue with Adrenaline and Mojo SDI).

The EFI memory issue is also Apple's issue.

Your Avid license/dongle will work with XP, Vista and OS X.  You just need to run the qualified platform with the qualified OS.

EFI is the boot firmware on all Intel-based Macs.  It's there even if you don't have Boot Camp.  Boot Camp is really nothing more than a collection of 3rd party drivers and a few utilities from Apple.

The real Windows compatibility all exists in EFI.

Even though it is not a supported configuration, if you want to stick with Vista, you should install Vista 64.  Your Vista Ultimate should have come with both 32 and 64 bit media.  You can use the same installation key, and even dual boot the two operating systems - but you have to install them both on different partitions of the same drive.

But if you want to maximize your investment, you should stick with a qualified configuration.

 Ok..thanks

2 last questions...just so I understand.  A 64bit version of Vista will bypass the 2gb memory limitations that the Apple EMI imposes?

My Utimate is an update version. I assume I would have to have a 64bit version installed before the Ultimate 64 would install over it?  I get the impression from the MS forums that a 64 bit version will not install over a 32bit version?  If that is the case I would buy the Vista Biz 64bit full version and do a full install?

Again thanks for all you insight and help on this.

Brian Williams:

EFI is the boot firmware on all Intel-based Macs.  It's there even if you don't have Boot Camp.  Boot Camp is really nothing more than a collection of 3rd party drivers and a few utilities from Apple.

The real Windows compatibility all exists in EFI.

Even though it is not a supported configuration, if you want to stick with Vista, you should install Vista 64.  Your Vista Ultimate should have come with both 32 and 64 bit media.  You can use the same installation key, and even dual boot the two operating systems - but you have to install them both on different partitions of the same drive.

But if you want to maximize your investment, you should stick with a qualified configuration.

As we told you yesterday, Vista Ultimate is not supported for the Avid software, not only that but Vista is not supported on the Mac Pro at all. 

During Beta there were so many problems with this configuration that Avid could not recommend using it at all.

It is certainly your choice but, from what I've seen, you will continue to have problems the more you try to use this hardware/software configuration.

 That was not my question.  My main hurdle is to be able to bypass the MacPro limitations on Vista being able to see more than 2gb of ram.

If a 64bit Vista will do that, then I would buy Vista Biz 64bit.

MC3 loads fine it just want to see more memory. I have 8gb but now Vista 32bit only see's 2gb.  So if a 64bit version of Vista Business will see more ram, then I will try it out.  If it works ...great, if it does not...so be it.

I installed Vista Ultimate 64 on my personal Mac Pro a couple of weekends ago, although I didn't try running MC with it.  I installed it as a dual boot though, and it just installed fine on a second partition without performing an upgrade of my Vista Ultimate 32 partition.  It also activated without problem.  You can use the same key for both Ultimate 32 and Ultimate 64 simultaneously as long as it's on the the same machine.

But BLKDOG is right, you should at least go with the qualified OS, which is Vista Business.  But, as a test, since you already have the media and the key, you might want to try Ultimate 64, just to see if it gets you past that 2GB position, before you invest in another copy of Vista.  If that works, then order up a copy of Vista Business 64.

By the way, are you running with a Mojo SDI or Adrenaline?  If not, you could save yourself a whole lot of time and just install under OS X 10.5.3 and work in the qualified configuration.

 Yeah..I just tested my Vista 64 upgrade DVD.  It appears it will do a full install but reformatting the hard drive first, which is no problem, I can back up what I need.

I will do an install and see if the 64bit allows more ram.  If so, I will then buy a Vista business 64 bit full and install that.

If all that fails I will go back and install on the Mac OS 10.5.3.  Most people love the Mac OS, but I am not one of them.  But they are great for graphics and pleasing to look at, but slow to move around in.  I find Vista a more stable platform and better thought out.. (I am sure I am in the minority with that view).

I will document my adventures and post my findings for those who have a MacPro and want to run MC3 in windows

Jim

(Here is a copy of a note to me from the MS Vista 64 forum.-----

The 64-bit upgrade needs to see a qualifying product already installed.
That product does NOT need to be a 64-bit version.

We probably should have just sent you to this KB article in the first place, Jim:

Installation choices for 64-bit consumer versions of Windows Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932795/en-us   )

Brian Williams:

I installed Vista Ultimate 64 on my personal Mac Pro a couple of weekends ago, although I didn't try running MC with it.  I installed it as a dual boot though, and it just installed fine on a second partition without performing an upgrade of my Vista Ultimate 32 partition.  It also activated without problem.  You can use the same key for both Ultimate 32 and Ultimate 64 simultaneously as long as it's on the the same machine.

But BLKDOG is right, you should at least go with the qualified OS, which is Vista Business.  But, as a test, since you already have the media and the key, you might want to try Ultimate 64, just to see if it gets you past that 2GB position, before you invest in another copy of Vista.  If that works, then order up a copy of Vista Business 64.

By the way, are you running with a Mojo SDI or Adrenaline?  If not, you could save yourself a whole lot of time and just install under OS X 10.5.3 and work in the qualified configuration.

 

 I just noticed that there is no disk for Mac OS in my Dvd case.  Are there supposed to be 2 Dvds in the MC3 case?  I see two places to put Dvd's but mine only has 1, the windows Dvd.

I did a search of the one Dvd they sent me and I see no Mac installers  .dmg

Jim