VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall (Win10-2004, build 10.0.19033)

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Posts: 1
Joined: June 11, 2020 - 20:56
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

I have had this problem after updating to Windows 10 Home (64 bit) (10.0.19041).

I am also getting the message that "CoolSoft MIDIMapper can't be found on this system, please run setup to fix it." and have also had to reinstall

Thanks for the quick-fix, but I hope you get a prompt and useful response from M$ to enable a permanent fix.

Cheers!

Posts: 9
Joined: March 30, 2016 - 16:55
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Hi! Same trouble here with Windows 10 Professional 2004 (19041.329).
I hope you will find the solution to this tricky situation.
Your software is great. Thanks for all your good work helping musicians around the world.

Posts: 1
Joined: March 3, 2017 - 01:06
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Also having this VMS re-install problem after upgrading to the stupid 2004 version of Windows 10 (the update also caused my iCue Corsair to flicker the RGB LEDs).

I thought by uninstalling it and then re-installing - however after doing it a couple of times now VMS will not start automatically any more? Any ideas why? It's still there in the list of start up programs.

Posts: 3
Joined: June 18, 2020 - 03:31
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Hi.

Well as a blind user, security and all that its something to do and disabling things well thats not a solution.

I have done this for some defender issues I have but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone which is not a tech or that wouldn't mind mucking about.

Technically certs and such, hmmm.

I have drivers not whql signed as such, or at least not official drivers.

The emulator is fine, since this is the latest in a string of updates in windows a solution would be when starting the system, instead of reporting that the driver needs to be installed, or something, to simply install itself when it is started.

The fact I have to allow it to install is not the biggest issue I can live with that.

The fact midi mapper always needs to be reinstalled in order for it to work is well a problem.

What are the various things that are needed to be done to run the driver if you signed it got in the development program, etc, how many of these things would need to be done every year, how many things could be only once or twice etc.

I have used things like com0com null modem emulator that is actually signed though but is fine.

Windows has always asked to trust stuff which is not in its database but still.

There is probably a way round this for a usermode driver.

Then again, I see no problem with having a signed kernal service which loads the usermode driver, the windows os would communicate with the signed services who's requirements could be that driver, who knows.

Its barely a couple extra seconds to install the usermode driver, so all you would have to do is when the driver first starts the system would check if it was installed and if not install and start.

My issue is the midi mapper, it should have this ability to.

On the other side, the biggest issue would be the fact if the driver kept changing, you would have to resign.

The mapper however doesn't actually need to be updated all the time so unless things expired or something you could sign and leave etc.

Then again I have a virtual recording app which is old but it at least has a device registration process.

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall
crashmaster wrote:
if the driver kept changing, you would have to resign

Well, I don't want to sign anything. Expecially with those "special" certificates needed to sign kernel drivers, which VMS is not.
VMS is an user-mode dll, nothing more; and it's loaded in user process space, not as a system driver.

So it could not be harmful for the system, no way.

Posts: 1
Joined: June 16, 2020 - 20:13
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Munt midi emulator fixed their driver a few days ago if you need anybody to bounce questions off of maybe.

Posts: 1
Joined: September 26, 2017 - 23:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Windows 10 Pro (64 bit) (10.0.19041)
VirtualMIDISynth: 2.9.1 (x64)

Same issue after the update. Multiple reinstalls don't seem to fix it. Hope this gets resolved.

Lou

Posts: 129
Joined: September 25, 2013 - 16:38
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Hi,

I do not think there's a need for other 'I have this problem, too' posts. Everyone has this problem. This is the unfortunate situation with new Windows 10 releases. These posts just make bigger noise in this thread that makes it harder to find previos temporary solutions suggested by Claudio, or other possible solution suggestions (Munt driver like solution etc.).

Thanks

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

First of all I apologize to all of you for my silence in the last days.
We're actually getting back to our ordinary lives here in Italy, so at job we're making up the time lost during the lockdown.
Anyway don't worry, I always read your messages... and I'm working on this.

willrun4fun wrote:
Munt midi emulator fixed their driver a few days ago if you need anybody to bounce questions off of maybe.

I've seen @sergm messages on that vogons forum thread, but haven't (and won't) look at their code.
Munt is an open-source project while VMS is not, so can't use it anyway.

Reading @sergm posts I know we're both following the same path: install our driver as a real "Virtual device", so it appears in Windows Device manager and then the OS will enumerate it correctly.
He's fighting, like me, agains code signing requirement: installing a device driver through .inf file requires it to be digitally signed (as I've already wrote), regardless it's a kernel driver or not.
I was helped by a Microsoft internal and given a suggestion, but it still required a special certificate; that's not acceptable in my point of view.
Someone suggested @sergm to blindly install a self-signed certificate during the setup: well, this is not something I like to do.
What if you find a "CoolSoft" certificate you've not explicitly installed in your certificate store? It's not polite, is it?

I'm using an alternative approach to avoid .inf files at all and install my device driver "partially", just the needed parts for it to be enumerated by Windows Audio Service and create the required MIDI entries under the legacy Drivers32 registry key.
It still appears in Device manager with a "No driver has been loaded for this device", but that's enough for me to make it work, without the needing of code signing, certificate installation "behind the scenes" and stuff...

That said, you all thought: ok, but when will it be ready? :D
Very soon, really.
The installation part is complete, it works, the device appears in Device manager and VMS survives the OS reboot.
I still have to debug the removal, because I don't wont to pollute systems (once removed my softwares must cleanup after themselves, even betas) or risk to remove/damage other installed devices.

I'll release a preview soon, by the end of this week ;)
Thanks for your patience

Posts: 1972
Joined: March 25, 2012 - 01:19
Re: VirtualMIDISynth becomes unavailable and keeps prompting for reinstall

Here we are, the first beta version with Windows10-2004 fix is ready to test (see the first post of this thread).

It has the same features as 2.9.1, together with the fix.
Once we confirm that the fix works correctly in any possible configuration, it will be included in the upcoming 2.10 version ;)

The most noticeable change is that now VirtualMIDISynth appears as a (virtual) device into Device manager tree.
That's required by the Windows Audio Endpoint Builder service to rebuild the legacy Drivers32 registry key correctly...

Thanks for your patience and... happy testing :D

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