This page applies to both Vista and Window 7

Vista was the least popular of all Windows operating systems and Windows 7 is slightly better.

Windows 7 is the standard operating system with new PCs - though many large organisations insist that all their new machines run under Windows XP.

DryFire works happily with the "normal" 32 bit versions - even though our installation instructions recommend doing things in a slightly non-Microsoft way.

DryFire and 64 bit operating systems

We do not recommend using DryFire with Vista 64 or Windows 7 64

64 bit versions should be avoided if at all possible. Users of 64 bit versions may find that many of the devices that have happily worked with earlier versions of Windows will no longer work.

Pluses for 64 bit:

• 64 bit provides access to over 4GB of memory.
• 64 bit has "kernel protection".

Minuses for 64 bit:

• "Kernel protection" causes problems for many drivers written for 32 bit.
• There are no significant advantages of 64 bit over normal 32 bit Vista.

So:

• All PCs that will run 64 bit will run normal 32 bit.
• Almost all PCs provided with Windows come with 32 bit pre-installed.
• Given a choice, we recommend not using 64 bit - you will not be a happy person.

DryFire USB drivers under 64 bit Windows

The DryFire USB drivers (required to communicate with the simulator) seem to work on some PCs/laptops with 64 bit but not with others.

Actually, the drivers that communicate with the simulator are not written by DryFire, they are written by FTDI which supplies the USB chip used inside the simulator. FTDI has gone through all the approvals processes required by Microsoft but 64 bit still causes problems - sometimes.

We do not recommend using DryFire on 64 bit. It may work or it may not.

Procedure to follow if the USB drivers do not install

The DryFire USB drivers should be installed using the procedure shown below.

However, please click here if the USB drivers do not install under Vista or Windows 7.

The installation process for Vista/Windows 7

Like thousands of programs, DryFire writes files (user details, configuration settings etc.) to the folder where it is installed.

The new User Account Control (UAC) prevents programs doing this (Microsoft calls this a "security enhancement") so thousands of programs that work quite happily with Windows XP will not work with Vista if they are installed in the default c:\program files folder.

Remember: you must install the software before plugging in the simulator.

There are three possible solutions.

1) Easy and quick: do not install in the default folder Software installation must be done before you plug the simulator into a USB port. During this process please ignore any warning screens and select Continue or whichever option allows things to carry on. Make sure that your simulator is not plugged into a USB port. Before inserting the DryFire CD - use Windows Explorer to create a folder called c:\DryFire Insert the DryFire CD and when the installation screen pops up use Browse to find the c:\DryFire folder. Continue the installation. When installation is complete, plug in the simulator and when Windows asks for a driver point it to c:\DryFire\usb-drivers\vista The screen grab on the right shows access to the folder containing drivers for Vista/Windows 7 Important note:if your copy of DryFire does not include a separate "vista" folder under "usb-drivers" please use the one labelled "xp-2000". Please see below here for a complete sequence of screen grabs showing USB driver installation under Vista.

2) Change access rights to the DryFire folder

• Install DryFire into the default folder: c:\program files\dryfire but do not run the DryFire software yet.
• Use Windows Explorer to find c:\program files\dryfire.
• Right click on the folder name ("DryFire").
• Select "Properties".
• Click left on the "Security" tab.
• Click left on the "Edit" button and confirm if/when the pop-up message appears.
• Click left on "Users ....." in the pull down list "Group or users names". The text after "Users" will depend on the name of your PC.
• Click left on "Allow" next to "Full control" in "Permissions for Users".
• Click left on "Apply" and confirm if/when the pop-up message appears.
• Click on "OK" then "OK" to exit.

Like you, we don't know why Microsoft made things this complicated. They must have a reason.

3) Turn off Microsoft's User Account Control (UAC)

This is a sledge hammer solution to stop all those annoying messages.

Do this before installing DryFire.

• Click on the Window button (bottom left corner of your PC screen - your "desktop")
• Select "Help and Support"
• Enter "UAC" into the search box
• Select "Turn User Account Control on or off"
• Follow the instructions

These images show the process of installing the DryFire USB driver under Vista/Windows 7.

One or more "Continue" screens (known as "nag screen") may be missing from this sequence

Select "Locate and install driver software"

Select "I don't have the disk"

Select "Browse my computer for driver software"

Select the "vista" driver folder under "usb-drivers" then click "OK"

Confirm that the correct folder is selected then click "Next"

Nag screen: select "Install this software anyway"

Confirmation that the driver has been installed. Click on "Close"