Windows Vista MCE Replacement Driver

[and-81]

Good news everyone!

After a LOT of mucking around I've found a way to install and use the MCE Replacement Driver on Windows Vista.

I've attached to this post a new Replacement Driver that I've compiled especially for Vista and has an installer just for Vista.

I've tested this with Vista RC1 32-bit and it's working. I can't test with 64-bit myself due to the fact that I don't own a 64-bit CPU, so if someone could test this and get back to me that would help a lot.

Now, as for the default Microsoft driver ... Well it seems Microsoft have changed the rules a little as to how this is accessed. So it's going to take me a little longer to figure it out. I've made significant progress, but I'm not their yet. Hopefully it will be very soon and I'll figure it out.

Hopefully not too long though, because my Vista RC1 activation period runs out in 10 days!

So ... Try out the attached Replacement Driver for Vista and let me know if you have any trouble. Please read the included ReadMe.TXT first though.

If this doesn't work for 64-bit users, and there is a chance of this because of the signing requirements, then I will have to keep developing the UMDF driver I've been working on on the side.

Also, At the moment I have not included a 64-bit MceIr.dll (which is used to access the driver) but the current one should work (fingers crossed). I will however compile a 64-bit version as soon as I can figure out how to get Visual C++ Express to target 64-bit CPU's.

Thanks,

[tesamu]

Hi Aaron!

What can I say. You are incredible! IT WORKS!!!
I had to reboot the PC after installation, but after that all is just fine.

Thanks a lot.

EDIT:
By the way, I use 32-bit Vista,MCE Remote/transceiver and latest MP SVN.

[andyd]

Sorry Dude no go here in the X64 world.... The driver wont even install. Just comes up in device manager (error code 39) and says its corrupt. The install script failed and I have to do a manual update with device manager....

But nice try!!!! I am off to a microsoft technical session on wednesday and I will ask them for some advice and see what they can offer... I know quite a few of them and they are very much into there MCE and they may have some answers and some form of API for current drivers. Saves having to reinvent the wheel if you can just access the current driver thru APi's.

[andyd]

Also have a look at this!!!!!!!

http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...ED001_WH06.ppt

ALL ABOUT IR design and writing User space software talking to IR in Vista!!!!!

[and-81]

Hey,

I half expected it to fail on x64. The driver is kernel-mode and therefore requires signing on Vista x64. Without the signing requirement disabled the installation will fail without giving a reason, from what I've read.

Did you try turning off the signing requirement?

I believe I'll need to complete the UMDF Driver (User-Mode Driver) for x64 to work.

As for original (Microsoft) driver support... I've started working on interfacing with it, and I am very confident I'll have a solution shortly.

If you can get any more information or api docs or anything that might help, then by all means let me know, that would be fantastic.

Don't worry though, I haven't given up on Vista x64 support by a long way.

Cheers,

[andyd]

Yeah I switched off driver signing... thats how I got it to install....

[and-81]

hmm, must be something I missed then.

The trouble is that I can't test a 64-bit driver because I have a 32-bit CPU. 64-bit replacement driver might have to wait until after I've got the Microsoft driver working.

Once I get it working with the Microsoft driver you will be alright because that will support 64-bit by default. But I'd still like to get a 64-bit replacement driver working.

I'll get back to you when I know more.

Cheers,

[andyd]

Hi Aaron,

I dont mean to be a pain or rain on your parade mate and I AM REALLY IMPRESSED with the way you have taken to this project and the dedication to this driver and solution. But I am just curious wouldnt it make sense to use existing inbuilt drivers from MS for functionality rather then try and design a better driver? I understand that the old XP driver wasnt the best and limited functionality, doesnt the built in driver in Vista provide the same functionality as the driver you are providing? What limitations are working with here? Is the MS driver closed ?

Or am I in the completely wrong ball park here?

[and-81]

I'm glad you asked.

In XP the reason for the Replacement driver was to let the user remap buttons that had a fixed function. The way you accessed the device for blasting was to use the Win32 CreateFile function to get a handle to it and then write to it like a file stream. This was the same for the Microsoft driver and the Replacement driver.

In Vista the default driver now won't let you write to it like a file stream. Everything goes through IoCtl. So the simple fix from my point of view is to make a Vista Replacement driver that works like it did in XP, and that's what I've done. That way it can use all the existing code without change.

For Vista 32-bit this is currently working. But for 64 it's not. If I could figure out why then I'd fix it straight away. I will try to get it working, but I'm a little hamstrung because I don't have a 64-bit test rig.

At the same time I am trying to get Vista's default driver working, but because it uses a different way of accessing the device it will not be compatible with the current method of communicating with it. This means I'll have to add a lot of code, but I'm hoping that this new method is backwards compatible with XP.

I'm going to get basic input/output working, and then I will add translating Pronto IR codes.

So much to do, so little time to do it...

I'll let you know when I've got the Microsoft driver working...

Cheers,

[Alberto]

I have Vista Home Premiun 32 bit and MCE Remote, but if installing this driver, the remote control dont work.