I've had BIAB software since 2004. I have found it's not compatible with my Windows 7 laptop so I purchased an upgrade to the 2023 version. I have spent the last 2 days trying to get it downloaded and installed. Yesterday it was over 4 hours, nearly 2 this morning. It works at it for a while and then stops working.
BIAB says they have a heavy amount of downloads for their product and be patient. I think 2 days is patient enough. Anyone have any idea what's going on and why it's taking so long?
If I have to purchase a new laptop to run BIAB I'm going to be very unhappy with them.
Why did the old version of BIAB you had stop working on an old operating system and why would a much newer version be expected to work on that old operating system? I can totally understand that you do not want to update the operating system but I wonder why software you bought when Windows 7 was up-to-date stopped working. I could understand that old software doesn't work on a new operating system but if both are old?
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Originally posted by phbWhy did the old version of BIAB you had stop working on an old operating system and why would a much newer version be expected to work on that old operating system? I can totally understand that you do not want to update the operating system but I wonder why software you bought when Windows 7 was up-to-date stopped working. I could understand that old software doesn't work on a new operating system but if both are old?
My Windows 7 laptop has always worked with no problem and still does (except for the old version of BIAB). The old BIAB worked great until recently and it just stopped and said incompatible. I have no idea why.
I asked the folks at BIAB if the new version would work on my Windows 7 laptop and they said it would.
Why should I go spend a bunch of money for a new laptop when I have a perfectly good one?
Some of us just don't have the spare cash to put out for new stuff when the old stuff still works.
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Originally posted by TexasbanjoMy Windows 7 laptop has always worked with no problem and still does (except for the old version of BIAB). The old BIAB worked great until recently and it just stopped and said incompatible. I have no idea why.
Amazing. Have you tried reinstalling the old version? Perhaps something messed up the installation.
Here's a list of all the system requirements, which shows it does work on Windows 7. But there are other memory and processor requirements too, such as minimum RAM, processor speed, and available hard disc space, for starters.
Check to make sure your old system has everything else needed for a clean install:
pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htm
Edited by - banjoy on 01/03/2023 08:58:56
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Originally posted by banjoyHere's a list of all the system requirements, which shows it does work on Windows 7. But there are other memory and processor requirements too, such as minimum RAM, processor speed, and available hard disc space, for starters.
Check to make sure your old system has everything else needed for a clean install:
pgmusic.com/bbwin.requirements.htmGee, Frank, do you think I didn't check all that before I spent money on the updated BIAB? I may not be a computer guru, but I do have enough common sense not to waste money.
No need to be testy. You asked for ideas, I gave some.
As you always advise others, time to grow a thick skin. You dole that out all the time.
If you make public posts and ask for ideas, if I feel I can be helpful I will post to your threads. You are not obligated in any way to anything I or others post, and I have no expectations of you in any way.
Just trying to be helpful. If you find it's not helpful, then feel free to ignore the posts. I'm used to it. And that's advice I follow myself. I ignore plenty of posts that aren't worth my time anymore.
Edited by - banjoy on 01/03/2023 11:15:01
Having recently been down that same road, I fully understand the frustration & sympathize with anyone facing such a dilemma. Computers, as well as cellphones, are enough to drive a sane person nuts!
Like we're to just roll over, shell out the bucks & upgrade apps,,,, which require upgrading the operating system,,,, which require upgrading the devise,,,, all of which require the operator relearning to operate all this new stuff every couple years,,, in order to keep on doing what we've been doing for years.
Good grief, we put a man on the moon with pre 286 computers & DOS operating systems. And today's computer gurus are unable to write a simple banking app or slow down code,,,, backward compatible to a ten year old devise?
Me thinks we need to re-train a new generation of computer gurus. No, wait, we did that. Perhaps we need to re-hire some old computer gurus. It's all part of a mad conspiracy, I tell ya. All preprogrammed to self destruct every couple years. 
Edited by - monstertone on 01/03/2023 13:45:38
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Originally posted by banjoyNo need to be testy. You asked for ideas, I gave some.
As you always advise others, time to grow a thick skin. You dole that out all the time.
If you make public posts and ask for ideas, if I feel I can be helpful I will post to your threads. You are not obligated in any way to anything I or others post, and I have no expectations of you in any way.
Just trying to be helpful. If you find it's not helpful, then feel free to ignore the posts. I'm used to it. And that's advice I follow myself. I ignore plenty of posts that aren't worth my time anymore.
Not meaning to be "testy", it just irritates me when people think I'm so stupid that I don't know to check out whether software will work on my laptop. I may be old, but I'm not senile.... yet.
I finally got the blasted thing downloaded. Now, learning how to use it may take a while. Completely different than my old version. I did find my song files and they do play, so that's a start.
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Originally posted by TexasbanjoNot meaning to be "testy", it just irritates me when people think I'm so stupid that I don't know to check out whether software will work on my laptop. I may be old, but I'm not senile.... yet.
I have a PhD in engineering and the stuff Windows and Windows software does is sometimes incomprehensible to me. Why would it mean you are senile or stupid if you can't figure out why something that used to work stops working? I recently had a problem with my work computer and the IT hotline people took days to sort it out. They told me that the problem was known at Microsoft but nobody knows why it happens and why it happens only sometimes. There were some easy fixes but they only worked in a certain number of cases and not in others (of course, in my case they didn't).
When I started using computers they always did the same thing given the same operating conditions. Now even IT specialists don't seem to understand what computers do any more.
There is a simpler alternative to BIAB: StrumMachine. It's browser based, so nothing to download. It's just a url. Updated are easy-just reload the browser window. It's not has complex as BIAB or iReal Pro. It was designed by a Bluegrass musician specifically to be easy to use for Bluegrass and Old Time music. The cost is manageable. It's a month subscription of $4.99.
Since it's browser-based, all you songs are stored in the cloud, so if you go to a new device, all you have to do is go the url, log in and all your tunes are just as they were the last time you accessed them.
Of course StrumMachine does not have any where near the feature set of other apps. But it provides enough for most people most of the time. And when anything does that's usually enough. Your millage may vary. You can sign up for a two-week free trial I believe.
I've spent 2 hours going through the manual on my new version and there is so much to learn. I plan to figure out what I need and wait on all the rest of the goodies.
At least it works, I can play my songs and pick and sing. Quite a learning curve, but I'll do it slowly but surely.
I know what I am writing is somewhat irrevelant, but here I go anyway. I had BIAB and later started using the "Strum Machine" app. For playing music I enjoy playing, the "Strum Machine" app creates rhythm that sounded more like that played in jams. I preferred "Strum Machine" and gradually stopped using BIAB.
BIAB is very sophisticated. But that can create benefits and drawbacks. I don't play more sophisticated material like jazz. I play mainly bluegrass on the banjo, and fiddle tunes on the guitar. "Strum Machine" is relative new and is being gradually updated. It is much easier to work with that BIAB and still meets my needs.
A disclaimer here. I am not connected in any way with "Strum Machine". I used BIAB for a very longs time and appreciated having the software available. But "Strum Machine" has been easier for me to use, and produces rhythm that more closely represents what I hear in a jam.
I agree that strum machine is easier and much more intuitive. Highly recommended.
