Smart Card Driver for Encore Pro

[Mr Capers]

Hi Everyone,

I have had continuing problems with Encore Pro and my Smart Card reader. I seem to have the following drivers:

Encore Pro disc: In a folder named Vista Drivers: Version 1.0.1.4 dated 3/12/2003

On my hard drive Windows/System32/Drivers: 2800.sys Version 2.0.0.9, dated 6/29/2009, Called: Infineer 2800 Smart Card Reader.

Windows always defaults to the Ver. 2.0.0.9 because, I think, it is newer.

Each time I want to download my data I hook up the smart card reader, windows loads the driver (Ver. 2.0.0.9) and I may get a download, but more frequently I get an error message. Either I get an error communicating with the card reader or I get failure of the download.

I then:
1. Uninstall the driver.
2. Close Encore Pro.
3. Shutdown Windows.
4. Unplug the card reader.
5. Restart windows.
6. Restart Encore Pro.
7. Plug in the card reader.
8. Wait for Windows to load the driver.

Then, try it all again. I sometimes do this routine four times and get a download. Other times I give up and try it all again the next day. My estimate is that I spend on average 30 minutes or more to get a download. PITA!

Can anyone tell me if they get trouble-free downloads from their smart card - what driver are you using?

Encore Pro is Ver. 1.8.49. Windows is Vista 32bit. I am running Windows on a MacBook Pro.

Many thanks,
Mr Capers

[builta]

Hi,

Check out the response from 5Aces in the link. It worked for me and others. Good Luck.

viewtopic/t41347/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=39 ... 51#p349062

[Mr Capers]

Hi builta,

Yeah, that was the procedure I was describing (probably not very well) in my first post. Problem is, it sometimes works, most of the time it takes doing the same thing over and over, until I finally get a download. This is the flakiest software I have ever seen.

Like your avatar

Happy Naps
Mr Capers

[builta]

Oh, I want you to read the post by 5aces. You need to set the driver to "Automatic Start" and he describes the way to do that. I've been downloading my data for at least 10 months now with now issues --that is since I set up the driver to automatic.

Look for 5Aces comments in the thread--not mine

Here is the esential infromation from 5Aces's post:

5aces on Sat Mar 14, 2009 12:03 pm

Just in case,go to:

Control Panel/Administrative Tools/Computer Management/Services and Applications/Services/Smart Card (Scroll Down the Services List)

Smart Card (Right Click) should be set to 'Automatic' in the Properties (General) and then 'Started'.

[builta]

Have you had any success?

[Mr Capers]

Hi builta,

Have the t-shirt for that fix - which has never been a problem on my computer. I just checked again and smart card reader is set to AUTOMATIC and STARTED.

I had copied the thread you referenced and had it in a document called smart card reader fixes. That is my first go-to place but have now memorized the sequence as I use it several times a day. What I want to get to is your state of affairs - uneventful downloads - I wanna see my own data, not be a computer engineer/geek.

Many thanks, and I'm open to any other ideas - come on computer pros!

Happy Naps,
Mr Capers

[Gerryk]

Mr Capers, I am pasting a post here that I made. It is similar to what Builta listed but has one more step that some people need to take to get this to work. I am thinking perhaps it is because you are running it on a Mac in a shell, which should be similar to the way I am running XP in a shell under Windows7

viewtopic/t47445/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=47 ... er#p427717

Gerry

[Mr Capers]

Hi Gerryk,

That was an interesting way to get to that screen. I followed your thread, did the steps, the Smart Card was set to STARTED and RUNNING. To make sure, I stopped the smart card, then restarted it. Am now rebooting windows. (Is this the fun part )

Windows is back up. I just re-re-double-double-checked the smart card. It is set to RUNNING, STARTED, and AUTOMATIC. As I said, this has not been a problem on my computer.

My original post just asked one question: What is your driver version if you are having successful downloads. Builta and Gerryk Can you check your driver version? If you go to device manager and double-click the smart card you can then click a tab for the driver - this will show the driver version and the date. I have the feeling I am using the wrong driver.

Any assistance would be very much appreciated,

Happy Naps,
Mr Capers

[FinceMgr]

While not the solution you were likely looking for, upgrading you OS is an alternative. All Vista users should consider upgrading for the performance improvement alone. For those like us needing Windows 7 Professional in order to utilize the XP Mode/ Virtual PC Mode, we can get that from retailers online like zipzoomfly.com for $135.
In order for your PC to support XP Mode/ Virtual PC Mode there is one requirement for “Virtual Technology Hardware” which you can verify on this page, on the left for 32 bit or the right for 64 bit, if it is green/yes over the words “hardware virtualization” your good to go.
http://www.grc.com/securable.htm
XP often runs much faster as a virtual machine anyway. Again sorry of this is not what you’re looking for, but Windows 7 rocks so if you decide to go this route, We can help.

[Gerryk]

Mr Capers here is the driver version and date
2.0.0.7 with a date of 6/30.08

What version of Windows are you running in a shell under your Mac OS?

I was unable to get this sofware to run on Vista. However, their are a very few who have said they got it to run but occasionally have problems. I do not believe this sofware will be able to run properly in a Vista shell on a mac.

Can you get and run a Windows XP shell on your mac?

Gerry

[Gerryk]

Also under your services what is your smart card removal policy set to. I have mine set to stopped and manual and the smart card itself is running and set to auto. These setting are from a Windows 7 ultimate machine so the steps are a little different then the xp system.

Gerry

[Mr Capers]

Hi Gerryk,

My driver is 2.0.0.9 dated 6/29/2009.
Your driver is 2.0.0.7 dated 6/30/08

My Vista is Home Premium SP2 32bit.
What is your OS?

Encore Pro has run from the start in this environment. As far as the software knows, it is on a Windows machine. All my other Windows software runs fine in this manner. The only hitch is the data download from the smart card.

The big problem others have had and I have followed in the past was getting EP to run in Vista 64bit. I have Gregor's solution copied in the event I upgrade to a 64bit OS. Right now, running EP in a 32bit Vista environment is no problem - except for getting my data from the card. Since everything else seems to work, I'm still thinking it is the driver issue. Obviously, the driver will be dependent on the operating system, so I'm looking for the correct driver to work with Vista 32bit Home Premium.

To answer your second post: Smart Card removal is set to manual and stopped. Settings are the same as yours: Running and Automatic. I have checked this maybe a dozen times and it is always the same - no help continuing to check the same things. Very frustrating

Thanks for your help,
And Happy Naps,
Mr Capers

[Gerryk]

I was unaware that it was a 64 bit only problem as I had talked to people who had problems with the 32 bit versions also. You said your software works fine but the problems is the card reader. I still believe the problem is VISTA. I had Vista running fairly stable on my machine and had a few minor problems if you could put up with all the crap each time you went to run or start something.

I wonder if you would be able to download and install xp virtual? I would think so if you are already running vista virtual, but I am not that familiar with the Mac system. I almost gave up and went to a Mac but then heard of some of the problems running certain windows programs. Unfortunately it was easier to work around those programs under windows that under mac simply because their were so many more people running it on windows than on a Mac.

If that doesn't help or you aren't able to run XP virtual, I don't know what to say. Unless you know someone that is upgrading their laptop to a new one and will give you their old one with their system disks so you can do a fresh install of xp.

Gerry

[Hawthorne]

I knew there was a 2009 version of the driver because I remember downloading it sometime in the Spring! Couldn't have told you what it was offhand though but you have it anyway.

For what it's worth, I ran Encore Viewer (and smart card reader) on Windows Vista Home Premium 32 bit, since Vista came out, with no problems ever.

I recently upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit and had a little trouble at first with Encore Viewer. Once my anti-virus was prompted to allow it - no problem. I am asked, every morning, if I want to allow this program to run. I say yes and all is fine.

When I first plugged in the card reader, after installing the Windows 7 upgrade, I got a quick message that Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit did something about that. I'm NOT very computer literate so I can't recall what it did (it did it too quickly). I just know that, in the case of the card reader, I didn't and don't have to do anything.

I've been about 2 or 3 weeks on Windows 7 Home Premium 32 bit and have had no problems at all. I just have to check "yes" every time I want to open Encore Viewer and all has gone well. I guess I should "touch wood"!!!

Again, I'm not very computer literate but Vista and Windows 7 Home Premium 32, have been no problem with my software and reader. That's been my experience.

[Mr Capers]

Hi Gerryk and Hawthorne,

Gerryk, maybe I overstated a bit about problems being only 64bit Vista, but I have no sign of that being an issue as all my windows programs run just fine - including some pretty quirky software. That includes a different piece of medical software written well before Vista came out. One key to getting EP to run is having the latest version, i.e., Encore Pro 1.8.49.

As far as I know, I can pay for and install XP in a separate partition on my hard drive and try running EP there, but why, when it runs just fine in Vista? If all I need is a Vista Home Premium 32 bit and EP 1.8.49 compatible driver and that can be downloaded at no cost if I can just find a compatible version - then why have the additional expense and complexity?

Hawthorne, I hope to go to Windows 7 but sometime next year - after Holiday expenses have become a memory.

Anyone, please tell me what Smart Card Version and date you are using with Vista Home Premium 32bit.

Many thanks for your help and,
Happy Naps,
Mr Capers