Griffin Powermate

1937W · 03 Jan 2013

Just got a Powermate control knob for my new Windows 7 x64 PC, installed the 2.0.1 driver downloaded from the Griffin site, unzipped, installed, but can't open or run it. I have the shortcut in the start menu, but when I click it nothing happens.

I did try the compatabillity fix to no avail.

I successfully installed the same software on my XP SP3 machine and it installed and works perfectly.

There are a lot of complaints on the web about this device & driver with Win 7 PC's, but some have done this without problems.

Any ideas?

TVeblen · 04 Jan 2013

I will state the obvious: Without drivers that work with W7 the device is obsolete in relation to W7.

The company only offers a Vista driver. That Vista driver may work, installed in compatibility mode, in some systems running W7 but not in others. That is because the driver must be compatible with the OS and the system hardware as controlled by the OS.

That said, the fact that the driver installation installs may yield hope. Try this: Uninstall and remove all related software and drivers you can (manually), then do a System Restore to a point before you installed the driver the first time.
Then, without the device connected, install the driver in Vista compatibility mode. Once installed, connect the device and see if Windows detects it and it works that way.

1937W · 04 Jan 2013

Thanks for the direction, but it looks like mine's one of the others that won't work. Windows sees it and lets it control the master volume, but I can't configure it to do anything else without the Griffin driver.

Here's one review from Amazon>

For any of the reviewers stating that the PowerMate does not work with Windows 7 64-bit, did you remember to configure it? Once you install the newest driver/software package from Griffin's support page, currently v2.0.1 --> [....]

1. Install the software
2. Plug in the PowerMate
3. In Windows 7 navigate to your start menu and look for the newly installed application titled "PowerMate"
4. In the PowerMate Editor application you should see any PowerMate devices you've connected to your computer in the lower left corner.
5. Right click the PowerMate you want to edit and left click on "Configure"
6. Mess with settings or just click "Use Global Settings Only"
7. Modify global settings or enjoy as is.

It's that easy.... Enjoy your new PowerMate!

Side Note: Griffin I recommend a change in the driver/software to automatically use global settings to any installed devices to help users who maybe aren't the most computer savvy.

Of course that plan assumes that the installed program will actually run.

TVeblen · 04 Jan 2013

Well, try everything before giving it up.
And contacting the company is always a good idea. You might just get the brush-off, but who knows?

mojohand43 · 09 Jul 2013

Called Griffin and they have no plans to update the driver. So I installed it anyway on a L855 Toshiba laptop with an i7 running Windows 8 Pro 64. Installed with no issues and is working fine without compatibility mode. Just don't tell it to start with Windows. It froze my cursor which was a big Pita. I think it may have startup issues with the Synaptics driver. Otherwise, smooth sailing.

TVeblen · 10 Jul 2013

Thanks for the update.

mojohand43 · 10 Jul 2013

Well keep in mind the Kensington Expert Mouse which really isn't a mouse but a large, excellent trackball. As part of it's planned obsolescence, they absolutely refused to update the driver so their software wouldn't work with anything past Windows XP. There was an absolute deluge of complaints, threats and sob stories. As a result I am happily using my Expert Mouse with their new software called "TrackBallWorks" in a Windows 7 and Windows 8 environment.