Reinstall goes nowhere?

[geob]

w/ WIndows 7 Pro, 32-bit.

I'd installed XP mode and Virtual PC a week or so ago, mostly out of curiosity. I uninstalled XP mode when I thought I didn't really have a use for it. Now I do. [I've got an old SoundBlaster external card so I can record old vinyl onto my laptop.]

Yet after reinstalling XP mode there is no menu option for launching. There are no entries in my Documents\Virtual Machines folder.

How best to recover the missing XP mode? What should I look for?

Many thanks.

George

 

[torrentg]

Why don't you just use your onboard audio in Win 7 to record?

 

[geob]

Why don't you just use your onboard audio in Win 7 to record?

Thanks for the reply.

This may be my aging brain cells, but I think I read somewhere not to use the mic input for recording. (I'm using Audacity to capture the sound, then export it to .wav files to rip CDs, etc.) If I'm mistaken about this, I'll gladly eliminate the middleman.

g

 

[geob]

Audacity wiki: "Do not plug stereo equipment into your computer’s “Microphone” port, which is designed for low-powered (“mic-level”) signals only. Use the “Line In” port instead."

 

[Jonathan_King]

Audacity wiki: "Do not plug stereo equipment into your computer’s “Microphone” port, which is designed for low-powered (“mic-level”) signals only. Use the “Line In” port instead."

Basically, that's because the mic jack is much more sensitive than the line in jack.

 

[torrentg]

Right. So use the line in port.

Mic is only mono anyhow.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Right. So use the line in port.

Mic is only mono anyhow.

Is that true, TG? I could not find anything that suggested that. If you are sure, I will believe you.

 

[torrentg]

Yes. Mic ports are mono.

 

[Jonathan_King]

Yes. Mic ports are mono.

Okay, I will take your word for it. You would know, I guess.

 

[torrentg]

Uh huh.

Almost all microphones from low end all the way up to pristine studio high end are mono. They make stereo mics though but not for use in attaching to onboard audio on a pc.

The jack itself is a mono jack and also the driver/software too.

 

[geob]

Driver prevents shut down?

I've narrowed my troubles with XPM down to the sound card. It's a SoundBlaster External Live! (SB0490). Once the drivers (only) are installed, device manager shows the card just fine. But trying a Restart in XPM I get a seemingly permanent "Shutting down the virtual machine..." I suspect this means the card is a dead end; it may not be worth the time trying to make the $^^&%*^$ thing work.

g

 

[geob]

A solution of sorts

Turns out there is a beta driver for the SB0490 that, at least in my Windows 7 environment, allows recording vinyl. Had to do a search on the file name 'cuz the link at the Creative site had no file. Found the file in Turkey!

g