Blacky
April 11th, 2013, 08:32 AM
The USB driver and library version numbers used by FTDIChip (the company that makes the USB components for FlashScan/AutoCal and who provide the USB drivers) are a complete mess. The following explanation tries to show what the version numbers mean in relation to the EFILive software.
EFILive ships with four USB driver versions:
one for older Windows systems like Win95/Win98 (no longer supported)
one for Windows 2K (no longer supported)
one for Win XP-Vista-7 (the "old" version)
one for Win XP-Vista-7-8 (the "latest" version)
EFILive highly recommends using the latest USB drivers (V2.08.28) that are automatically installed when you download and install V7.5.7.231 (or later) and/or V8.2.2.225 (or later).
You MUST use the latest drivers with the latest EFILive software (i.e. anything later than V7.5.7.231 and V8.2.2.225), attempting to use an older USB version with the latest EFILive software will result in many, many errors.
If you experience problems using the latest drivers with older versions of the EFILive software, you may need to downgrade to a previous driver version.
The Win2K driver has the following internal version number that FTDI use as the "release" version number as shown in the ftdibus.inf file: DriverVer=06/27/2007, 2.02.04
The older WinXP-Vista-7 driver has the following internal version number that FTDI use as the "release" version number as shown in the ftdibus.inf file: DriverVer=03/18/2011, 2.08.14
The latest WinXP-Vista-7-8 driver has the following internal version number that FTDI use as the "release" version number as shown in the ftdibus.inf file: DriverVer=01/18/2013, 2.08.28
Those are the three version numbers that appear on the buttons in the EFILive USB Manager program.
15047
However, when the user goes into the EFILive HAPI control panel window the versions show up quite differently. These version values are reported by the FTDI supplied API to the currently installed drivers. The EFILive software is merely reporting the version numbers that the FTDI software provides. The "USB Driver Version" refers to the actual driver version number, the "USB Library Version" refers to the version of the ftd2xx.dll which is the driver API supplied by FTDI.
When the WinXP driver with version number V2.08.28 is installed, HAPI will show the following numbers:
USB Driver Version: 02.08.40
USB Library Version: 03.02.07
15048
When the WinXP driver with version number V2.08.14 is installed, HAPI will show the following numbers:
USB Driver Version: 02.08.20
USB Library Version: 03.02.04
14840
When the Win2K driver with version number V2.04.02 is installed, HAPI will show the following numbers:
USB Driver Version: 04.00.00
USB Library Version: 03.01.18
14839
When changing between the old and new drivers using the EFILive USB Manager software it is advisable to restart/reboot the computer after the user has unplugged and replugged his FlashScan/AutoCal. Otherwise if the driver dll has already been loaded (due to running EFILive anytime during the current Windows up-time) the dll will not be "changed over" to the newly installed version. That will result in a version mismatch between the USB driver and the support dll. It could be the cause of weird and wonderful USB related problems.
The replugging of the FlashScan/AutoCal device is required, it causes Windows to actually attempt to install the driver that was simply made available (i.e. added to the driver database) by the EFILive USB Manager program. If you don't connect FlashScan/AutoCal before restarting, you will most likely have to restart again after Windows installs the driver when you connect FlashScan/AutoCal after the restart.
So even if Windows does not prompt the user to restart their system, it is probably a good idea to restart if/when you change USB drivers.
And always remember that the USB Manager program must be run "As Administrator", by right clicking on it's start menu icon and selecting "Run as Administrator".
EFILive ships with four USB driver versions:
one for older Windows systems like Win95/Win98 (no longer supported)
one for Windows 2K (no longer supported)
one for Win XP-Vista-7 (the "old" version)
one for Win XP-Vista-7-8 (the "latest" version)
EFILive highly recommends using the latest USB drivers (V2.08.28) that are automatically installed when you download and install V7.5.7.231 (or later) and/or V8.2.2.225 (or later).
You MUST use the latest drivers with the latest EFILive software (i.e. anything later than V7.5.7.231 and V8.2.2.225), attempting to use an older USB version with the latest EFILive software will result in many, many errors.
If you experience problems using the latest drivers with older versions of the EFILive software, you may need to downgrade to a previous driver version.
The Win2K driver has the following internal version number that FTDI use as the "release" version number as shown in the ftdibus.inf file: DriverVer=06/27/2007, 2.02.04
The older WinXP-Vista-7 driver has the following internal version number that FTDI use as the "release" version number as shown in the ftdibus.inf file: DriverVer=03/18/2011, 2.08.14
The latest WinXP-Vista-7-8 driver has the following internal version number that FTDI use as the "release" version number as shown in the ftdibus.inf file: DriverVer=01/18/2013, 2.08.28
Those are the three version numbers that appear on the buttons in the EFILive USB Manager program.
15047
However, when the user goes into the EFILive HAPI control panel window the versions show up quite differently. These version values are reported by the FTDI supplied API to the currently installed drivers. The EFILive software is merely reporting the version numbers that the FTDI software provides. The "USB Driver Version" refers to the actual driver version number, the "USB Library Version" refers to the version of the ftd2xx.dll which is the driver API supplied by FTDI.
When the WinXP driver with version number V2.08.28 is installed, HAPI will show the following numbers:
USB Driver Version: 02.08.40
USB Library Version: 03.02.07
15048
When the WinXP driver with version number V2.08.14 is installed, HAPI will show the following numbers:
USB Driver Version: 02.08.20
USB Library Version: 03.02.04
14840
When the Win2K driver with version number V2.04.02 is installed, HAPI will show the following numbers:
USB Driver Version: 04.00.00
USB Library Version: 03.01.18
14839
When changing between the old and new drivers using the EFILive USB Manager software it is advisable to restart/reboot the computer after the user has unplugged and replugged his FlashScan/AutoCal. Otherwise if the driver dll has already been loaded (due to running EFILive anytime during the current Windows up-time) the dll will not be "changed over" to the newly installed version. That will result in a version mismatch between the USB driver and the support dll. It could be the cause of weird and wonderful USB related problems.
The replugging of the FlashScan/AutoCal device is required, it causes Windows to actually attempt to install the driver that was simply made available (i.e. added to the driver database) by the EFILive USB Manager program. If you don't connect FlashScan/AutoCal before restarting, you will most likely have to restart again after Windows installs the driver when you connect FlashScan/AutoCal after the restart.
So even if Windows does not prompt the user to restart their system, it is probably a good idea to restart if/when you change USB drivers.
And always remember that the USB Manager program must be run "As Administrator", by right clicking on it's start menu icon and selecting "Run as Administrator".