Windows 8 compatibility problems

Sparki
#1

When using a Win8 computer (my Surface Pro running 8.1 or my desktop or notebook running 8.0), the Sparkiduino application runs VERY slowly. If I click on Tools or File, it will take a full 30 seconds before pulldown menu displays.

Then when I try to upload, the code will compile, but then stall out while trying to upload. The red light (next to the power button) will turn on briefly, I’ll get a “USB drive dismount” sound from my computer, the red light will go out and then I’ll get a “drive mounting” sound from my computer.

The error I get afterwards is this:

Found programmer: Id = "B-b";type = Software Version = . ; Hardware version = . avrdude: error: buffered memory access not supported. Maybe it isn't a butterfly/AVR109 but a AVR910 device?

It does, however, work on a Windows 7 machine.

#2

Word for word, your comments took me back to similar troubles with an arduino project I was working on about a year ago. For me, it turned out that the USB cord I was using was bad. Using any other cord worked fine.

I’d doubt that this is the same problem for you, but man, I remember felling very frustrated about it. I hope you figure this out, and at least you have windows 7 as a backup.

Just as an FYI, I’m using a Windows 8 PC with no issues so far.

#3

If the SparkiDuino software is running that slowly, then there’s probably something wrong with your computer. Its just the Arduino software with some configuration changes.

The cable problem tri mentioned is common with certain USB3.0 devices. USB 3.0 is supposed to be backwards compatible, but it ended up breaking a lot of things, especially since the initial Microsoft and Intel drivers for the original chipsets were really bad. Almost all 3.0-related issues get solved when you plug in the device through a 2.0 hub. Unfortunately, there’s not much we can do about this, as its related to people’s computer hardware. Not to be a techy/fanboy, but you won’t see linux or OSX users ever complain about this issue.

#4

I can most definitely confirm this. I had this very issue with a 3.0 hard drive today. Once I plugged it into a 2.0 port, it worked fine… :wink:

#5

We also just posted a win8 driver update in the latest installer, so be sure to try that: