NI plugins complain "installation folder is not writable"

[Majnun]

Anyone else get this after installing Live 8?

(i also tried removing Ableton 7 ater installing 8, i didn't realize the upgrade wouldnt get rid of the earlier version... anyway, that didn't seem to actually remove version 7, i can still run it, but i can't run the uninstaller anymore... meh)

[see my last post, contains a how to fix, courtesy of the amazing EW)

[Majnun]

When I go ahead and pick some other location when it prompts me (like my desktop) the NI plugin tells me I haven't activated it...

That doesn't make me the slightest bit nervous...

*gulp*

[darkenedsoul]

Can you give us more details? I have NI installed on I believe both my systems (desktop/laptop) with Live 8 and was able to browse to the directory via the live browser with no problems. I haven't tried loading up any NI stuff just yet. Perhaps later this week I will get some time to mess around a bit more with those instruments.

Mike

[Majnun]

Odd when I run live 7 NI plugins seem to load just fine.

[Majnun]

If I drag any NI plugin (from Komplete 4) from Browser in Live 8 to midi track it gives me that error.

PC Laptop, Vista, 2GB memory, Presonus firebox.

What details would be helpful?

[Majnun]

And turning off the use custom VST folder in preference and trying to pick it again, i get that same error.

Path to plugins:
C:/Program Files/VST Plugins/..

[darkenedsoul]

hi,

Vista 64 or 32 for one thing. Specs on system itself, etc...anything else running on the system (were you running Live 7 previously on same system, etc...). Was it working on same box with previous version of live, etc...all that kind of stuff

Mike

[Majnun]

Vista 32... Live 7 was installed and working successfully.

Did the upgrade download.

Upgraded. Ran 8. Asked me if I wanted to use the old library, said yes... took like 20 minutes converting all the instruments from the suite from 1.x to 8.x

I noticed 7 was still installed. Ran the uninstaller. Ran it in advanced mode. Removed everything but the registry and shared files (just incase 8 was using them)

But it doesn't look like it unistalled anythign but the unistaller itself (i can get an error when trying to unistall 7 about the wise-whatcha malcait installer exe not being found) I can run 7 (at least open it and my sessions with NI instruments)

I just moved my custom VST folder to the root of C: drive (c:\VST Instruments) and made sure to mark the folder not read only. Loaded up Live 8, complained about not being able to find the custom library. I selected c:\VST Instrument and it complains for every NI plugin I have installed.

[Majnun]

Note non-NI plugins seem just fine.

(I'm also use Remote SL with Automap 3)

[Majnun]

Trying to figure out what is doing what, I created a folder on my root called "test" and when Live 8 / NI plugin complained about installation folder not being writable, select a different folder, I selected my test folder.

It has the following:
A directory called "default" in which is a file named "outputs_vst.cfg" opening it in word pad shows random non-human readbale characters.

[ewistrand]

And turning off the use custom VST folder in preference and trying to pick it again, i get that same error.

Path to plugins:
C:/Program Files/VST Plugins/..

It sounds to me like Live 8's paying more attention to Vista rules. I presume you have UAC off?

What I would do is run the installers of your NI plugins again, and point them to a VST plugin folder not in Program Files- Program Files is write protected if you're dealing strictly with Vista rules; hence the flag. Then, delete the plugin .dlls in the Program Files folder. If the Program Files folder's your main VST folder and you have a lot of plugins there, put a shortcut to the folder with your NI plugins in it and see if that works; Live recognizes shortcuts to other plugin folders inside the main folder.

The best solution's to move all your plugins out of Program Files.

Your NI forum moderator,
ew

[Majnun]

Hmmm... No, had UAC turned on. Turned that off.

Now it doesn't complain that the the install directory is unwritable... but when I drag an NI instrument into my session, it makes me se demo mode...

I guess I'll try reinstalling them too.

The goal in the reinstall of NI software is what? TO get the VSTs in a non-Program Files folder? Arent the VSTs just dll files that are fairly portable though? Why can't I just copy them out to a non protected directory?

[ewistrand]

Try what I just suggested at the NI forums. For those of you following this:

Run all your NI apps as standalones. Reboot.
Start up Live and reset your plugin folder; this should work. If it doesn't, close Live and trash its preferences.cfg.
Reboot.

ew

[Majnun]

I will try that now...

But I want to report the following:

I turned UAC back on (call me paranoid and it didn't seem to help all that much turning it off anyway)

If I right click and run Ableton Live 8 as Administrator... everythings peachy. [[even though I'm logged in as an administrator... go figure)

[Majnun]

i'm running vista 32bit, can't vouche for anything else:

okay, here is what i did (following EW's instructions... how does he know all this stuff???):

First, moved the VST plugin DLLs out of the program files folder (for instance to: c:\VST Plugins\)

second, turned off UAC (control panel> user acount > turn user acount control on off)

(this forced a restart)

third, deleted my preferences.cfg

mine was found in: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Ableton\Live 8.0.1\Preferences

might have to have show hidden files turned on to see it?

fourth, opened all my NI plugins in stand alone mode and closed them

reboot

start Live 8,turn on vst custom plugin folder in preferences, selected the folder (in my case c:\VST Plugins\)

Done. It works.

However, I occasionally share this computer, so I want UAC on. Juuuust incase.

Even if you do the above the moment you turn on UAC it screws everything up again. BUT it appears that if you right click on the LIVE 8 short cut, and select "run as administrator" everything works fine too.