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Need help from community with DSD Windows drivers please, Very advanced topic

Audio Components DACs
#1

HI,

I have installed the Streamlength drivers many times on many machines. This time I have installed/uninstalled it multiple times. Now, in device manager there is a driver conflict under the tree “other”. The listing is for “PS Audio DFU”. Of course it has an exclamation point. I know what this driver is for. I neither require it nor want it. I wish to remove it.

The issue is that every time I remove it Windows restores it. Obviously either from system32 or driverstore. The reason I cannot find the file to delete is because under properties there Is no listing for .inf! That listing is always present! What the heck is up with this? Neither TJ nor Mark were able to help with this. Perhaps Ted can if he sees this? Or anyone else is most welcome to give it a try!

I really want rid of this driver. It has already caused multiple system crashes per the log. I am not sure why it showed up I the install package all of the sudden. I would exclude it from installing but it has no install parameter in the install .inf either! Very strange indeed. I would greatly appreciate any help anyone can offer here. Thank you

#2

Don’t have a sure solution but here are some thoughts.

  1. Just as a test, try uninstalling the PS Audio driver then install your Streamlength driver
  2. Try installing in different order (uninstall both before each attempt)
  3. Try removing in ‘Safe’ mode
  4. Is it perhaps a virus problem?

Cheers,
Mike

#3

None of the above but thank you for trying!
The Streamlength driver IS the PS Audio driver. PS Audio had purchased the rights to use the driver with their Xmos device from them as many DAC manufacturers using that chip do. I have no idea when or why they slipped the DFU into it. It is for updating the firmware from the PC. Which is NOT recommended. Furthermore it is a non functional file anyhow! It is in fact a “driver conflict”! I would sincerely hope someone at PS Audio could help me remove it from the device manager. If not my best option is anyone on this forum that really knows their way around Windows.

#4

Will any of this help?

https://www.drivethelife.com/windows-10/completely-remove-uninstall-drivers-windows-10.html

#5

That will not work. The driver has a “place holder” but is not loaded. So I cannot obtain any of the information needed there to see what files I would need to delete. This is a real snafu someone over there created. I wonder how many other people have this issue and do not even know it. Most people do not look at the device manager every day. I am sincerely hoping whomever added this, or PS Audio can contact Streamlength and help me eradicate it. Since it is obviously bound to not just be me but perhaps hundreds of people unknowingly with the DSD. This file is quite frankly dangerous and should not be present on anyone’s system! Although, have no fear it is certainly no type of virus. It is a danger to damaging the DSD unit for other reasons. If it were to inadvertently become “active” it could very well “brick” the “pic” in he DSD. I hope that someone from PS Audio is watching this thread and comes up with a solution as promptly as possible! This was not present in the driver package the last time I downloaded it, less than 30 days ago. Thank you

#6

I don’t see anything like what you are describing in the “C:\Program Files\PS Audio\USB\Driver” folder which is, AFAIK the only place PS Audio ever writes drivers. The PS Audio USB drivers download link still points to the original PS Audio USB drivers from 2013 (something like version 1.61.0.x)

I’m not sure I understand what’s going on, but here are some links that helped with PS Audio USB problems in the past:

And in particular do the 2nd and then uninstall the PS Audio driver normally.

I have talked some people thru hacking their registry in the past but that’s been a while and it’s extremely dangerous if a mistake is made - and to the best of my knowledge the above how to will do the same thing.

FWIW There’s nothing that a driver can do which will bother the DS at all.

1 Like
#7

Thought of something else you may like to try. Have you looked under the ‘Universal Serial Bus controllers’ branch in Device Manager’? Sometimes there’s a bad entry in the list and judiciously deleting one or more entries allows the list to be rebuilt. I’ve had some success with this in the past for other USB issues but, as always with Windows, there may be some risk involved.

#8

MikeK, I have no USB conflicts so not worth the risk to me. I will reinstall Windows soon enough because I am on fast track insider.

Ted, as usual you have me pretty impressed. Using Windows 7! I think we are a lot alike. I Dev C#,C++,VB,Java,HTML ETC. My high end(or low end rather) audio computer is a stripped specialty audio mainboard with outboard 12V linear PSU also powering a SOTM USB card into an Intona pro into another DAC. The OS is “Daphile” based off of a stripped Linux kernel tailored for audio. If you followed me on my USB rant this is why I felt I heard no difference in the Matrix 2. I am also using a modified Aurender W20SE in that system as well.

That aside, I have given up trying to remove the “DFU” and simply have disabled it. It is to flash firmware to the DAC from the PC. I do not think PS Audio intended for it to be installed but somehow it was. I certainly did not do so myself. The PS Audio driver package simply would not install on this machine. I have no “PS Audio” folder in “C:\programs” According to Mark and TJ, this machine is just too fast for it to install. Too many clock cycles. So, I unpacked the contents of the folder and installed the .inf which in turn of course installed the .sys via the device manager. I then just used one of the many Foobar Wasapi plugins. One I particularly prefer. This machine having the “horsepower”. I am running the “SACD” plugin maxed out. Indeed, upsampling to the limit before the DSD. I doubt you agree with that? To me, with Windom now broken in with this setup is nipping on the heels of any DAC currently made at any price. I have here the MSB Select DAC II loaded with mono power bases for comparison. It is getting close! I certainly hope the TSS knocks it out of the park then! I will retire the MSB at that point.

I really cannot complain about the erroneous file. Given the sublime sound I have. I am smart enough at least not to accidently attempt to flash firmware to the DAC from the PC side. So at least it should be safe in my hands. I guess this is the end of this story. Unless someone actually knew the path of that file there is no way of finding it. Since files in DriveStore do not use the actual file name as you are aware. Thank you Ted and everyone else that attempted to help!

#9

It is under the control panel where we see all items we installed like usb, graphics, soundcard etc…but it is shown under hidden devices…
I have the same problem with my ps audio usb driver setup, and i did it as you said. Even on a fresh windows 10 pro install.