Installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (RTM) this weekend.  It's my first attempt at using a 64 bit operating system on my media center. I have run into surprisingly few issues.

This being said, I installed FrontView, and while I can get it to connect to my CrystalFontz LCD and change its default display, it does not update as I navigate through 7MC.  It seems to not be getting the session data.  I have already verified in the beta/RC that it works properly with the 32 bit version of Windows 7.  Fortunately FrontView's developers do not even try to support their product and have not released an update in years.

I found a thread earlier that mentioned LcdWriter works with Vista 64 bit. But as I have paid for FrontView I'd like to use it if possible.

Can anyone think of any likely cause of this (and possibly a solution)?

clifgriffin:

Installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit (RTM) this weekend.  It's my first attempt at using a 64 bit operating system on my media center. I have run into surprisingly few issues.

This being said, I installed FrontView, and while I can get it to connect to my CrystalFontz LCD and change its default display, it does not update as I navigate through 7MC.  It seems to not be getting the session data.  I have already verified in the beta/RC that it works properly with the 32 bit version of Windows 7.  Fortunately FrontView's developers do not even try to support their product and have not released an update in years.

I found a thread earlier that mentioned LcdWriter works with Vista 64 bit. But as I have paid for FrontView I'd like to use it if possible.

Can anyone think of any likely cause of this (and possibly a solution)?

Sorry to give you bad news, Frontview is no longer supported. The people who own that site do not even reply to support e-mails (I have tried in the past). Last time I looked, Frontview was last updated in late of 2006, after that no more updates or support.

I would suggest to uninstall frontview if you can't get it to work and install Andy's LCDwriter, I have been using it for a while (after dumping money into frontview with a lack of support) and it works great. Also a post on the fourm about a question normally gets a reply the same or next day, his support on a free product is the best out there.

http://babgvant.com/files/folders/lcdwriter/category1061.aspx

 Sorry but, I'm being honest here...

Thanks, Dave. 

I've tried to get support from them in the past before as well. I don't understand developers who invest time in a project, charge money for it, and then walk away.  It's unethical at best. 

I will try LcdWriter. 

clifgriffin:

Thanks, Dave. 

I've tried to get support from them in the past before as well. I don't understand developers who invest time in a project, charge money for it, and then walk away.  It's unethical at best. 

I will try LcdWriter. 

I think it's just the fact that they created a program that worked, now they are just sitting back trying to collect the money. Poor business model (I guess cool if it works) to give no support at all. There was support for it, a long time ago....

I hit the very same problem a couple of weeks ago when I installed Windows 7 64-bit on my HTPC where I previously had Vista 32-bit installed. I use a Soundgraph iMON VFD, a 16x2 character display. It used to nicely display all the media centre information using FrontView then, when I installed Windows 7, it became completely useless.

I then spotted that the manufacturers had released a new version of the IMON Manager software supporting Windows 7 (32 and 64-bit) which can be used to control the display. (It also contains the VFD's drivers.) I had not previously used this application because FrontView was much better for using with Media Center. Having installed this new version, it hasn't changed the situation with FrontView but it does seem to have added the ability to display information from Media Center to the iMON application. I now have IMON installed (FrontView uninstalled) and it will display all the necessary information from MC. It has a few annoying 'quirks', like not picking up on the fact that you've changed from playing one recorded show to another (unless you stop the first one before starting the next one), and it is not as configurable as FrontView was (you can't even stop it scrolling!) but it's better than nothing.

I realise that this probably won't help the OP as he has a different display type but it may help someone else who hit the same problem with an iMON display.

The other thing I noticed is that the settings for displaying media centre information are called 'Frontview' and it looks like this is completely integrated into the iMON application. Maybe they have taken over the rights to Frontview.