D150 - PC won’t boot up with it plugged in

[damacman]

Originally Posted by IM3CPO

3 meters is still at the max of the USB spec. First thing I would try is a shorter cable.

And can you explain a little bit clearer as to what you are actually experiencing and the lead up to it? Please include as much detail as possible... For example:

You leave the I3 computer on all the time but let it go into sleep/suspend mode. When you want to listen to music, you wake the machine and turn on the D150. As soon as the D150 turns on, the computer blue screens and reboots itself. When the machine is back into Windows 10, I no longer have sound.... etc....

There are lots of variables here so need to try to eliminate as many as possible so we know what we are dealing with.

A shorter cable really isn't possible given the location of the gear, but point noted. With the D150 attached, crashes are random. Although I have gotten in the habit of waking the PC from sleep only after turning on the D150, I have left it off as well. Crashes occur both ways. If you do experience a crash, after the computer restarts, sometimes it won't get you to the blue log-n screen, just keeps restarting and giving you the option of Start Windows Normally, Start Windows in Safe Mode, etc. Other times, it will get you to the log-in screen and you can log-in and all appears well. But it still crashes.

Typically, if I experience such a crash, I can unplug the D150, reboot, and then immediately upon plugging in the D150 the PC will crash again.

Right now, it's unplugged as I'm not using it. Window 7 Professional.

[crwilli]

You know it only crashes when connected to the D150?

[damacman]

Originally Posted by crwilli

You know it only crashes when connected to the D150?

Correct.

[crwilli]

Originally Posted by damacman

Correct.

So we know it is an issue with the D150 and or the USB cable. It sounds like it crashes on all varieties of boot up sequences. You have the latest firmware. You have tried different USB cables.

I really have nothing but will ask a few more questions just in case you haven’t..

Has ANYTHING changed from when it was stable? Power cord, outlet used or power conditioner?

[damacman]

Originally Posted by crwilli

So we know it is an issue with the D150 and or the USB cable. It sounds like it crashes on all varieties of boot up sequences. You have the latest firmware. You have tried different USB cables.

I really have nothing but will ask a few more questions just in case you haven’t..

Has ANYTHING changed from when it was stable? Power cord, outlet used or power conditioner?

Nope. It's never really been stable unless you count the times after updating Windows at which it doesn't cause the PC to crash . . .

[IM3CPO]

If the computer is not stable on its own, it would make sense to get the computer stable before trying to get it to work with the D150.

How good are you with reinstalling Windows? Are you opposed moving to Windows 10?

[crwilli]

I once had a similar issue with a Win 7 PC and a D100. Many different issues with the combination.

I moved to a different DAC and all those problems went away.

Not saying the D150 is your issue but my experience with a D100 sounds very similar.

[IM3CPO]

Just wanted to throw this in......

On the McIntosh USB DAC side, I have a D100, D150, and a C2600 (with built in DAC). I have never had a problem with any of them and 99% of all the music I listen to is through one of these USB DAC's... And I use one or more of them on a daily basis...

The only reliability issues I have ever faced were caused by USB cables and those were only used just for the sake of seeing if they would work. The one exception is I did have a issue back in the Windows 7 days when I tried out an Audio Research USB DAC for a couple weeks, didnt like it, then used that computer with another DAC. I uninstalled all the Audio Research drivers, but I did have driver issues with getting a different USB DAC to work. I could have probably troubleshot it more, but it only takes 15 mins to reinstall Windows so I went that route and never had a problem similar to this again.

[damacman]

Originally Posted by IM3CPO

If the computer is not stable on its own, it would make sense to get the computer stable before trying to get it to work with the D150.

How good are you with reinstalling Windows? Are you opposed moving to Windows 10?

The PC is quite stable - just not when the D150 is plugged in. I hate Win10 and am holding out ...