[Bug Fix] ED launcher v0.4.4468.0 corrupts audio drivers; add ED installer option to bypass DirectX et al installers
Running EliteDangerous-Client-Installer.exe version 0.4.4468.0 caused the audio device on my Windows 7 computer to cease functioning in all applications.
Solving the problem of a non-functional audio device involved overwriting the existing driver files using the audio hardware manufacturer's driver installation utility, suggesting that the ED installer (or one of the multiple components it caused to be run and installed during ED Launcher setup) overwrote or replaced files and/or drivers critical to the operation of my audio device.
Please change the installer to keep it from damaging the audio device's drivers on customer computers. One way to do this is, assuming that Microsoft's DirectX installer is the ultimate culprit, is to add an option somewhere within the ED installer to allow users to opt out of running the additional software currently crammed down users' throats. Perhaps a suitable location would be behind a subtle "Advanced Settings" link.
Timeline of events:
1. Sound within Windows worked as expected. Volume control taskbar item showed no unusual errors.
2. Youtube videos were watched with sound
3. Other games were played with sound
4. All auto-update items are disabled on the system; everything is manually updated and nothing else was installed or updated that day aside from the ED installer
5. The ED downloader was downloaded, scanned with an on-demand virus scanner, and run. Multiple other installers are called from the ED installer
6. The multiple installers finish, and I am told to reboot the computer by the installers
7. Computer is rebooted, and immediately I note an error icon in the system tray which indicated that my audio device wasn't functioning anymore.
8. After troubleshooting, I overwrote existing driver and system files using the audio device manufactuer's installation tool, and audio functionality was restored.
(Yes, a support ticket has already been created, and apparently that's not good enough as the official response to the ticket was to make a post here. It's been one hell of a rough ride for a new user experience, let me tell you.)
Running EliteDangerous-Client-Installer.exe version 0.4.4468.0 caused the audio device on my Windows 7 computer to cease functioning in all applications.
Solving the problem of a non-functional audio device involved overwriting the existing driver files using the audio hardware manufacturer's driver installation utility, suggesting that the ED installer (or one of the multiple components it caused to be run and installed during ED Launcher setup) overwrote or replaced files and/or drivers critical to the operation of my audio device.
Please change the installer to keep it from damaging the audio device's drivers on customer computers. One way to do this is, assuming that Microsoft's DirectX installer is the ultimate culprit, is to add an option somewhere within the ED installer to allow users to opt out of running the additional software currently crammed down users' throats. Perhaps a suitable location would be behind a subtle "Advanced Settings" link.
Timeline of events:
1. Sound within Windows worked as expected. Volume control taskbar item showed no unusual errors.
2. Youtube videos were watched with sound
3. Other games were played with sound
4. All auto-update items are disabled on the system; everything is manually updated and nothing else was installed or updated that day aside from the ED installer
5. The ED downloader was downloaded, scanned with an on-demand virus scanner, and run. Multiple other installers are called from the ED installer
6. The multiple installers finish, and I am told to reboot the computer by the installers
7. Computer is rebooted, and immediately I note an error icon in the system tray which indicated that my audio device wasn't functioning anymore.
8. After troubleshooting, I overwrote existing driver and system files using the audio device manufactuer's installation tool, and audio functionality was restored.
(Yes, a support ticket has already been created, and apparently that's not good enough as the official response to the ticket was to make a post here. It's been one hell of a rough ride for a new user experience, let me tell you.)