Question Win10 Support for FireWire?

[aoresteen]

For my ASUS Z97-C DAW build I need to use FireWire with Win10. I have done a lot of research but I can not find any definitive guidance on the current issues with FireWire. A few years back Win10 update broke FireWire and very expensive studio recording boards (i.e. Allen & Heath) that use FireWire to connect to a PC stopped working.

In the early days of Win10, FireWire had issues and using the legacy FireWire driver from Win8.1 was a recommended solution. I have that legacy driver but have not loaded it.

What I would like to know is what was the LAST version of Win10 that supported FireWire?

Version 1903 (May 2019) seems to be mentioned a few times but I need a definitive answer. I need to build a stable version of W10 that will be stripped down and hardened for the DAW as a closed system. I will block updates using a 3rd party tool. If Win10 22H2 can be made to support FireWire, I will use that version.

Thanks!

 

[Lutfij]

The board you've mentioned doesn't have a FireWire port, which leads me to assume you're running a FireWaire card/adapter on the system. if so, please pass on the make and model of said card. To add, the issue is indeed the OS as FireWire support was pulled with subsequent updates though you can manually add/install the drivers in compatibility mode.

Right click installer>Properties>Compatibility Tab>Windows X(where X stands for the OS you want to emulate, from the drop down)

To clarify, Windows 10 support runs aground towards the end of this year, so you'll be left vulnerable without support from Microsoft. To also add, the subsequent updates were not just aesthetic changes but patches to plug security issues as well...so you're just introducing another issue in your build, if it's hooked to the www.