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LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Software on Vista?


Every now and then, I get questions on the support for the LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT Software on Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system or reports on problems with connecting to the brick (even with an USB cable). As far as I know, the present version is only supported on Windows XP and Mac OSX (and not on Linux, which is a shame!).
What are your experiences here? Does it work for you on Windows Vista?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I've not personally tested the software with Vista, but if you go to www.lego.com and search for "MINDSTORMS Vista," you'll get several helpful results on their FAQ page.
Jun 15, 2007, 5:47:00 AM
Anonymous said…
this may be a little off topic but i was just wondering when matthias is going to update his website.
Jun 15, 2007, 5:54:00 AM
Unknown said…
anonymous, good question!
I have been ABSORBED with my upcoming book over the last months, but as you may deduce from my renewed activities here, that works are completed now and I'm going to live a LEGO life again. :-)
So my site will go active again in the next days.
Jun 15, 2007, 6:11:00 AM
Anonymous said…
I've successfully used NXT-G with Vista Home Premium 64-Bit over both USB and bluetooth. It works fine once you get it installed, although that can be a bit tricky. I can put a writeup up if anyone needs help.
Jun 15, 2007, 6:52:00 AM
Jonathan Daudelin said…
I have Vista, and so far it's worked fine for me... making and downloading programs via USB or Bluetooth. The only problem I've had is that I can't save a new program. Although an inconvenience, I can work around this by copying a program into my profile folder and modifying and saving that (I can save old programs).

-Jonathan
Jun 15, 2007, 6:54:00 AM
Eric D. Burdo said…
Jim, I think a writeup would be great.

I don't have Vista yet, but I know the community could benefit from this information.
Jun 15, 2007, 10:12:00 PM
LotoSrecka said…
I have Vista Home Premium and it works fine. During the instalation it shows two messages about the software not tested on this OS and not tested bluetooth. You ignore the message and the instalation is succesfull.


lpB
Jun 26, 2007, 9:44:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I have vista Ultimate 64 bit and I wasn't successful in getting it installed. I've been waiting for the next release scheduled for August 2007 with the hopes that it will work.

I'm not exactly sure what is meant by NXT-G since jim german says he was successfull installing it. I'm just trying to install the software that came with the NXT Mindstorms - is NXT-G something else?
Jun 27, 2007, 3:57:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I have vista ultimate and can't get bluetooth working. If I go to the Vista bluetooth driver, it can find the NXT and exchange a passkey succesfully. But when I try to use the Mindstorms software (either before or after I find the NXT with the Vista driver), I get an error message saying NXT Bluetooth passkey confirmation failed. Error code -142005. Any ideas? Thanks.
Jul 26, 2007, 3:40:00 AM
Anonymous said…
I'm having similar problems with vista

I've just purchased Mindstorms NXT and it came with version 1.05 of the software so it is compatible with Vista. I have vista ultimate 32 bit.

I have two bluetooth adapters, one internal to my laptop (an HP, using WIDCOMM stack), and one Microsoft USB adapter (with Microsoft drivers)

No mater what order I do things in, when I try and connect to the NXT from within mindstorms software the NXT never asks me to confirm the passkey, and eventually the PC says 'NXT bluetooth passkey confirmation failed' error code -142005.

HELP! Does anyone have experience of contacting LEGO support about bluetooth issues? or do they disown the problems?
Nov 3, 2007, 5:55:00 AM
Anonymous said…
PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!!!!!!!!!!

I CANT GET BLUETOOTH AND VISTA WORKING!

Jim German, can you give writeup?
Nov 12, 2007, 5:45:00 AM
Neel said…
Lego software version 1.1 works flawlessly with vista 64 ultimate. Absolutely no issue. Even labview toolkit is working with some trick. Both usb and bt are working fine. I will post a writeup on my daughter's site in a couple of days aish.ahluwalia@googlepages.com
Jun 2, 2008, 4:30:00 PM
Unknown said…
I have vista ultimate and can't get bluetooth working but can work with USB. If I go to the Vista bluetooth driver, it can find the NXT and exchange a passkey succesfully. But when I try to use the Mindstorms software (either before or after I find the NXT with the Vista driver), I get an error message saying NXT Bluetooth passkey confirmation failed. Error code -142005. Any ideas? Thanks.
Jul 27, 2008, 5:49:00 PM
astrodroids said…
"I have vista ultimate and can't get bluetooth working but can work with USB. If I go to the Vista bluetooth driver, it can find the NXT and exchange a passkey succesfully. But when I try to use the Mindstorms software (either before or after I find the NXT with the Vista driver), I get an error message saying NXT Bluetooth passkey confirmation failed. Error code -142005. Any ideas? Thanks."

Vista Home Premium, Before and after upgrading Firmware to 1.05, NXT-G 1.1 SAME PROBLEM. I'm going to buy the A Be BT Dongle just to try it. Using Belkin F8T002 (Long Range) approved list on Lego.com says F8T003 (Short Range) so maybe it's the dongle. What Dongles are you people using????????????
Aug 5, 2008, 5:06:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Also I can not get Bluetooth working on Vista. The Labview software does see the NXT but after entering the passw, an error message is given (as described by more people above). I use a state of the art HP Laptop with Vista Home Professional (default HP installation).

LEGO, SHAME ON YOU FOR MAKING OUR LIVE SO HARD.
Aug 9, 2008, 8:23:00 AM
Marc-Andre Bazergui (bazmarc) said…
Hi -- i purchased a Dell XP@ with integrated bluetooth and Vista and LEGO NXT-G failed to connect via BT so for this and other reasons i returned my DELL within 30day -- now i just bought a ThinkPad T500 and to my big disappointement BT is still not working (-142005) so now i suspect VISTA 32bit being the problem. I just bought the new NXT-G upgrade on special on LEGO.COM -- i sure hope this will resolve the problem -- as this is very upsetting -- i'm planning a NXT workshop and the new computer will all have Vista -- i'm praying to the NXT gods.
Nov 30, 2008, 8:36:00 AM
Marc-Andre Bazergui (bazmarc) said…
So i tried the new NXT-G 1.1 and unfortunalty i was still unable to use bluetooth on my brand new Thinkpad T500 and to top the frustration the LDD would make my video drivers crash and in certain circomstance i would be getting the all frustrating BSOD on this 1 week old top of the line laptop,,,, so YES i returned that one as well :( I AM DESPARATE i am looking for a laptop that will be both powerfull and usable in my LEGO centric life -- I was hoping to have a well tuned system on time for my upcoming workshops this January but now i do not know what to try next. IS THERE ANY MODERN SYSTEM OUT THERE that will work with LEGO SW? is VISTA to blame? is LEGO to blame?
-- contact me directly if we don,t want to start a PC review on the NeXTstep
Dec 10, 2008, 9:33:00 PM
Anonymous said…
I am using Windows Vista Home Priemum 32-bit eddition. The software installs fine. It will connect using a USB cable fine, but when I try to use bluetooth (I use the Dell Truemobile 355 Card) it doesn't connect. It will exchange passkeys fine, and the computer says it's connected, but it really isn't. When I try to connect using the NXT-G software, it tells me to give a passkey, and then when I hit OK, It waits a while and then an error message pops up saying "NXT Bluetooth passkey confirmation failed."

Somebody Please Help!!! I Really Would Prefer Bluetooth Over USB!!!
Jan 5, 2009, 12:38:00 PM
Anonymous said…
hi,
i just got me a 9797 set.i'm trying to work with it on vista home premium 64 using brixcc but i just can't. brixcc couldn't detect my nxt (usb). i checked device manager, and it seems that my nxt is to my machine, unidentified. i tried installing the v1.2 installer for pc (from lego's website) but it says it does not work on 64 bit machine. please, if anyone can hear me.

thank you.
Jan 17, 2009, 10:42:00 AM
Anonymous said…
I, like most others here, can't get this working. My config seems to be the same as Griffen Gorsuch: Dell w/ Dell Truemobile 355 BT, Vista Ultimate.

Can someone who has it working post a walkthrough with screenshots, please? I'm on the verge or returning the whole kit-and-kaboodle. This is supposed to be suitable as a toy for children. Why can't professional computer engineers get it working?
May 5, 2009, 6:16:00 AM
hokie85ee said…
This blog would be more useful if the timestamps included the data and year...its 5/12/2009 and the thread here is almost two years old but the post all appear to have been made this afternoon (no matter what day it is) :)
May 13, 2009, 2:43:00 AM
James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…
The post for me shows 2007... are you talking about the comment timestamps?

Jim
May 13, 2009, 4:07:00 AM
Unknown said…
Where do I get (READ: download) software to support my Lego Mindstorms NXT on Vista 32/64?

Please DO NOT tell me to call Lego or NI. They are both dead ends.

Thanks,

Adam
Jun 19, 2009, 1:11:00 AM
Unknown said…
Pretty off topic, but I am having trouble connecting to my macbook. If I try through the NXT (brick), it says the line is busy, if i try through the software, it says it cant connect (it still finds it ok) and gives my error code -1073807360
Jul 31, 2009, 3:38:00 AM
Starboy said…
Has anyone ever tried to load a program and it says "Unknown error - Download and run program." what should i do?
Aug 14, 2009, 7:57:00 AM
Anonymous said…
It's 8/14/2009 and nobody seems to have posted a working solution for Bluetooth on Vista 32. Am I wrong, or should we just assume that this doesn't work and will never work?
Aug 14, 2009, 2:49:00 PM
Marc-Andre Bazergui (bazmarc) said…
i second
This blog would be more useful if the timestamps included the data and year...its 5/12/2009 and the thread here is almost two years old but the post all appear to have been made this afternoon (no matter what day it is) :)

jim can you fix that in blogger post/comment properties or is it from the viewers browser?


today is Aug 14th 2009 :D rize of the NXT 2.0... and how it or any current version of NXT-G reacts on a given platform is, if you ask me SUPER IMPORTANT
I know it is really hard for THEM to test so many environment but together WE should be able too...

where is the best place to discuss purely software NXT questions? and report bugs?

I have not tried the new NXT-G software that comes with NXT 2.0 yet (hope to get it soon) it will be interesting to see how with windows 7 and mac OS-X Snow coming by year end all that colliding we should get ready... or maybe it will all magically work, all promises fulfilled.
Definitely lots of fun i can't wait -- ok back to building now at least LEGO blocks don't bug :)
Aug 14, 2009, 3:09:00 PM
James Floyd Kelly (Jim) said…
Very few readers ever go back and read comments on older posts. Blogs don't make it easy to do this... and comments don't show up in RSS feeds so most readers won't know that someone has posted a comment on an old post.

The best solution for questions is our forum... you post it there and there always seems to be someone responding fairly quickly...

I'll see if date is an option for comments, but I don't recall it being available.

Jim
Aug 14, 2009, 11:22:00 PM
Marc-Andre Bazergui (bazmarc) said…
Hi Jim.. thanks it appears you found the blogger
Setting/Comments/Comments Timestamp Format
I will go and revise the Forum now
Aug 14, 2009, 11:27:00 PM
Unknown said…
I also have problems with my nxt! I have windows seven 64bits and in the program it says that there is an error.
Apr 26, 2010, 7:32:00 AM
Unknown said…
"NXT Bluetooth passkey confirmation failed" ... -142005

-- nxt 2.0
-- fw: 1.29
-- avr: 1.01
-- bc4: 1.01
-- build 0408091119
-- Vista sp2
-- rocketfish bluetooth micro adapter rf-mrbtad
-- installed latest drivers for the bluetooth adapter
-- windows finds the nxt with bluetooth
-- nxt finds the computer with bluetooth
-- usb works
-- lego ide shows the nxt as available via a bluetooth connection
-- try to connect and i get the error -- about 1 or 2 minutes after entering the passkey
This seems to be happening to a lot of people. Anyone gotten past this?
Jan 1, 2011, 2:21:00 PM
Marc-Andre Bazergui (bazmarc) said…
@ a, sorry i don't have vista to test.. in fact Vista was the reason i switched to MAC. Since this post there has been some update on the Mindstorms support site, make sure you have the 1.02 driver installed and also Select and download the Fantom Driver (1.1.3) for Windows. Another trick that has resolved some weird bug for me was to use a new profile (ex: profile1) instead of default and try see if that makes a difference.
Jan 2, 2011, 12:41:00 AM
Anonymous said…
It worked for me on the first go, on Vista and 7. No problems at all, even with bluetooth!
May 27, 2011, 3:14:00 PM
Unknown said…
Aloha, I am in need of some help. I have no trouble connecting to my nxt via usb or bluetooth and downloading programs, but i am unable to save the programs. Why is this. I uninstalled the software and reinstalled hoping to fix a different glitch and now i can still open old programs from last year in a defauly folder but cannot save any new programs in the default folder. Am I missing some easy solution/ Please help!
Oct 16, 2012, 7:44:00 AM
Unknown said…
Aloha, I am in need of some help. I have no trouble connecting to my nxt via usb or bluetooth and downloading programs, but i am unable to save the programs. Why is this? I am using Windows 7. I recently uninstalled the nxt 2.0 software and then reinstalled hoping to fix a different glitch. I can still open old programs from last year in a default folder but cannot save any new programs in the default folder. Am I missing some easy solution? Please help! Mahalos from Maui
Oct 16, 2012, 7:47:00 AM
Marc-Andre Bazergui (bazmarc) said…
sound like file permission (or folder permission) also try the suggestion or creating a new LEGO Mindstorms profile.
Oct 19, 2012, 9:15:00 AM
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