Okahhy, quite frustrated with surfing so many differnt posts to get Vag-Com working. I've finally got it to find the interface, only now to have Vista tell me that "Vag-Com has quit working" or whatever. Here's a list of what I've done since I discovered Vag-Com.

I purchased the OBD-II interface cable from Alpha-Bid.com on ebay. Cool. Whatever.
I scramble, once I get the cable, on all the websites downloading I don't even know what. drivers, programs for it... yeah...
Okay yeah, lol, so I downloaded the driver from the Alpha-Bid's page that it said to use. But then the Ross-Tech's website seemed so much more, well, better, so I downloaded one from there too.

When I plug up the cable Vista downloads a driver for me. Go figure. Wasted time? I don't know.

So I try version 409.1 ( or whichever one it was that started with a "4" , hey I'm lazy I don't want to look or use my brain right now.)
It doesn't find the interface.
Blah blah blah, tons of surfing for the answer.
I decided to try the "7" version ( the newest one I suppose) and to no avail.
I then found a post stating that I needed to probobly get the 311.2 version.
Got it.
Downloaded it.
It finds the Interface.
****** amazing.
Ok, lets scan for fault codes.
"VAG-COM HAS QUIT WORKING"
....again, ****** amazing...
I find nothing on the net about it.
I decided to uninstall everything that has to do with Vag-Com, Ross-Tech, drivers, Stress-inducers, the works.
I re-install version 311.2.
I plug the cable back in.
Vista installs the drivers. ( Why thank you Mr. Gates, how thoughtfull)
Start her up...
It recognizes the interface.
Select a control module: engine
"VAG-COM HAS Q..." okay freeze.... count to 10... or backwards from...whatever... *sigh*
Must I go on?
( I trully hope that this is a blind mistake on my part that is annoyingly obvious so that I can get on with stressing myself out with something else, lol )
POI: I've had the Key in the "On" position the entire time... cable in the OBD connector snug, LED light is on ( Green )

P.S.



That is what part of the alphabet would look like if "Q" and "R" were removed.

 

Anyone have a knowlage-base with Vag-Com and Vista that could help??

 

vag com and vista don't mix very well. one thing you can do is install xp on your computer with vista so when you start it up you can choose which OS you want.

 

Cool Cool, I guess its something that I didn't want to have to do, but it -is- something I've read. But on the other hand, I've read that Vag and Vista should work fine together. but who knows with microsoft. lol. Thanks for the input though, ima try it today and see what goes down.

 

You can't use the "dumb" interface with the newer versions that will actually work in Vista. The older versions that will work with the dumb interface like 409 and 311 just won't work in Vista no matter what compatibility you use. So really, your best bet to use Vista and Vag-Com is to shell out the money for the full program straight from Ross-Tech. Or you can simply install Virtual PC and then run XP in the emulation.

I run Vista Ultimate x64 and believe me it was a huge pain in the *** to eventually come to the conclusion that it just wasn't worth it. So I went ahead and just bought an old junker laptop and loaded XP pro onto it and now use that soley as the Vag-Com PC. Something like these would suffice.
http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-LATITUDE-IN...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/DELL-C600-P-III-...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Toshiba-Tecra-91...QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dell-latitude-CP...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Vista is crap with these specialist tools/software ( too complicated ) the system has a headache go with win 98 on a stand alone laptop used only for diagnostics ( which is what I do ) ( dos is a wonderful tool for going into systems and newer systems prevent that ) but when CAN comes in 2008 things get worse[:@]but im ready for it

 

Well, cool. I looked into it and got some info on virtual PC and possibly running XP from that. Also talked to a friend who will be able to bring me a , not really an "old" laptop, but an older one, maybe 2001, that has just had a complete format and XP freshly installed on it.
Luckly for me he owns a buisness that soley does work for Oak Ridge National Labs and has access to some usefull tools. So I guess I'm going to use it just for Vag-com andcall it the, now named, "VAGTOP" haha. Thanks for the help guys.

I'm pretty new to the forum area of the web. But have always been interested. I've gotten a lot of usefull information from here, and now hopefully, I can contribute the knowledge that I have accuired to someone else!!

See ya around!