New computer installation

(Revised as of 2025-08-13)

Did you buy a new astronomy computer?
Follow these steps:

1. Hardware drivers:
Update the machine's BIOS and hardware drivers. Most manufacturers have a utility or download site with model-specific updates. e.g. HP, Dell, Asus, Lenovo, etc.

AMD video and processor support:
https://www.amd.com/en/support

Intel Driver and Support Assistant:
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/intel-driver-support-assistant.html

Nvidia video card drivers:
https://www.nvidia.com/download/index.aspx

2. USB and Power management:
Turn off USB Selective Suspend and change Windows Power Management settings:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...connects-turn-off-usb-selective-suspend.7848/
Important: Please check this at the end, after completing any Windows Updates or Driver Installation. Sometimes this gets turned back on by an update.

3. Enable the extra Windows Updates.
For Windows 11:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.com/threads/windows-11-extra-updates.9640/

For Windows 10:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.com/threads/windows-10-extra-updates.9664/

4. Run Windows Update
Run Windows Update many times, reboot each time, until all Windows Updates are installed.
This can take hours for it to find them all.

5. Windows Runtime Libraries:
Get the latest Windows Runtime Libraries.
You'll need the x86 ones for sure, and the x64 ones as well:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.co...talling-microsoft-visual-studio-runtime.9001/
I've revised this as of 2025-08-13 as most software is now 64-bit so you will definitely need the x64 versions.

6. ASCOM Platform
Get it here - see the DOWNLOAD at the right hand side:
https://ascom-standards.org/
The current release as of 2025-08-13 is Platform 7 Update 2.

7. USB to RS232 and serial ports:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.com/threads/usb-rs232-serial-com-port-adapters.8382/

8. Cameras
Install your main camera and guide camera.

Classic SBIG CCDs - ST/STL/STXL/STX/STT/STF Drivers:
https://cdn.diffractionlimited.com/downloads/SetupDriverChecker64.exe

DL Imaging Drivers: (For StarChaser SC, Aluma series, STC series)
64-bit drivers are available here, and are needed for most applications and modern computers:
https://diffractionlimited.com/down/SetupDLAPIx64.exe

DL Imaging ASCOM Drivers (for SC, Aluma, STC):
64-bit ASCOM drivers are available here, and are needed for third party applications:
https://diffractionlimited.com/down/DLImagingASCOMDriverInstaller_x64.exe

Or third party cameras (eg ATIK, Andor, FLI, QHYCCD, QSI, Oxford, Raptor, ZWO) from their manufacturer website.

9. Boltwood Cloud Sensor:
The current Boltwood III Cloud Sensor:
https://diffractionlimited.com/downloads/bcs/SetupClarityIII_x64.exe

The obsolete Boltwood Cloud Sensor II:
See this article:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.com/threads/clarity-ii-and-windows-10-missing-file.6037/
and the old Clarity software:
https://diffractionlimited.com/downloads/bcs/SetupClarityII.exe

10. MaxDome II:
The ASCOM drivers are here:
https://diffractionlimited.com/downloads/maxdome-ii/MaxDomeII.exe
If you have a mixed 32-bit and 64-bit environment, you will need to set up ASCOM Device Hub so everything talks. For example:
MaxIm DL Pro -> Device Hub -> MaxDome II
Planetarium Program -> Device Hub -> MaxDome II

11. Other Astronomy hardware
Eg Focusers, mounts, dew controllers, dome controllers etc.
Download and install the latest drivers for these devices, and their ASCOM drivers if they are a separate download

12. MaxIm DL Pro
If you want to preserve your settings from the old computer, see this article:
https://forum.diffractionlimited.com/threads/moving-maxim-to-a-new-computer.8534/
Otherwise follow the installation and license entry instructions provided with the software.

Make sure to set up File... Settings... Site and Optics.
This is critical so MaxIm knows where you are and what you have for a telescope and guider.

13. Third Party Software
If you are running DC3 Dreams ACP Expert, or other third party software like TheSky X, please follow the instructions with that software.

14. Check USB Selective Suspend
Go back and review Step 2 after installing all drivers and updates, and verify that power savings did not get turned on again. Fix it if it did.

15. Relax
Sit back, relax, and enjoy your hard work!

 

Note that ASCOM has been updated to Version 7 Update 2.

 

The top article was revised as of 2025-08-13 for x64 64-bit drivers and changed links to reflect current info.

 

Note that the ASCOM Platform is now updated to version 7.1.1