PICKIT3 and Windows 8.1 Woes.

[septer012]

Can anyone verify their PICKIT3 works on a Windows 8.1 PC with MPLAB X 2.05?   I am waiting for MPLAB 2.1 where it could be fixed. But maybe I just have a factory flop PICKIT3. Thanks in advance.

I attempted already to stop WINDOWS from sending the PICKIT to idle mode; didnt seem to be the trick.

[Erwin Ried]

What is wrong with your pickit3? I used a clone in my 8.1 without issues (I think I had to disable the driver signature verification)

[veryevil]

There seems to be a known bug in 2.05 on windows 8.1 with the PK3. I assume you are getting the could not connect message. We dont use Pickits very often as we have ICD3's so haven't messed around with it but some people on the microchip forum suggest rolling back to 1.95.

[dannyf]

It pays to use pickit2.

[Erwin Ried]

What is wrong with your pickit3? I used a clone in my 8.1 without issues (I think I had to disable the driver signature verification)

You answered your own question. On Windows 8.1 you have to do it every time you start the computer up because it forgets after a restart.

In general I have found PICKIT3 to be quite flakey and Windows 8.1 makes it worse with aggressive power management. Particularly on laptops it suspends devices after about 10 seconds. Try going into Device Manager and disabling all the power management for it, see if that helps.

Nope, only once.

[amwales]

It pays to use pickit2.

I wish I could say the same about the ICD2, after owning one and finding its not supported under maplab-x,
way to go microchip

[dannyf]

Microchip tends to be mediocre - I'm being kind here - with anything software, think about mplab / mplab x, c18, ...

yet, they gave us pickit2, its standalone programming software, uart plus logic analyzer, and best yet, this thing just works.

what a miracle, by microchip standards.

yet they managed to screw that up with their attempt at improving it, :-(.

[senso]

Congratulations, yours sort of works, my pickit3, that I paid 50€ for never worked, one month of tickets and I got a "replacement" one, used it 4-5 times, tried to program a dspic for a friend, and nope, the standalone programmer(that is now discontinued and you must search in the archives) doesn't work, and I'm not installing mplab-x to discover it doesn't work with it either.

[Erwin Ried]

Congratulations, yours sort of works, my pickit3, that I paid 50€ for never worked, one month of tickets and I got a "replacement" one, used it 4-5 times, tried to program a dspic for a friend, and nope, the standalone programmer(that is now discontinued and you must search in the archives) doesn't work, and I'm not installing mplab-x to discover it doesn't work with it either.

This is the clone I use http://www.sureelectronics.net/goods.php?id=1128 no issues whatsoever in win8.1

[calexanian]

The pickit3 is third party. That being said it actually works well, if........  You never let it go idle, and if you do unplug it, plug it back in, and reconnect. In debug mode it does not appear to have this problem. If you are programming boards, then stop for lunch, and come back. Don't even bother trying. Just reconnect. Also every now and then in programmer to go use I have to cycle the power every now and then, especially if you are powering from the pickit as we do.

Now... If it ideal, No. Is it way better than ICD2? Yes.... Will I keep using them... Yes... They really are cheap. We dedicate one to each product we have and do a programmer to go on it.

[Skimask]

Huh...really...
I've been using my PK3 right alongside of my PK2, back and forth, switching to do this chip or that one. (not in the same instance of MPLAB or whatever IDE I'm using at that particular moment of course).
Have had both PK2 and PK3 plugged in at the same time, each running their own stand alone programmer software direct from Microchip.  No problems.  eg. burning a PIC32MX with the PK3 and using the UART/Logic tool from the PK2 software on other pins.  Works for me.
Google'd the PK3 stand alone programmer software from Microchip, found it straight away, installed it, ran with it.
This was all a couple years ago, been using it since.  PIC10/12/16/18, dsPIC, PIC32MX, all no problems with either one, except where the PK2 didn't support whatever chip.
Win 7 Home & Win 7 Pro, both 64 bit versions, MPLAB 1.7x up thru 2.x, desktop PC, laptop PC, direct or thru a hub, doesn't matter...all works fine.

EDIT:  DOH!  Disregard everything I just spewed forth.  Just saw the posts mention Windows 8.1

[dreaquil]

Anyone got their PICKIT3 working with windows 8.1? I just started to learn about microcontrollers yesterday and am unable to upload my first code. Keep getting the "connection failed error". I am now running MPLABX 2.10 so that didn't really solve the issue for me.

[neslekkim]

But are you running mplabx elevated? (rightclick on the mplabx icon, and choose "run as administrator") otherwise it wont connect to pickit3.. icd3 on the other hand uses totally another drivermodel, and it works flawlessly..

[dreaquil]

Just tried it again with 2.10 in case i forgot... no use

[motocoder]

You answered your own question. On Windows 8.1 you have to do it every time you start the computer up because it forgets after a restart.

I work for Microsoft, but I have to admit that this signed driver thing drives me absolutely bat-shit crazy. It's very easy to sign the driver with a code-signing certificate, but they cost around $300 per year, so lots of companies just don't bother. This effectively renders the driver worthless on 64-bit versions of Windows. I wish Microsoft would have some option for open source projects and small, individual developers to ship workable drivers without having to fork over $300 annually to one of these certificate rip-off companies.
</rant>

If anyone is interested, we could pool our money and get a cert, and then sign the drivers. I would be willing to do the work to create the signed drivers, or explain to others how to do it (I do it all the time at work, so I am familiar with the process). You do not need access to the driver source code to sign them - just the .cat file or the .inf file and the .sys files.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

I work for Microsoft, but I have to admit that this signed driver thing drives me absolutely bat-shit crazy. It's very easy to sign the driver with a code-signing certificate, but they cost around $300 per year, so lots of companies just don't bother. This effectively renders the driver worthless on 64-bit versions of Windows. I wish Microsoft would have some option for open source projects and small, individual developers to ship workable drivers without having to fork over $300 annually to one of these certificate rip-off companies.
</rant>

If anyone is interested, we could pool our money and get a cert, and then sign the drivers. I would be willing to do the work to create the signed drivers, or explain to others how to do it (I do it all the time at work, so I am familiar with the process). You do not need access to the driver source code to sign them - just the .cat file or the .inf file and the .sys files.

So what's the significance of a signed driver then, apart from the fact that the publisher paid $300.00?

[SeanB]

Just that you need to pay $300 to somebody in a way that is identifiable so then the drivers can be revoked if needed. Incentive not to sign malware, as you lose all your legit signatures in a single fell swoop, and easier to revoke at a single check point.

[motocoder]

So what's the significance of a signed driver then, apart from the fact that the publisher paid $300.00?

A certificate can be revoked, so in theory if a malicious person buys a certificate and signs a malware driver, Microsoft can revoke the certificate so that the driver will not install on (updated versions of) Windows. Also, the non-zero cost does deter the script kiddies. At one time, it was a fairly involved process to get a cert - you had to provide identifying info, but that is no longer the case anymore.

[HackedFridgeMagnet]

Ok, seems reasonable.