Welcome to MSDN Blogs Sign in | Join | Help

Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

[Update on 2007-05-21]  Wacom has an official driver now that works for me and does not require the workaround.

See this blog entry for details: http://blogs.msdn.com/saveenr/archive/2007/03/08/new-wacom-driver-for-vista-available.aspx

 

 

After running Vista RTM bits on a clean machine, I installed my Wacom tablet and the most recent drivers for Vista.

 

The good

new Tablet PC features were available after install. These include pen flicks, handwriting recognition.

 

The bad

Using the tablet for dragging, selecting, resizing, etc. in graphics applications introduced wierd delays that made it very awkward to use with Visio, Photoshop, Audacity, etc.

 

A workaround

The temporary solution that I found on a WACOM web forum was to install a very specific version of the driver (not the latest one as of Jan 9 2007).

After installing my tablet worked perfectly (exactly as it did under Windows XP). However, I no longer had the Tablet PC features like Pen Flicks, etc.

 

Location of driver:

Note that some users have also found other older versions that do not exhibit the problem.

 

Discussion of this on the WACOM web forum:

 

Step-by-Step Installation instructions (use at your own risk, this is not a final, released driver from WACOM)

  • Uninstall the existing Wacom driver and reboot if needed
  • goto http://www.wacom.com/vista/pro_driver.cfm
  • Download the driver called "Driver 4.98-2 (Beta) for Windows Vista RC1" this file is called "WacomTablet_498-2.exe"
  • Right-click on the "WacomTablet_498-2.exe" file select properties and the Properties Window will launch
  • Select the Compatibility tab
  • Under Run this program in copatibility mode sekect "Windows XP (Service pak 2)"
  • Click OK and the Properties window will close
  • Richt-click "WacomTablet_498-2.exe" file and select Run as Administrator
  • A dialog will launch sayinf the publisheg could not be verified. Select Yes
  • The UAC dialog will launch; click Allow
  • The Wacom extractor launches
  • Click Setup
  • Accept the the license agreement
  • The setup will finally say the pen tablet driver was successfully installed.
  • Click OK
  • You may have to reboot 
Published Thursday, January 11, 2007 10:38 AM by saveenr

Comment Notification

If you would like to receive an email when updates are made to this post, please register here

Subscribe to this post's comments using RSS

Comments

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Thanks for the tip. I had a problem with the January driver release and was wondering what options I had.

Cheers,

P

Tuesday, March 06, 2007 10:10 AM by Paul Minstrell

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Thanks, this has been driving me crazy for about 2 weeks now. I keep asking myself how Microsoft could screw something up as fundamental as the mouse. Why can't you just uninstall there pen software??? Anyway, problem solved for now. :)

Tuesday, March 06, 2007 6:52 PM by Ian

# New Wacom Driver for Vista Available

Earlier this month Wacom released Driver 6.02-1 for Windows Vista. See my latest post on this topic: http://blogs.msdn.com/saveenr/archive/2007/03/08/new-wacom-driver-for-vista-available.aspx

Friday, March 09, 2007 1:53 AM by Saveen Reddy's blog

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Thanks for the follow up Saveen. I'll check it out.

Thursday, March 29, 2007 12:01 PM by Paul Minstrell

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Thaaaanks a lot!!! u r great!!! ^ ^

Monday, May 07, 2007 9:45 AM by Chime

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Hi, thanks so much for the solution. I still have a problem. I've installed the driver and it works for a few days. After that, the tablet and pen lost pressure sensitivity and the eraser stopped functioning. I have to uninstall and reinstall over and over again. Is there a solution?

Monday, May 21, 2007 12:13 PM by Winnie

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Omg! This driver completely fixed the problem I had with the mouse. Thank you SOO much!

Monday, June 25, 2007 1:19 AM by Chump

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

I uninstalled the original driver, then installed the version you linked to and rebooted.  With the previous driver, the only function that did not work was pressure.  After installing the new driver, I tested with Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro, and the pressure sensitivity still does not work.  What now?

Monday, July 16, 2007 11:51 AM by Laura

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Never mind.  It appears it had not fully installed for some reason.  I tried installing it again, and it works now.  Thanks for the help :)

Monday, July 16, 2007 12:52 PM by Laura

# the brute force workaround

after dealing with this issue for a while now, the patient people at wacom helped me with a brute force solution that allows the latest drivers to work flawlessly.

uninstall the current driver

run --> msconfig

turn everything off

reboot

install vista wacom driver

reboot

success

appparently there's stuff going on under the hood that's preventing the driver from installing properly

Tuesday, January 22, 2008 3:35 PM by jeff cooperman

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Thanks very much to Jeff Cooperman. I was having some driver issues and my tablet pen mode was not functioning at all, it would only work in mouse mode and  my graphic apps. So I decided to follow the steps you posted and viola! everything is back to normal. Hopefully this is not a temporary fix though. thanks again.

Thursday, January 31, 2008 5:38 PM by TK

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

jeff cooperman i followed your post about going to msconfig and turning everything off...

my computer won't boot up now :(

Wednesday, April 02, 2008 7:22 PM by Tom

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!! YOU ARE MY HEROE:X

Thursday, July 17, 2008 9:13 PM by PERLA

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

not worked

mi vista does not recognize this driver

not hand recogniton or else

it only work as a mouse

Monday, September 08, 2008 7:09 PM by Stefan Heitmann

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista (and a workaround)

Ok guys! I finally found a solution :)

I was going mad when I found this page:

http://www.pixolator.com/zbc/showthread.php?t=45893

Basically it just involves switching off the press and hold functions from the control panel.

1.Click windows start button, type "pen and", then click "Pen and Input Devices"

2.Go to the adress above and look at the third post from the top.

3.Copy those settings!

Done! It worked for me. Hope it works for you too guys.

Thank GOD for the internet!!

Thursday, September 25, 2008 4:18 PM by Alexn

# re: Problems with Wacom tablet on Vista & flashing light

My wacom tablet - wireless - worked well on vista, having downloaded a program.  However having got it out after several months in store (house move etc) my computer wont recognise it, and it's 'on off' light just keeps flashing, tho' the battery is charged up. Have re-installed, rebooted, everything. Help needed.

Thursday, December 04, 2008 6:20 PM by Jan Wakerley

Leave a Comment

(required) 
required 
(required) 

  
Enter Code Here: Required
 
Page view tracker