XXHighEnd Model 2.06 - 28 core support, Optimized for low power consumption ++

[PeterSt]

Download is at the very bottom.
UpgradePatch is even below that.

For those without Paypal - other means of payment and Activaton are possible.

For the Release Notes of 2.00, look here : XXHighEnd Model 2.00 - New Filters & Extended Remote Control.
Install any new full version in its own folder (your 2.00 Activation could be violated otherwise). Install the UpgradePatch only over the version implied by the name of the UpgradePatch .rar file.

Note :
Version 2.05 has been distributed on the RAM OS Disk only and no Release Notes have been presented about that version, previously. This is why below we see the Release Notes to 2.05 first, and below that the Release Notes to 2.06.

General

These versions mostly target speed and low power consumption, in the end also leading to better Sound Quality.
Part of 2.06 explicitly addresses the utilization of 20 core and more processors,
in a passively cooled computer case with even a Linear Power Supply inside

New is the possibility of upgrading your XXhighEnd install with an "Upgrade Patch". This allows you to keep your current XX folder in-tact and just paste over with the newly provided program (etc.) files. This will guarantee no hassle with getting deactivated and the sort of thing. Downside perhaps : this will not allow you to run two versions side by side (because actually you will be overwriting the one you had). But maybe this is a thing of the past anyway since we take great care of things not getting worse (or that the past has proved that).

Release Notes 2.05

• The Load Whole Album option (RightClick on Track in Playlist Area) still/again prevented to show the Wallpaper Coverart from such loaded Album. Solved now.
  
  
• The Settings from a RAM Boot were nog saved to Permanent Storage any more. Now they are again.
  
  
• Under Stop-RichtClick there's now a Save Settings option. This now allows to explicitly save the Settings to Permanent Storage (when booted from RAM) - and not only implicitly at Shutdown or Reboot.
  
  
• Stop-RightClick now allows to attach Operating System Files from all present OSes (and not only the BASE OS of the one currently (RAM) booted from).
  This allows to easily distribute a change to all the OSes.
  
  
• The Title Bar of XXHighEnd now shows whether booted from normal C:, from a BASE OS or from RAM.
  
  
  
  
  Here we can see that this version has been booted from RAM (this is Drive C:), that it is 10586 and that all is located on the RAM Drive in C:\XXHighEnd\2.xx.
  
  
  
  
  This must have been booted from the TRAIL version since nothing but the nomal C:\ reference is visble.
  
  
  
  
  This is booted from the 10565 BASE version.
  
  
• Stop-RightClick now allows to start these programs (all Admin Elevated) :
  
  
  
  
  This will be convenient for Windows 10 and stuck Start Buttons etc.
  
  
• The annoyance of the system doing nothing for many minutes at a first XXHighEnd install on a Windows 10, has been solved.
  
  
• Save As (in Settings, near the top) - RightClick, has been made more decent and "resets better" for an install in trouble.
  
  
• The showing of Wallpaper Coverart has been made "super fast" again for Windows 10 (like it was/is in Windows 7).
  
  
• Search in Tidal had  a few bugs, that causing not all the resulting albums to show. This is now solved.
  
  

Release Notes 2.06

Notice : This is the version which is shipped with the RAM OS Disk which comes along with the Stealth Mach II LPS PC.

• Because of a bug, the latest versions always (or most often) showed the last Items in the Library Area after initiating the Libreray Area. Hence, what was showed last in there, did not stick.
  Solved now.
  
  
• When booted into the TRIAL version, it was not possible to attach to a Base Volume, despite a message and further status info told so (it just didn't work). Now this is fine.
  
  
• An Album (folder) can be marked Unwanted. Rightclick on the Item of concern in the Library Area, choose Streams and :
  
  
  
  
  when you choose the Unwanted option, the Item will show with a very thick border, like :
  
  
  
  
  Choose Remove Unwanted Mark to reset to normal.
  N.b.: Although in the Streams menu, it can be done with any Album/Folder.
  
  
• The same can be done from within Tracks Compare :
  
  
  
  
  See under the mouse pointer. When that green surface is clicked, this is the result :
  
  
  
  
  This is especially helpful when searching in Tidal of which it is known how many stupid EP's and other derivals from originals are there while one original really is sufficient;
  With Compare tracks you're able to select 9 "albums" at a time, compare them in a glance, BUT now you must mark the ones you don't want to deal with, somehow. Well, clicking the Reject surface just does that and when done, your Library Area tells you what not to deal with further, the thick borders telling you that.
  Click Reject again when it is white and the border turns back into normal.
  This too can be done for the non-Tidal albums just the same.
  
  
• A Bookmarked Saved Result List is now reloaded from that list instead of that Search is applied which seemingly did the same. This is a bit tough to explain, so it is easier to see when we say that now the sort order it maintained as well (while Search always builds up the Result List again).
  
  
• It is now possible to Play a track from Tidal while the Album has not been "Stream Prepared" officially. Just load the Album in the Playlist Area and alick Play.
  
  
• As it appeared, still many situations of "settings to save" where not dealt with (properly) (also see similar remark in the 2.05 Release Notes which by long was not all).
  Now really all is saved to Permanent Storage and you won't notice a difference, the next time booted from RAM (requires the RAM OS Disk which can be bought from Phasure).
  
• Generally, the saving of Settings and all when Shutting Down or Reboot, is now robust.
  
  
• It is now possible to Physically Copy AIF files to FLAC.
  
  
• In that same menu there's also a new option which allows you to show the size of the selected Items in the Library Area :
  
  
  
  
  
  
• When we rightclick on an Item in the Coverart Pane (the rightmost pane of three), there's a new Re-distribue function :
  
  
  
  
  This now allows you to easily add new Coverart to the Album Folder, while with this function it can be distributed over all Gallery metadata folders.
  
  
• Scrolling Coverart in the Library Area is now 10000 times faster.
  
  
• Related to the above, is the now large scrollbar (for finger usage) on the Library Area. Works perfect for the purpose but do notice that small issues can be observed some times, like the thumb button (the button which scrolls) not always being at the right position when the Library Area is enetered for the first time, and that scrolling via normal screen and mouse may come across as "more nervous", especially when scrolling is deliberately (by you) slow.
  But we are using tablets now, right ?
  
  
• Because of a bug since 2.04, the XXHighEnd screen always started in the top left corner; may have seemed intentional, but was not at all !
  
  
• Fi-nal-ly we could solve the "half-selected" look of a (for selection) clicked track in the Playlist Area.
  
  
• The Get Coverart from Tidal function, will not overwrite the existing Coverart file any more. This means that you now can select your whole Library and let Tidal provide the Coverart for all which does not contain it yet without the necessity to first find and select the Albums without Coverart.
  
  
• Another super annoyance was solved (and it existed forever) : the shrinking of the dialogs which allow you to pick files etc. from the system. Say everywhere where a [...] button exists.
  The dialogs now open smoothly in the top-left corner of XXHighEnd and reach up to the bottom of XXHighEnd, with a fixed convenient width (but can be changed for the session of that dialog).
  
  
• In Settings, XTweaks section, there's a new button "Boost at XXHighEnd Startup". This makes the processor run faster on behalf of the speed of starting XXHighEnd (which can be fairly slow at processor settings implying 500MHz or so).
  When this button is made Active, the processor speed increases to the set frequency in the BIOS (and is further subject to the Operating System('s will of behavior) now).
  When XXHighEnd is quit, the speed implied by XTweaks will be set again.
  It won't be necessary to tell that it could be "audible" that XXHighEnd is up, with this button active.
  
  
• In Settings, the Processor section, there's also a new button "PC is Stealth Mach II LPS". It is very very wise to make this button active when you indeed have that PC, because it prevents dialing the wrong XTweaks settings, them heating up the processor and that causing the CPU fan to kick in.
  Do notice that the XTweaks settings engaged when you activate this button, are also the best settings for SQ (by our ears over here), so it shouldn't cause "psychological" problems. Also notice that for Windows 7 the set settings are different than for Windows 8 and yet again for 10 but the same (best SQ) phenomenon counts.
  -> This is at the moment of this writing and in the final 2.06 (and beyond) you may see that e.g. (!) all is the same for each OS.
  
  NOTICE : This setting can also be used to create a base for a PC with the least demanding power settings because in the end it is all about that. Other settings like SFS, Clock resolution, Buffer settings, matter just the same, though.
  
  
• In the realm of the previous, the Cool When Idle XTweaks setting has been deprecated. That is, it is still visible, but it is not settable any more; it is always 1 (Cool) from now on.
  Notice that this is related to a bug which exists from of Windows 8 and which drives all processor cores to 100% and which is NOT a good idea with any passively cooled PC.
  The setting has been deprecated all together (thus also for Windows 7 and Vista) because we can not check the result in consistency with other settings (no W7/Vista OS running to test it). So we operate on the safe side (no heating up because of accidentally dialing this setting to 0).
  
  
• Watch out : One of the functions which can be used easily from within the Library Area and when sound is still playing from Unattended Mode (the GUI only half in control) and XXHighEnd brought up, is the Volume Normalization for one or more albums. It could even be a typical thing to do, you preparing for a next Album, the other one still playing. But :
  *Because* you set the above mentioned "Boost at startup" to active, the system is now at more normal speed, meaning that all heats up fairly quickly. And Volume Normalization is a CPU intensive function. So things will heat up and it could be a (or the only) reason that your CPU fan starts running (all is very fine then) when you use the Stealth Mach II LPS PC.
  
  
• MP3 files exhibited cutoff (for playback) for the 2nd and beyond track in the Playlist, when played Unattendedly. THis bug has existed for quite a long time.
  Is now solved.
  
  
• It has been found that the XXHighEnd screen shrinks when it is put to the taskbar by means of the small vertical button at the far right of the Taskbar (some kind of Windows bug).
  This is now solved, but with the effect that when XXHighEnd is brought back from (being minimized to) the Taskbar, a number of flashes appear (you can see the bottom grow larger). This seems unavoidable.
  
  
• It was found that .png files could not serve as main Coverart. Now .png files can serve that purpose just the same.
  
  
• A few things changed / were added to the XX On Screen Keyboard (XXOSK.exe) :
  
  
  • Alt-d "hold" (keep finger pressed) is an emergency stop which kills the sound engine (XXEngine3.exe) in 0.33 seconds.
    (this function already existed, but it required a certain amount of time to "hold" and then let go).
    
  • Alt-C for putting a track (!) to Nice Stuff, has been deprecated. Although it has existed for many years, it appeared to actually not fit any logic, especially knowing that we (will) mainly use complete albums for Nice Stuff. It also conflicted with some of the below new functions.
  • N.b.: Ctrl-Alt-S is not active yet.
  • Ctrl-Alt-R removes the currently playing track or album from the Gallery it was loaded from. Thus, if you have some Nice Stuff album and play it once again but it sounds like sh*t to you now, you can use Ctrl-Alt-R to remove it from that Nice Stuff. Same with a Track you put to your Demo or Show Gallery - it is not Demo worthy any more ? then Ctrl-Alt-R and it's gone. Of course from the Gallery only (and after a confirmation question).
    Keep in mind : this works for all Galleries and it is you who must recall where you loaded it from and where you thus now want to remove it from. Notice though that a confirmation message will tell you. Also see (the screenshots) a bit more below.
  • Ctrl-Alt-H puts a whole album (the one which is playing) to a Gallery which the system will ask you for (via the "thick finger" Tablet functionality).
  • Ctrl-Alt-Z does the same, but now for the currently playing Track.
  
  These functions have not been tested with the other layouts of the XXOSK.
  
  
• Similar to the Ctrl-Alt-R function, a new function in the RightClick on Track (in the Playlist Area) can also remove from Galleries :
  
  
  
  
  Notice that there's always a confirmation message, telling you what you're actually about to remove and from where :
  
  
  
  
  So I let that one stay.
  
  Important : It actually appeared that there was no possibility whatsoever to Remove one track from a Gallery such as Demo (which is a Track based Gallery means). Thus, have more than one track of Deep Purple in Rock in your Demo Gallery, and later you could only Remove all of them, or nothing; With this new function you can now delete that one track from it. Btw it then looks like this :
  
  
  
  
  
  
• For Windows 8 too, the Wallpaper Coverart is now fast again (like in Windows 7 and since 2.05 for Windows 10).
  
  
• For Windows 10 and for Windows 8 in lesser degree, yet again a few processes could be removed (Unattended Playback). Whether this improves SQ has not been explicitly tested but it very well can.
  
  
• It was found that after Unattended Playback over RDC, the inability to copy files from local to remote or the othwr way around, could be solved.
  So we did.
  
  
• An actually great looking feature was added to Unattended Playback : the start of it makes the XXHighEnd screen half transparent. This intuitively tells that the GUI now is (will be) disabled. But merely it shows beautifully with the Windows 10586.0 default Wallpaper.
  
  
  
  
  
• With Use Touch Facilities (in Settings) active : The Windows On Screen Keyboard annoyingly appeared when you (already !) slided the thumb button of a slider (like for Q1 etc.). Btw the keyboard appears so you can use the arrows to control such a slider, in high resolution (one click on the > or < button means one move of the thumb button).
  This now has changed into tapping besides the thumb button, making the Keyboard apear as usual, v.s. tapping (sliding) on the thumb button, now not bringing forward the Keyboard.
  
  
• For your convenience, the TeamViewer processes and services are now part of the standard processes and services not to kill. So now you don't need to obtain it yourself in ad-hoc fashion (in the two "To Keep" fields for it, in Settings).
  
  
• Certaing processes in XXHighEnd need a command prompt (call) under the hood. This always resulted in brief flashing (visibility of the command prompts). That is, since Windows Vista.
  We now could apply another method for that and no flashing is visible any more.
  What comes along with that nicely, is "speed". For example, the enumartion (sorting out of) the existing OSes at Stop-RightClick - Boot into, could take maybe 6-7 seconds (with a lot of flashing), while now all shows about instantly.
  
  
• There's now official support for 24 and 28 core processors.
  
  
  
  
  

Reminder for Windows 8 users : As an option, don't forget to install the Windows 7 Shell provided with XXHighEnd. See the Windows7_Shell folder in your XX folder and don't forget to read the readme's in there !
Notice that this Windows 7 Shell does not work for Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 and instead it will render your OS Install useless (black screen) when you install it anyway.
New since XXHighEnd 2.03 the Windows 7 Shell is mentioned "as an option" because Windows 8 now just runs as well on the Metro Desktop *IF* you get the habit of selecting the Windows Desktop first from where you do all with XXHighEnd.

After copying / unzipping the install files, just start the XXHighEnd.exe file; no Install as such is needed. See below at the mouse arrow.

However, when you are running Windows 8 or higher - have not used XXHighEnd before - and are not connected to the Internet, first read this : Windows 8 Tutorials - Install .Net 3.5.

Without this Tutorial you won't be able to obtain an Activation Code for XXHighEnd : Windows 10 Tutorials - Make Internet Explorer available.
Also, we urge you to read this : Windows 10 Tutorials - Wallpaper, Core Schemes, Q4,5 and more.
It is mandatory to read this : Windows 10 Tutorials - Start XXHighEnd.exe (first time) (this is also about Activation).

Please report as much as you run into but do so in a dedicated topic with a catching title.
Edit, June 29,2016 : There's now a 2.06a UpgradePatch which solves these issues :
- When XXHighEnd is brought up after Unattended (Alt-X) and next Pause is pressed, an error occured.
- During the start of Unattended an ("ActiveX") error could occur (caused by the SFS or Memory Type setting changing).
Additionally it is now possible to have more than one 10586 subversion (like 10586.0 and 10586.217) installed in the RAM OS Disk boots.
Right below here you will find the full install of XXHighEnd.
Below that you will find the UpgradePatch install which can only be used on/over the previous XXHighEnd versions - 2.04(c) and 2.05 (edit June 29, 2016) or 2.06 itself (also the patch - now removed). Do not installl this UpgradePatch on its own in a new folder because nothing will work ! Only paste and unzip over the contents of the existing XX folder.