Back in 2012 MCC added Windows 8.0 support with the release of InstaCal/UL version 6.25. Official support for Windows 8.1 is planned for InstaCal/UL version 6.32, expected to be released by MCC in April 2014. Early testing with version 6.31 shows that Win 8.1 works fine with most MCC hardware models, but a subset of MCC's USB models will require a software update ... If your USB unit's power LED goes out when InstaCal is closed, or if InstaCal hangs, this FAQ describes the cause and solution:
Beginning with Windows 8.1, Microsoft made changes as to how to suspend or idle devices like your mouse, keyboard and other Human Interface Devices (HID). Starting with Windows 8.1, the default configuration for HID devices is to suspended them (no power) when inactive or no application or service is directly accessing it. Suspending an idle device helps extend the battery life of mobile computers ... however a subset of MCC devices use the HID driver, and these may not recover properly. Affected models will have one of the following symptoms on Win 8.1: 1) They are completely non-functional. 2) They have partial functionality, but can hang InstaCal. 3) They have full functionality, but since power is removed when the DAQ application program is closed (LED goes out), when later used they may not immediately exhibit full accuracy due to hardware warm up requirements.
HID devices are listed generically in the Device Manager under Human Interface Devices. To verify you have an HID device, use the Device Manager and while viewing the Human Interface Devices entries, simply unplug your DAQ. Then on the Device Manager menu choose Action->Scan for hardware changes. If the list of devices shrinks, then your DAQ is an HID device. Again, affected MCC models are only the subset of USB models that are HID. Models listed under "DAS Component" in the Device Manager are not impacted.
MCC plans to offer 2 remedies, either of which will result in HID DAQ hardware models performing as they do in previous Windows versions:
1) MCC has created an EXE utility (downloadable today from this FAQ) which customers can run, that will automatically edit the registry for MCC HID models currently installed on the PC. You will need to log into Windows with administrative privileges, when prompted to do so during the execution of the utility. Afterwards, you may also need to unplug/re-plug the USB device (also achieved via reboot).
2) Once InstaCal / Universal Library version 6.32 (or later) is available and installed onto your PC, you will no longer need to download the EXE from this FAQ.