Vista Hacks: Making My Wacom Serial Tablet Work

March 31, 2007 by 122 Comments

As I mentioned previously, the one hardware issue I’ve had with Vista was the inability to get Vista to properly deal with my serial Wacom Intuos tablet.

After a couple e-mails and a phone call to Wacom’s support group, the solution and steps are this:

  1. Download Wacom’s latest driver from their web site.
  2. Create the following registry key if it doesn’t exist:
       [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Tablet]
      "PnPTablets"=",COM1"
  3. Plug in the tablet. If Windows prompts for a driver, hit cancel.
  4. Install the Wacom driver.  The tablet should work after the driver is installed.
  5. Reboot.  If Windows prompts to install a driver for the hardware, choose the option not to present the message again.

The tablet should work from that point forward.
[tags]wacom, intuos, vista[/tags]

Filed Under: Code, Technology ·
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  • Vince

    If it doesn’t work like in Win7 you can use virtualization like vmware and run xp (vista 32 should also work) Config vmware to use the serial(or usb) and then it does work. Meaning I;m able to use the tablet fine inside a virtual machine.. works fine, perfect would be in win7 itself. ps I’m using a serial card in my pc

  • Vince

    stupid wacom support, there is a new driver for win7 but serial is off the line..

    • http://www.aaronhockley.com/ Aaron B. Hockley

      I’m not sure I’d call Wacom’s support “stupid” – they can’t support everything forever. Given that they haven’t produced serial tablets in several years, it’s not unreasonable to drop official support for a brand-new operating system. With a finite amount of development resources, a bunch of effort to support old tablets probably isn’t the best investment.

      • Frank

        Stupid….No….money grabbing bastards….maybe! I purchased my A3 tablet several years ago….for $1600 Aust…..yes that’s right…big $$$$. ANd it’s great. It still works flawlessly, has become an extension of my hand, and part of my toolset. Now I have to bin it and buy another, as they don’t “Support” it anymore. Now I’m sorry if WACOM…poor fellows…have to ensure their software caters fo all their clients. If you made a website for some-one, and then it didn’t work in the new explorer, how do you think they would feel if you said…sorry, we don’t support your website anymore….but I can make you a new one for $$$$! It is legislated that car parts must be available for a minimum period of time…..driver support should be the same. And let’s not even get itno the environmental impact of these practices. I’m with you vince….STUPID!

        • http://theducks.org theducks

          You might want to consider buying a Mac instead – a Mac Mini is cheaper than a new 12×18 tablet, for example..

          I’m currently using an Intel Mac with a cheap FTDI USB-Serial adaptor ($9) and a GD-1218-R (bought for $90) and TabletMagic (GPL/Free) – works GREAT

      • Eric L

        No, it’s stupid. Because if I have to buy another tablet because of this trivial issue, it won’t be from Wacom. And I’ve got a lot of years of photo editing and equipment buying ahead of me.

        • Skip

          I agree, it’s very stupid. It’s not like these tablets were cheap when we bought them! If it works and a serial driver CAN be made, then it should be. If not, then give the entire tech on it (serial driver portion) to the open source community to allow them free access for developing a driver. Let’s call a spade a spade here. I’m like the poster above, if I have to buy another, IT WON’T BE A WACOM!!!

  • Phil

    Thanks to everyone for all the input. Managed to get my UD-0608-R serial tablet to work under Windows 7 32bit. Tablet is plugged straight into the rear com port. Added the registry entry with “PnPTablets” = “,COM1″ , installed the 4.78-6 XP driver from the European site and voila!…one small caveat….control panel not working. I’m also getting the reinstall driver error. Is there any other way to configure the settings? Looking to see if any files or the registry can be edited manually.

    • zenia

      I am trying the same thing… but since my computer does not have a serial port (gah!) I am using a serial-USB adapter. Do you know how to get that to work? I tried choosing both ‘serial’ and ‘usb’ from the install menu and both say there is no tablet, and the serial option only searches ‘com3′.

  • GoZ

    Hm that sounds good :)
    Can someone tell me if it work with Windows 7 64bit ?

    cu
    GoZ

  • Jerry

    Can anyone explain how to do this for windows 7?
    When you open regedit, which folder do you make the key?
    Do you keep the quotes”" in this text?

    Thanks

  • Brian

    I have a question. How do I access the registry to create the key you have listed above? I didn’t have a problem with older versions,
    but; I can’t find it on my computer or in my Vista reference books.
    Any help you could provide would be appreciated.
    Thank You in advance for your help.

  • Brian

    Disregard my previous question. I found the answer directly above.

  • Boug

    It work for me too. UD-0608-R with windows 7 32bits. Yeah!
    Just need to know now, how configure the pen buttons functions… ;)

  • Neil

    I have to agree with Frank (Oct. 26). It is inexcusable for a company to discontinue support for expensive, perfectly functional equipment that is only a few years old. It is pure greed, and I’m sure my mother would say “Just because Billy Gates does it doesn’t make it right!”

    Haas anyone come up with a workaround to get a UD tablet to work under Win-7 64 bit?

    • http://www.aaronhockley.com/ Aaron B. Hockley

      I worked for Wacom in 2001… at which point the UD series tablets had already been discontinued. They’re not “a few years old”… they’re at least 10 years old.

      • Ail

        That is not important, wacom tablets are not fruit or meat, are expensive work objects without expitre date than can work properly years and years. In fact I have a serial intuos GD at home and a new intuos 4 at work and I prefeer how my serial GD feels. I can´t believe a company like wacom can´t afford drivers for “old” tablets.

        • Eric L

          And we’re not talking about any technological paradigm shift from the serial tablets to newer ones, as if we were going from vacuum tubes to transistors, which would render the older product obsolete. The ONLY issue is maintaining drivers for an input device to work with the new standard operating system. And the Best Buy sold this exact tablet–at retail price–as recently as last summer. Sorry, but that’s ridiculous. And while I’m not speaking as a former employee of Wacom, my credentials are even better: I’m one of the suckers who, once hosed by them, won’t be giving them any more of my money.

  • Christine

    Help… I’ve tried all the above and it does not work with my Win 7 64 bit. I have a Wacom GD0608R. I tried several drivers, with the last one being pro611-3 because it’s supports serial and works with 64 bit…NG Anyone have any luck?

  • brennbaer

    hi everybody,
    just installed Vtablet v.7.11beta for Win7 64bit from vtablet.com.
    I tried a Wacom UD 1212-R and a GD 608-R.
    Both are connected through a Logilink (Prolific-Chip) USB-to-Serial Adapter which is installed correctly.

    Now the Vtablet driver seems to have installed somehow.
    Its Tablet manager can be started.
    When i move the pen over the tablet’s surface i see some numbers changing under “Port Interrupts” and “Packet Errors” in the “Driver area” of the “Status Tab”.
    So apparently some signals are arriving.
    But the problem is that the cursor does not move at all.

    Does somebody else experience the same thing?
    What is going wrong?

    Many thanks in advance

    • zenia

      I was able to get everything installed on Windows 7… but I am also not getting the cursor to move around.

  • brennbaer

    just to avoid misunderstandings: the two tablets are not connected to the computer at the same time

  • Tim Howland

    Sorry to use your blog for this, but I don’t know where else to start my search. I just acquired a UD-1212 in mint condition, but it came with the mac serial cable, not the PC serial cable. These are special serial cables as they connect to the power supply. If anyone can sell me one, I’m interested. Thanks!

  • Hobbit13

    I’ve got this working on several systems: thanks for the info!!!

    I’m using the 605-7 international drivers for win2k-vista. After adding the registry key and a reboot they work flawlessly. Windows 7 32-bit is aware of the pen functions, the tablet is hot-pluggable and control pannels work.

    Some things that can help those with problems:
    “COM1″ in the reg key should math with the com port number on which the tablet is connected.

    64-bit is never going to work! Only USB tablets are implemented in the 64-bit driver.

    ADB (apple’s PS/2 port) tablets are not compatible with PC (only a single serial data line), so you would need an active convertor. Not supported by Wacom at all, so don’t go that way.

    USB 2 Serial converters do work, but some have suggested to keep the COM port number low. You can change this in the device manager.

  • omardex

    there is a beta driver in http://www.vtablet.com

    The Vtablet beta driver works for the wacom GD-1218-R in windows 7 X64, the only thing is that the pressure sensitivity doesnt work neither photoshop nor zbrush.

    its a step ahead i think only have to wait until a propper driver arrives.

  • Vince

    Wacom just sucks at their driver support, it really shouldn’t be much of a problem to keep supporting the older expensive ones. They make good stuff but now they think their clients should buy new stuff.. RIP OFF.. I have an expensive tablet and tools (mouse brush etc)
    let’s wait and see until your stuff is out of support!!!

  • Jay

    How the hell do you create a registry key?? Sounds like something only advanced users know. Can we get a good and easy walk through on how to successfully create and add such a registry key because I’ve been googling the subject and not one site speaks in english. :(
    I really want to get my GD serial to work. I refuse to have to buy a new one when I only had this for less than 5 years. It works flawlessly. Damn you Wacom!

  • brennbaer

    @omardex:
    do you have a special trick to get it running?
    I tried on two different computers with two different tablets (Intuos2 and UD 1212-R)
    One computer was a PC where i connected the tablets directly through the Com-port and also tried through a USB2Serial-adapter.
    The other computer is a Mac (with WIN7 x64) without a built in Com-port so here the tablets were connected only through the adapter.
    Odd thing is that on the PC vtablet refused to install from the beginning whereas on the Mac it installed ‘successfully’.
    But as mentionend earlier the mouse pointer refuses to move.

  • JKL

    Win7 64bit here!

    I got Wacom Intuos 2 com-port version (XD-0608-r) working with Virtual Tablet Beta drivers. I’m using serial-USB adapter UC-232A and it seems to be solid hardware. Just cleaned all wacom related stuff prior installing the adapter drivers and VTablet.

    There aren’t XD-profiles in Tablet Manager device types :( , but the GD-profiles give the tablet some basic functions – most importantly pressure detection!

  • Omardex

    No special trick, but maybe it installs easy with the windows 7 UAC disabled.

  • Penang

    Ok, I have read several “How do I create a registry entry” messages, so here it is: — for the registry [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Tablet]
    “PnPTablets”=”,COM1″

    Click “Start”, “Run”, type in “regedit”, click “OK”

    Reg Edit comes up.

    On the left hand pane, click the “+” sign to the left of “My Computer”

    Then click the “+” sign to the left of “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE”

    Then click the “+” sign to the left of “Software”

    Scroll down, look for “Tablet”

    Then click the “+” sign to the left of “Tablet” …

    … and the rest you should know what to do.

    • Kay B

      No, most of us DO NOT know where to go from there. :-( Could someone please explain it thoroughly?

  • ca95f

    @JKL, is everything working? Does pressure and tilt really work with vtablet?
    I have a huge GD1218, that cost me as much as a car when I bought it. I have a motherboard with a serial port. Until now I’ve been using Win7 32bit just for my tablet to work and I am furious as I have 16GB of Ram installed, but the OS only uses 3.6GB – so 3DSMax crashes often as it runs out of memory. I HAVE to switch to 64bit, I bought a new intuos4 A4 that I HATE, and I really NEED my GD1218, so if vtablet works for 64bit, I am buying it right now!
    Please, if anyone else has any experience with it, let us all know.

  • sh4dow

    man, is there ANY website out there that doesn’t link to wacom eu ftp but has the 4.78 actually mirrored?! can’t find them anywhere -_-

  • sh4dow

    nevermind me… link seemed dead but just now it worked.

  • Cathy

    I have one of the ancient artz2 UD-1212-R wacom tablets which I just love and just upgraded to Windows 7. I got it to work using the vtablet beta drivers but I haven’t tested it with the latest painter/cs5/corel products. The wacom driver did not work for me. I had to turn UAC off or it wouldn’t install properly. I did have to unplug the tablet and cycle the power on the machine and the tablet to get it to work, but it did! I am using a keyspan serial to usb adapter.

    As a software developer, I totally understand not supporting code from 10+ years ago, but wacom tablets are interface devices that are sturdy beasts that can last longer than my roof. I don’t see why they don’t have a paid legacy service to pay for the driver support. Honestly, if vtablet can support it and hundreds of other devices for a fee, there’s no reason wacom should leave that business on the table and look bad at the same time.

    Good luck everyone!

  • boofoz

    Have been given a serial wacom penpartner tablet and having difficulty in installation. The device driver does not see my comm ports even though they are free and available. A number of searches on the internet seem to indicate a problem using window xp sp3.
    A lot more searching and still no solution in sight todate.

    ON my mac g4 doesnt have serial ports sigh

    One thing using serial to usb convertors is that they are not 100% compatible in timing and voltages and needs a special component to be 100% , although in some case if the usb item only needs some of the signals and timing is not a problem then they can work.
    All in all everything normal !!~

  • Gerrit

    I am also disappointed that RS232 (COM-port) is no longer supported by WACOM. Should not be that difficult.

    I have a brandnew motherboard with 1 com port and would love to see it working with my GD-1212-R using win 7, 64 bit.

    Is there someone out there having a solution?
    WACOM people: please help!

  • DaveDurlan

    could someone please explain
    “PnPTablets”=”,COM1″

    Is this a key. I know how to edit the registry but this is not obvious. I’m really looking for a registry adjustment for 64 bit. Win7

    • Kay B

      I’m in the same boat as you. There have been some vague attempts here at explaining registry keys, but no one has gone through a step-by-step process on how to create the registry keys so we can use our WACOM tablet.

  • tom

    i can’t afford a new tablet, so i just use the mouse now and my work is suffering

  • scott

    The vtablet x64 beta for Windows 7 (vtablet.com) works with the Wacom GD1212R. So far so good. They also have a long list of other tablets that this driver supports.

    Windows-works great
    Illustrator CS5-works great (pressure!)
    Photoshop CS5 x64-so far a no go :(

    If anyone has run into this problem please post some info. Photoshop is the main tool for tablets. I’ll keep trying with different settings and post outcomes.

  • Jack

    I use a Lenovo X200 tablet and the tech in that is SERIAL. I just upgraded from Windows XP 32bit to Windows 7 64bit.

    NO DRIVERS. Period.

    Someone should sue them. Really. I’ve only had this Tablet PC for a year and now they’re forcing me to upgrade to the x201t to keep my tablet functionality and get Windows 7. I just wasted money on getting Windows 7 64bit and now they’re forcing me to fork over the dough for my tablet functionality back.

    • http://www.aaronhockley.com/ Aaron B. Hockley

      That sounds frustrating, but this blog post is about Wacom graphical input tablets, not Tablet PCs…

      • Jack

        And that’s another kicker, the serial connection is inside the computer as a ribbon cable. No way to jam a Serial to USB converter in that.

        I tried 32bit, it does work with the Windows Update driver, but the operating system itself not as secure as 64bit. (Backdoors, trojans, etc. have flooded 32bit)

        Toughest situation ever. I hope the X201 has a USB digitizer.

  • Ben

    I have 2 old UD 1212 boards a few bamboos and an intuos 3 A4.
    Everything I tried after the UD was bad. The intuos 3 is laying around unused several years now.
    The arraogant monopolist called Wacom gives you no choice other than buying a tablet and horrible grip-pen that are far worse than their very first products.
    Where the ultra pen is an elegant very light tool with a real pencil feel they now ship their tablets with an awfull grip pen that seems to be designed for bricklayers hands or 3 year old children.
    I have never dropped or let slip away my ultra pen.
    The ver ergonomic design of the tablet itself has been replaced by a cheap flat board. All the useless buttons and knobs first have to be disabled when you want to hook a keyboard on top.
    I’d really by a new UD1212 immidiately when win7 was supported.
    But, no… you have no choice except from the garbage they offer at the moment. Much higher useless resolutions that gives you a nervous pen and higher pressure sense that makes you open all kindof things you don’t want.
    I hope there will be other players on the market within soon. Don’t understand why calcomp doesn’t play any serious roll.

  • oldgit

    all sad but true…..i have just upgraded from xp to win 7 now my WACOM gd tablet does’t work (no drivers or support)…..nor does my EPSON perfection 1200u (no drivers) or several games…it would seem to be the norm among the manufactures

  • http://fparis.blip.tv Fernando Paris

    Hi there…
    I have an old but faithful artpad II with a usb converter
    (it used to be installed on my old Mac), and I’m trying to install it in my win xp computer. The computer recognizes the tablet, and I get to use it as a mouse. But when I run the setup for installing the driver (which I downloaded from Wacom’s site), it gives an error message saying “bad connection” and that no tablet can be found on a usb port, and so it refuses to install the driver.
    The funny part is that I’m using the tablet to do all the operations instead of a mouse!…
    Any ideas of whats going on?
    Your help will be greatly appreciated.
    Regards

  • Rufus

    I have the GD 1212R. Why can’t whomever gave instructions for this hack explain HOW to add “PnPTablets”=”,COM1″ inside the “Tablet” key? There are different types of values for the keys. Which “type” of value is this “PnPTablets”=”,COM1″???

  • omardex

    Look at Hamms Post

    Tested Works with my GD-12-18-R on Windows 7 Ultimate X64

    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7itprogeneral/thread/cabc605a-e0ae-469c-bac9-3aa7be1dbc02

  • http://www.best-registrycleaner.net Best Registry Cleaner

    The above solution worked for me.Thanks.

  • ChristineKurtzke

    In Windows 7, do you have a fix for the UD 1212 R using Wacom’s latst driver, 4.76? I tried your reg key, but I wasn’t clear if the string “PnPTablets”=”,COM1″ was to be typed exactly as in the data field. It didn’t work.

    • ReNeGaDe

      Create the following registry key if it doesn’t exist:
      [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWARETablet]
      Create New String calledPnPTabletsChange the Value of this String to,COM1 (or whatever COM-Port u are using)

  • 05buster

    This did not work for me. I have read everything I can find on the net and cannot make my tablet work no matter what I do.

  • Jharris955

    Cannot get the stylus to recognize the complete size of my GTCO tablet.  It will only recognize about 1/2 of the tablet.

  • Tam

    Which Windows 7 program r u using. I am trying it on 7 home 64 bit.  Someone said 7 pro would work perfect. Ne 1 have ne experience with this version. thnx

  • Lilib

    Hi, let me share my GD-0608-R and Windows7 64bits “fight” experience with result: “It works!”

    At first, I must admit, that I made some complicated, unlogical and undocumented steps before as I assume found that right method which is not proved yet.

    Equipment: Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 motherboard contains one serial port and flashed with the latest BIOS – F14, serial Wacom Intuos 1 and Windows7 x64 EN sp1 and all fixed installed on

    Wacom was plugged and powered in the last try I made after that tablet works.

     I installed pro605-7_int.exe drivers, which are the latest drivers serial Intuos were supported as someone mentioned on internet.

    I was logged as Administrator and I made 2 changes on this installer file. a/ I checked Compatibility mode and choose Windows2000 and I also checked Privilege level as run this app as an Administrator.

    After common install procedure computer has been restarted and since now tablet works as I expected. ;)

    ps.: As I mentioned early, I made some crazy “hacks” dunno If something more I made during those experiments is not needed to success.

    I hope this small will help you if you still fighting …

    Good Luck

  • Dragon

    For anyone still struggling with this problem in 64 bit Windows Vista or 7, there’s a new hardware modification that converts your Serial tablet to a USB tablet using a $14 adapter and free “WaxBee” firmware.  Rudimentary soldering skills required.  See http://forum.bongofish.co.uk/index.php?board=25.0

    • Manni

      That would be great!

      I still don’t want to lose my great ArtPad II!

      Today I downloaded VirtualTablet for my new Windows 7 x64 installation but the trial run was very disappointing: Nothing happened.

      And right before I came here I just thought about what I should do now… Contact VTablet and buy new software for an old tablet?
      Buy a Bamboo Pen & Touch?
      Buy an Intuos 4 S?

      Now I really hope my KT-0405 is supported by “WaxBee”…

  • Pete

    Hi, feeling all your efforts and the frustrations of the so far unsuccesful. I think I have tried all the combinations/configs of settings that comments suggest may make the difference but in my case suspect my plugging the wrong power supply unit in may have bricked(maybe moreso tiled) my ud 0608r. No smoke but the AC instead of DC 12v may inherently not smoke to signal my stupidity. I didnt have it in for long and it shows a orange for power which changes to green when pressing the stlus button or “drawing” with it. 

    I did get some readings though seemingly erratic in the staus tab from Vtablet but since soon after reloading after trying other things the status and cursor tabs are disabled and inaccessible tabs.

    I saw the instructional forum posting elsewhere
    http://forum.bongofish.co.uk/index.php?topic=1930.0
     on converting to USB and wonder whether an AC voltage “hosing” on the strength of the LED indications might have only attacked the serial communication dept., since the mod allows 5v USB to run device after the mod, the dubious logic being that the 12v circuit  internally reduced to a lower voltage for the rest of the device might possibly include some circuitry that filters out the neg voltage as well.

    Any thoughts are appreciated.

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