VIDA/DICE Cracked - FINALLY!!!!

[MWMan]

A couple of weeks ago the car suffered a spurious DIM fault which left me with a SRS alarm standing. Unsure of what faults may be laying in wait and in order to clear the SRS alarm, I ordered a VIDA/DICE unit from EBAY.

I know that VIDA/DICE is a big issue on the forum and has been covered many times, but I wanted to put down my experience while it is still fresh in my mind, and that it may help any out there who are struggling or are wondering whether to get a unit or not.

Once I got the VIDA/DICE unit I set about looking at the numerous posts that had been put on various forums, and I realised immediately that this was not going to be as easy as most software / hardware you buy off the shelves. However. my first challenge was to find a laptop with Win 7 professional on it. Luckily my son had a large desktop / laptop with it on and he let me do a fresh install and update. I then followed a YOUTUBE video for installation. (No instructions came with the device at all).

Following along, I got VIDA 2014D installed OK. I then rushed out to my car to try it out. When I plugged the DICE into the computer it searched for the drivers and eventually recognized the device. I then started VIDA, but it would not see the DICE unit. Just a box with a Red X in it.

OK so back to the forums to see what people did about that. I must have tried innumerable combinations of things and I was about to give up. As a last ditch effort I dug out an old Toshiba Laptop I had. This only had Vista Home Premium on it, but it was a 250GB drive, 4GB of RAM and an Intel Core DUO processor (P8600) which was way below the spec of my sons laptop, but adequate for VIDA. I searched on the WEB for the cheapest WIN 7 professional license I could buy and got one from Software GEEKS for £19.

I loaded the 32 BIT version as this is all the laptop could cope with. Followed some of the tips I had picked up on the forums, and loaded VIDA back up again. I went out this morning in the pouring rain to try and connect it to the car - hey presto - it worked. I have checked and cleared down the faults, including the SRS alarm. I am a very happy man. So below is the setup I used which worked for me and I hope it helps someone else out there who has been struggling.

1. I purchased a VIDA / DICE unit with the latest 2014D software. The VIDA unit has multicoloured lights on it. I had read on the forums that there were some out there with only Blue Lights and seemed to give problems.
2. Use WIN 7 professional 32 Bit and let windows do a full update (takes ages). You will certainly need to ensure that service pack 1 is installed. When mine was loaded and updated, it only had Internet Explorer 8 on it. I had to download and install IE9. VIDA 2014D would not load with only IE8 in place.
3. Download the latest version of JAVA
4. At this point I created a restore point in windows, so I could revert to this point should I have problems installing VIDA.
5. I then turned off User Account Control (UAC) and disabled the Windows Firewall.
6. Check that the only version of .net that you have is .NET 3.5. I had read that if you are on version 4 VIDA doesn't like it. (You can check the version in the registry editor in Windows)
7. I then loaded VIDA following this Youtube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vel17o0RQW8
8. Once VIDA was proven to work, I then took the laptop out to the car and connected the DICE unit to the OBD2 socket and plugged it into the laptop. Windows searched for the drivers and installed them. When I opened VIDA up, I needed to enter all the car details in the Vehicle Profile section. This time the page also showed my DICE unit in the DICE configuration Box. With the vehicle details entered, the Diagnostics TAB activated and as long as the Ignition is in the II position, it will read all the onboard computers.

Why didn't this work for me the first time I tried it? I think it might be that VIDA / DICE didn't like the 64Bit version of Win7 Pro, although others may have got it working on that platform. I also think I got in a mess with the .net 3.5 vs the .net 4.5.

My thanks to all those on various Forums who have posted up their solutions. Most are for earlier versions of VIDA, and I didn't see many for the 2014D version that I bought.

It has been a long week messing around with this, but I am currently walking on air.

One final tip - while messing around with VIDA on the car the ignition is on. I would put the battery charger on while in this state as the battery soon runs down. I'm currently waiting for it to charge up so I can start the car!!!

Good Luck!!

[dexter7176]

I feel your pain! I have tried to install vida myself, I had know luck with the older versions but found a virtual machine that I installed and runs 2014D. The software now works great, know that I've got that working it's time to order the dice. The multi coloured lights will that be in the description for the unit or just in the picture?

[MWMan]

When you look on EBAY, they all look the same and are probably all stock photos. I just plumped for this guy, for no other reason than he seemed to have good feedback. The unit did come well packaged, and was with the multicoloured LED's, though without any instructions, and the seller seemed very responsive to any questions.

I guess it can be a bit hit and miss though, given what I have read on some forums. I just need to learn how to use VIDA properly now to get the best out of it.

[dexter7176]

Just hope I get lucky! Thanks for the reply.

[andylane1]

Great write up. Can I ask which seller on eBay did you use. I am looking to get one and don't want to be screwed over.

Thanks
Andy

[MWMan]

Mmmmm.... looks like the link in my previous post didn't work. Here is a link to the guy I bought it from - he was very very helpful.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/x431shop?_...72.m2749.l2754

[Joe H]

Very useful write up, thanks.
I was looking at these units recently - do you know what the difference is between the unit you linked to and the ones described as DICE Pro or Super eg ebay item 161245709313
http://tinyurl.com/znn2nkx
They look very different but are around the same cost.

Thanks
Joe

[MWMan]

Hi Joe

I did see these when I was looking through them on EBAY. I was looking for a genuine Volvo one if I could get it and would have been prepared to pay a premium for it - mainly to ensure that I could get something that worked. However, everything I looked at seemed to do exactly the same thing, even the ones with Volvo, PRO or go faster stripes on them!!

I read through a number of forums debates on these as well, and guess what....there was no conclusive one that anyone recommended. They all appeared to be Chinese made, even the ones with Volvo label on them. So, in the end I plumped for one that was in the right price range and from someone with a good EBAY feedback. In my case it has worked out great.

There is no Bluetooth with the one I bought (although there is a Bluetooth LED on the DICE box, which flashes when connected). I don't know if the PRO version has the Bluetooth or not.

What I will say is that the box I bought accesses the Car via VIDA OK and allowed me to check and reset faults and to reset the SRS alarm, which is why I bought it. I'm not sure what any other version would do more than this.

Hope this helps in your search

John

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by MWMan

I then started VIDA, but it would not see the DICE unit. Just a box with a Red X in it.

Vida 2014d will work fine with a fully updated Windows 7 Pro including all the .Net Framework updates so if it loses Dice communication again try this.

Hopefully handy to know for the future.

[MWMan]

This is excellent info, and I wish I had had it when I was setting mine up. Just for info, I have the 32 Bit version of Win 7 PRO installed, and the same WOW6432Node folder exists in the registry editor.