Me again with a new Windows Vista complaint.  ​

I've been playing a few midis and such, and I notice that I don't get some of the instruments, sometimes all i hear is drums or whatever... is it because of how old the MIDI is or is Windows Vista lacking the certain instruments for MIDIs.

If there is a way to fix that any help would be appreciated, k thx.

I don't use vista and I don't know much about it, but if you're lacking instruments it could be a problem with the soundcard. (Then again, a soundcard with a partial list of instruments seems weird.) What soundcard are you using? Typically the default ones are just built right onto the motherboard. If you have access to a spare one I say pop it in and see what happens.

In XP you could goto "settings/control panel/sound and audio devices/audio tab" and change the bottom option for the MIDI synthesizer. Some people like the newer sounding ones, but I only listen to MIDIs from old games, so I prefer the legacy-sounding Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth. If you have any others listed there I suggest you check them out. And if Vista doesn't even have that option, I guess you could try updating your sound card drivers or putting in a different one like dragonheartman said.

What applications have you tried playing the MIDIs with?

I bought a laptop with Vista on it recently, and I have the same problem: MIDIs sound off-key and distorted when I play them in RPG Maker. I don't think Vista has any control panel settings for MIDIs, and it's a new computer, so I don't really want to be physically pulling out cards and stuff... I'll try updating the sound card tomorrow...

Physically installing/uninstalling a card is as easy as unscrewing your case, unscrewing/inserting the card, and replacing the case.  If MIDI sound is really that bothersome of you, this less than 5 minute procedure should be worth it.

This is normally a sound card driver issue because the the drivers provide the sound fonts. First off try reinstalling latest sound card drivers.
I don't know if this works on vista, but one time in xp I installed these kx drivers and then ripped the high quality midi sound fonts from a creative driver package and added them into kx.

I had this with mine. I fixed it by taking gm.dls from my XP installation and putting it in my Vista installation. If you want me to send you the file add me on msn