Win10 Update DAX DRIVER ERROR

Lee Maisel

Every time Windows 10 updates it obliterates DAX

I'm Certain that there are HAMS that are also Developers over at Microsoft, can you all get your heads together on this problem so that it does not happen again???  I'ts ridiculous.

Jim Gilliam

Yes, I have to uninstall and reinstall SmartSDR every time it happens to me. I get SICK of going through the **** of completely uninstalling this program as it takes me about 15 minutes. However, to get around this, I found a great program that will uninstall SmartSDR...it is called Revouninstall Pro. During the uninstall it has a scan feature which goes through the whole computer to remove all vestiges of SmartSDR. Then I do a reinstall and everything works fine until the next Windows upgrade.

Jim, K6QE

Bob K8RC

They are also breaking other ham software with the "Insider" updates.

Windows 10 is, at best, late Beta and not ready for prime time. The "rush to market" pressures are turning out an inferior product.

It's slowly coming around but it's going to be a while at this rate.

Lee Maisel

Microsoft always pulls this ****.  All other software developers have an in-house alpha, then beta, then public beta process.   Microsoft in my experience, does Alpha testing, some developer beta, then RELEASE and let the customers do the beta testing for them.

Gene - K3GC

The Windows 10 "insider" updates are not intended for prime time. They are intended for the adventurous user who likes be on the cutting edge and to test new products.
The official Windows 10 is a solid product and I have no problems with it at all.  
If you like to be on the cutting edge prepare to bleed.
Gene K3GC

Lee Maisel

I certainly would not characterize ANY Microsoft product as "Solid",  
I'm not doing any "developer" or "insider" stuff, this is a stock Win 10 install from the manufacturer.  Windows did an overnight update, obliterated DAX, **** up the Intel video drivers, etc.

dlwarnberg

You DO NOT have to uninstall everything to fix it... simply uninstall the FlexRadio Systems FlexVSP program, remove any lingering COM ports... reboot, reinstall FlexRadio Systems FlexVSP program and you are done...

Also a note.. it DOES NOT obliterate DAX everytime, there are many more updates that are done successfully without issues.. the last one was directly connected to divers for network and com ports.

I understand the frustration but I think things are blown a little out of proportion.

73's

David, KK4QOE

Bob K8RC

Agreed on "insider" but I've had the "regular" update process scramble ports & drivers at least 3 times since I "upgraded" a machine from WIN8.1  last July. Not to mention other random **** like shuffling accounts around in the mail client.

I worked in private Beta from WIN3.0 through WIN2K and the program had a lot more attention to detail than they do now. It used to be that, by the time it got to public beta, all that was left to do was troubleshoot uncommon hardware. 

They now release to manufacturing while their still having problems in core I/O.

Where have you gone, Bill? We need you!

Bob K8RC

Agreed! See my comment to Gene, above.

Michael Coslo

It is a very sad fact that the best radio in the world is running on the VHS cassette of Operating systems. 

Every time Windows updates, we get howls of protests from many people in many interests who have had their sound cards bollixed, and resetting settings,  resetting to automatic updates, and now they are updating users to W10 without their consent. 

We just have to deal with it. Because now that there is no choice in the update process, it isn't going to stop. Windows updates have always broken various things. My busiest time of years was the day after Patch Tuesday, even back in the XP days.

Michael Coslo

Do you actually think that is remotely an acceptable situation?

Not obliterating DAX every time is a mighty low bar to be connsidered acceptable.

dlwarnberg

According to my update history...

3/15 update - no issues
3/10 update - no issues
3/9 update - first problem I've encountered
2/9 update - no issues
1/13 update - no issue
1/7 update - no issues
1/6 update - no issues
12/20 update - no issues
12/8 update - no issues
11/12 update - no issues
11/10 update - no issues


AGAIN, it doesn't happen EVERY TIME... 

Walt - KZ1F

But...it should NOT happen ANYTIME.

JB

My wife has an iPhone and iPad. She loves, LOVES her Apple stuff. She does fall out of love quickly at times when an iOS update bricks her device though. No, her phone and iPad is not a radio - it's her lifeline to family friends, work and life.

Seen the same from the multitudes of flavors of Android too.

I'm not saying that Win 10 upgrades are any better or worse but look at this in terms of the number of users and impact and draw your own conclusion.

dlwarnberg

As they say on MNF.... "come on man", you can't expect an upgrade of any kind to never effect anything.. just too many variables involved to reasonably expect that there will never be some impact

Walt - KZ1F

Wow, you got me on that one Dave, WNF? But I do expect upgrades to never effect anything. That's why they pay software developers the big bucks.

dlwarnberg

MNF... Monday Night Football....  FYI, I'm in the industry.. they don't pay the big bucks to software developers anymore.. most of that work is off-shored

Bob K8RC

Yes, it's not just Microsoft.

As much as Apple folks like to say it doesn't happen, it does. Apple bricked my iPad II so regularly, that I wiped it and sold it. My wife's iMac gets cranky because they don't update security certificate stores properly.

My Droid phone has forgotten how to automatically pair with the car since the last update.

Competitive pressures, ironically, are making everyone equally bad.

Tim - W4TME

MNF = Monday Night Football

Michael Coslo

I can't recall the last time an OSX update hosed or made anything not work on my Mac. My favoite PC update was in Vista, when the update put my Windows laptop into infinite reboot mode. Just as it was getting to the desktop **** - reboot. 


It's all a matter of what you are used to. I was a Mac user who provided support to Windows users. They all saw me as part of the update process. Update breaks the computer. Mike fixes it. 


My problem of course was I needed 100 percent uptime to service those who thought that breaking was everyday stuff. Hence OS X.  Unix - it's not just for breakfast any more.

Jon Turner

Because of the issues raised in this post (and others) I've considered MS products as **** and tried not to use them. W8.1 is stable and updated infrequently. If you run only SSDR on your machine, I see no advantage going to W10. ...Jon... WW6ZZ

dlwarnberg

Ahh.. but UNIX can be broken as well, one slip of the "rm -rf *" in the root directory and your toast.. that is why in the industry we do not allow "automatic updates" of any OS.. that all goes through a team of system Admins that test, check and test again all upgrades against the corporate image so that they do not cause a major outage....  

I've been in IT too long I think....

Walt - KZ1F

So now we all know that Walt is not a big football fanatic...least ways, not on Mondays.

Michael Coslo

Of course if it can be programmed, it can be broken. I certainly wouldn't compare the break rate of my other computers remotely with the same frequency with my Windows ones. Beware of the UEFI apocalypse.

It's the old saying one swllow does not a spring make, but a whole flock of them eating all your bid food and making a mess on th elawn sure do.

dlwarnberg

HAHAHAHAHA...Anyway, we seem to make a huge deal out of  IMO "in the grand schema of things" nothing.. trust me I know that every time DAX is broken all my other stuff gets jacked with as well.. MARS operator here and it HEAVY relies on sound/DAX timing as well as other settings being correct or unchanged or it just does not work

I find it challenging and rewarding to solve those mysteries as well as it is just part of HAM radio in the digital age we all live in... try to live without that cell phone for a while for example

If you truly find this cumbersome and an annoyance feel free to "disconnect" anytime and keep the updates at bay... no more updates no more issues.... and no more of that monkey we all love and enjoy... the internet...

Walt - KZ1F

I started to ask how one disconnects from Win10 upgrades but that means a dedicated non-networked, ala Battlestar Galactica, dedicated computer. Right? This is why I am doing it all in Linux.

dlwarnberg

Hey Walt.. on HF tonight.. trying to find a FLEX net.. there are a few guys here and there.. would love to compare.. around 7.213 right now.. holler

Lee Maisel

HI David!  Glad I was able to hear you on the 7.213 net  Propagation was not in our favor unfortunately.

dlwarnberg

Lee.... was that W5LMM?  wow propagation not good.. maybe catch you at another time.. thanks
So crazy I hear stations all over and yet I can't hear some

David
KK4QOE

dlwarnberg

is it just me or is 20 meters very quiet tonight?

Lee What is your QTH.. on a vertical here and very testy as to location and propagation... 

Michael Coslo

I suppose it depends on your goals. I prefer my systems to stay working once they work. I have too many computers to maintain to be constantly fixing them. 

Indeed, I have a w10 network air gapped from the internet. I just think it's a shame that Windows updates are now essentially malware. 

I just did a huge OSX update last night. took over an hour as the entire OS was rewritten. Everything works perfectly, As you note in your W10 self defense post, the only way to avoid that in W10 is to not allow it on the internet.