windows 10 update what to do

Trevor-EI2GLB

Hi All

I have just got notice of an update due on my new W10 machine, Can some point me in the right direction as to successfully update the computer and not mess up my Smart SDR install,

I have had a look around but cant see any guides,

Thanks
Trevor
EI2GLB

Oxford English

There are no guides or directions! Windows updates will affect different computers in different ways and no one can predict what will happen on your computer. 

To be absolutely safe you can do a couple of things that might help if it all goes wrong.

BEFORE allowing the Updates to install:

1 - backup your SSDR profiles and take a copy on a USB key or similar.

2 - Set a restore point in Win 10, then you MAY be able to get it back if it all goes wrong.

Other than that, there is little you can do.

I don't run Windows 10, I am staying with Win 7 until I can no longer get a computer to run it. Winds 10 has to be one of Microsoft's worst OS's as far as updating is concerned. Just glad I am retired for fixing PCs and don't have to deal with the misery that some updates have caused.

Tim

Jim Gilliam

I am not an official spokesman for Flex, but once I had Flex SmartSDR working on Windows 10, except for the first upgrade, I have had no problem with subsequent upgrades. You might consider making a hard drive image of your computer before the upgrade so you can return. However, if you prefer not to do that, and have problems after the install, it will be necessary to completely remove SmartSDR and reinstall it. Uninstalling SmartSDR properly can be very tricky unless you follow the instructions that Tim has published.

Jim, K6QE

butch alline

For what it's worth, I have been running Win 10 and SSDR for 6 weeks with no problems.  

Michael Coslo

There are no guides, and just because someones system is running fine doesn't mean a future update won't mess up the install. 

This is just the unavoidable part of Windows, and now that people have no choice regarding updates, it is more likely a question of when, not if. You take what you get with Windows 10.

Rick Hadley - W0FG

AFter backing up your profiles, shut down all application programs that are running, especially including CAT and DAX, and power off the radio. Then let Windows do the update and bring everything back up.

dlwarnberg

Rick is 100% dead on... shut down DAX, CAT and make sure SmartSDR is not running.. Radio off and let the upgrade proceed.. reboot and all should be happy

IF not, 99.9% of the time it's drivers for DAX, you can then simply reinstall the drives and it normally will fix it.

KY6LA_Howard

Or you can totally avoid W!0 issues by killing the update as there appears to be no benefit to W!0. https://www.grc.com/never10.htm

Greg N8GD

He already has Windows that came with his new PC. Using Never10 does nothing for this situation since he is trying to figure out if he should do the up grade to his existing Windows 10 installation. Shutting down DAX & CAT before any Windows updates or upgrades is a really good idea. In fact, I never leave DAX or CAT running whenever SSDR is not running! Greg - N8GD

HCampbell WB4IVF

Yup.  I’ve not had any problems after the routine monthly W10 updates.  I just make sure that SSDR and other apps are not running, and make an image backup before the Windows updates, just in case. 

Before updating from W7 to W10, and before updating W10 to the Nov. 2015 Threshold release, I did take the additional precaution of uninstalling SSDR, etc. per Tim’s instructions. 

Michael Coslo

All of these gyrations seem to me like problems. And aside orm a fonting issue, I have not had any problems with upgrades. However, how much help is it when someone has a problem, and others boast about how they have never ever had a problem?

I've worked with many people who have had properly working systems, and after an update they don't work any more. It's a pity sho many people think of this as normal. So even though I haven't been hammered, I'm still hit with the update madness, having to fix people's machines. There but for the grace of Microsoft, go us.

dlwarnberg

Tim... to refresh your memory go back and look at all the issues windows 7 had.. yes with updates as well.. SP1 comes to mind as one that was locking up computers.

I have yet to have a windows 10 system take an update and completely lock up.  

Every windows OS has had issues when first released and they have all created other issues with updates.  It's easy to sit back and poke at a new OS when the one you are presently on no longer has updates because it's no longer supported..

Not trying to start anything just putting things into perspective.

73's

David
KK4QOE

Pete - W6OP

While I use a Mac this would be a good idea on Windows too. Get a copy of VMWare or Parallels and run SmartSDR in a virtual machine. Because of the virtualization there is a known virtual hardware layer that is quite stable. Anytime Windows wants to update, just have the software take a "snapshot". It is like a restore point in Windows but will 100% get you back to the state you were in before the update. I always take a snapshot before I install any software. This has saved me many times. If you have a well performing PC then virtual machines have more than enough power to do the job.

Also, if you upgrade to a new PC you just copy the Virtual Machine to the new one. No reinstall of anything needed.

dlwarnberg

Everything is not roses with Parallels...  example: https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/parallel-access-no-audio-windows-10

I would bet VMware has it's issues as well

Pete - W6OP

It is a possibility with VMWare but I don't know for sure. I try to use as little of Windows as possible so I have a small audio amp plugged directly into the radio with outboard communications speakers. No problem with digital modes and audio setup.

Michael Coslo

After looking at the emulators, I decided to go with Bootcamp, no performance penalty, of course the drawback is I have to reboot to change OS.  I figured that was okay though. Peopel have to reboot, uninstall and reinstall all the time anyhow.

Michael Coslo

Oddly enough, XP systems are displaying remarkable uptime now.... 

butch alline

YMMV, Mike
I have had problems with boot camp and Win 7 in the past.
If I restarted to Win7 from OSX, I would get weirdness.
If I booted directly to Bootcamp, things "seemed" OK.

In any case, "Be Prepared" and GL!

K0UNX

I've been running Win 10 UNDER PARALLELS since last July, and it has been ROCK SOLID, but that may be because I have a speaker and Mic directly from the Flex, and I don't use DAX or CAT.  All the issues seem to be with DAX and CAT, at least from what I read here.

I also use K6TU Remote and DogPark.  They work perfectly.  And soon ....soon ....soon, MAESTRO!

Jim
K0UNX
Littleton, Colorado

KY6LA_Howard

@David Different Parallels We were talking about Parallels Access Not Parallels for MAC

Brad - N6SPM

According to many here, I have a system ripe for update problems but never experience them. I've had Flex  SSDR and Windows 10 since the public launch of Windows 10 with no issues. I installed over Windows 7 and let it do the updates, though I choose when it actually installs. All I can think of is that I do not let DAX or SSDR-CAT run at start-up: I manually start them each time I run my radio. I think the install puts them in the start-up automatically, so this requires your action to change. Every time I read about the problems others are having, I check that I have the latest updates, fire up DAX, CAT and SSDR and never have a problem (so far). You might give this a try, but there seems to be no universal solution if you peruse the history of this. I'm an EE and need my machine for simulation and other tasks and demand it to be reliable. I've had no issues at all with Windows 10 nor has my wife on her machine over the same period.

Best of Luck,
Brad

Ken - NM9P

I have had Win 10 running on a standard Lenovo Ideacentre K410 for many months, beginning g with "Insider preview" editions. It used to "break" my installation, especially DAX every time it did an update. but It has been several months since it broke anything. Somewhere along the line, it got more stable for me. Some things that I did that may have helped...... 1) after it broke several times, I exported my SSDR profiles to an offsite drive (Dropbox folder), wrote down all of my CAT ports settings so I could reconfigure them, and completely uninstalled SSDR, CAT, and DAX using the option to remove everything, even FlexVSP. 2) rebooted the computer. Then rebooted it again for safety. 3) then I worked in Windows Device Manager, telling it to show hidden devices (COM ports, DAX audio virtual ports, etc) and made sure that any and all "ghost" or "remnant" ports and devices were deleted. ( Tim has a post to describe how to do this if you need more help.) 4) reboot computer again. 5) turn off the rig and remove power from it while the rest of this process goes on. 6) have some kind of Mike and speaker plugged in to the computer to force it to recognize and set a default record and playback device when it updates and reboots. 7) now you are ready to tell it to update Win 10. Let it. 8) reboot the computer again after the update is finished. 7) install SSDR. Leaving the rig powered off while it is installing. 8) reboot computer again afterwards. 9) power up the rig. 10) run SSDR. 11). Import your profiles. 12) reconfigure CAT ports and DAX ports as needed. Be sure to check all the DAX port properties to make sure the sampling rate is 48,000 16 bit stereo (DVD quality) and that the DAX IQ ports are 192,000 . I went through this procedure once or twice and cleaned my system. Since then it hasn't seemed to break anything for months, including a couple days ago when it installed another update overnight. Now when I do a SSDR update, I simply A) export all my profiles, for safety. power off the rig, C) uninstall SSDR selecting "yes" to KEEP CAT and DAX drivers, D) reboot the computer E) install the new version of SSDR F) reboot computer again. G) power up the rig H) run SSDR and let it update the rig. I) when the update is finished, don't select "start SSDR". J) tell it to read the release notes and other documents. K) power the rig down and let it rest without power connected for about 30 seconds wile you read the release documents. L) power the rig back up. When it is fully awake... M) now start SSDR, if you need to, import your profiles. It probably will not need it, unless you got a freeze up and needed to do a factory reset. This looks like a long procedure, but it took longer to type on my iPad than to do. The most important thing to me has been to slow down, not be in a hurry to play with the new update, and let the rig and computer properly reboot before playing. Other computer experts in the community may say that this is a bit excessive, but I don't think you can ever go wrong by rebooting too often, but failing to reboot after installation of a program can sometimes leave you with bits and pieces left over that cause trouble. At least that has been my experience a few times. A bit off OCD effort on my part a few months ago may have let to smoother operation since then. Or perhaps it is all in my head! Good luck. Ken - NM9P

Pete - W6OP

If you have Windows 10 Pro you can completely stop updates from automatically being installed. You configure the updates using the Group Policy Editor ( http://www.howtogeek.com/224471/how-to-prevent-windows-10-from-automatically-downloading-updates/ ) look about halfway through the article. A modal dialog will still popup telling you have updates, just click yes and then the Settings dialog will come up where you can cancel.

Michael Coslo

That's great! What do you think the reason is that so many people do have problems? I've only had one W10 problem, but have spent a lot of time fixi9ng other peoples computers. I do sense an undercurrent that people who do have issues are somehow responsible for them - so what are they doing wrong?

Help them.

KY6LA_Howard

@Michael

I suspect the MAJOR issue is that they made the mistake of taking up the free W10 offer and downgrading their systems to W10 INSTEAD of leaving a perfectly good working system alone..

I, too, have wasted an incredible amount of time helping a number of my XYL's friends who were trapped into W10 downgrade and continue to have their systems go on the fritz with each and every W10 update.    So far, the most reliable solution is to convince them to let me take their systems back up to W7 or W8.1 and then all the W10 caused issues disappear...

I know there are numerous exceptions on this Community who have had no issues.. (albeit most people here are quite technically competent)......

IMNSHO W10 is about 2 years away from prime time for the great unwashed to use without the need for Nerd Support......

Greg N8GD

As for Michael's comment (above): What are Windows 10 users doing wrong? I think the most important thing you can do to assure a stable Windows 10 installation is to perform a fresh install as an upgrade instead of upgrading from Windows 7 or 8.  I did that since I had several small, long standing issues with my Windows 7 platform.  Most users don't know how to do a fresh install, or MS has seemingly forced them to upgrade over their existing OS.  It isn't always the easiest path for the average computer user.  The only other assured stable path for Windows 10 would be to purchase a new PC with it already installed.  Fresh installs for upgrades have always been recommended by those in the know of Windows systems for many, many years.

Greg - N8GD