windows 10 pro updates and SSDR 2.3.9

Hector W2NPR

Greetings All....I am running a Windows 10 pro PC that I acquired this week and connecting to the radio was flawless until the updates started to install. For the last 2 nights I have had to uninstall and reinstall SSDR in order to connect to the radio. Tonight, I tried to uninstall and reinstall SSDR and I cannot connect to the radio. This is the second Windows 10 PC I have had issues with and the only purpose for this PC is to use my 6500. I have a separate PC for internet and email use. Can anyone shed light on what in the wide world of sports is happening with these W10 machines? Are these daily/hourly/whatever updates interrupting SSDR and as they accumulate in the PC, will get to the point of complete, total inaccessibility?! As you can imagine, this has gone far beyond the most remote point of annoying and it is pressing on my last nerve. Please help! Thanks in advance and 73 DE W2NPR

YV5WZ

I have read a lot of thing about W10 an update problems, however I have seen just one warning from FlexRadio, I don't recall what number  it was, I did what FlexRadio crew recommended, and no problem.

Some flex users have deactivated automatic update at Flexradio PC's, I have not ....I wouldn't say I love Windows.....I have changed my laptops to MacBook Pro, and probably my home Pc's too,,,,,however I will keep my windows PC connected to my 6600

I'm not a computer Geek ....what would I do?

1.- Backup profiles
2.- uninstall SmartSDR
3.- Uninstall FLexVSP
4.- Clean Registry (CCClean)
5.- Restart
6.- Clean registry again
7.- Restart
8.- Perform a fresh install

note check IP flex address so be sure is not blocked in your router


Hope this help

Greetings

George, YV5WZ / PY3ZZZ

Jim Gilliam

If you are comfortable with disk imaging, always keep an image of my computer without Windows SmartSDR on a thumb drive or SD card. I use a program called "Active Disk Image." When a new Feature update comes along, I reimage my computer without SmartSDR, update to the new Windows and, then, send the image back to my thumbdrive. Then, I load in a fresh copy of SmartSDR. I found, in the long run, this saves me a lot of headaches of completely removing SmartSDR which is prone to error and sometimes a lot of headaches.


Jim, K6QE

Dudley WA5QPZ

Hector,

One thing to understand about the Windows updates,  unless your computer has been updated weekly,  just running Update once will not get all the updates,  and you will seem to receive additional updates each time you reboot.    Some of the updates require previous updates (updates to the updates)  so you get to reboot again and check updates again ..   On a new system,  I have had to update 10 or 12 times to finally catch up..   Also make sure you anti-virus is updated also,  and if you are running any malware,  you may need to disable it until the updates are completed.   The biggest issue to SmartSDR and Windows updates has to do with the DAX audio subsystem and SmartCAT.   Are you having to issues with DAX drivers or just the basic SmartSDR starting up ? 

Dudley
WA5QPZ

Greg N8GD

It has been recently reported that performing updates manually on Windows 10 may not be a good idea:

PCWorld: Careful! Windows 10's 'Check for updates' button may download beta code

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3326833/windows/careful-windows-10s-check-for-updates-button-may-dow...

It appears that the only "safe" Windows 10 updates are those that get pushed to your PC.  The second Tuesday of the month updates are supposedly the only ones that have been vetted, while all others are actually "beta" updates that you are testing for Microsoft and your PC reports back on their behavior.

For those who eschew Windows 10 updates of any sort, if you run Windows 10 Pro, you can pause updates up to 35 days under Windows Settings|Updates & Security|Advanced Options.  There is a registry hack that can be made to extend that beyond 35 days:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsUpdateUXSettings]
"FlightSettingsMaxPauseDays"=dword:0000016d

The above will make the pause 365 days.  Copy and past the above 3 lines into a text file (.txt) named "Pause.reg" (note the .reg extension) and save it.  Right click on the file and click on the "Merge" item at the top.  You can go back to the Advanced Options and enable the Pause Updates now to give yourself a 365 day reprieve.  Security and other important (and tested) updates will continue to be installed, but the ones that really mess things up, will be delayed.

You might also want to change the Branch Readiness Level to "Semi-Annual Channel" NOT the one with "(Targetted)" after it.  This assures that you will get only the most reliable version of Windows 10 (currently 1803 - 1809 is the "Targeted" version and ultimately more buggy!).

Jim Gilliam

 Also, if you run your computer wirelessly, you can elect to put the wireless adapter in the "metered" mode. Doing so will prevent all updates.

Hector W2NPR

Dudley, I have been having issues with SSDR starting up. I have had to uninstall and reinstall SSDR to connect to the radio. I went through the pain of what seemed to be endless updating. I think version 1809 is in it but I will check to confirm. I gave up around midnight and the last attempt to start SSDR, the PC ceased and had to reboot 5 times before it finally connected. I have no idea what I will be encountering later today but I can only think it will be more jagged than a steak knife. The next major move will be if all else fails with this W10, I'll run it on a W7 machine and hope it never fails. Thanks all for the info.

Hector W2NPR

Great tidbit of information!

Jim Gilliam

One can also change the Ethernet to metered. If you have 1803 and above, you can do it from settings, Ethernet and switch to metered. On earlier versions you have to go into regedit. All that info is available over the Internet.

Hector W2NPR

Greetings from ARS W2NPR...OK now that I am in front of the PC and the radio, I can confirm that I have the 1809 update. Surprisingly the PC started up and allowed me to start SSDR. I greatly appreciate the advice, info, and feedback. Here's to hoping it stays stable and proper. Cheers and 73 DE W2NPR

Hector W2NPR

Well so much for stability. It has failed me yet again. Good bye Windows 10. For those of you who have no issue with W10, congratulations. To Windows 10, I quit.

YV5WZ

Well so much for stability. It has failed me yet again. Good bye Windows 10. For those of you who have no issue with W10, congratulations. To Windows 10, I quit.

Did you do steps I suggested?

George, YV5WZ / PY3ZZZ

Hector W2NPR

Yes and it still failed. At this point I have no option but to completely abandon Windows 10. It is with extreme sadness that in my profession, I need to carry a highly unreliable Windows 10 laptop, a relatively reliable Windows 7 laptop, and my forever reliable Windows XP laptop in order to do my job. I never know which one is going to work. It is exponentially sad that the quality control and quality assurance from Microsoft has gone down the toilet never to be seen again.