Best Practice for Windows operating system flex 3000

Jim Johnson

I am buying a used (new to me) laptop Dell/64 with Win 10 currently, but have an option to go back to Win 7.  I will be using it with a Flex 3000.  Anyone got help on which one would be best? 

john doe

I run win 7 Pro. with my 5000a, and a HP Z420, and my CPU usage is 5 % too 8 % usage. 

Bill -VA3WTB

I think others have un PSDR fine on win 10. there was a post a day or so about this. check this out...
https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/problem-installing-powersdr-v2-8-0

Dwayne_AB6A

Win 10 is fine. Win 7 support is ending shortly so you need to commit to Win 10.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-ca/windowsforbusiness/end-of-windows-7-support

Don K2PMC

I've been running my Flex 5K on Win10 since day 1 with no problems. Also the Darrin, KE9NS PSDR software is solid. CPU usage is minimal.

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

Win 7 has far fewer problems than win 10 right now, this specific calendar year.
While, as you can see above, there are a few lucky people who have no issues,
that is the exception.   If you follow the tech news, or google the Flex forum,
there is no shortage of rage toward Microsoft in 2019, both from personal users
and corporations.   Microsoft "Quality Control"  (sic) has been spinning wildly out
of control lately with regard to windows 10 updates.   At least 5 times in the last 8
months, I turned on my station and computer, tried to start using the radio, only to
find that either a pending windows 10 update or a completed windows 10 update
had broken and mangled the virtual sound card devices and Flex DAX devices.
This is NOT isolated to Flex Radio software.    A vast array of media companies
and audio industry users are having total fits with Windows 10 updates breaking
sound devices.    

In each of my 5 instances, instead of working on the air with the radio that day,
I instead got to spend several hours with google, teamviewer remote support,
and strong single-malt whiskey, uninstalling, re-installing, and editing virtual sound
device settings.  All the while learning interesting new profanity!

Imagine waking up to join a contest (Feb 2019), and instead being set back 3 hours
trying to fix what windows 10 broke.   You can almost see the red smoke steaming
out of my head.

Microsoft, due to the vast amount of pressure, has finally acknowledged publically that
they have a very real quality problem in how they are approaching windows 10 updates,
and they "promise" (sic) to do better, real soon now :-)  :-)

[Editor's foot note:   If Microsoft were a terrorist organization, they have found the one
key weak spot in the golbal economy;  "Accidentally" on purpose **** up Win 10
"quality", and the global economy suffers immediate downturn in productivity.
With over 1 billion business and individual users globally, we have to wonder just
how much productivity is wasted each year due to constantly trying to fix what
windows 10 updates break.   And for the few lucky users that have no problem,
I say, bravo to you.   But google will show you just how rare you are, and just
how painful windows 10 is for the rest of us "MickeySoft Victims".]

Cheers,

Neal

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

Wow Neal, how do you really  feel :-)

Dwayne_AB6A

Bands are dead again

Bill -VA3WTB

A guy needs a dedicated computer for Flex, take it off internet and never update.

Don K2PMC

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones mentioned above. But, I can only comment on practical experience. I use Win10 to drive scanners, cameras, routers, NAP3 LPAN2 with a Xonar sound card interfaced to my FTDX-5000 , PSDR with the Flex 5000 and both systems running WSJT-X and using FT8, Olivia, Contestia, PSK, etc. Oh yes, N1MM too. If I forgot to mention something, it runs on Win10 also.

Jim Johnson

Actually with other Windows environments I have disabled updates before.   I guess one has to be concerned about the Virus protection updates, but perhap using a third party virus protection would solve that problem. 

I am mostly going to use the computer and Flex 3000 in the RV.  Actually most RV camping facilities don't have very good internet access.  Got to make a 'big' NOTE to myself, make sure all is operational before leaving home...