Windows 10 PRO x64 Update to v2004 and SmartSDR The Easy Way!

AE2A

Before you start:
Backup your Profiles!
Download the Windows 10 v2004 Media Creation Tool from:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-in/software-download/windows10
Save this in a convenient location (Downloads Folder)
Turn OFF your Flex Radio! Remove power to the radio!
Ensure that you are now logged in to an Administrative account.
Uninstall ALL versions of SmartSDR on your PC! If you are NOT using the most current version,
Ensure you have a backup copy of the installer!
When uninstalling SmartSDR make sure the you choose the option to remove ALL (answer NO!).
This will run a series of scripts to remove all of the device drivers and running services.
Reboot your PC. This will ensure that the running services and drivers do not run.
Run the Windows 10 v2004 Media Creation Tool and create the install media on a USB flash drive of 8 GB or larger. You will not be able to create install media on a DVD!
The files are too large.You can create the media on a Dual-Layer DVD if you need to but
using a flash drive is faster and more convenient.
Once the USB media is created eject the media.
Ensure that you are now logged in to an Administrative account.
Close all running programs (use Task Manager to ensure no user level programs are running).
Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port.
Navigate to the root Folder of the Flash drive.
Ensure that the USB Flash Drive is named "ESD-USB"!
As Administrator, run the program "setup.exe" by double-clicking on the icon for the program.
This will initiate the upgrade process and depending on your specific hardware and processor may take some time to complete.
Once the process completes, you will be presented with your Windows login screen.
Log in to an Administrative account and let the profile update complete!
Eject the USB Flash Drive and put it away.
Once the profile updates are completed, log out of the Administrative Account and log back in.
Navigate back to the location you stored the SmartSDR installer and reinstall SmartSDR.
When the installer completes, log out of the Administrative Account and reboot the PC.
You may now login with your user level account and power up the Flex Radio.
The profile update process will run and complete.
Start up SmartSDR and make sure your profiles are still in place.
You will need to recreate all of your SmartSDR DAX and SmartSDR CAT devices and settings.
if you need to reload your profiles from backup, you can now proceed.
I did not need to do this in my case.
If there is more than one user level login on your machine, login to each one and let the profile updater run for each account.
Running this sequence will result in a proper and complete upgrade and ensure that SmartSDR is properly installed with all drivers replaced and the system services properly registered.

Mitch Baum - AE2A

Robert Lonn

This is what SDR are all about!!!! Yes Flex has software engineers that write and install what is needed to make a radio work!! This is not as easy as one would think.. BUT!!!! The users of a SDR must also take on some level of responsibility to educate themselves about operating a radio and doing software updates... SO, you want to do a software update to a Flex Radio!! You just push the software icon and away you go... After you do the normal backups...

However if you own a ICOM radio, first you need to somehow figure out that a new software version is available. They dont send you an email, you need to belong to a users group... Then you need to go to the Japan site and download the new software... Then you need to move that over to the root file of the radios SD card..Then you need to figure out how to navigate the radios menu system to get to the upgrade screen... Then you have to figure out that you need to hold the YES key for 2 seconds to start the process, and you better make a backup or in most cases everything is LOST!!! I know as I own a IC-9700 Icom Radio....

Flex makes it very EASY to do a software upgrade... Anyone who has purchased a new car in the last 3 or 4 years better read the 1000 Page owners manual so you can figure out how to start the car! Enter Car,, Press on the Brake Peddle, hold the Apple Button at the same time hold the WiFi button.. Then with your nose press and hold the start button... If it still wont start replace the battery in your Key Fob!! OH, if you replace the battery in the Key Fob, be sure to re-pair the Car and the Key Fob, that is on page 783 of the owners manual, or you can try the APP on your phone that has only received 1 Star out of 5... You get the idea... 

I am sure they will be placing WiFi or Blue Tooth soon in a Face Mask!! LOL,,, darn I should not give anyone ideas about Face Mask!!! :-(  Heading to the US Pattent Office ASAP,,

Robert with to much time on my hands... Back to CQ CQ CQ DX!!

Dave Garber

never had to do any of the above, except maybe a backup of flex software data files...

its only a windows update, not a full reinstall, right??

Neil Friedman

Didn't have to do a thing.  After the Windows update, SSDR worked just fine.  

Robert Lonn

Come On Neil!! You know you had to re-boot your Windows Computer!!! :-) LOL

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

Mitch:

Thanks for including "...the easy way" in that topic title.  But if I can offer a small "fact check";
Your tutorial has over 25 steps, and NOTHING involving MicroSoft is EVER easy.  So it's hard
to get away with calling this "The Easy Way".

Counter Points:

*   When I do a major MAC update, the MacBook just reboots and works.

*   When I do a major Android phone update, the device just reboots and works.

*  When I do an iOS major upgrade to my iPAD, it just works.

*  When I do a firmware upgrade to my network routers, they just work.

*  When I do a firmware upgrade to my GPS devices, they just work.

*  When I do a firmware upgrade to my HP Laser Printer, it just works.

BUT....

Whenever I do an upgrade to a MicroSoft windows device, there is non-zero chance
that I will have to unscramble audio devices, reinstall device drivers or even programs,
have difficult problems that take hours to solve, learn really interesting new curse words,
and pull out ANY remaining hair that is left.   MicroSoft (A.K.A.  Mickey Soft) seems to
have the corner on this type of intense annoyance of their customer base.   They are so
very good at messing it up.   It's a very special kind of mess.

Hear me;  If Microsoft made aircraft, NO ONE sane would fly.   If Microsoft made military
hardware and software, we would join Italy as the second country to never have won a war...

Since almost 800 million business PC's run MickeySoft Windows worldwide, and Windows
Updates seem to cause such random collatoral damage, you almost need to start asking;
What causes more damage annually to the economic GDP of all countries?  Covid-19 or
Microsoft?

[OK, OK, Yes, I will crawl back under my rock now....]

Neal

Robert Lonn

Neil, to cheer you up a bit!!!!! LOL

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

Great shadow...

VE3DZP

Me TOO!

DH2ID

Considering that MS Windows was created as an OS supporting simple EDV programs
it works quite well, don't you think ;-) With all these virtual cables and soundcards...

Neal Pollack, N6YFM

ARGH!     TRY not to think.   It's FRIDAY.

N3RC

I just updated one of my 3 win10/64bit machines to 2004 and SDR 3.1.12 worked fine with my 6600.  I wonder what the probability is of  having problems by NOT going thru this procedure as it is a little longer than just letting windows do its thing?

On a positive note,it is commendable that Flex is taking a proactive approach with Win10 updates fairly early on in the process.

73  Roger N3RC

Mark NS9N

I agree, we **** about everything that does not work perfectly but forget all that does.

k3Tim

Two (2) Windows 10 machines updated without problems.

_..--
k3Tim

Erik Carling EI4KF

If this diatribe had been on Twitter it would have got the Fact Check blue exclamation point. What a (big) load of nonsense. 2004 update is seamless, nothing to do except reboot. That is what is really an easy step.

AE2A

Although "Easy" might be better described as "Foolproof", There have been many instances that some folks refuse to read the Release Notes for important information and do run into problems.
So for this group of folks this document is in easy to follow steps with some important side notes.
There are actually only 14 steps (some might say not easy) but the end result is a working upgrade.
I have the document in WORD if anyone wants it!

Bob G W1GLV

Nice write up Mitch.

Pete - W6OP

Run SmartSDR in a Virtual Machine, VMWare, Parallels, Hyper-V, whatever. Take a snapshot before any Microsoft updates. If they fail, roll back and you're still working great. Wait until the the updates are fixed and try again. I would never run SmartSDR natively on a PC, too many variables.

Virtual Machines have standardized virtual hardware less likely to be **** up by an update.

mlstutler

I just did the Win 10 Pro 2004 update.  It was a pain.  Had nothing to do with SmartSDR.  I found out that for some reason the update did not like the device driver associated with my Samsung  M.2 NVMe SSD.   I had to go with a total re install which still failed. Eventually the MS driver loaded and I was able to boot up on the new OS.   It's running fine now.  I had to reinstall SmartSDR 3.1.12 but that went smooth.

Robert Lonn

Just got this from Microsoft!!!!

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