SmartSDR CAT Does Not Display After Launch

w1smc

I launched SmartSDR Cat 3.2.39 for the first time and the program window was displayed on my desktop. However, I click on the window near the bottom by the Settings gear and the window disappeared. Now, it will not show at all. Even after I shutdown SmartSDR and restart CAT it does not display the CAT window. I have Autostart CAT with SmartSDR selected and it still does not display. DAX works fine. Any ideas?

w1smc

I shut everything down and rebooted.

Started the rig, launched SmartSDR w/o CAT & DAX Autostart.

I then launched CAT. It still did not display on my desktop.

Then I checked Auto start for both CAT & DAX and cycled SmartSDR. DAX launched but CAT did not.

I also checked the Task Manager. SmartSDR and DAX are listed but CAT is not.

So, is there a way to uninstall SmartSDR CAT by itself or do I have to uninstall the entire product and go through the entire BSOD scenario again?

Mike-VA3MW

I would open a support ticket. Something is preventing them from starting. Maybe your antivirus?

w1smc

Mike, I don't believe it is antivirus as all three (SDR, DAX & CAT) did launch successfully.

However, something occurred when I clicked the bottom of the CAT screen display and now it will not even launch.

I will put in a ticket though .... once I figure out how to create one ...

Al K0VM

Could the CAT GUI be 'off screen' ?

Does it have an icon in the task bar?

Does it show up in the task manager ?

Does the problems still exist after rebooting the PC ?

You might try navigating to %appdata%\Roaming\Flexradio systems\ and rename CAT.settings then restart CAT

AL, K0VM

w1smc

Al,

The CAT GUI is not showing at all. It did on the initial launch.

No ICON in the Task Bar ... Only SmartSDR & DAX show on the Task Bar.

CAT does NOT show in Task Manager. SmartSDR & DAX do show in Task Manager.

I still have the issue after re-boot.

I just checked and I do not have CAT.settings only DAX & SSDR.

K0FLY

Maybe your CAT is launching but it is being placed off the screen or right at the edge of the screen so you cant see it. Try "TASK VIEW" ( its an ICON on my task bar) to show all of the open apps on your PC.

Win 10 has done the above to me several times, usually at the most opportune moment like 6 meters opening to JA.

Gayle K0FLY

w1smc

Gayle, Yes I checked that too. I have two 32" monitors and two desktops and I use Task View a lot.

Thanks.

Les Brown

I just resolved a similar problem with CAT that suddenly appeared a while back. CAT would launch and sometimes took a long time for the GUI to appear and when it did, it was missing the usual CAT ports for the radio and I could not add a new port ... just got an error message about failure to create port. Sometimes the CAT GUI would not show up at all but it showed in task manager as running. I tried a full uninstall of SmartSDR and the FLEX VSP drivers and new reinstall with no resolution to the problem. Then the other day I found the posting about repairing the FLEX VSP drivers and that solved the problem, so if I were you I would try to do the repair FLEX VSP driver to see if it helps.

Does anyone know why a repair of the VSP driver would fix a problem whilst a complete uninstall/re-install doesn't fix it?

w1smc

Les, Thanks for the response on this.

I opened a Help Desk Ticket on my issue and in less than an hour my issue was resolved.

All Ken had me do was run the Repair on the FlexVSPInstaller msi.

It took all but 2 seconds for the Repair to run. I rebooted and things ran fine after that.

I'm very impressed with the support from Flex.

NJ5N

Glad there is a fix but why does the happen to begin with? I have lost cat multiple times and have to go through this repair of the FlexVSPInstaller msi.

Chris

Mike-VA3MW

@NJ5N

That is an excellent question, and no, we don't have an answer. Most of the install base, it runs perfectly, but with some others-a very very small percentage, they see what you do. I have a close friend. Same problem as Windows keeps deleting stuff.

Our code is the same code on all computers and the computer is a dumb box of silicon. :) Something on the Windows side keeps deciding to clean the house.