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SMARTSDR CAT Not Opening

Andrew O'Brien
Andrew O'Brien Member ✭✭✭
in SmartSDR CAT

SmartSDR CAT 4.1.3 was working fine . Today when I boot SmartSDR it and DAX open but not CAT . I tried rebooting PC and the 8400 but to no avail . Re-install SmartSDR CAT ?

Andy K3UK

Comments

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    I am having the same issue with my 8400. CAT windows can be opened but indicates that all of the CAT profiles are "Not Present". If I reboot the computer, sometimes CAT will open and operate correctly. This has started to happen after I loaded v4.1.3. I have done a hard reset and the issue remains. I really don't want to have to remove all my CAT profiles but if this is the only case, OK. But please someone at Flex respond if a SW update coming will fix this issue?

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    There is no software fix for this as it is likely something else causing this to happen. We can't recreate this in a lab environment. Once you do that, you can then fix it. You may wish to open a support ticket.

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    Thanks Mike, since I can recreate this every time I boot my Flex, any ideas what to try to fix it or just put in the support ticket?

  • KH6XX
    KH6XX Member ✭✭

    Might want to try changing bands and see it corrects. I often have this situation at start up but once I change bands (I use FrStack) the connection completes.


    Randy

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    Do you have another computer you can test this with? There might be more going on under the covers that is impacting this on Windows.

  • Andrew O'Brien
    Andrew O'Brien Member ✭✭✭

    After being off for a few hours (PC and rig) it is now working . I think it might be more PC than Flex.

    Andy K3UK

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    After a lot of work this morning, I learned a few things and identified another.

    1. I used the Windows System File Checker (SFC) and DISM to make sure there were no drivers issues. Surprise, there were and running these two File Checkers fixed those issues.
    2. Ran Windows Defender Security Scan (off line) and found no issues.
    3. Windows Security found an issue under the Device security tab. Please see attached file. Not sure if this poses any CAT issue but I did update to v4.1.5 and these issues still exist. Notice they are all Flex related.

    I am not sure if these security issues are still causing an issue but at least for now, 4 out of 5 SDR boot tries load CAT correctly. As a side note, I do find that if my computer is booted completely before I boot the 8400, this seems to help. In the past, I booted both the computer and the Flex at the same time. It is a race to see which one boots first but since I don't leave my computer or my radio on when I am away, booting at the same time does reduce the overall time to get the Flex operational.

    Time will tell if I have found a working solution but I also did try changing bands and this did not help when CAT does not load correctly. For reference, I am running Windows 11 Pro Ver 25H2 OS Build 26200.7462

    Flex Security.jpg
  • WX7Y
    WX7Y Member ✭✭✭✭

    Once in a while my CAT gets broken and won't start, I have found that in Windows Task Manager that there is a SmartSDR CAT already running, but no desktop app comes up.

    in Task manager I **** the SmartSDR CAT process then restart the CAT app and it works just fine.

    Just a thought

    73

    Bret WX7Y

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    Thanks Bret, I will give that a try next time it does not load correctly. So far 6 out of 6 perfect loads.

  • Andrew O'Brien
    Andrew O'Brien Member ✭✭✭

    Thanks Bret, I will check that next time. It happened twice today .

    Andy K3UK

  • k4em
    k4em Member, Unconfirmed ✭✭

    My 8400 does this as well, ever since I installed 4.x.x. I've used all the 4.x.x updates and that's when it started. Never had an issue with any 3.x.x version. I'm running Win 10 on an I7.

    Dave

    k4em

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    Hi Dave, have you tried what I did in my December 2025 posting? This so far has fixed the issue. I believe one or more of the CAT drivers was corrupted during the Ver 4 update. I did not delete the CAT or DAX files when I removed Ver 3 from the computer but maybe this is also a place for the files to become corrupted? In any case, my system is booting correctly since I did the clean up that I posted.

    I am still not sure about the security issues but that seems to be something Flex needs to address.

    Hope this helps, mark

  • k4em
    k4em Member, Unconfirmed ✭✭

    I must have missed your comment/reply. Can you post again.

    Thanks,

    Dave

    k4em

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    Look above in this thread. I posted it in December. If you still can't find it, I will try a copy and paste. Just let me know.

  • k4em
    k4em Member, Unconfirmed ✭✭

    Sorry, I didn't scroll up to look for the info. I found out this morning after several tests, per KH6XX, by switching bands after starting SSDR it corrects the issue. I can live with just changing to a different band after starting Flex. Thanks for replying to my post.

    Dave

    k4em

  • Mark NS9N
    Mark NS9N Member ✭✭

    Hi Dave,

    If you did not try to clean up your Windows Drivers that is also worth trying. I don't have to switch any bands after I did the cleanup. But I do understand there are differences in how Windows reacts on different computers.

    Glad you got it working. mark

  • david ingebright
    david ingebright Member ✭✭

    I am having similar CAT issues with my 6400 and 6500 remotes—here is my story:

    I'm having the strangest problem with the garage 6400 remote radio. When I turn it on here in Maricopa and start the SmartSDR software on my laptop:

    1. I get a CAT error: "Cannot open TCP Port 5003."
    2. Serial Port COM4 shows as "Not Present."
    3. An "Error has occurred starting the Audio input" dialog box appears.
    4. A Windows OS dialog box appears: "An Error has occurred at 0x80070490" (this is the DAX reserved Audio TX virtual cable).
    5. I checked all the Windows audio settings, virtual cables, and Device Manager (including the COM4 port), and everything looks okay.
    6. The Windows sound settings have always been ambiguous and difficult for me to set up with this SmartSDR software. There are over twenty virtual cables displayed in the input (record) and output (play) sound card settings for third-party software.
    7. I am receiving an error that I cannot understand; it seems to be related to the Windows interface somehow.
    8. When I turn off the garage 6400 radio via WebRelay and turn on the mountain 6300 radio instead, I restart the SmartSDR software and that radio works normally. Both use the same software, ports, and virtual cables.
    9. This indicates something specific is happening only when the garage 6400 is running on this laptop!
    10. I can go to my desktop PC and the radio runs fine; the issue is isolated to the laptop.

    How can I fix this? I am considering reloading SmartSDR on the laptop. What do you think?

  • david ingebright
    david ingebright Member ✭✭

    The problem above has returned after running 4.1.3 for about 3-4 days
    Again…
    1 I have two remote radios, a 6400 and a 6300
    2 Only one radio is on at a time. Both radios and smart SDR running 4.1.3 but happened 4.10.10
    3 The software at my remote location runs either radio but suddenly out of nowhere when I attempt to operate the 6400 it will get a DAX TX off and No Slice and CAT says TCP port 5003 NOT PRESENT and Serial COM 4 NOT PRESENT. This is when I start Smart SDR at the remote loc PC.
    4- cycled power on both radios and the remote computer— same problem happens. I can run the 6300 all day but the 6400 ON THE SAME REMOTE COMPUTER gives the DAX and CAT errors!
    5. So I start Smart SDR at the remote radio location and using a remote desktop, try and see if its happy on that PC.

    6 The funny thing is that the 6400 radio SDR loads , DAX loads but CAT does not, will not load! please please give me some ideas.

    7 It worked fine all day today and then it gets this error. The common denominator is SmartSDR!!! Its happy with one radio and not the other!!!

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    David

    I would do this and then install SmartSDR 4.1.5 so that you are current.

    https://helpdesk.flexradio.com/hc/en-us/articles/204975589-How-to-do-a-Complete-uninstall-of-SmartSDR-for-Windows-from-your-PC

  • david ingebright
    david ingebright Member ✭✭

    Mike— good grief! you lost me after the second applet! Basically you are telling me to uninstall everything on the home/remote pc. I can do that BUT IT WORKS FINE WITH ONE REMOTE RADIO but the OTHER RADIO HAS all these CAT and DAX problems. The remote server PC is also funny like I said, its loading over a remote desktop but no DAX, even though I hit the icon repeatedly…
    Why would one radio be fine with all the VSP and other myriad workings DAX, TCP, COM4 AND ONE RADIO be AFU. and the same Smart SDR software????
    The common denominator is the Smart SDR and it works for one radio (6300) and not the other (6400) ? If fact it worked for three days after updating to 4.1.3 and then went red on the CAT (not present) and DAX (no slice no TX stream)

    How can this be?

    //dave

  • Mike-VA3MW
    Mike-VA3MW Administrator, FlexRadio Employee, Community Manager, Super Elmer, Moderator admin

    I am educated guessing, with some reliability due to others situations I have seen, that it is corruption in the %APPDATA% files and that likely has the highest reliability of success. And, that is what I would do if it was my problem. The PC contains different data for different radios and possibly this is why one works and the other one doesn't.

    You could also try doing a full reset on the failing radio.

    It is an 'easter egging' approach. Windows doesn't always supply good diagnostic data to allow you to get to the actual root cause.

    You may want to open a support ticket first and see what they can offer. We generally run down similar paths but I would be the first to admit they have a bit more experience with corruption issues than I do.

    Let us know what works. 73

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