apache-labs.com

I've not had audio issues in a very long time ... but yesterday Windows took me through one of those wonderful update sessions... the latest, installed on 25 July, 2020. Since then my FT8 audio isn't working. Its mush. Distorted audio ... and the transmit is no better. I reset to an earlier db, a few days ago - and that fixed it - temporarily. But it keeps resorting to this mushy signal. I can't fix it permanently.

I have checked the audio sound settings - nothing seems out of place. I'm at a loss as to what to do.

I've never gone back or reset to the previous version of Windows, never had to - first off I don't see how this is a long term fix since eventually in order to keep up with updates I'll need to (re) install this version that doesn't work ... I don't know if this is a Eugene Muzchenko audio issue ... I'm using his version from 2018 (again and haven't any issues with it).

anyone have this and be able to resolve it? (I am not, at this time, looking to go to another VAC program unless I'm forced to).

[I am at the moment going through a reset to the previous WIndows version - again first time I've used this feature so hopefully it a) goes back properly and b) fixes this ... if both of these are positive then once again I don't know what the long term solution is since I can't/won't stay at an old (as time goes on) version of Windows]

Gary K9RX

when I said I switched back to an older db - I meant one from a few days ago, that was working fine before this latest Windows update ... Gary

This is not a PowerSDR problem. Moved to the Digital Audio sub-forum.

Windows updates are famous for breaking sound drivers and sample rate settings in the Windows Sound Control Panel. Check all your advanced settings for the virtual devices you use in the Windows Sound Control Panel. If those are OK, then uninstall whatever virtual audio cable software you use, reboot, reinstall, reboot, check your sample rate settings as previously discussed, and then see if it works.

Latest windows 10 update #2004 (and specialy .NET framework one) also broke my VAC buffer latencies.

From no problems at all for many months I started suffering under/overflows very often with so many audible glitches.
Unfortunately after tweaking my system, updating and reinstalling drivers for 2 days, the only good solution was to roll back Windows to the previous version.

I rolled back yesterday. I've never done that before - never HAD to do that before. It fixed the issue. So what does one do going forward? I of course don't want to be stuck in time with an ever aging version of windows sans whatever security is needed ... will Microsoft "realize" this and correct these issues in the next version or am I on my own here? I do see others complaining, AQR here, and on the web. When I did the rollback they, Microsoft, asks what the reason is - I assume that goes to them ... but I can't assume if it gets read or acted on (unless there are LOTS of them).

Scott: understood what you're suggesting but i wanted to find out - if indeed this is purely a windows update issue what happens next. Before I get in to uninstalling and reinstalling VAC. Note all the settings were correct, I found nothing changed (I assume you mean the properties for each channel used).

And as regards VAC I have heard complaints that Eugene broke something in a later version(s). I've been using one dated 2018. Not sure if I can get the older version package again.

Gary
K9RX

Well, a few things here that the latest update caused also. I have not rolled back out of the update yet. I did find that the rolling sample rate was stabilized by checking off of the “48 kHz” and then re-selecting “48 kHz”. The problem that I have here that really confused me was that the Thetis collapsed screen that I would start up on was showing up very dis-oriented, as if I had selected a different screen resolution or something. I found that if I started my wavenode wn-2 Software first this would happen, if I start Thetis before the wavenode program Thetis comes up with a normal display. I use a batch file to start all of my sdr programs, so to fix this I had to add a timed delay of 12 seconds of the wavenode startup?

73’s
Joe
WD5Y

Gary,

I don't think that anyone can give you a definitive answer to your question.

I can only report that I and many others have suffered strange damage to both VB Audio and Muzy sound drivers during past Windows updates and that the solution was to uninstall/reinstall.

I have not had such a problem over the last few Windows updates (I don't keep track specifically). I'm currently running Windows 10 Pro Version 1909.

The only other Windows update problem I've had was the one where the microphone permission had to be enabled in the privacy control panel.

For the record I use Voicemeeter Potato, not Muzy VAC.

73,

Scott

I was reading this this morning thinking that hmm I've never had an issue.

Then this afternoon I had to reinstall my soundcard driver because an update knocked the output channel out.

Win 10 regularly shuffles around the default audio devices, but aside from that, until today, I haven't had a lot of real trouble. I have four sound cards at this point, two rigs, the PC card and the external Focusrite.

My win10 pro updated yesterday at shutdown and this morning, I can't even (easily) find hpsdr on my system. Desktop icons gone, the only hpsdr product I still have on the desktop is the programming tool. I had two versions on the desktop. One for an 8000dle and a second for a 100. both gone. In the programs tab it only shows the programming tool in the hpsdr folder

Reverted to last (1903) version of windows and the programs are right back on the desktop and started up ok. Hopefully not too much changed in settings although I do have them backed up.

SOLVED

I went (back) to the previous version of WIndows ... and all was working again. Been that way since 26 July when I first started this post.

But as mentioned I don't want to orphan my computer. So I took Scotts suggestion. As usual he was right. I downloaded the latest version VAC (Eugene's), 4.64 and took screen shots of the vac panel (using what I had been using which was 4.51) and com ports etc ... allowed Windows to do the update (it was bugging me constantly to do it) ... sure enough FT8 did not work as before - as expected.

So I uninstalled VAC and installed the latest. I had to then reset the INPUT/OUTPUT selections in PSDR/AUDIO/VAC1 and in WSJT as well as the default audio (the speaker on the 40" 4K TV/monitor) ... after that all was fine.

I did have an issue yesterday when I started it all up and for some reason when I was on CW it was keying the rig randomly once in 10 - 20 seconds for just a blip... after changing bands/modes a few times it stopped doing that. I HATE intermittent problems ...

So - the lesson was to allow Windows to do its thing and just be prepared in case you need to uninstall/reinstall. However don't immediate jump to uninstalling (beyond like in my case, audio issues, thus VAC)! Check the settings first.

That I remember this is the first time a Windows update has impacted my operation. I've been using PSDR (Anan 8000DLE) since May 2017. I'm finally looking in to switching to Thetis.

Gary
K9RX

I don't know if this will be useful to anyone, but since installing the Windows 10 2004 update I've had nothing but trouble with audio glitches - with NO VAC or other virtual audio engaged. Audio comes from the speaker connector on the ANAN 7000DLE MKII

DPC latency on this particular machine is excellent. The one thing I'm not quite sure about is the Radeon RX580 video driver and software. I updated both at virtually the same time.

So... Something in the network transport? I do have VirtualBox and a WireShark packet shim installed. I suppose running my radio on a development machine isn't the smartest move I've ever made, but it's convenient.

73,
Jim N7CXI

Update:
Removing VirtualBox and WireShark *appears* to have fixed the problem. Only time will tell for sure.

I just recently had an interesting Windows Update experience: one of the more recent updates messed with my power settings. It told my secondary hard drive to power down after a period of time. Then, every once in a while, when the hard drive would spin back up for one reason or another it would freeze my entire system which would cause Thetis to disconnect.

It took me a while to figure that one out! Recommendation: check your power center settings, too, and don't let anything go to sleep.

w-u-2-o wrote:... Recommendation: check your power center settings, too, and don't let anything go to sleep.

Excellent advice. I'm not going to go dig into the sources right now, but if Thetis implements

SetThreadExecutionState(ES_DISPLAY_REQUIRED | ES_CONTINUOUS | ES_SYSTEM_REQUIRED | ES_AWAYMODE_REQUIRED) ;

- in a persistent thread at intervals that are less than the power plan timeout for any device
then:

SetThreadExecutionState(ES_CONTINUOUS);

when it terminates, that *should* prevent Windows from dozing any devices. Note my optimistic use of the word "should". This is Windows, after all.

73,
Jim N7CXI

Windows Updates regularly and predictably alter my Power Settings and Default Audio Settings. I currently use "Windows Update Blocker" so I can update windows when I want. I tried using their "pause" setting to delay updates. I found that certain updates would initiate anyway. So far I have had no ill effects by using the "WUB". app. Windows 10 is a pretty good operating system. Microsoft's incessant unwanted manipulations are a Pain ITA.

Thank God for third party apps.

Rubern,

Agreed. They DO update quite often. It's more a pain to get it 'in' than anything else. Until this one mentioned at the start of this thread I've never had a problem and reinstalling the VAC program solved this problem so not bad overall. I don't think delaying it helps - ultimately if you are going to use it and remain with the latest fixes you have to let it install ... fortunately it's still been benign overall.

Gary
K9RX