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K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

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K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

Hi Buck

What did I do to fix it?

Well I left the K3S disconnected for an hour or so while I read the "trouble
shooting" sections in the owners manuals. I decided to change the power
supply & use a different PC & a different USB cable.

To my surprise the K3S then started normally & with the new PC I was able to
download a new copy of the Utility program & the latest firmware. This
connected immediately to the K3S.

So, what was wrong & why did it not work before?

I have absolutely no idea!

73 Ray G3XLG

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Ian, NV4C

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

Ray,

By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from Microsoft
recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
settings, including COM port settings.

Just a thought.

73 de,

Ian, NV4C

On 6/7/20 10:42 AM, Ray Spreadbury via Elecraft wrote:

> Hi Buck
>
> What did I do to fix it?
>
> Well I left the K3S disconnected for an hour or so while I read the "trouble
> shooting" sections in the owners manuals. I decided to change the power
> supply & use a different PC & a different USB cable.
>
> To my surprise the K3S then started normally & with the new PC I was able to
> download a new copy of the Utility program & the latest firmware. This
> connected immediately to the K3S.
>
> So, what was wrong & why did it not work before?
>
> I have absolutely no idea!
>
> 73 Ray G3XLG
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

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barry halterman

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

This is a classic case of CRE or Cosmic Ray Effect. No reason, just happens.

On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 1:51 PM Ian Kahn, NV4C <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Ray,
>
> By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from Microsoft
> recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
> settings, including COM port settings.
>
> Just a thought.
>
> 73 de,
>
> Ian, NV4C
>
>
> On 6/7/20 10:42 AM, Ray Spreadbury via Elecraft wrote:
> > Hi Buck
> >
> > What did I do to fix it?
> >
> > Well I left the K3S disconnected for an hour or so while I read the
> "trouble
> > shooting" sections in the owners manuals. I decided to change the power
> > supply & use a different PC & a different USB cable.
> >
> > To my surprise the K3S then started normally & with the new PC I was
> able to
> > download a new copy of the Utility program & the latest firmware. This
> > connected immediately to the K3S.
> >
> > So, what was wrong & why did it not work before?
> >
> > I have absolutely no idea!
> >
> > 73 Ray G3XLG
> >
> > ______________________________________________________________
> > Elecraft mailing list
> > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> > Post: mailto:[hidden email]
> >
> > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> > Message delivered to [hidden email]
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

Since Microsoft does not know of every piece of software, on every
Windows computer in the world, for simplicity, very often a Windows
update will set values to DEFAULT values. Therefore, it is necessary
for the user to set certain parameters to their preferred values after
an update. I view that this is no fault of Windows, it is just the
way they handle updates. Unless one is very familiar with the
in-depth operation of Windows, it is wise for anyone to make notes of
values, locations and they way one access certain application settings.

73

Bob, K4TAX

On 6/7/2020 2:48 PM, barry halterman wrote:

> This is a classic case of CRE or Cosmic Ray Effect. No reason, just happens.
>
> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 1:51 PM Ian Kahn, NV4C <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Ray,
>>
>> By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from Microsoft
>> recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
>> settings, including COM port settings.
>>
>> Just a thought.
>>
>> 73 de,
>>
>> Ian, NV4C
>>
>>
>> On 6/7/20 10:42 AM, Ray Spreadbury via Elecraft wrote:
>>> Hi Buck
>>>
>>> What did I do to fix it?
>>>
>>> Well I left the K3S disconnected for an hour or so while I read the
>> "trouble
>>> shooting" sections in the owners manuals. I decided to change the power
>>> supply & use a different PC & a different USB cable.
>>>
>>> To my surprise the K3S then started normally & with the new PC I was
>> able to
>>> download a new copy of the Utility program & the latest firmware. This
>>> connected immediately to the K3S.
>>>
>>> So, what was wrong & why did it not work before?
>>>
>>> I have absolutely no idea!
>>>
>>> 73 Ray G3XLG
>>>
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> Elecraft mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>>
>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Grant Youngman-2

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

That would be a terrible way to handle updates. If a user has set specific parameters to meet their needs, Windows should simply leave them alone — unless they no longer exist in the updated version, or their effect/context has changed. If macOS reset everything to defaults every time there was new version, Apple would find my several Macs in front of the nearest Apple Store, “kitted out” with a sledge hammer .. :-)

Grant NQ5T

> On Jun 7, 2020, at 4:21 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> Since Microsoft does not know of every piece of software, on every Windows computer in the world, for simplicity, very often a Windows update will set values to DEFAULT values. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to set certain parameters to their preferred values after an update. I view that this is no fault of Windows, it is just the way they handle updates. Unless one is very familiar with the in-depth operation of Windows, it is wise for anyone to make notes of values, locations and they way one access certain application settings.
>
> 73
>
> Bob, K4TAX
>
> On 6/7/2020 2:48 PM, barry halterman wrote:
>> This is a classic case of CRE or Cosmic Ray Effect. No reason, just happens.
>>
>> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 1:51 PM Ian Kahn, NV4C <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>> Ray,
>>>
>>> By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from Microsoft
>>> recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
>>> settings, including COM port settings.
>>>
>>> Just a thought.
>>>

stengrevics

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

Agree. Macs don’t have this problem.

John
WA1EAZ

> On Jun 7, 2020, at 4:44 PM, Grant Youngman <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
> That would be a terrible way to handle updates. If a user has set specific parameters to meet their needs, Windows should simply leave them alone — unless they no longer exist in the updated version, or their effect/context has changed. If macOS reset everything to defaults every time there was new version, Apple would find my several Macs in front of the nearest Apple Store, “kitted out” with a sledge hammer .. :-)
>
> Grant NQ5T
>
>> On Jun 7, 2020, at 4:21 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> Since Microsoft does not know of every piece of software, on every Windows computer in the world, for simplicity, very often a Windows update will set values to DEFAULT values. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to set certain parameters to their preferred values after an update. I view that this is no fault of Windows, it is just the way they handle updates. Unless one is very familiar with the in-depth operation of Windows, it is wise for anyone to make notes of values, locations and they way one access certain application settings.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Bob, K4TAX
>>
>> On 6/7/2020 2:48 PM, barry halterman wrote:
>>> This is a classic case of CRE or Cosmic Ray Effect. No reason, just happens.
>>>
>>> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 1:51 PM Ian Kahn, NV4C <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ray,
>>>>
>>>> By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from Microsoft
>>>> recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
>>>> settings, including COM port settings.
>>>>
>>>> Just a thought.
>>>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]

Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT-3

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

In reply to this post by Grant Youngman-2

This is why I transitioned from Windows to Linux Mint several months ago.

73 -- Lynn

On 6/7/20 1:44 PM, Grant Youngman wrote:

> That would be a terrible way to handle updates. If a user has set specific parameters to meet their needs, Windows should simply leave them alone — unless they no longer exist in the updated version, or their effect/context has changed. If macOS reset everything to defaults every time there was new version, Apple would find my several Macs in front of the nearest Apple Store, “kitted out” with a sledge hammer .. :-)
>
> Grant NQ5T
>
>> On Jun 7, 2020, at 4:21 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>> Since Microsoft does not know of every piece of software, on every Windows computer in the world, for simplicity, very often a Windows update will set values to DEFAULT values. Therefore, it is necessary for the user to set certain parameters to their preferred values after an update. I view that this is no fault of Windows, it is just the way they handle updates. Unless one is very familiar with the in-depth operation of Windows, it is wise for anyone to make notes of values, locations and they way one access certain application settings.
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Bob, K4TAX
>>
>> On 6/7/2020 2:48 PM, barry halterman wrote:
>>> This is a classic case of CRE or Cosmic Ray Effect. No reason, just happens.
>>>
>>> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 1:51 PM Ian Kahn, NV4C <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Ray,
>>>>
>>>> By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from Microsoft
>>>> recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
>>>> settings, including COM port settings.
>>>>
>>>> Just a thought.
>>>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>

Ian, NV4C

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

In reply to this post by Bob McGraw - K4TAX

Actually, this is one of the worst ways Microsoft could handle updates.
I work in information security for a hospital. I shudder to think what
would happen if patching reset our life-saving critical clinical systems
to all the default settings every month. Our infrastructure team would
spend all their time putting out fires.

While the impact for end-users isn't as life-or-death, it is still
unreasonable to think that every time our systems get patched/updated,
we have to reconfigure them. This is amplified by the fact that
Microsoft no longer gives the home user any advance notice of when their
system will be patched, nor way to disable automated patching.

73 de,

Ian, NV4C

On 6/7/20 4:21 PM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:

> Since Microsoft does not know of every piece of software, on every
> Windows computer in the world, for simplicity, very often a Windows
> update will set values to DEFAULT values. Therefore, it is necessary
> for the user to set certain parameters to their preferred values after
> an update. I view that this is no fault of Windows, it is just the
> way they handle updates. Unless one is very familiar with the
> in-depth operation of Windows, it is wise for anyone to make notes of
> values, locations and they way one access certain application settings.
>
> 73
>
> Bob, K4TAX
>
> On 6/7/2020 2:48 PM, barry halterman wrote:
>> This is a classic case of CRE or Cosmic Ray Effect. No reason, just
>> happens.
>>
>> On Sun, Jun 7, 2020, 1:51 PM Ian Kahn, NV4C <[hidden email]> wrote:
>>
>>> Ray,
>>>
>>> By any chance did your first computer receive any updates from
>>> Microsoft
>>> recently? MS updates are well-known to completely bugger custom
>>> settings, including COM port settings.
>>>
>>> Just a thought.
>>>
>>> 73 de,
>>>
>>> Ian, NV4C
>>>
>>>
>>> On 6/7/20 10:42 AM, Ray Spreadbury via Elecraft wrote:
>>>> Hi Buck
>>>>
>>>> What did I do to fix it?
>>>>
>>>> Well I left the K3S disconnected for an hour or so while I read the
>>> "trouble
>>>> shooting" sections in the owners manuals. I decided to change the
>>>> power
>>>> supply & use a different PC & a different USB cable.
>>>>
>>>> To my surprise the K3S then started normally & with the new PC I was
>>> able to
>>>> download a new copy of the Utility program & the latest firmware. This
>>>> connected immediately to the K3S.
>>>>
>>>> So, what was wrong & why did it not work before?
>>>>
>>>> I have absolutely no idea!
>>>>
>>>> 73 Ray G3XLG
>>>>
>>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>>> Elecraft mailing list
>>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>>>
>>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>> ______________________________________________________________
>>> Elecraft mailing list
>>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>>
>>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>>
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> Elecraft mailing list
>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
>> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>>
>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
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>
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> Message delivered to [hidden email]

K8TE

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

Having worked in IT, I can tell you professional IT organizations test
patches before deploying them.

Regarding Windows 10 Home use, you can delay patches now (a recent update).

Finally, for a long time, you have been able to prevent Windows 10 from
updating drivers which can lead to COM port number changes:
https://www.minitool.com/news/disable-automatic-driver-updates-win-10-009.html.

Windows and our computers are just like any tool or even a piece of radio
gear. it behooves us to learn how to use those tools and to stay current
with updates to them. These tools are more complex than hammers and just as
dangerous in un-trained/educated hands.

There is plenty of information (much of it correct) available with a quick
Google search. Before I spend a weekend or just a day contesting, I always
check for Windows Updates. If one is available, I download and install it
on ONE computer, test it, and if acceptable, do the same on my other
computers. I also check all of my antennas and the rest of my station's
systems. They are all tools of the "trade."

73, Bill, K8TE

--
Sent from: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/
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AI4NS

Re: K3S dead after attempted firmware update - Fixed

I am an IT guy, so I hear you. We patch, then lock down again

On Sun, Jun 7, 2020 at 17:27 K8TE <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Having worked in IT, I can tell you professional IT organizations test
> patches before deploying them.
>
> Regarding Windows 10 Home use, you can delay patches now (a recent update).
>
> Finally, for a long time, you have been able to prevent Windows 10 from
> updating drivers which can lead to COM port number changes:
>
> https://www.minitool.com/news/disable-automatic-driver-updates-win-10-009.html
> .
>
> Windows and our computers are just like any tool or even a piece of radio
> gear. it behooves us to learn how to use those tools and to stay current
> with updates to them. These tools are more complex than hammers and just
> as
> dangerous in un-trained/educated hands.
>
> There is plenty of information (much of it correct) available with a quick
> Google search. Before I spend a weekend or just a day contesting, I always
> check for Windows Updates. If one is available, I download and install it
> on ONE computer, test it, and if acceptable, do the same on my other
> computers. I also check all of my antennas and the rest of my station's
> systems. They are all tools of the "trade."
>
> 73, Bill, K8TE
>
>
>
> --
> Sent from: http://elecraft.365791.n2.nabble.com/
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
> Message delivered to [hidden email]
>