[WT-support] Win-Test Setting --> Windows Freezes

[R.S.Hradilek]

I am fairly certain I've found a scenario that causes instability in 
Windows XP. I include a longer narrative, which you don't need to 
read unless you need further proof. So I start with:

CONCLUSION:

Under the "Options" Menu, "Disable log synchronization on network" 
should be CHECKED if you are single op unassisted, or if you 
otherwise have no other copies of the log on your "network" (or have 
no network at all) to synchronize. By default, log synchronization is 
enabled, even when the contest is configured for single op 
unassisted.

NARRATIVE:

The shack PC at WX0B froze up about 5 times during the IARU and 3 
times in the SS. In between, we did a fresh install of Windows to 
deal with this and other instability.

About 3 weeks prior to the SS, while experimenting with remote 
operation of the station, a 2nd problem occurred which turned out NOT 
to be Win-Test related: Windows refused to shut down or re-boot. It 
would ignore the command. What made the problem worse was when I ran 
some Windows Updates. Since Windows Updates often need a re-boot (it 
installs components which shutting down and re-booting), this left 
Windows in a partially updated state - unstable. I could no longer 
connect to the shack remotely. With contest season coming up, the 
shack PC was shipped to me in Houston to clean up the problems.

I backed up the hard drive and re-installed XP and everything else 
from scratch on a formatted hard drive. This included Win-Test and 
all other applications and their configurations. BTW: A fresh install 
of Windows usually cleans up a lot of problems, and a high percentage 
of PC's need this, sooner or later.

After installing the client software for no-ip.org, the problem 
returned where Windows wouldn't obey the shut down and re-boot 
commands. Clue!!! After shutting down no-ip manually I could shut 
down Windows or re-boot it. So I notified tech support at no-ip, they 
acknowledged that it was a known issue, and sent me a link to their 
previous version. After installing it, everything was fine. In other 
word, the main reason I had to install Windows from scratch was the 
problem with no-ip that I didn't know about.

During SS, Windows froze up again - 3 times in the first 12 hours. I 
took my first break at about 0900z and spent an hour or so tweaking 
my custom ESM script and others. In order to test, I needed to save 
some test QSOs to my live SS log, then delete them. Win-Test didn't 
allow the deletion, and the message told me to disable the log sync. 
It then allowed me to delete my test QSOs, and I finished my testing.

There were no further Windows problems for the 2nd half of the 
contest. 

Thus, I conclude that the problem with Windows freezing is caused by 
Win-Test attempting to synchronize a network log that doesn't exist. 
Perhaps the log sync could automatically be disabled in contests that 
are configured for single 
op unassisted?

Roy -- AD5Q