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Zadig problems

Jan 14th 2013, 17:28

KD2ADL

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Robert Nickels article in the January QST was exciting, and inspired me to try out SDR using a DVB-T dongle acquired from Amazon. As suggested both in the article and its update on QST In Depth, I downloaded a batchfile which downloaded the necessary software. When I ran Zadig to install the WinUSB driver, my Avira antivirus software picked up a trojan called TR/Crypt.ZPACK.Gen7 and would not let me proceed with the install. I'm running XP Home SP3 on a Gateway LT20 netbook with a 1.6GB Intel Atom processor.

Without the ability to install the driver for the dongle, I'm dead in the water. Has anyone else encountered this problem and, more importantly, is there a workaround, another way to get the WinUSB driver onto my system and associated with the DVB-T device?

Bob, KD2ADL
Jan 17th 2013, 02:53

KD2ADL

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I found my own solution, and thought that I would post it here in case anyone else stumbles across this thread. Basically, the report of a trojan in the USB installer that Zadig created is a false positive (see discussion, including results of an Avira staff test of the file, at http://sourceforge.net/mailarchive/forum.php?thread_name=50F3EEFB.2010006%40gmx.de&forum_name=libwdi-devel). Turn Avira off, run Zadig, then turn it back on again.

I picked up an inexpensive DVB-T dongle from Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008BQV25M/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i00 but it is now out of stock) which was shipped directly from Shenzen, China. I plugged it in to a Gateway Netbook running XP, ran the script referred to in the article, installed the driver, and then ran SDR#.

I used the tiny TV antenna which shipped with the dongle, but heard nothing at first, even after tuning to powerful local FM stations (using the WFM setting) and to our local NOAA weather radio station (using NFM). Nosing around SDR#, I noticed a Configure button at the top, clicked that, and found an RF gain control turned, by default, all the way down (!?!). As soon as I moved the slider about halfway, I started picking up FM and weather broadcasts. I never had so much fun for such a small investment; my dongle was $20 and I spent another $7 on a PAL-to-BNC adapter for the antenna. Incidentally, my dongle's PID and VID don't exactly match any of the products on the list of dongles known to work, and the description in Zadig was RTL2832U, not "Bulk-in, interface" as described in the rtlsdr.org guide to Windows software. My takeaway is that this is an area where being a little adventurous pays off.

W9RAN, thanks for inspiring me to pursue this.
Feb 6th 2013, 03:41

W7PMD

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I'm having problems just loading zadig. Perhaps my firewall/virus protection picked up the trojan hors and stopped the download. I could not even get past the title of libdwi. I have Microsoft essentials and McAfee (free from Cox Communications) loaded on the computerr. Suggestions?
Dave W7PMD
Feb 6th 2013, 23:46

KB0HAE

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hi Dave. If you are using a router to connect to the internet you should disable the Windows firewall. All modern routers meant for home use have a built-in firewall. You just need to make sire it is enabled.

I used to use Mcafee, but it caused many problems on my system. Getting rid of it helped greatly. You might try Avast.

Just my thoughts...
Feb 14th 2013, 15:14

KB0HAE

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hi Guys. I now have 2 of the DVB-T dongles now. I have one computer (an IBM T43 laptop) that everything works on. That is Zadig installs the WinUSB driver, and SDR# runs. This machine has a fresh install of WinXP Pro SP3 (not done by me). It was recently purchased on ebay.

On a second IBM T43 laptop Zadig fails to install WINusb, with an error of invalit parameter. I have looked into such errors and failures online to no avail so far. This machine has WinXP Pro SP2 installed.

On a third machine Zadig installed WinUSB, but SDR# won't run, the error being that it cannot initialize. This is a homebuilt desktop machine with WinXP Pro SP2. I may have found a solution to the SDR# problem, but have not tried it.

In my experience, installation of Windows service packs/upgrades/updates has caused massive problems in the past. Installing SP3 may not help, as I have read of many who cannot get WinUSB to install under WinXP Pro SP3.

Win7 is not an option as I cannot afford to buy even 1 copy, and I am not sure how well it will run on my laptops. No one in the SDR# Yahoo group has been able to help.

I have found 1 or 2 places online that suggest that I may need to make a change or 2 to the .inf file used by zadig (found in the usb_driver folder after running zadig the first time). I have not tried this yet.

What I get from all of this is that WinUSB is not compatible with all WinXP installs for some as yet unknown reason. It seems to be hit or miss whether zadig can install WinUSB.

I had also read that some had success using an olser version of zadig. Using that version, using the XP version, and using the oldest version available on Sourceforge did not work for me.

If I find out anything further, I will post it here. Any ideas?
Feb 19th 2013, 18:10

KB0HAE

Joined: Apr 4th 1998, 00:00
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
Hi again. Just for info here. The dongles are working on all 3 machines now. On the second T43 (winXP PRO SP2) I had tried numerous times and several different ideas found on the net. Zadig would say that winusb was installed sucessfilly, but SDR# gave ann error "device not found or driver not working". I deleted the bulk_in devices in hardware manager, the usb_driver folder in C:, the SDRsharp folders, and all versions of zadig but the XP version. I also deleted the bulk_in entries in the inf folder (not recommended for inexperienced Windows users!). Upon running zadig and installing SDR# using the install script, I got the same results.

I then tried installing libusbk in zadig instead of winusb, and that worked.

On machine #3, SDR# needed .net 3.5. .net 4.0 was installed, but .net 3.5 was needed for SDR#.

My 2 dongles both have the rtl2832u, but one has the e4000, the other has the r820T. I will probably get an upconverter in a few weeks, so I can use these things on HF. Right now I am still learning about them on the frequency ranges they are built for.

I can see myself eventually getting a Softrock or other SDR transceiver.
Apr 14th 2013, 14:59

NR4K

Joined: Jul 10th 2011, 17:59
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
I would appreciate any help someone could give me to get mine working. I am not computer proficient enough to work it out o my own. TNX nr4k
Jun 8th 2013, 00:38

mculver

Joined: Jun 8th 2013, 00:03
Total Topics: 0
Total Posts: 0
You'll need to experiment with zdiag settings under Windows 8, too, because the documented settings don not exist. On my machine I used SAM (Interface 0) and mapped it to WinUSB (v6.1.7600.16385).

These dongles are a blast!

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