G4BKI Logger32 tips page

Version 4 was released ages ago. Getting off v3 is essential. Visit full install and upgrade page on the Logger32 site for full information.
Latest information, support and questions can be found on the Logger32 groups.io Group [with 3058 members]
Give your platform, Windows version and all other important information.
You can track changes by going to History page.
Windows releases before Windows 7 are not recommended.
Logger32 latest version number. Logger32 home site. Starting way back at v3.47 updates became automatic.
You can find further extensive help and advice on Logger32 at Gary (a beta tester and author of v4 help PDF) ZL2IFB's web site.

I don't use Logger32 on the air, but I do track updates and add-ons daily. [2021-04-10]
The single source (author) of code is a worry. One can't help but think the source code isn't locked away somewhere safe in case something happens to the author. Even if it was, could anybody 'unpick' it? Don't let that cloud your judgement, though.

Logger32 isn't a fully multitasking application. If you consider that waiting for cluster spots, etc. while other tasks are being performed isn't acceptable, or if you don't want to be confined to one window, then other logging programs, which handle tasks in a 'proper' way, will be more to your taste.
USB/RS-232 interface: If you have a Prolific chipset I/F, throw it out. Many, many others before you have gone through this. Best solution is to get a (genuine) FTDI chipset I/F.
Time sync: Use Dimension4, Tardis2000 [$$], NetTime, etc. Don't use the built-in Windows time sync service. It's overloaded & can be 45s 'out'. The built-in Logger32 sync is less reliable than a 'mainline' program and not recommended by me. If using Open-Shell Menu, you can use the service driven sync that's built-in.
Logger32 is updated fairly frequently, but not on a regular basis (e.g. you can count on N1MM to update almost every Tuesday). Keep it updated so that bugs can be addressed.
Installing or re-installing? Do not launch Logger32 immediately after FullInstall is made. Download and run the Latest Update, THEN launch the program.
Don't you just love it when somebody posts to a Group (forum) "Please remove me from this forum"? Hint: There's a link for this in EVERY message.
While there has been a significant improvement with Logger32 CW generation, there are several things the Windows user can do to help eliminate 'choppy CW generation'.

The first thing is to go into Windows audio configuration and TURN OFF Windows sound generation. There is a good technical reason for this if you are using the PC's serial port for keying the transmitter.

The second thing is to slightly reconfigure the COM ports. Go into Windows Device Manager [if using Win 10, select Control Panel/All Control Panel Items/Systems/Device Manager], select Ports(COM & LPT), then at each Com port, select Properties/Port Settings/Advanced.

Then find Rcvr (bytes) and set it to 64; then select Tx (bytes) and also set it to 64. Change 'Latency Timer' to 1ms [NOTE! This depends on the specific RS-232 COM type device, some have it and some don’t]. This will improve the speed of your USB/Serial devices and help eliminate CW stutter.

Many utilities can help you out debugging USB and other devices/programs. Try checking at the Applications - Utilities section of my Applications - Latest Versions page.
Make sure that rig firmware is up to date. Watch out for Icom rigs, such as the IC-7300 (BTW: rig ID 94), which auto speed detect and can get it wrong.
Watch out for unexpected Windows 10 updates! Recently 'network not connected' [meaning Ethernet] suddenly caused 100% CPU load. Go to task bar at right hand side, left click on up arrow icon, right click on Windows Defender (Shield with a tick in it icon) left click on Open. Click on Firewall & Network protection then click on 'Restore Firewalls to Default'. Restart PC. You will be asked as you use various programs whether to allow or block access through the firewall, so click as appropriate.
Many errors are caused by a corrupted .INI file. Exit the program. Rename the Logger32.INI file in the C:\Logger32 directory. Install the latest program update. Start the program. If this eliminates the error it was probably the .INI file. You may need to do some window location redefining, etc.
Tread carefully. Before each update back up to a USB stick. Bart makes it easy. Karen's Replicator is similar, but the author died. A group of users has restarted the website and is bringing back the popular code base.
You increase your chances of problems by running interfaces 'to the max'. Don't talk with your rig at 115200 baud rate, drop it to something sensible like 38400. Remember that you must change your rig to match and that some [TS-590S(G)] must be fully powered off before the change is actually made.
IC-7610 owners [I am now one] use Logger32. Check for and install the latest Icom drivers before connecting the radio to the computer. Select the correct COM port. Open Device Manager expand Ports, with the radio power supply turned off, note the COM ports. Turn on the radio power supply. The additional virtual COM ports are associated with the radio. There are two that will show up. The first should be the radio control. Set the radio menu baud rate to the fixed rate that you want to use. Auto selection can make mistakes when searching. Use 19200 with the CI-V interface and a sensible rate for the USB interface. Use 'Icom' as the type (not any other specific IC-7nnn).The IC-7610 rig ID is 98. In the IC-7610 go to MENU/SET/Connectors/CI-V/C-IV USB Echo Back and set it to ON. When changing rigs, make sure Radio1 is ON in the Radio menu of Logger32.
Many answers to 'help' questions come from Gary, ZL2IFB; Jim, W5IFP and Aki, JA1NLX and not the main author Bob, K4CY [he does appear occasionally].
Prevent Windows from turning off USB devices to save power here (ancient) or here (2017).
If Windows 10 changes your drivers without warning, go here for instructions.
Worked/Confirmed doesn't seem right: Maybe you have set the bottom right hand window of the Awards table to 2018 (or current year) instead of Complete Logbook.
Worked/Confirmed doesn't seem right: Look at the upper left corner of the Worked/Confirmed chart. Set it to ALL.
Worked/Confirmed doesn't seem right: Could you have changed operator in the logbook entry window?
Worked/Confirmed doesn't seem right: Try Tools/Database Management/Recalculate Statistics. This normally does the trick in many situations.
When you have a problem DO NOT keep removing Logger32 and re-installing it. You will probably not succeed and it makes troubleshooting harder!
Adding new VLF band tracking to Logger32. Edit ADIFBands.txt in C:\Logger32. Add 630M just below 560M and save the file. Start Logger32 and go to 'Tools / Setup Bands and Modes' and add 630M and associated fields below the 160M line.
For v3, download the latest .chm help file, saving it into C:\Logger32. Open Windows Explorer, navigate to C:\Logger32. Left Click once on Logger32.chm, right click and go to Properties. Then Unblock it as shown:

Some users report a stubborn (re-)appearance of a Logger32.chi file which is an old-style Help index file. This breaks the indexing in the newer CHM Help files. Simply remove this file if you see it in the Logger32 directory. You could start Logger32 with a script which removes this file before starting Logger32 itself. Do not remove the Logger32.chw file.

If auto updates don't install properly make sure Logger32autoinstaller.exe is set to run under Admin privilages (however, see Update Problems below).
If something breaks during a ClubLog Exceptions update, then all statistics can be missing. This is because all prefixes are wiped before the new set is installed. Trying again is the best bet, rather than trying to go through an elaborate 'restore' process.
microHAM devices seem to be a constant 'bother' for a lot of users with configuration or Win10 updates. You can fix your problems by following the examples exactly.

UPDATE PROBLEMS starting at v3.50.406

The usual update message pops up after waiting for Club Log updates to finish:
(note: in v4 you can set how long to wait before Club Log and Logger32 updates are searched for - I use 15s to allow Telnet to download the results from sh/dx/100 before starting)

Relax and enjoy? Are you being serious or just plain sarcastic?

The new version update box is shown:

When 'Install now' has been pressed, this message comes up:

You'd think this means you should run Logger32autoinstaller.exe somehow. NO it doesn't!

Go to your local directory for Logger32 in Windows Explorer:

Navigate into Logger32 directory, highlight Logger32.exe by a single left click. Right click and bring up the following menu:

After clicking on 'Run as administrator', UAC warning will come up. Click on the 'Yes' button:

You'll have to go through TWO cycles of this. Start Logger32, go through the above. Old version starts. New version is offered again. Go through the above process again and it finally installs! It's deeply flawed and yet it remains unfixed. I won't run Logger32 all the time with Full Admin privileges!

W4/VP9KF - CW keying hints

CW keying hints
How to make your logging program work with CW.

The K1EL WinKeyer needs to have the correct FTDI USB driver loaded on the PC. Use Device Manager to confirm it is there and to see what COM port it is on. It may have changed.
If the keyer 'disappears', go into Device Manager, right click on the USB port and deselect "allow USB to sleep when inactive".
Download the WKxMGR software from K1EL and confirm you can talk to the WinKeyer. It is useful to configure the WinKeyer, update the firmware and for trouble shooting. Note there are different versions depending on the WinKeyer you have.

Early WK2USBs had a problem of getting locked up if they had internal batteries installed and the PC's USB port went to sleep. To unlock the WK2USB you need to disconnect the WinKeyer's internal batteries. There is a firmware update that fixes this problem. If you are operating while connected to a PC, leave the batteries out anyway. Memories will be retained.

W4/VP9KF - some fixes for Logger32

Logger32 Fixes
All software has some niggles, these are some easily fixable things in the source code.

Bandmap header shows 'M' when it should be 'm'. In fact, lots of the windows do.

Request denied message error showed 'Mhz' when it should be 'MHz' (this has been fixed)

Everybody I've talked to recently (and the manufacturers) always use the term ROTATORS, not rotors (this has been fixed in some places)

It would be very nice if the telnet window had buttons and not just a pull-down menu for sending commands

It would be good to have the program version number shown in the status bar:

There's no way to change the order in which Logger32 'boots' certain functions. It always does (from v3.50.383):

Connect to telnet cluster node
Check for Club Log updates if date has changed (few seconds to infinity; only checks the date field, not the time)
Check for Logger32 updates

This seems a bit 'daft'. Surely it should be: Check Logger32 update, download Club Log updates, connect to cluster.
If just booting to check for an update, it takes 1m 44s* and (if one is available) the cluster node has been bothered without cause.
Being able (in the .INI?) to define the boot order would be a real bonus.
Oh, and being able to set a threshold of hours passed before a Club Log update is forced would be good too. It is currently when the date changes.

*The ClubLog update file (CTY.XML.GZ) is downloaded in about 3s, typically. It's the long extraction of the 'gzipped' file which takes time (and depends on your platform). The intermediate file is removed after use and the resulting file is a new cty.xml.
The Club Log update process changed from v3.50.396. It ran in the background (after connection to a cluster) and is considerably faster than previously. A yellow status box shows and indicates the progress made in changing files.
From v3.50.397 any good work has been undone! Logger32 now boots, connects to Cluster, waits exactly 60s, then downloads Club Log update (if needed), then downloads update (if needed). Why the 60s built-in delay all of a sudden?????????
Furthermore, the update process is hugely faster if Telnet spots from the cluster are OFF. So, the whole point of auto login is defeated.
REPEATING: Surely it should be: Check Logger32 update, download Club Log updates, connect to cluster.

Why is the telnet client window wiped when you disconnect? Keeping data in place is good for debugging (like N1MM+ Logger).

It would be nice to restart on the same band as you were last on or one which you choose as a default. Without a rig attached it goes to .00000, yet the bandmap shows '10M'.

It would be nice to have band buttons (like N1MM+ Logger, but better... have them disappear when disabled).

Why, oh why, aren't new version releases announced on the groups.io Group and the web page????

Please remember that the Logger32 code is written by ONE person and supported (website) by a group of volunteers. It's tough because of the vast number of transceivers, support devices, modes and versions of PCs and Windows that are supported. Some troubleshooting is recurring and is not easy to find in the ex-Yahoo Group 'archives' [lets out a groan]. Hence these notes. Some problems are difficult to reproduce without many hours of exploratory time.