SDRSharp (SDR#): installing on Windows 10
Some time ago I showed you how to install SDR# on a PC running Windows Vista or Windows 7. SDR# (‘SDR Sharp’) is one of the most popular software packages for ‘Software Defined Radio’ on Windows. Here I will show you how you can install SDR# on a PC running Windows 10.
There is a more recent blog post about this subject, see: SDRSharp Community Plugin Package install
Requirements:
- A computer running Windows 10, preferably a 2GHz dual-core processor or faster and 4GB of memory;
- One SDR-receiver, compatible with SDR# (in this case a regular RTL-SDR with the R820T and RTL2832U chipset) and antenna.
It is very important that you do NOT install the drivers that came with your RTL-SDR. You should remove them first if you have already installed them.
Installing SDRSharp:
- Go to http://airspy.com/download/ and download SDR Sharp. Extract the archive.
- In the directory where you extracted the files, double click install-rtlsdr.bat. Files required for SDR# will now be downloaded. When the download is complete, the DOS-window will close automatically.
Tip from user ‘cicciounic’: try starting install-rtlsd.bat from the command line if you have problems running it.
SDR#: starting install-rtlsdr.bat - Connect the USB receiver to your PC. Windows 10 will now probably start looking for drivers. Wait for it to finish. In some cases, Windows will not search for drivers. If that is the case, just continue to the next step.
SDRSharp Windows 10 driver install - Among the files in the directory, you should see the file ‘zadig.exe‘. Right-click this file and choose ‘run as administrator‘. There will be a pop up asking you to allow changes, click ‘Yes’.
Running Zadig as administrator - When Zadig is running, go to ‘Options’ and make sure ‘List all devices‘ is selected.
Zadig: options, ‘list all devices’ - At the ‘Device’ option, select ‘Bulk-In, Interface (Interface 0)’ (or in some cases, you might instead see ‘RTL2832UHIDIR’, then select this).
Zadig: select RTL2838 - Click on the big button labeled ‘Replace Driver’ or ‘Install Driver’. Installing the driver may take a minute.
Zadig: installing/replacing driver - When installing the driver is done, you can now run SDR# by double-clicking the file ´SDRSharp.exe´.
Running SDRSharp - After starting SDR#, go to ´Source´ and select ´RTL-SDR / USB´ in the drop-down selection box.
SDRSharp: select RTL-SDR (USB) - Clicking the arrow in the top left corner will start the receiver. You can now tune in to some stations.
SDRSharp: starting the receiver - If there are no stations to be found or only a few weak signals, then you need to increase the RF gain.
SDRSharp: Increasing RF Gain
I cannot install SDR Sharp V2.2 on Windows 10. It will not load devices into the configuration settings.
Hi Rick, did you have SDR# installed on that same system before?
Don’t forget to unclick the read only setting on the sdsharp folder permissions.
thanks a lot!!!
Work fine with 2838 (Gixa Technology)
Very important: run install-rtlsdr.bat in prompt mode, not with mouse…
Good to hear that you got it working, cicciounico! 🙂
Hi,
I got it installed to the end, when I play it says “no device selected”. click on the controller config it shows only E4000 device instead of R820T. No device in list for selection.
Thanks for your help
Vinh
Your device probably has the E4000 chip instead of the R820T. They should both work fine. Did you get it to work?
I get the same. And I don’t have the E4000 chip.
It worked flawlessy before, but after the latest Windows 10 update I get the same problem.
Already fixed the driver replacement by running Zadig (2.4) as the update rollbacks the DVB driver. Now WinCAP as usual.
But RTL# isn’t seeing the stick, but showing E4000.
RTL1090 works fine.
I discovered a new SDR# version with auto-install, maybe it will solve your problem:
SDRSharp Community Plugin Package install
TNX! You’re that ONE Guy!
Thanix good work
Everything is identical to your outline expect the driver fails to load.
Any suggestion
I followed your instruction to the letter as outlines in SDRSHARP (SDR#): INSTALLING ON WINDOWS 10 Everything matched then I tried do get the driver everything was as shown in box for the driver. Click install and it ran for a while a gave an error message “driver not installed”. Any solution would be appreciated.
One step more in Zadiq: Options->List all devices.
Everything else works great.
Thanks!
Thanks, but that was already mentioned in step 5 😉
I haven’t worked with windows in a long time. This tripped me up until I ran into this on a sdr blog. Don’t forget to remove the read only on the sdr folder that holds the .dll files. Or you won’t see a device when you hit the gear on top that named the rtl sdr controller Right click and hit permissions. I am so glad I found this. It was frustrating.
Wont install on a windows 10 pro 64bit machine , message pops up stating: to find a version for your computer see the software publisher.
George,
You have to manually download Zadig 2.4 that’s the part that won’t run on 64 bit.
Just installed on Windows 10 Surface without any issues. Just followed the instructions. Thanks.
Hi Steve, thanks for the confirmation that it also works on Windows 10 Surface!
I have problems in step #10.
When i push play button nothing happens. Im on windows 10 pro 64b
Hi xenixe, are you able to select the RTL-SDR as source (step #9)?
Hi, This is my first into SD Radio so I’ve been very cautious, but found it very easy once I had found the correct software, you step by step guide was very easy.
Thanks: John Max.
Hi, Thanks for the nice article. I have a LTDZ 35-4400M Spectrum Analyzer board.
(https://www.banggood.com/CodeBGLTDZ-Geekcreit-Spectrum-Analyzer-USB-LTDZ_35-4400M_Spectrum-Signal-Source-with-Tracking-Source-Module-RF-Frequency-Domain-Analysis-Tool-p-1450129.html?cur_warehouse=USA) and have it working with WinNWT5. But it is not recognized my SDRSharp 1.0.0.1700. No device found. (Win10 system). With SDRSharp there does not seem to be a way to select the USB Comm port. I am sure the windows system has the correct drivers install as it works in another program. Would you have any ideas on what to do next. Or is this board just not going to work the Sharp/
Thanks
I’ve installed the software and drivers collectly, but it works blankly. There’s nothing but the platform. It works well without any input data. No response. My computer is win10.
It was helpfull. Tnx a lot.
I got it working, thanks!
How to record a signal?
Thanks for the nice description but when I want to intstall the Software via SDRSharp.exe a message appears that NET.Framework v4.8 is required. By trying to install version 4.8 of the NET.Framework I receive the message that my Windows system is not supporting version 4.8. Currently the NET.Framework version 4.6.2 is installed.
Do you have any idea how to overcome those problems?
Kind regards
Norbert
Thanks for a very clear and helpful blog post.
I have the hackRF one and windows 8.1, and your method worked very well.
The only problem is that I can’t set up the sample rate on the HackRF: it’s greyed out on the settings window. Any ideas? I’d like to be able to adjust the bandwidth. Maybe there is another way of doing it…..
Thanks
Hi.
Downloaded SDR# no prob. Trying to install it but I keep getting the message that I need .NET framework v4.8 Try to install the v4.8 and get the message that .NET is not compatible with my operating system. I’m running Windows 10.
Any ideas????
Regards, Ant.
Greetings All
I’m having a devil of a time trying to get PlutoSDR running in SDR#, any help will be welcome and appreciated :
1. after adding an entry to the FrontEnds file, PlutoSDR appears in the list of radios
2. once trying to start SDR#, error window appears :
“Could not load file or assembly ‘libiio-sharp Version 0.17.0.0 ”
3. grabbed a libiio-sharp.dll from analog-devices and copied it into the SDR# directory
4. still getting the error same as before
5. next, grabbed libiio-0.17.g5bdc242-Windows-setup, installed successfully
6. still getting the error same as before
7. amazingly, the Airspy still works
anyone had joy doing this ?
TIA !
Works just great – I have owned an SDR for over 6 months, but never was able to get it installed correctly (Well, I was using a Raspberry Pi).
Why is the 1st IF frequency important in setting up SDR#? Where do you enter this frequency? How do I compute the offsets? My 1st IF freq is 73.05 MHz but I don’t know what that refers to or how it ralates to SDR#. Radio is a Kenwood 570D.
Thx and 73.
Hi everyone, is there a command line to auto-start receiving (aka “hitting the play button” as mentioned in step 10), when starting the program? Thanks!
Im haveing trouble. SDR sharp seems to have been installed ok. it runs from the application and the startup screen comed up. But, when I try to select a source, there is no selection for the dongle. Severak AIRSPY selections, but none seems to work. Any suggestions??
Thank you! I was going crazy trying to install on Windows 10, but following your guide I managed to get it installed! Thank you much!
Downloaded SDR# and extracted properly, when I try to start the program it says I need DotNet and do I want to download. I downloaded it, installed it and get the message installed successfully. I then tried to open SDR# again and got the same message, so I restarted the computer and still get the same message. Tried to reinstall DotNet again, but it only let me repair it. I uninstalled and tried all the steps again, but SDR# is still telling my to download DotNet. HELP!!!
I had the same problem, look for this line in the first box near the bottom of the download page. Worked first try!
For the latest dotnet 4.x build (1784) check here.
In zadig I don’t get bulk or rtl2838 in the drop down.
You seem to be a USB problem. With perseverance and fingers crossed my I got windows do you except the dongle and Zadig showed the driver. Thanks
thanks you!!
Thanks.
Win 10
Nooelec nesdr
Just needed to add rf gain, duh!
Now to add decent aerial
73
Hardware question. On step 9 you show a drop down menu, a list of alternative hardware radios. I am seeing HackRF as a choice. I am not seeing any one of the Ettus USRP radios as a choice. Suppose I have an Ettus radio (USRP™ B205mini-i). Should I try to use it as a HackRF? What happens to the frequency range? Will the SSDR# software reach all the way up to 6 GHZ? Will the software deprecate to 2.4 GHZ or less?
SDR Sharp runs fine on my Windows 10 32 bit PC for days then suddenly stops and disappears from the screen. When I reload the program and press start arrow I get a message “no device detected”. After reloading driver from Zadig it will run for many more days then stop again. I have 2 SDR Sharp programs running and either one or both can lose the driver. PC is running only Windows Defender as security. Any help is appreciated.