Is your Z-Wave Details list free from ghosts?
My Z-wave devices would seem to be OK, but after some varying number of hours they would bog down and then stop responding. Be interesting to see if your system manages to soldier on w/all those busy messages.
It was until I just checked... UI had let me remove it after an earlier power down/reboot.
But now it has returned I now have a ghost just like that as well! Argh!!! 
I will attempt to remove via UZB-7 or Z-stick except I cannot pair anything at the moment... mmmmmm
Sorry to hear you got a ghost. My stick arrives tomorrow, really hope it works for me. Part of me thinks it would be best to exclude everything when I'm temporarily in a good state w/my Z-wave devices, and reset the radio and start over. Also want to wait and see what HE comes up w/in the next couple of days in terms of updated FW/tools. All my Zwave stuff is controllable via switches so the family can still use all the lights, and some key lights are on Hue integration so those automations and buttons still work, along w/Bond fan stuff. I'm limping along... 
Yep that's what I'm thinking too except make your first pairing the stick so when things go south you can use it to hopefully remove the ghosts etc.
Ah, good point. Never used the stick so that is all new to me. What is the best guide to use to set it up and use it. It just pairs to the hub like any Zwave other device, I assume, but what are the steps to exclude a device that you want to remove?
Sorry my earlier post was a bit dated.. I am testing with the UZB-7 on one of my non-C7 hubs now.
You need to obtain the "Z-Wave PC Controller" software (included with the SDK) from SI-Labs.
You will probably have to sign up for an account...
Here's a quick (probably too quick) rundown:
Here are some older sources to weed through (I don't think you need to update the firmware of the stick or anything - I did not).
Thanks very much for the details and links, sorry for taking your thread off-topic.
No I think it's totally okay - for those of us who have the proper usb controllers and a new C7 - seems like a great idea to do this in advance of adding other devices.
I am not sure I can add mine to the C7 at this point thanks to the ghost - will try tomorrow after the cleanup. If that doesn't work may reset and try again.
You know, I probably should add mine to the hub before I start having problems... I think that's a good precautionary tip.
DOH moment...downloaded the SDK, no idea how to install it. Doing this on a Windows laptop...this doesn't require Linux to run, does it? I have a pi3 on my IoT VLAN if that will do. I'm a "lite" linux/Pi user, do most stuff via following cook-book directions as I haven't had a linux laptop up and running in ages and I unfortunately seem to forget everything over time when I don't use it...
Nope, Windows only.
So what's the install secret, I don't see an "install.exe" or "setup.exe" in any of the SDK folders...
Download the PC Controller sw - the SDK is firmware I think. Sorry about that.
This link:
https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/z-wave/embedded-sdk
Click PC Controller. Login / sign up for account, then download.
Unzip.
Install:
\ZWavePCController_v5_39\Bin\ZWavePCController\ZWaveControllerSetup.msi
Note, you may also need to install the driver in the bin folder too for the USB dongle to be recognized.
Thanks...I've downloaded and extracted both, the PC Controller included an MSI that I ran that installed the PC Controller SW:
I did find these exe's in the SDK folders...
My UZB stick arrives Saturday...
Okay to report back again (I've been doing so already in a few other threads).
Today did the shutdown/unplug/wait/startup (SWUS?) thing.. and 2 ghost devices appeared - the original "015" and a new one "016". First tried to remove the "015" via it's remove button on the Z-Wave details page but it did not work. SWUS'd again and was able to pair my UZB-7. All good - was able to remove "015" by doing the whole "is failed" / "remove failed" thing. Was unable to remove "016" but no worries - SWUS'd again and this time in HE a new device appeared called "Zooz Central Scene Dimmer". Did not seem to respond to anything (I should have waited maybe) so tried to remove from the device details page. Was unable remove/exclude the offending switch so did a force remove which in hindsight probably not a good idea. A new ghost was created and I was unable to remove from HE or PC Controller SW.
During the A5 discussion - I did a repair on Node 006 to show @csteele that the mystery A5's would still in fact exist even after such a repair. Sadly I was wrong (doh!) but the interesting thing is my 016 ghost node started showing up as "OK" and a route??? - see bottom right of following pic.
For giggles went ahead and did a "discover". Another "Zooz Central Scene Dimmer" got created. I went to the details page and tried to turn on/off, configure etc.. initially got no response. Eventually though things started working!!! Now sadly I am not onsite with the hub at the moment but the details page is reporting the device is responding with on/offs so am a bit encouraged by this...
One thought is that making changes etc may in fact take a few seconds or minutes longer than anticipated especially due to the network busy issue. You can end up tripping over your own feet...
What's the most reliable UZB for fixing ghost nodes and upgrading firmware?
So in the past the Z-Stick has been great - use it for excluding devices mostly and the occasional ghost removal. Today I used the UZB-7 for the first time. Paired fine (I paired it with no security) and was able to see and remove one of the 2 ghosts I had. Seemed to work well. Note: the other ghost transformed into a real device after I ran a "discover" on the device on the Z-Wave details page.
In terms of firmware - I have not used any usb stick for that purpose. The HE z-wave firmware update driver works really well for me.
Link to the UZB-7 please?
If in the US here's one..
https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Silicon-Labs/SLUSB001A?qs=u16ybLDytRbJsMfgk3EnSA%3D%3D
Download the Hubitat app
