GSX stable for ages - now getting problems

[Ray Proudfoot]

Hi Umberto,

I've had GSX for around 18 months and in all that time it's been rock solid. But over the last few days I've had two instances when it failed to show in the Addons Couatl menu and I've had to run the installer again.

I should also add all my FSDreamTeam airports lost their buildings and I unregistered and re-registered each one before the problem was solved.

Do you have any clues as to why these problems are happening? I see a notice was published over at FlightBeam about a new bug with VC++ 2013 that required a patch. Here's the link. http://flightbeam.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=698

Is there a link to that problem and the ones I've been having?

[virtuali]

I should also add all my FSDreamTeam airports lost their buildings and I unregistered and re-registered each one before the problem was solved.

As explained many times on the forum, loss of buildings doesn't have ANYTHING to do with the activation. If the system loses the activation for any reason, like a change or hardware or a Windows reinstall, or a corrupted registry, the scenery will NOT disappear! It will revert running in TRIAL MODE, which means everything will show up, but for 5 minutes per session. The Trial never, ever expires. It's just you cannot use the scenery for more than 5 minutes per FSX session, not 5 minutes in total.

This means, if you don't see buildings, it doesn't mean you have an activation problem, it means that something is preventing the software to work, so deactivating and reactivating it's totally useless.

I see a notice was published over at FlightBeam about a new bug with VC++ 2013 that required a patch. Here's the link.

There's no bug anywhere in the VC++ 2013, it's just that the updated version of the Addon Manager files now requires the VC++ 2013 runtimes, which might be or not already installed in your system but, since this is downloaded automatically by any of the installers, if you run an OLD version of our installers, and you don't have the VC++ 2013 runtimes installed in your system, it won't work so, you can do one of the following:

- Download and install the Stand-Alone Addon Manager for FSX, which now contains and install the VC++ 2013 runtimes

OR

- Download and install the VC++ 2013 runtimes from Microsoft

OR

- Download and install the latest version of the full installer of the FSDT product you are trying to reinstall, because they are all being updated to install the VC++ 2013 runtimes too. This might be a bit overkill, but it will work too.

This, assuming your problem IS the missing VC++ 2013 runtimes, which might be or not the case.

Do you have BOTH the "Addon Manager" menu and the "Couatl powered products" menus under the FSX "Addons" menu ? Do you miss just one menu, or both ?

Or you have both menus visible, but the scenery still doesn't show ?

[Ray Proudfoot]

As explained many times on the forum, loss of buildings doesn't have ANYTHING to do with the activation. If the system loses the activation for any reason, like a change or hardware or a Windows reinstall, or a corrupted registry, the scenery will NOT disappear! It will revert running in TRIAL MODE, which means everything will show up, but for 5 minutes per session. The Trial never, ever expires. It's just you cannot use the scenery for more than 5 minutes per FSX session, not 5 minutes in total.

This means, if you don't see buildings, it doesn't mean you have an activation problem, it means that something is preventing the software to work, so deactivating and reactivating it's totally useless.

Well please explain to me why, when I reactivate each airport, the buildings reappear? No hardware changed, no registry corruption. And it wasn't in trial mode. There were NO BUILDINGS VISIBLE. I am not some kid who knows nothing and I've used these products for a long time.

So please tell me why buildings for DreamTeam and FlightBeam airports disappear when Addon Manager tells me they're installed and active?  

There's no bug anywhere in the VC++ 2013, it's just that the updated version of the Addon Manager files now requires the VC++ 2013 runtimes, which might be or not already installed in your system but, since this is downloaded automatically by any of the installers, if you run an OLD version of our installers, and you don't have the VC++ 2013 runtimes installed in your system, it won't work so, you can do one of the following:

- Download and install the Stand-Alone Addon Manager for FSX, which now contains and install the VC++ 2013 runtimes

OR

- Download and install the VC++ 2013 runtimes from Microsoft

OR

- Download and install the latest version of the full installer of the FSDT product you are trying to reinstall, because they are all being updated to install the VC++ 2013 runtimes too. This might be a bit overkill, but it will work too.

This, assuming your problem IS the missing VC++ 2013 runtimes, which might be or not the case.

The 'bug' was their words, not mine if you read the link. I did install the updated files provided by Microsoft 2 days ago but that didn't prevent GSX from suddenly disappearing from my Addons Menu the next day. I'm stating facts here, not an opinion.

Do you have BOTH the "Addon Manager" menu and the "Couatl powered products" menus under the FSX "Addons" menu ? Do you miss just one menu, or both ?

Or you have both menus visible, but the scenery still doesn't show ?

When I had the problem Addon Manager was visible which is why I was able to see that all my airports were active even though buildings did not appear. The GSX menu was not visible.

Everything is working okay now but I'm still far from confident it will remain that way. What I find most frustrating is the disappearance of airport buildings for several airports. What is the common factor with all these? Couatl software apparently as no other airports were affected. This software when it works is fine but when it doesn't for whatever reason causes multiple problems.

[virtuali]

Well please explain to me why, when I reactivate each airport, the buildings reappear?

I'm sorry, but I cannot see how this could possibly happen.

No hardware changed, no registry corruption

But as I've said, these would just create a loss of activation, which would result in the scenery reverting to Trial mode.

And it wasn't in trial mode

Yes, but it makes no difference if it was or not. If building don't appear at all, the activation status is not relevant.

So please tell me why buildings for DreamTeam and FlightBeam airports disappear when Addon Manager tells me they're installed and active?  

This can only happen if the Couatl program crashed for some reason. But you wouldn't see its menu either, in that case.

I did install the updated files provided by Microsoft 2 days ago but that didn't prevent GSX from suddenly disappearing from my Addons Menu the next day. I'm stating facts here, not an opinion.

It's different depending if with "GSX from suddenly disappearing from my Addons Menu", you mean it disappears in the middle of a flight, or if doesn't appear right from the start.

Or you have both menus visible, but the scenery still doesn't show ?

Do they reappear if you use the "Restart Couatl" ?

When I had the problem Addon Manager was visible which is why I was able to see that all my airports were active even though buildings did not appear. The GSX menu was not visible.

It's not clear here if you only had the GSX menu disappeared, or the whole Couatl menu. Depending on the case, the issue and solution might be very different.

Couatl software apparently as no other airports were affected. This software when it works is fine but when it doesn't for whatever reason causes multiple problems.

Yes, having a single point of failure might be a nuisance, because if something goes wrong, it will affect multiple products. But it's also an advantage: both from an efficiency/memory point of view ( we don't have a separate module for each product ), but also because fixes and improvements will benefit all products too.

[Ray Proudfoot]

This can only happen if the Couatl program crashed for some reason. But you wouldn't see its menu either, in that case.

I've discovered why the Couatl menu doesn't appear. FSX has a habit of crashing on exit when FS Labs' Concorde-X is loaded. Lots are reporting this but no-one seems to have a solution. This of course means programs such as couatl32.exe are not unloaded. When I start FSX again coatl cannot load which results (if I'm correct) in the Addon Manager, GSX and all associated airports failing to load. I proved this by terminating coatl32 after a crash and when FSX loaded again all the airports, GSX and Addon Manager were present.

Yes, having a single point of failure might be a nuisance, because if something goes wrong, it will affect multiple products. But it's also an advantage: both from an efficiency/memory point of view ( we don't have a separate module for each product ), but also because fixes and improvements will benefit all products too.

I suppose now I'm aware of the consequences I will watch for this problem. It's a pity some form of warning can't be issued if coatl32 can't load.

[supercoup93]

Ray

I had a problem of airport buildings disappearing also and after a while an applet box appeared and said that it was caused by a DLL file not loading or missing and that it named the program that caused the problem as "Virtuali". It turned out to be a Saitek plugin program installed for an added piece of equipment. The Backlit Information panel by Saitek. It also made FSX crash to desktop. I removed the software, removed the panel and all went back to normal. So, if you have added anything recently remove it. Also, I have found over the years that Windows updates and updates to graphic cards also play havoc with what we simmers run. If all is running well, don't update anything. Also, your anti virus software could cause problems not only when downloading but when running your simulator programs. Shut it down. I understand that you have had no problems with GSX for a long period of time and now are experiencing difficulty and it sounds to me like you have been into computers for a while now. I too have been into flight simulator for over 20 years, way back, and still I encounter problems that I just cant figure out, but believe me, it's usually some stupid thing we overlook or don't remember what we did. Again, it could be a download from windows, a graphic card driver update, FSX itself could have a corruption in the configuration, it only takes one of these { ] } in the wrong place. I don't know about you but I run a lot of programs along with FSX and not all of them are up to todays software standards. I run a program called "Game Commander" back from the DOS days and amazingly it runs but install a program from Saitek for their BIP information panel written in todays language and it cant run with other programs. Go figure!! When I start having things disappear from FSX, from past experience, I usually and eventually get a crash of FSX and have to reinstall it. The repair part of FSX on its installation disk has never worked for me. be patient. I can assure you from my own experience, The problem is not with GSX, its written very well and watched for defects very closely by it's makers. Good Luck and if I can be of any help, let me know.

[Ray Proudfoot]

sc,

Thanks for your advice. I haven't installed any Saitek software. It's all controlled via FSUIPC. Second, I only run MSE anti-virus as my FSX computer is used only for flying, not web browsing or email.

Graphics updates are only via nVidia, not windows updates. These problems have only started with Concorde and as others have mentioned on the FS Labs forum there is a problem when exiting FSX with that aircraft. When I fly the 737 I never have any problems with GSX and airports.

I knew that the GoFlight driver is not stopped when FSX crashes and I will now add coatl32 to that mental list. With hindsight I was wrong to blame GSX but it would still be helpful if some kind of warning could be issued if it cannot load coatl32 as it's already running.

[virtuali]

I've discovered why the Couatl menu doesn't appear. FSX has a habit of crashing on exit when FS Labs' Concorde-X is loaded. Lots are reporting this but no-one seems to have a solution. This of course means programs such as couatl32.exe are not unloaded.

There is a safety mechanism in the Addon Manager that checks if Couatl.exe is still running when its closing and will terminate it automatically if it hasn't closed for any reason, but if FSX crashes abruptly, it's not *certain* this code can get a chance to be called.

It's a pity some form of warning can't be issued if coatl32 can't load.

Well, it's not so easy. The real issue is not that Coautl.exe cannot load, it's that is still running from a previous FSX run, but its communication pipe with FSX and the Addon Manager is not usable anymore, because it has become invalid by the FSX abrupt crash, so it IS running, but cannot talk with FSX anymore.

And, it wouldn't be so easy to know if Coautl.exe is still running from a previous session, or it's running because it has just started normally by FSX.

Again, it's a compromise between performances and ease of use. If we made Couatl as a .DLL, it would be SURE that, if FSX crashed (because ANOTHER addon has a problem...), the module would stop to run. But being an external .EXE, it has the advantage that it doesn't steal a single byte of memory from FSX VAS, and it wouldn't bring down FSX if IT crashed.

I knew that the GoFlight driver is not stopped when FSX crashes and I will now add coatl32 to that mental list.

No need to "go mental" (sorry for the pun...), you could create a batch file to start FSX, that will first force kill any .EXE, using the default TASKKILL command, like this:


TASKKILL /F /IM Couatl.EXE
TASKKILL /F /IM Othermodule1.EXE
TASKKILL /F /IM Othermodule2.EXE
FSX.EXE

Just an example assuming your EXE.XML contains these 3 modules to start. Just replace the names with the filenames of all the executables listed in the %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX\EXE.XML file, and this will ensure you'll start fresh at every FSX startup. Save this file with something like FSX.BAT or START_FSX.BAT, and use that one to start FSX, possibly with a link to it for easier access.

[Ray Proudfoot]

Hi Umberto,

Excellent advice, thank you. I'm familiar with batch files so will do as you suggest. I'm sorry if I came across as abrupt the other day but when FSX has been stable for such a long time getting these problems just tipped me over the edge especially when so many airports are affected.

Good point about couatl being an exe rather than dll and eating into FSX's 4Gb limit.

FSX ended unexpectedly again this morning but the termination was more 'controlled' and Addon Manager did shut down correctly. That problem was due to the ASN update and an older version of FSUIPC. Once updated everything was fine.