Automatic updates.

[davidzill]

First off I love your products; they add essential immersion for full effect and enjoyment. However, your methodology of updates, mostly the incremental updates available in game (FSX), are flawed and causing major issues that make it seem like FSX is completely broken. My newest build is absolutely stable, I can leave my PMDG on autopilot for an 18-hour flight, and return with the game still running. Whenever I install one of your incremental updates, I get crashes so frequent I cant even start FSX, i.e the StackHash_0a9e APPCRASH. Like many developers advise "You may run into problems with the standalone update," that applies to you guys every update. I am simply trying to recommend instead of offereing incremental updates, send an email to your customers with a link to the full GSX installer. I've had to figure this out on my own through trial and error, and I'm hoping I did not cause irreparable system damage in the mean time trying to figure out my persistent CTDs. Thank you, great products I will never stop using, please just look into this.   

[virtuali]

I am simply trying to recommend instead of offereing incremental updates, send an email to your customers with a link to the full GSX installer.

Everything that could fix a crash is always included in the Stand-Alone Addon Manager. Downloading the Full GSX installer is only needed to get updated vehicles, textures and sound, but none of this could cause (or fix) a crash, since the executable files are exactly the same.

And, when it was required to download the full GSX installer, we clearly indicated in the relevant Live Update notification release notes, that you can read from inside the sim when an update notification comes out.

[devgrp]

I swear the op is telling the truth. Your updates are a major headache. Yesterday I started the p3d v3 and got a notfication for coualt update which I did in game. After the update coualt crashed, when asked to restart I say yes but it keeps crashing then tells me to download addon manager. Ended my flight, download addon manager and installed and left my pc. Today I turn on pc and start p3d now ezdok doesnt work when it worked yesterday before that damn coualt update. This one program is driving us insane. How can I get a refund for this bullshit?

[virtuali]

when asked to restart I say yes but it keeps crashing then tells me to download addon manager

It doesn't say JUST that: it also telling you to open the error log to know details about the error. This would explain WHY it "crashed".

The most likely reason is that you decided to skip the previous major update (one the *required* to download and install the Stand-Alone Addon Manager), so the new one will not work until you do. That's why it's asking to download and install the Stand-Alone Addon Manager now: because you haven't done that in the previous major update notification.

[qote]. Ended my flight, download addon manager and installed and left my pc. Today I turn on pc and start p3d now ezdok doesnt work when it worked yesterday before that damn coualt update. This one program is driving us insane. How can I get a refund for this bullshit?[/quote]

First, you should learn to behave live a civil person, because using this kind of language is NOT tolerated here. Next time, it's a ban.

Second, it's NOT POSSIBLE that installing the Stand-Alone Addon Manager  (and you don't even say if it fixed the "couatl crash", I guess it did...) would cause ezdok to cease working.

It's a known fact that ezdok by default has keys which conflicts with GSX. That's why we have a way to customized the key used by our programs, like any proper problem should but, of course, it's you that should check if you have two addons using the same keys, and change them in one or the other.

If it's not a key conflict, then the reason why ezdok must be something else, but NOT the installation of the Addon Manager because, other then the possible key conflict (that we provide with EVERY means to solve with the "Key Mappings" menu), they are entirely unrelated and, with the exception of the known potential key conflict, NOBODY has reported any problems between ezdok and our software and surely NOBODY reported a problem with it related to the recent update.

[devgrp]

you need to fix your software and stop blaming the users. This is not user error. I've had gsx and ezdok working for the longest without any problem. I bought KMEM when it was first release and got the new gsx update. KMEM was a disaster but eventually you fixed the problem. Everything was working fine untill yesterday I got a prompt for an update from coualt. Now mind you gsx and ezdok was working fine. After I did the ingame coualt update it crashed once the update was done and started panicking. Why would it do that when it worked prior to the update? Its obviously your update that broke it. And for the record I've never had any problem with gsx and ezdok working together until that damn update

[virtuali]

you need to fix your software and stop blaming the users. This is not user error. I've had gsx and ezdok working for the longest without any problem

You are mixing up two separate things:

1) The fact the Couatl "crashed" ( it hasn't: it has given you a proper error message ) suggesting to download the Stand-Alone Addon Manager, it's NOT a "problem" of the software that should be fixed. It IS caused by the fact that, when you saw the previous Major Update notification, which ALSO suggested you to download the Stand-Alone Addon Manager, you decided to skip it. That's why it's saying to download the Stand-Alone Addon Manager, again, because it needs it.

2) The problem with ezdok I never said THIS ONE is an "user error". You started saying it's a problem caused by Couatl, which is NOT.

I'm not *sure* it's a key conflict, that's the only thing that most user reported when discussing gsx and ezdok.

But if it's ANOTHER problem, it's NOT and CANNOT be caused by the "Couatl update", as you said. Fact they worked before doesn't automatically prove the problem is CAUSED by the updated. It's caused by something else that, if you stopped with your attitude of blaming GSX or Couatl, we could surely be able to check it and explain it.

KMEM was a disaster but eventually you fixed the problem.

KMEM had very minor issues and there was no "problem". We fixed ALL those minor issues that could be attributed to it, but MOST of them were just caused by the fact that, whenever we update our software, a number of defective antivirus products based on the flawed concept of a file "reputation", made their best to block the update, causing a big mess which wasn't in any way a "KMEM problem".

However, this clearly proves (and you are acknowledging it), that we always fix problems WHEN they are on our side. Again, with fixed really minor issues in KMEM.

But this issue with ezdok is NOT caused by the Couatl update or GSX.

Otherwise, we would have other similar reports about ezdok breaking after the Couatl update, but we haven't.

Everything was working fine untill yesterday I got a prompt for an update from coualt. Now mind you gsx and ezdok was working fine. After I did the ingame coualt update it crashed once the update was done and started panicking. Why would it do that when it worked prior to the update? Its obviously your update that broke it. And for the record I've never had any problem with gsx and ezdok working together until that damn update

It's NOT "obviously" our update! You are confusing an effect (ezdok that doesn't work) with a cause, but that's not the case. You cannot say the updated caused it, until we test it in a PROPER way.

Want to have a Teamviewer session, so I can check your system and tell what REALLY caused it ? PM-me for details.

[devgrp]

dude you are hopeless. What you are basically saying is that everytime we start the sim and we get a notification saying there is an update and we do the update we have to redownload the addon manager and install that too?

And coualt did freaking crash because my damn buildings and jetways disappeared when I kept saying yes to the restart and it kept crashing so I just said no and continued my flight without any buildings or jetways

The kmem problem wasnt because of any antivirus software, it was because of you and you said it yourself that you missed something. I have a friend who bought all you airport and none of them works because of this damn coault. Its so damn sensitive that you cant even tell what the problem is and he doesnt even use any av software. Your program sucks. Paying customers are having a hard time and the pirates and having a ball. I swear if I can get pirated versions of your crappy software I will download them in a heartbeat.

[virtuali]

dude you are hopeless.

Are you unable to express yourself without being offensive ?

What you are basically saying is that everytime we start the sim and we get a notification saying there is an update and we do the update we have to redownload the addon manager and install that too?

That's NOT what I've said, of course and that's NOT what you are supposed to do. Not ALL updates require to download the Stand-Alone Addon Manager. Those that DO require it, will TELL YOU SO.

But if you ignore an update the required the Stand-Alone Addon Manager, you cannot expect it the program will continue to work with *subsequent* updates that RELIED on the fact you should have update the Stand-Alone Addon Manager.

This is what the error message is saying: you skipped the Stand-Alone Addon Manager when it told you to do that, now you MUST do it, because this has caused the program to end in an error condition.

And coualt did freaking crash because my damn buildings and jetways disappeared when I kept saying yes to the restart and it kept crashing so I just said no and continued my flight without any buildings or jetways

As I've said already, just stop using this kind of language. When you said something clearly wrong, using foul language doesn't make it right.

I'll repeat it again: the Couatl hasn't "crashed". Do you even know what a crash is ? Couatl has reported you of an error, offered you a chance to see the error log, and told you to download and install the Stand-Alone Addon Manager. This is not a crash, it's a graceful handling of an error condition, caused by the fact you skipped the previous request  to install the Stand-Alone Addon Manager.

Jetways and buildings weren't missing because the program "crashed", they were missing because it will not continue in an error condition, until you do what it has asked to do.

The kmem problem wasnt because of any antivirus software, it was because of you and you said it yourself that you missed something.

Which clearly proves that WHEN a problem is in our software, we don't only fix it very fast, but we also ADMIT IT.

But that's not the point: there were *multiple* issues, which you seem to confuse all together, just to prove some kind of point you don't have. Of the many issues reported, the vast majority WERE antivirus problems, some very caused by other addons, and the tiny minority that really were a KMEM problem, were fixed almost *immediately*

I have a friend who bought all you airport and none of them works because of this damn coault.

Then you should tell him to contact us either here or by email, so we can easily fix any problems he has, like we do for everybody, AND prove it WASN'T Couatl to begin with, but something else.

Its so damn sensitive that you cant even tell what the problem is and he doesnt even use any av software.

I can always tell what the problem is, even in the cases when it's not the antivirus. Again: I'm always available to Teamviewer sessions to prove to anyone that everything can be fixed WITHOUT touching any of our software!

Your program sucks. Paying customers are having a hard time and the pirates and having a ball. I swear if I can get pirated versions of your crappy software I will download them in a heartbeat.

I somewhat expected this kind of reply.

The reality is exactly the opposite of your "pirates having a ball". What happens, instead, is that users with the habit of using lots of pirated stuff WILL have more trouble than normal users, since they install lots of crap, get real viruses without even realizing, and even corrupt their own Windows files and compromise the stability of their sim to install unreliable hacks.

Topic is closed.