GSX is simply refusing to activate

[skitchie]

I bought GSX a few weeks ago, and have been unable to even get it remotely close to activated. First off, there isn't even an addon tab in the menu bar, just the default options. I also noticed that FSX isn't even asking permission to run GSX or Couatl on start...

Allow me to list off what I've done so far to attempt to remedy the situation (no joy every time unfortunately)
-Do the whole antivirus routine
-Reinstall visual C++ libraries
-Check GSX is a trusted publisher
-Reinstall simconnect
-Uninstall and reinstall both FSX and GSX multiple times

I checked my dll.xml and couatl does indeed have an entry and all that jazz. I also attempted the simconnect.ini diagnostic but I don't get any results, when I start FSX I just get the command prompt that shows my simconnect version and nothing else. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!

EDIT: Upon reinstallation of FSX to a new folder and redownloading the newest version of GSX I DID get asked permission to run the dll's. However, now I'm getting an error saying basically the addon manager can't load and to check for missing .dll dependencies. I've reinstalled all my VC 2005 libraries and am double checking simconnect, but it is still rather frustrating.

[virtuali]

EDIT: Upon reinstallation of FSX to a new folder and redownloading the newest version of GSX I DID get asked permission to run the dll's. However, now I'm getting an error saying basically the addon manager can't load and to check for missing .dll dependencies. I've reinstalled all my VC 2005 libraries and am double checking simconnect, but it is still rather frustrating.

This clearly proves the problem doesn't have anything to do with GSX, and it's a problem of missing system library on your system.

GSX cannot obviously automatically "fix" any problem if missing libraries issues on your system: if it could, we should probably start selling it as a system repair tool instead of a flight sim tool. Such tool, unfortunately, doesn't exists, because it's simply not possible to be able to fix automatically every problem with missing libraries on any system.

"Missing dependencies" means you are missing some libraries in your system required to run a program. GSX has the following dependencies:

- The Simconnect SP2 version, which comes with either FSX SP2 or the Acceleration Pack. There might be multiple releases of Simconnect installed, and this is normal, but for GSX to work, you need THIS one working.

- Simconnect *itself* requires the VC++ 2005 SP1 runtime libraries, found here:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=5638

Even on a 64 bit OS, you must install BOTH the 32 ( x86 ) AND 64 (x64) bit version of the library. DO NOT install the ARM version.

- In addition to Simconnect, we also require the VC++ 2013 runtime library, which is installed automatically by our installers, so I doubt it's missing. However, it can be downloaded from here:

https://www.microsoft.com/it-it/download/details.aspx?id=40784

Same as above, you'll need both the 32 and 64 bit versions of the library.

[skitchie]

Even on a 64 bit OS, you must install BOTH the 32 ( x86 ) AND 64 (x64) bit version of the library. DO NOT install the ARM version.

When I click the link supplied, I don't get an option to choose between 32 and 64, is there something I'm doing wrong or does it not matter for the VC++ libraries?

EDIT: Ah, I see it comes with both 32 and 64 bit installers. I'll try it out and report back.

[skitchie]

Whelp, no joy unfortunately :/ I installed all the libraries, 32 and 64 bit (avoiding the ARM update), reinstalled the 2013 libraries and checked my version of simconnect....ugh, I'm starting to wonder if this is a lost cause after all.

[virtuali]

Whelp, no joy unfortunately :/ I installed all the libraries, 32 and 64 bit (avoiding the ARM update), reinstalled the 2013 libraries and checked my version of simconnect....ugh, I'm starting to wonder if this is a lost cause after all.

Assuming you still have a "missing dependencies" error (from where you got this report ?), then the problem might just be Simconnect itself. The VC++ 2005 runtimes libraries are just prerequisites for Simconnect to work, but even if they are installed correctly, the Simconnect *itself* might be missing/corrupted.

You might try to use the Depends utility over fsdreamteam\bglmanx.dll

http://www.dependencywalker.com/

Use the x86 version and open the FSX\bglmanx.dll file. It will likely tell you which system libraries are missing/corrupted on your system. This won't FIX your problem automatically, but you should at least know WHAT's causing it.

As I've said, our software (and many others FSX addons, but not ALL of them) requires the latest version of the FSX Simconnect, which is installed together with either the SP2 or the Acceleration pack. If you have other (older) versions, other addons might work, but not our own, which requires specific features of this version.

Some users solved this by removing the Simconnect folders from the WinSxS folder (booting Windows in Safe mode), and then REPAIR the FSX SP2 (or Acceleration) installation.

This, assuming your problem is still the missing dependencies, and not something else.

[skitchie]

Well, I ran depends on the dll and did notice a few things were off (highlighted in yellow and described as 'missing'):

• API-MS-WIN-CORE-KERNEL32-PRIVTE-L1-1-1.DLL
• API-MS-WIN-CORE-PRIVATPROFILE-L1-1-1.DLL
• API-MS-WIN-SERVICE-PRIVATE-L1-1.DLL
• MSVCR80.DLL
• API-MS-WIN-CORE-SHUTDOWN-L1-1-1.DLL
• EXT-MS-NTUSER-UNICONTEXT-EXT-L1-1-0.DLL
• IESHIMS.DLL

I assume these are NOT supposed to be missing? Other than that everything is where it needs to be.

[virtuali]

Well, I ran depends on the dll and did notice a few things were off (highlighted in yellow and described as 'missing'):

• API-MS-WIN-CORE-KERNEL32-PRIVTE-L1-1-1.DLL
• API-MS-WIN-CORE-PRIVATPROFILE-L1-1-1.DLL
• API-MS-WIN-SERVICE-PRIVATE-L1-1.DLL
• API-MS-WIN-CORE-SHUTDOWN-L1-1-1.DLL
• EXT-MS-NTUSER-UNICONTEXT-EXT-L1-1-0.DLL
• IESHIMS.DLL

These are not the problem, almost every Windows install report these libraries as missing without this having any effect on FSX.

THIS, instead, is THE problem:

MSVCR80.DLL

Which indicates the VC++ 2005 runtime libraries are still missing or not installed correctly, so Simconnect *itself* won't run, and with no Simconnect, no FSX addon requiring it (at least the SP2 version) will work.

Try this:

- Go in the Windows control panel, and Uninstall ALL the instances of the Visual Studio 2005 redistributable runtimes. You might have more than one version: remove them all.

- Then, after removing everything related to VS2005, reinstall again these 3 files:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=32BC1BEE-A3F9-4C13-9C99-220B62A191EE&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=200b2fd9-ae1a-4a14-984d-389c36f85647&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=766a6af7-ec73-40ff-b072-9112bab119c2&displaylang=en
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=26347

AFTER installing all the runtimes, it could be useful running Windows Update and update everything, including the optional downloads.

[skitchie]

God, this makes no sense! I did just as instructed and deleted all the 2005 libraries and reinstalled the ones provided and still NOTHING. Ugh, I'm sorry to trouble you with all this, I think it's best I call this as a loss.

[virtuali]

God, this makes no sense! I did just as instructed and deleted all the 2005 libraries and reinstalled the ones provided and still NOTHING

With "nothing" you mean the SAME error from the Depends utility about a missing MSVCR80.DLL ? If yes, you really want to fix this, since that .DLL is a crucial file that is being used by hundreds of different software, not just flightsim-related, so you will have many similar issues if you don't fix it.