couatl.exe Unable to start correctly

[henoik]

Hi,

I have reformatted my PC and reinstalled Windows 6 times now the past 48 hours due to this problem, and it still persists.



I have installed and reinstalled all VC++ redists (all the way back to 2005) as well as all dotnet redists, and I cannot seem to fix this problem.

Here's a screencap of what Dependency Walker says:

https://i.gyazo.com/48c210bfc86fcb7f2cfc28924e23a792.mp4

Edit: This is both for P3D v3 and FSX.

Cheers,
Henrik Sønstebø

[virtuali]

Your dependency walker doesn't indicate any problems, the things that looks like errors are, in fact, normal and happen on every system. Sometimes, that tool might be misleading.

Since it doesn't seem your system is missing the required libraries, it's possible ANOTHER addon you installed, is using a different (=outdated) version of Simconnect, requiring different runtimes. See this posts here: in that case, if was a problem with RAAS Pro:

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,13066.msg97871.html#msg97871

[henoik]

Your dependency walker doesn't indicate any problems, the things that looks like errors are, in fact, normal and happen on every system. Sometimes, that tool might be misleading.

Since it doesn't seem your system is missing the required libraries, it's possible ANOTHER addon you installed, is using a different (=outdated) version of Simconnect, requiring different runtimes. See this posts here: in that case, if was a problem with RAAS Pro:

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,13066.msg97871.html#msg97871

Thank you for such a quick reply, I really appreciate it.

I have checked with Dependency Walker on all other addons that I am currently running, and I don't get any errors (beside the errors that you normally get running Dependency Walker).

RAAS Pro is not installed on my computer, so it surely isn't that.

Sincerely Yours,
Henrik Sønstebø

[virtuali]

I have checked with Dependency Walker on all other addons that I am currently running, and I don't get any errors

From your video, the dependency walker doesn't show any errors with Couatl.exe either (beside the errors that you normally get running Dependency Walker).

I already explained this in the thread I linked: it's possible that two addons are compiled using different version of Simconnect so, individually, they might work, but they might not work together. We use the latest FSX version (Sp2/Acceleration), but there are a lot of other addons using the SP1 or the RTM version and, sometimes, depending on their loading ORDER, they might cause a conflict like that.

RAAS Pro is not installed on my computer, so it surely isn't that.

That was just a case, but there are many other out there with might cause the same issue. Note that, while we require the VC++ 2015 version of the runtimes, Simconnect *itself* (the SP2/Xpack version we use) would instead require the 2005 SP1 version (note the SP1 version, which is a *different* version of the 2005 runtime) so, if you have a problem with that, it would appear in Couatl.exe, which use the FSX SP2 Simconnect, but it might not happen on other addons, if they used the outdated Simconnect, which required the non-SP1 version of the 2005 runtime.

[henoik]

From your video, the dependency walker doesn't show any errors with Couatl.exe either (beside the errors that you normally get running Dependency Walker).

Yes, I understand that, I'm not saying there's a problem with Couatl (most probably, the issue exists somewhere else).

I already explained this in the thread I linked: it's possible that two addons are compiled using different version of Simconnect so, individually, they might work, but they might not work together. We use the latest FSX version (Sp2/Acceleration), but there are a lot of other addons using the SP1 or the RTM version and, sometimes, depending on their loading ORDER, they might cause a conflict like that.

Yup, I even read that thread a couple of days ago trying to fix the problem. I disabled all addons besides Couatl then, and if I recall correctly, I still got the same error. I tried the same thing now (remove every addon from the dll.xml and exe.xml in both AppData and ProgramData, except for couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll). Still the exact same error.

This leads me to believe there is another dependency issue with couatl.exe that I am experiencing.

[henoik]

I also don't know if this is related, but whenever I enable SODE, I get the exact same error with SODE. When both SODE and couatl.exe is enabled, I get the same error with both.

You said that couatl.exe depends on the VC++ 2005 SP1, I tried to uninstall the current VC++ 2005 redist I have installed and install the SP1, that didn't help much, unfortunately.

[virtuali]

I tried the same thing now (remove every addon from the dll.xml and exe.xml in both AppData and ProgramData, except for couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll).

Do you have P3D 3.4 installed ? If yes, you shouldn't have couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll there, but in the add-on.xml, because 3.4 and above, our current installer doesn't use the dll/exe.xml files anymore so, it's possible you might have used an outdated FSDT installer ?

Assuming you use P3D 3.4, which you should (there were several issues that affected our products in earlier versions)

[virtuali]

You said that couatl.exe depends on the VC++ 2005 SP1, I tried to uninstall the current VC++ 2005 redist I have installed and install the SP1, that didn't help much, unfortunately.

Couatl.exe doesn't depend directly on VC++ 2005 runtimes: it depends on the VC++ 2015 runtimes but, being a Simconnect client, it inherits a dependence on the 2005 SP1 version of the runtimes, because it's required by the Simconnect client that is (should be) installed in your Windows\SxS folder.

You don't say which version of FSX you have. The Steam version, for example, doesn't require the 2005 SP1 version of the runtime anymore, which was usually installed by FSX *itself* (by the SP2 or the XPack, more precisely) so, if you clean-installed FSX:SE from scratch, you might miss the 2005 SP1 version of the runtimes that used to be installed with the old FSX, and P3D won't install it either.

[henoik]

Do you have P3D 3.4 installed ? If yes, you shouldn't have couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll there, but in the add-on.xml, because 3.4 and above, our current installer doesn't use the dll/exe.xml files anymore so, it's possible you might have used an outdated FSDT installer ?

Assuming you use P3D 3.4, which you should (there were several issues that affected our products in earlier versions)

To be honest, I have no idea what version of P3D v3 I have -- I have the latest downloadable version from P3D's website, so I assume I have 3.4 or later.

However, I don't have an add-ons.xml file; I have an add-ons.cfg file. If this is where I should put couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll, could you give me an example of how to enter them into there, as the file itself is empty?

The FSDT installer I used is the one that can be found on the left-hand-side of your GSX product page, which automatically entered the entries into dll/exe.xml-files.

Couatl.exe doesn't depend directly on VC++ 2005 runtimes: it depends on the VC++ 2015 runtimes but, being a Simconnect client, it inherits a dependence on the 2005 SP1 version of the runtimes, because it's required by the Simconnect client that is (should be) installed in your Windows\SxS folder.

I've had issues that may be a sign of me having a wrong Side-by-Side configuration inside of the WinSxS folder (you can see more of that issue here, if it helps you understand the problem I'm having):

https://forums.vatsim.net/viewtopic.php?f=132&t=74239&p=515311#p515311

You don't say which version of FSX you have. The Steam version, for example, doesn't require the 2005 SP1 version of the runtime anymore, which was usually installed by FSX *itself* (by the SP2 or the XPack, more precisely) so, if you clean-installed FSX:SE from scratch, you might miss the 2005 SP1 version of the runtimes that used to be installed with the old FSX, and P3D won't install it either.

I am using the SE version of FSX.

Thanks,
Henrik Sønstebø

[virtuali]

However, I don't have an add-ons.xml file; I have an add-ons.cfg file. If this is where I should put couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll, could you give me an example of how to enter them into there, as the file itself is empty?

You shouldn't do anything manually, the installers knows what to do.

The FSDT installer I used is the one that can be found on the left-hand-side of your GSX product page, which automatically entered the entries into dll/exe.xml-files.

Then you don't have P3D 3.4, because the current version of our installer, since June 1st, doesn't use the dll/exe.xml files anymore.

I've had issues that may be a sign of me having a wrong Side-by-Side configuration inside of the WinSxS folder (you can see more of that issue here, if it helps you understand the problem I'm having):

It's sure you have a Side-by-side error of some kind, that's precisely what the error message is about. And the version you have a problem with, is exactly the one that is required by our software, and by so many other add-ons, like SODE, which is the SP2/Acceleration Pack, the 61259 build.

Unfortunately, checking files might not be enough, because those libraries have lots of entries in the registry too.

Some users managed to fix Simconnect issues this way:

- Booting Windows in SAFE MODE

- Remove ALL the Simconnect folders from the Windows/SxS folder

- Restarting normally, and reinstall ONLY the 61259 version, which has its installer located here:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\LegacyInterfaces\FSX-XPACK\SimConnect.msi

[henoik]

However, I don't have an add-ons.xml file; I have an add-ons.cfg file. If this is where I should put couatl.exe and bglmanx.dll, could you give me an example of how to enter them into there, as the file itself is empty?

You shouldn't do anything manually, the installers knows what to do.

The FSDT installer I used is the one that can be found on the left-hand-side of your GSX product page, which automatically entered the entries into dll/exe.xml-files.

Then you don't have P3D 3.4, because the current version of our installer, since June 1st, doesn't use the dll/exe.xml files anymore.

I've had issues that may be a sign of me having a wrong Side-by-Side configuration inside of the WinSxS folder (you can see more of that issue here, if it helps you understand the problem I'm having):

It's sure you have a Side-by-side error of some kind, that's precisely what the error message is about. And the version you have a problem with, is exactly the one that is required by our software, and by so many other add-ons, like SODE, which is the SP2/Acceleration Pack, the 61259 build.

Unfortunately, checking files might not be enough, because those libraries have lots of entries in the registry too.

Some users managed to fix Simconnect issues this way:

- Booting Windows in SAFE MODE

- Remove ALL the Simconnect folders from the Windows/SxS folder

- Restarting normally, and reinstall ONLY the 61259 version, which has its installer located here:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\LegacyInterfaces\FSX-XPACK\SimConnect.msi

Well, it works now. Thank you so much for your help!

I did two things (so I don't know which one was the saviour):

1. I updated my Windows Installation Media, and refreshed Win10 from that.
2. I did the steps you described in your post.

Again, thanks for your help!

Sincerely,
Henrik Sønstebø