FSX-SE and Scenery/coualt problem **SOLVED**

[carl42]

FSDT scenery problem after updating from Win 1706 to 1709 updates. FSX-SE with the new Windows update FSDT scenery only show stand-alone jetways but no buildings, etc and no Couratl shown in menu.  Ran FSDT Live Update and Couatl shows in menu and install is correct.  Switch to new FSDT scenery and Couratl is no longer available and scenery is a mess with little or no buildings and stray jetways etc. It appears that running the live update, Couatl will appear in the first FSDT scenery and proper install; however, switch to another FSDT scenery Couatl is no longer present in the menu and problems.   All FSDT scenery is active.  GSX is not installed.  Any help with this crazy problem will really be appreciated.
 Below is the dll.xml, which I hope will help.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="windows-1252"?>
<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">
  <Descr>Launch</Descr>
  <Filename>dll.xml</Filename>
  <Disabled>False</Disabled>
  <Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Addon Manager</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>E:\Program Files (x86)\Addon Manager\bglmanx.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>ObjectFlow.dll</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>E:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\ORBX\FTX_AU\FTXAA_ORBXLIBS\Scenery\ObjectFlow.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Object Placement Tool</Name>
    <Disabled>True</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Mission Creation Kit\object_placement.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Traffic Toolbox</Name>
    <Disabled>True</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Traffic Toolbox SDK\traffictoolbox.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>Visual Effects Tool</Name>
    <Disabled>True</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>..\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Environment Kit\Special Effects SDK\visualfxtool.dll</Path>
  </Launch.Addon>
  <Launch.Addon>
    <Name>VistaMare Core</Name>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
    <Path>VistaMare\ViMaCoreX.dll</Path>

[virtuali]

FSDT scenery problem after updating from Win 1706 to 1709 updates. FSX-SE with the new Windows update FSDT scenery only show stand-alone jetways but no buildings, etc and no Couratl shown in menu.  Ran FSDT Live Update and Couatl shows in menu and install is correct.

You should never post an XML file like that, into a message, but Attach it to the post, because I cannot possibly sure if your real file has a problem.

Assuming your XML file is *really* like you posted it and you haven't lost anything when posting it, it's now wonder it doesn't work: it's missing two closing tags, the last </Launch.Addon> and the final </SimBase.Document> closing tag, which make it an illegal XML which will by skipped by the sim, so no modules will load and nothing will work.

You can check your XML by opening with Internet Explorer (ONLY IE, NOT another browser, not even Edge), and see if they open correctly.

[carl42]

Sorry for the mess I caused.  You are correct a lot was missing from the paste using notepad++.  I copied the dll,xml file as a text file, hope it is attached correctly. If not will try again.

[carl42]

Hope this file will help.  Used "app crash view".  It did state that FSX stopped working.  FSX did not crash, only FSDT scenery did not install correctly because Couatl was not present. FSX still worked just loaded non FSDT scenery. Hope that is not to confusing and saved file corretly.  Below is typical assumed problem?.
 
Exception Code    : 0xc0000005
Exception Code Description: Access Violation
Exception Offset  : 0x0000e5c2
Fault Module Name : VCRUNTIME140.dll
Fault Module Version: 14.10.25017.0
Process Path      : E:\Program Files (x86)\Addon Manager\couatl\couatl.exe
Report File Size  : 20,126
Report File Path  : C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_couatl.exe_ec2adf5e521aa47d18f986d6149f4993f9aa18f_26bfd6e8_065b2ae1\Report.wer

[virtuali]

There's nothing wrong in your DLL.XML. However, I see you have lots of other 3rd party modules loaded so, maybe one of them is conflicting with our software, due to different version of the VC++ libraries used, since your crash log seems to indicates something in the VC++ library crashed.

Could you please try to disable every other 3rd party addon from your DLL and EXE XML files, by setting all their lines like this ?

<Disable>True</Disable>

This will allow you to test it without any of these modules, without uninstalling them. Disable them all, except of course Couatl.exe in the EXE.XML and bglmanx.exe in the DLL.XML file and see if the crash happens again.

[carl42]

Could this be in support of what you stated?  I used stand-alone add-on manger instead of FSDT live update and received the following:
“c: user\...\...\..\..\msft\FSX\dll.xml error on line 1. Position 46: switch from current encoding to specified coding not supported.  This error file has been with an encoding that doesn’t match the XML header and it’s usually caused by 3rd party installation with bugs. It should be fixed by opening with an editor like free notepad ++ and save it back in ANSI format. “

Next message: “since your dll.xml was corrupted before starting the installer, do you want to install a new one? yes or no”  I chose “no”.
I did not receive this message when using the FSDT live update.

I will wait before trying your suggestion earlier to see if they may change things. Maybe have two problems to work on?

Your help in solving this problem is greatly appreciated.

[virtuali]

Next message: “since your dll.xml was corrupted before starting the installer, do you want to install a new one? yes or no”  I chose “no”.

This might be or not a problem, depending if you had or not our software installed before getting this message. If you started from scratch, with no FSDT software installed, this error would result in our modules not even installed, but then it wouldn't be possible they would crash, as you reported it.

So, it seems you already had them installed before so, even if your XML has an illegal encoding, due to a defective installer of another product, or by having opened/saved with an editor without taking care of the encoding, it might not be sure the sim will reject it. It's just not XML standard, according to the Windows standard XML parsing routines which we use in the installer, but that doesn't mean the sim won't be able to use it anyway.

It's just that we don't try to touch what is not 100% XML standard, because if we tried to do that, since we DO use the Window standard XML routines to change it, if it wasn't 100% clean before, we'd end up corrupting it.

I did not receive this message when using the FSDT live update.

The FSDT Live Update will just update FSDT files, but it won't care about your sim configuration files anymore. Those problems are only dealt with by the installers
, since it's assumed that you must have installed the full product once, to run the update.

I will wait before trying your suggestion earlier to see if they may change things. Maybe have two problems to work on?

Possibly but, first try my suggestion of disabling everything except our modules and, while you are at it, follow the installer suggestion to fix your XML and save it as Ansi.

[carl42]

Thanks Virituali for your helpful responses.

I have attached my XML files using your suggestions. Changing “false to true” did not indicate any changes to the FSDT problem.(That is assuming the changes were made correctly). I reverted back to original XMLs. All of the FSDT sceneries were installed on new laptop over the last three months with no problems.  After the install of Windows 10 update 1709 there are times when Couatl would not show up in the menu unless there are non-FSDT airports on start-up. If you change to a FSDT airport Couatl may or may not be shown active in the menu, thus FSDT airports would not show properly. If I change aircraft that will cause an installed FSDT airport to lose all buildings etc and Couatl to disappear. It’s like Couatl has a mind of its own. There have been no crashes to desktop with this problem. If FSDT airport has a problem I just switch to another non FSDT airport.
I do feel like a computer dummy since I am unable to understand what I should do to correct the possible problem stated below.
 “\dll.xml error on line 1. Position 46: switch from current encoding to specified coding not supported.  This error file has been with an encoding that doesn’t match the XML header and it’s usually caused by 3rd party installation with bugs. It should be fixed by opening with an editor like free notepad ++ and save it back in ANSI format. “
Would as a last resort uninstall all FSDT scenery and reinstall be a solution?
Hope this was not too confusing to what is going on. I am still able to use FSDT scenery on occasions which is a good thing.  

[virtuali]

I do feel like a computer dummy since I am unable to understand what I should do to correct the possible problem stated below.  “\dll.xml error on line 1. Position 46: switch from current encoding to specified coding not supported.  This error file has been with an encoding that doesn’t match the XML header and it’s usually caused by 3rd party installation with bugs. It should be fixed by opening with an editor like free notepad ++ and save it back in ANSI format. “

I'm not sure how I could explain it any better than what the error message says:

It should be fixed by opening with an editor like free notepad ++ and save it back in ANSI format.

Would as a last resort uninstall all FSDT scenery and reinstall be a solution?

You can try it, but it's best if you fix ALL your XML files first.

[carl42]

Umberto,  Good news, the  problem has been fixed. Ran the stand alone addon manager again and no problem.  Still had the problems especially in the KCLT, KMEM, and KSDF with missing Couatl. Since I had not installed GSX  gave it a try and installed no problem.  Now all FSDT scenery are working.  
Thanks again for your help.  Learned a lot with this problem.

Kind regards,