Couatl scripting engine hasn't started **SOLVED**

[firehawk44]

Probably the most frustrating event in my lifetime (I'm 73).  I am getting this infamous error.  I disabled Windows Defender and uninstalled/reinstalled KLAX.  Windows Defender did not indicate in the History that it blocked anything FSDT/Couatl.  KLAX was working great then I got a message at startup to KLAX that I needed to run the FSDT Live Update.  I quit P3DV4 and ran FSDT Live Update and then restarted P3DV4, and now, no KLAX.  No KCLT, KLAS, KMEM, or any of the other airports (I have them all).  In the past, I fixed issues like this simply by reinstalling the Standalone Addon Manager but your site says it is no longer needed. 

Couatl has not started as it does not show under the Addon Manager in the P3D Menu. 

In the Addon Manager folder, all my airports are listed and each shows the product is installed, in the Library, and activated.  When I exit, it gives me the Couatl scripting engine hasn't started error message.  In the Program Files (x86)/Addon Manager/Scripts folder, there is only one file - FSDT_jetwaynumber.lua. 

In the Lorby_Si Addon Organizer, under Other addons, It shows the FS DreamTeam Addon Manager but the component entries to the bglmanx64.dll and to Couatl.exe is all in lavender/purple.  All others are in green.  I made sure the path to bglmanx64 and Couatl were correct and there were and the files exist.

In the Prepar3D v4 Add-Ons folder, I see a folder for FSDreamTeam Addon Manager and the Add-on.xml was just updated; then a folder for each of the FSDT Add-Ons I have installed.  All of the respective add-on.xmls were updated today.   I also uninstalled/reinstalled GSX2 as well as KLAX several times.  I have also run the FSDT Update several times too.  What am I doing wrong?  Thanks for your assistance.

Jim

[virtuali]

Try this test here:

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,18600.msg129143.html#msg129143

[firehawk44]

Ran the couatl.exe --test and no results.

I did not have MSV2015 installed but had MSV2017.  Tried to install MSV2015 x86 and x64 and it would not allow it as it stated there was a later version installed.  Uninstalled MSV2017 and that allowed me to install MSV2015 and it did not fix the problem.  Reinstalled MSV 2017.

Reinstalled KLAX and ran the FSDT Update again after updating the MSV's and problem still exists.

Reinstalled the simconnect in the P3DV4 folder as indicated in link and this did not fix the problem.

Windows Defender is not active except the firewalls are still turned on. 

Jim

[firehawk44]

I would like to emphasize that the Addon Manager appears in the P3DV4 menu but under that, Couatl entry is not there.

[virtuali]

Ran the couatl.exe --test and no results.

You mean you saw a brief pause, then the prompt returned with no errors ? If yes, it means Couatl.exe IS working, so you are not missing anything.

Do you have a file named %APPDATA%\Virtuali\Couatl.ERR ? If yes, it should contain an error which indicated why Couatl crashed/quit in flight, after it was started.

[firehawk44]

I have a couatl.err report but from last Friday:

couatl v3.2 (build 4032)
panic log started on Fri Sep  7 19:27:21 2018

problem raised by engine or unspecified addon
{'Airport': 'KIAD', 'Requested assistance services at': 'Concourse A|Gate 15', 'User Pos': (38.94934093714059, -77.44471213024488, 99.207 m, 4.10999 m, 199.96676675801586)}
disconnected from SimConnect.
SharedMemInterface created
Couatl is restarting gracefully

After that error, Couatl ran perfectly up until yesterday when I was told to upgrade by running the FSDT Live Update.  I quit P3D and ran the update.  Since then Couatl does NOT appear on the P3D Menu.

[firehawk44]

Just looking down in the forum and someone else had the same issue and fixed it but you and everyone else is trying to find out how he fixed it.  This is the thread - http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,18439.0.html

[firehawk44]

Fixed.  Uninstalled GSX.  Reinstalled GSX (not the expansion).  Couatl is back.

[virtuali]

Fixed.  Uninstalled GSX.  Reinstalled GSX (not the expansion).  Couatl is back.

You cannot install GSX without the expansion.

If you install using a previous GSX installer, it will start exactly the same Live Update you already ran with the new version, since they are both on the same server, so they both download and install all the same, identical files.

Download and install the last full installer with Level 2, I'm sure it will work just as well. What fixed the problem wasn't the old installer, but possibly some clean up of wrong registry and compatibility settings we do from the installer, any installer.

[firehawk44]

I had all of my FSDT scenery installed and working without problems.

GSX Expansion was released and I immediately purchased and installed it.  FSDT scenery continued to work flawlessly until I received a popup within P3DV4 to update by quitting P3DV4 and running FSDT Live.  Once I did this, the next time I started up P3DV4 and went to KLAXV2, the scenery would not load.  I went into the Addon Manager to make sure it was still installed or maybe lost its serial number and all appeared okay so I click on exit and immediately got the message in the topic title that also stated it is most likely caused by my anti-virus program.  Checked my anti-virus program (Windows Defender) and none of the files in quarantine belonged to FSDT.  I disabled Windows Defender.  Ran P3DV4 and still could not get any of my FSDT sceneries to work. 

Saw that Couatl was not showing up in the Addon Menu and tried to get it to work by doing several things like uninstalling KLAXV2 and GSX Expansion and then reinstalling KLAXV2 (but not the Expansion).  Still no luck.

Tried all of the things you suggested in the link in regards to reinstalling MSV's, simconnect, etc., and none worked.

Decided to uninstall GSX and reinstalled GSX without the expansion.  Restarted P3DV4 and Couatl showed up in the menu and KLAXV2 suddenly appeared.

Now going to reinstall GSX/Expansion and move on with my life.

Thank you for taking the time to help me out.  It is very frustrating when things (i.e., add-ons and Windows) in P3DV4 do not work the way as intended and you have to do a lot of uninstalling/reinstalling, disabling this and that, checking to make sure everything is installed properly in the Add-On.xml and Addon Organizer, mess with your anti-virus program that has worked flawlessly in the past as an error message says that's the most likely problem, load/unload P3DV4 several times, and hope each time you reload the sim the problem is fixed and you find it is not and have to start all over again with another possible solution.  I am one of the old timers in FS who rarely had a problem with any FSDT product and especially couatl and constantly told others there is nothing wrong with couatl and they did something wrong during the installation.  They always disagreed.  Now I am part of that group who disagrees with my advice as spending 4-5 hours trying to fix a tiny issue like the couatl not showing up or working should never happen to anyone.

Best regards,
Jim Young, AVSIM Online!

[virtuali]

FSDT scenery continued to work flawlessly until I received a popup within P3DV4 to update by quitting P3DV4 and running FSDT Live.  Once I did this, the next time I started up P3DV4 and went to KLAXV2, the scenery would not load. 

I think I know what might have happened: you started the Live Update too quickly after closing the sim, without allowing enough time to close all the opened files, release all the file locks, and close all the started executables.

Now, before you say you are sure you saw the sim closing down, try this experiment:

- Launch the GSX Control Panel.

- Launch P3D4. You'll see the Control Panel with all the buttons disabled and the button that compiles saying "Waiting to close sim"

- Keep the GSX Control Panel in sight and close the sim. Noticed how long it takes AFTER the P3D4 icon has already disappeared for the button to re-enable itself ?

THAT'S when it's really safe to start the Live Update, because the Control Panel asks Windows when the simulator process has REALLY closed, which might require seconds (or more, depending how much stuff is required to close) AFTER you already seen the P3D icon disappearing from the Taskbar.

I'll see if it would be possible to add a similar check to the Live Update itself.

[Timothy Metzinger]

Like others here, everything was fine until I ran LiveUpdate today.  Since then, I get the "couatl scripting engine hasn't started".  I've shutdown, restarted, deinstalled/reinstalled.  No antivirus running.

I'm fortunate that I have a partition level backup taken each night.  Once I get a good backup of the current state of the system (everything fine with FSDT stuff deinstalled), I'll roll back to a day or two earlier and confirm that it was all good before the liveupdate.


I'll post back when that's done.

[virtuali]

I'll roll back to a day or two earlier and confirm that it was all good before the liveupdate.

Please don't do that. If you do, we'll never know what *really* caused it and, if it will work, you will still be convinced it was a problem caused by the Live Update.

The correct course of action, instead, is to find the real cause because, if you don't, it might happen again. If it's ok for you, I would like to have a Teamviewer session with you, to check your system directly. PM to arrange this.

[Timothy Metzinger]

I took a disk image of the system "as is" with everything FSDT deinstalled.
I rolled back the system to Thursday morning.
I started up the system, and launched P3D.  All good, couatl menus present.  I got a prompt about the update.
I shut down P3D.
I shut down the system
I started up the system, waited for everything to come up.  P3D is definitely not running.
I ran the live update.
I started P3D, and couatl is not running.  Yes, it's present.  Yes, running the executable with --test from a DOS prompt terminates normally with no messages.

I suspect you have an issue with the liveupdate process.  I will "roll forward" to the image I took before the test, and I will try installing KLAS by itself (no GSX) and see what I get.  Will report back.
No chance of doing a remote viewing thing.

[Timothy Metzinger]

After reverting to the "I gave up" state, with FSDT deinstalled, I:
Installed KLAS (fresh download).  Of course the liveupdate ran.
I then rebooted the computer in case any of those libraries actually needed a reboot.
Then I  started up P3D4, put my default King Air at KLAS.  No buildings, but what appear to be a bunch of vehicle traffic on the roadways.  No coautl menus, and I got the warning that the scripting engine hasn't started.

I'm going to roll back once more, and install some other scenery I purchased today, and ignore the FSDT Liveupdate prompt for the time being.