Cannot open the GSX menu from Add-ons in P3D v5.3 (Windows 10) **SOLVED**

[virtuali]

The plot thickens! I was asked some time ago by HiFi to install a simconnect.msi file on both my server and remote. Examination of the properties gave this version and it matched my EZCA equivalent.

That's likely the issue: they gave you an FSX version to install into P3D, which shouldn't usually a problem, other than being a tell tale these add-on are not using any of P3D-specific features, and they are 32 bit as well but, again, this shouldn't be a problem as such ( GSX is of course a fully native 64 bit program using the native 64 bit P3D Simconnect ) but, the problem might be having all these different copies of it, some of them spread in multiple folders.

That's not how Simconnect should be installed, a normal installation of the FSX 32 bit version Simconnect client should be in the Windows\WinSxS folders, with more than one folder if you have various versions of the FSX Simconnect ( RTM, SP1 or SP2 ), and they are not just "copied" there, there's a fairly complex registration process involved which is done by the .MSI installer, which makes the WinSxS method working, which should ( WHEN IT WORKS ) allow multiple versions of the same .DLL to be loaded in memory and running at the same time, depending which add-on requires which version. It's a bit of memory wasting, but when it works ( which sometimes it doesn't ), it works.

However, all those multiple copies of the Simconnect.DLL spread around outside the Windows\WinSxS folder, might confuse the WinSxS system, which expect them to be in the folder they were registered into by the .MSI installer, and might cause the sim to be "stuck" with the FSX version of the Simconnect, resulting in only add-ons using the FSX version working, and causing issues to "native" add-ons like GSX, which require the P3D version and the WinSxS system not being messed with.

In fact, the WinSxS is so complex that almost nobody, not even Microsoft, seem to be able to troubleshoot it when something's doesn't work. Which explains why both Microsoft itself ( they used it in older VC++ redistributables, but abandoned it in more recent versions ) but also Lockheed Martin got rid of the WinSxS method, and reverted to static linking for P3D, which IS a bit of memory waste but, considering with 64 bit this is not really a problem, and in FSX the memory was wasted in any case, because some add-ons used the RTM version, some the SP1, some the SP2 version, they decided it was best to stop using it.

However, if you still have add-ons using the FSX Simconnect, you are at risk of the WinSxS ( Side by side loading ) quirks, which are almost impossible to troubleshoot correctly.

I'd start by removing each and every copy of Simconnect which is not native P3D native, at least remove it from all places where is not supposed to be, that is outside the Windows\WinSxS folder.

[jsmcwilliam]

SimConnect1A shows how I hid four files by renaming then with the suffix "-OFF" In three cases I renamed the folder containing them.

SimConnect2A shows how I hid all the Microsoft versions by renaming the P3D folder "redist" to "redist-OFF"

I chose to do this in order to maintain flexibility should I want to reverse the process.

- was this an effective way of following your latest instructions?
- could I have removed more SimConnect versions?

I ran the sim and nothing seemed to have changed. My actions bring up the black window, however, I did notice that the GSX markings in the tarmack did show. This may have been the case previously, I just have not thought about it.  I enclose the log which would appear identical to previous ones!

[jsmcwilliam]

Here are the versions of SimConnect I found in the control planel as well as the markings on the tarmack.

[virtuali]

The markings are proof GSX is working, it seems your only problem is the menu.

Could be you updated P3D using just the Client ? That usually doesn't work, you must update the Content too.

[jsmcwilliam]

I have just, in desperation, compeletely uninstalled P3D again, this time removing all the folders I could find associated with the program. I also removed four SimConnect versions from the control panel. I reinstalled,  P3D V5.3, as previously, on my D: drive and started the sim before any addons were added. I chose the default F35A at the default airport, KRND. I normally see a black background with a centrally orientated smaller widow containing a orange progress tape during the loading process.  Now towards the end of the loading process this background changed to that shown below. If I now chose the Mooney Bravo and reloaded the scenario the new background was present during the entire loading process.
I don't know if this is significant and it must be added that following the loading process the sim seemed to function normally.

I have done a search in the C:\Windows\WinSxS\ for a SimConnect.dll file and enclose my findings. These versions were presumeably not removed when I reinstalled P3D.
I am begining to wonder if the I should take the next step of reformatting my C: and D: drives and start all over again!

[jsmcwilliam]

Before reformatting I decided to reinstall Windows 10, there is a way of doing this without loosing personal files. This proved successful because I can now access the GSX menu from the Add-ons list in the sim - problem solved I hope, we shall see. I suspect there was something wrong with SimConnect the troubleshooting is not easy. There were also four versions in the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder which I did not know how to handle - hopefully reinstalling the OS would sort this out. It did!

[virtuali]

I can now access the GSX menu from the Add-ons list in the sim - problem solved I hope, we shall see. I suspect there was something wrong with SimConnect the troubleshooting is not easy. There were also four versions in the C:\Windows\WinSxS folder which I did not know how to handle - hopefully reinstalling the OS would sort this out. It did!

Thanks for the report, we can safely conclude the problem was caused by multiple older Simconnect version for FSX installed by add-ons not just using the FSX version in P3D, but even older FSX versions.

This in theory should work, although it's a waste of memory, because each add-on would force the sim to load its own preferred Simconnect .DLL in memory, but when it doesn't, it's almost impossible to fix, unless you really know what you are doing ( one way is to start Windows in Safe mode and manually remove all the older versions ), but it's clear that if other developers stopped using the FSX Simconnect in products advertised for P3D, everything would work better.