Couatl suddenly keeps crashing

[WebMaximus]

The last couple of flights, Couatl has kept crashing on me and when I try restart it, it will shortly thereafter crash again. Checking the log file, I spotted a very strange thing...for whatever reason, Couatl apparently no longer can spell the name of my user folder in Windows correctly...

This is a screenshot showing what my folder is called and below the screenshot, what Couatl apparently is looking for. No wonder it won't work.

Is there a config file somewhere where I can help Couatl get my name correct again?

https://i.imgur.com/c9Gkc5g.jpg

couatl v4.8 (build 5445)
panic log started on Mon Aug 26 15:29:43 2024

problem raised by addon <unknown>
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File ".\common\fsm.py", line 73, in executeDoFuncToCompletion
  File ".\GSX\assistanceServices\__init__.py", line 2220, in do
  File ".\common\aircraftDb.py", line 821, in setPlannedFuel
  File ".\common\aircraftDb.py", line 769, in readPMDGPreferences
  File ".\common\preferences.py", line 43, in parseCfgFile
  File ".\common\preferences.py", line 18, in __init__
IOError: (2, 'No such file or directory', u'C:\\Users\\ricga\\AppData\\Local\\Packages\\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\LocalState\\packages\\pmdg-aircraft-738\\work\\Aircraft\\G-RUKA.ini')
{'Airport': 'ENML', 'Requested assistance services at': 'Gate 2', 'User Pos': (62.746044394548186, 7.2615222456603, 6.76132 m, 2.4763 m, 341.0334497844826, 0.018572685718217654, 0.024434609338641167, 0.00014726400871289648, 2.553919111633301, 1.0)}

[virtuali]

The reason why we always ask to ZIP a Couatl LOG and ATTACH it to a post, is precisely to be sure that any possible issues possibly related to file encoding or file formats can be checked properly, instead of relying on you quoting a log and the forum software possibly changing its content.

[WebMaximus]

The reason why we always ask to ZIP a Couatl LOG and ATTACH it to a post, is precisely to be sure that any possible issues possibly related to file encoding or file formats can be checked properly, instead of relying on you quoting a log and the forum software possibly changing its content.

Thought I fixed it by using the check feature in FSDT Universal Installer which goes through all files etc because after doing that, I've been able to do a couple of flights without any issues but today, I'm back having the same problem again.

If it's of any help, I get this issue shortly after the fuel truck has arrived and GSX is about to put in the correct amount of fuel via the FO's FMC.

Attached is the zipped log file, fresh and right from the oven 

...and edited to add while I have you attention, I no longer receive any notification emails when a topic where I've asked to be notified has been updated. Not in my Inbox nor in my Spam folder and I've double-checked I have notifications set to 'Instant' in my profile.

Any ideas?

[virtuali]

You attached the Couatl.ERR file, which is the panic log showing only the error code, which is what is being produced if you have logging Disabled. I need the Couatl.LOG file instead, so you should enable logging and attach your Couatl.LOG file.

[WebMaximus]

You attached the Couatl.ERR file, which is the panic log showing only the error code, which is what is being produced if you have logging Disabled. I need the Couatl.LOG file instead, so you should enable logging and attach your Couatl.LOG file.

Ah, my bad - sorry.

I've now enabled logging and will provide the correct log next time I see this issue. Just did a quick test but this time it worked with no issues so seems to be intermittent.

[WebMaximus]

You attached the Couatl.ERR file, which is the panic log showing only the error code, which is what is being produced if you have logging Disabled. I need the Couatl.LOG file instead, so you should enable logging and attach your Couatl.LOG file.

Just had the issue again and this time with logging enabled. Please find attached the zipped couatl.log file.

[virtuali]

Something very wrong is happening in your system because, the Community folder has been found in this user folder:

C:\Users\richa\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages

And the PMDG airframe .INI file HAS been found in another user folder!

C:\Users\ricga\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\packages\pmdg-aircraft-738\work\Aircraft\G-RUKA.ini

This file exists but then, GSX calculates the WASM working folder assuming the username is coherent, so it tries to look for it here, reading the %LOCALAPPDATA% system variable.

C:\Users\ricga\AppData\Local\

This seems to indicate, you DO have BOTH users, but your %APPDATA% system variable is pointing to C:\Users\richa\AppData\Local, while your %LOCALAPPDATA% variable is pointing to C:\\Users\ricga\AppData\Local

So, something is clearly wrong here, you can verify this by opening a new CMD command prompt, and type SET (then Enter), a list of all system environment variables will appear, check the values for APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA, normally they point to the same user, which is the currently logged user.

[WebMaximus]

Something very wrong is happening in your system because, the Community folder has been found in this user folder:

C:\Users\richa\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages

And the PMDG airframe .INI file HAS been found in another user folder!

C:\Users\ricga\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\packages\pmdg-aircraft-738\work\Aircraft\G-RUKA.ini

This file exists but then, GSX calculates the WASM working folder assuming the username is coherent, so it tries to look for it here, reading the %LOCALAPPDATA% system variable.

C:\Users\ricga\AppData\Local\

This seems to indicate, you DO have BOTH users, but your %APPDATA% system variable is pointing to C:\Users\richa\AppData\Local, while your %LOCALAPPDATA% variable is pointing to C:\\Users\ricga\AppData\Local

So, something is clearly wrong here, you can verify this by opening a new CMD command prompt, and type SET (then Enter), a list of all system environment variables will appear, check the values for APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA, normally they point to the same user, which is the currently logged user.

I don't find anything indicating what you suggest on my side. Below are two screenshots, first one showing how the ricga folder doesn't exist and the second one, the system variables where both APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA have the correct value of richa rather than ricga. So I'm still not sure where GSX gets the ricga from.

What is also strange is how this issue presents itself intermittently. If a value somewhere was incorrect, such as a system variable, I would expect to have the issue permanently.

Also given how the user profile folder is used in lots of places within Windows, I would expect to see the problem not only sometimes in GSX but in lots of situations. I'm not even sure if Windows would be able to run correctly if my user profile folder was incorrectly set.

https://i.imgur.com/SDAU40u.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/otxEn1r.jpg

[virtuali]

first one showing how the ricga folder doesn't exist

Sure, that's why you have the error. GSX was mislead to assume that folder existed because LOCALAPPDATA pointed to it.

the system variables where both APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA have the correct value of richa rather than ricga. So I'm still not sure where GSX gets the ricga from.

It's because GSX is reading the environment variables in that case that I asked to check that. It's not as GSX is conjuring that name from thin air, it HAS read it from somewhere, in that case it's from LOCALAPPDATA.

Also given how the user profile folder is used in lots of places within Windows, I would expect to see the problem not only sometimes in GSX but in lots of situations. I'm not even sure if Windows would be able to run correctly if my user profile folder was incorrectly set.

That's because it's only an issue if the wrong folder is pointed in the LOCALAPPDATA that belongs to the user currently logged in. If the wrong value is set in the LOCALAPPDATA environment variable of another user (APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA are by user), you won't notice it if you never log with that user.

So, the real issue here seems, you DO have the wrong value set in another user LOCALAPPDATA, and GSX is running using that user permissions for some very strange and not normal reason.

[WebMaximus]

Not sure why you suggest this would have happened because I have another user account which would be the reason for the APPDATA and LOCALAPPDATA variables to be set incorrectly. I only have one active user as seen below and I certainly don't have another user account called ricga. This was also clearly visible in one of the screenshots in my previous post where I showed what user folders I have.

With this said, I didn't see the issue in some time now in GSX and during this time, there have been a couple of GSX updates. So maybe you already found the issue on your side and fixed it. If so, that's great.

Here's a screenshot where you can clearly see how I only have one active user account. Called richa and not ricga. And again, I never seen any other application on my system trying to access a user folder called ricga. So this very much seems to be/have been an issue specific to GSX.