GSX NOT INSTALLING CORRECTLY

[ikarusc42]

Good Morning all,
I downloaded and installed GSX to my D:\FSX folder.   I had Windows defender etc switched off for download and install.   During install I noticed a message stating "Python not installed".   I opened FS and answered yes to the permissions.   In FS Add ons the only item showing is Addon Manager.  I selected "Ctrl + F12, nothing happened.  I checked the D:\FSX\FSDreamteam folder and found "Couatl.exe".   I tried to run it as Administrator and got the message "The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable".   

This is my 8th attempt to install GSX over the past couple of weeks (uninstall, download, install, run, then the same as above.   Is there any solution or must I just accept it will not run on my PC?   Please help.

PC Specs:  i5, 3.3Mhz, AMD Radeon HD 6670, Crucial 120M SSD, Crucial 240M SSD, WIN 8 64, FSX Accelarated etc, ORBX, PMDG 373 NGX, Airbus A320 AXE

[virtuali]

During install I noticed a message stating "Python not installed".

No, you probably see a similar message (there's no such message in the installer), stating that a some product wasn't installed so, no Python support file for it is installing, which is absolutely normal and not an error. If you don't have, let's say, XPOI installed, it wouldn't make much sense installing its support file.

I tried to run it as Administrator and got the message "The file or directory is corrupt and unreadable".

First, you can't run Couatl.exe directly, it won't do anything. But it shouldn't display such error. In any case, the correct way of checking if the file has been installed correctly in your system, is not trying to run it manually (because it won't work), but to check for its Digital Signature.

Right-click on it, select "Properties", select the "Digital Signature" tab, check if the Digital Signature is still there and, click the Details button to verify is still VALID.

If it's not valid, than it's sure the file has been corrupted by something in your system. The most likely cause is the antivirus that corrupted it by mistakenly trying to "heal" a non-existent threat.

- Uninstall GSX. Reply YES when asked if you want to remove the Addon Manager and the Couatl Engine. Reply YES to both questions.

- TURN OFF your antivirus. Don't just exit from its interface, but turn off the real time protection. Actual wording changes between products, however, it's the option to scan every file that gets open in real time, without user intervention.

- Reinstall GSX with the Antivirus TURNED OFF. Don't launch FSX yet.

- Configure the antivirus to exclude the following files from scanning:

YourFSXFolder\bglmanx.dll
YourFSXFolder\fsdreamteam\Couatl\couatl.exe

YourFSXFolder it's usually C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X, if you installed it in the default folder.

- Now you can turn the antivirus back on, and launch FSX.

- Check you are seeing BOTH the "Addon Manager" menu AND the "Couatl powered products" menu under the "Addons" menu.

[ikarusc42]

Hi Umberto,
Thank you for quick response.   I printed your instructions and followed them to the letter, ticking each one off as implemented.
The Addon Manager shows but NOT Couatl powered products.   This has been my problem every time.   What should I do next?

Thank you in anticipation.

Tom

[virtuali]

The Addon Manager shows but NOT Couatl powered products

Have you been ASKED permission to run the Couatl module when you reinstalled GSX after following the previous procedure ?

If not, it means you either:

1) Skipped this step:

- Uninstall GSX. Reply YES when asked if you want to remove the Addon Manager and the Couatl Engine. Reply YES to both questions.

OR

2) The antivirus is STILL blocking it, so you are not even asked permission to run it, because you haven't configured the antivirus properly.

[ikarusc42]

I most certainly did disable to anti virus software and windows firewall - on all occasions when downloading and installing.

Cuotel asked for permission and I replied RUN.   FS asked if was to be trusted and I replied in the affirmative.

I prevented the whole drive and named files from being checked by the anti virus software by entering them in Windows defender.

I stated I followed your instructions to the T.   All you have told me is that you don't believe me.

For your information, I am a retired IT Manager of 32 years experience so I do know what I am doing.

Now - can we proceed one more time?   Thanks

[virtuali]

Cuotel asked for permission and I replied RUN.   FS asked if was to be trusted and I replied in the affirmative.

You are saying it now, not before, so I HAD to ask.

I stated I followed your instructions to the T.   All you have told me is that you don't believe me.

Nowhere I've said I don't "believe" you: this is what I've said:

Have you been ASKED permission to run the Couatl module when you reinstalled GSX after following the previous procedure ?

This was a QUESTION. It was needed, because this information wasn't there in your previous report.

If not, it means you either:

This is an IF. IF you haven't been asked permission to run, THEN it meant you didn't followed any steps. Since this information was missing, I had to indicate BOTH the possible outcomes.

So, assuming it's not the antivirus, you can activate the Simconnect diagnostic mode to see what's wrong with your install:

Open notepad, and copy the following text:

Code: [Select]

[SimConnect]
level=normal
console=1
RedirectStdOutToConsole=1
OutputDebugString=1
; file=c:\simconnect%03u.log
; file_next_index=0
; file_max_index=9

Save the file as SIMCONNECT.INI in this folder:

Documents And Settings\YOUR LOGIN NAME\Documents\Microsoft Flight Simulator X Files

At the next FSX launch, you should see a text window with diagnostic message, that should tell what's going wrong. Let me know what you are getting, so we can have an idea what's happening.

Only the first few lines are important: if the window scrolls too fast, you can use the "Pause" key on the keyboard to pause the scrolling. Post here only the first 10 lines or so of the diagnostic, but it's important you post the first 10 lines.

[ikarusc42]

Hi Umberto,
Here is the file as requested:
I cant see anything disconcerting.
Tom

[virtuali]

I cant see anything disconcerting.

Sure there is. None of our modules are being started. But it's not possible to be sure, with so few lines, try to add a bit more lines to the log.

Do you have the "Addon Manager" menu at least ? If yes, you should see at least the line loading the bglmanx.dll module.

[ikarusc42]

Hi Again Umberto,
Attached is the latest file with a Launch fail line................
Tom

[virtuali]

Attached is the latest file with a Launch fail line................

Your log shows error 0x570 for the GetLastError() windows call:

Exe Launch Failed:  GetLastError=0x00000570  Path="fsdreamteam\couatl\couatl.exe"

According to Microsoft support, that return code means the following:

ERROR_FILE_CORRUPT 1392 (0x570) The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms681385(v=vs.85).aspx

The most likely reason for getting a corrupted Couatl.exe, is that you antivirus has corrupted it, trying to "heal" it, after having mistakenly identified it as a threat.  To confirm this, you can right click on it, select the "Digital Signature" tab, and check if it's still valid. If it's not, it means the file has been altered on your system.

[ikarusc42]

Well Umberto - that explains it for me.   It must alter the file when I turn the Anti Virus system back on.   There is nothing I want to do about this.  I will accept that I cannot have GSX on my system.   Everything else is working correctly so I will let it be.   Thank you for your efforts.   Best wishes.   Tom

[virtuali]

It must alter the file when I turn the Anti Virus system back on

Only if you fail to configure it properly, as I've explained in one of the steps involved:

- Configure the antivirus to exclude the following files from scanning:

YourFSXFolder\bglmanx.dll
YourFSXFolder\fsdreamteam\Couatl\couatl.exe

If you do this step correctly, the antivirus MUST leave that file untouched. It's either that, or the antivirus is not only bugged because it has detected a threat when there's none, but it's not even able to properly exclude a file from scanning. Check that.

Of course, you must do it at the proper moment, after the file has been installed ( with the Antivirus OFF, which was also a step in my procedure ), but before the antivirus is turned back on.

There is nothing I want to do about this.  I will accept that I cannot have GSX on my system

You don't have to turn off the antivirus, if you configure it properly as explained above. The whole point of excluding some files from scanning, it's precisely that you can keep the antivirus enabled, but fix its false positive bugs.

Everything else is working correctly so I will let it be

It's not just GSX. You won't be able to use any scenery from FSDT and any scenery for Flightbeam, and this just because your antivirus has reported a false positive, which can be fixed easily enough if you configure it properly.

Of course, the real solution would be using a better antivirus, one that doesn't mistakenly flag legit products as threats. The FREE and always updated Security Essentials from Microsoft doesn't require any special configuration to install our products, and doesn't mistakenly block them in the first place.

[ikarusc42]

Umberto.

This is my final word on the matter.

I AM USING MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIALS AND HAVE EVER SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED.

Thank you and Goodbye.

Tom

[virtuali]

I AM USING MICROSOFT SECURITY ESSENTIALS AND HAVE EVER SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED.

Without any need to "shout", that might simply mean there's another reason, other than the antivirus, that has corrupted the Couatl.exe.

You haven't replied to my question: is the Digital Signature invalid ? If yes, that would be the final proof that the file HAS been corrupted by something on YOUR system, and it's not the same file we distribute. The whole point of having a Digital Signature, is to ensure users the file is fine.

The antivirus is just the most common cause for a file being corrupted locally. But there might be other causes too like, other similar security-related products ( do you have anti-spyware products ? They too behave like antivirus at times ), but it might be something more trivial, like just a bad download, filesystem corruption, etc.

So, again, is the Digital Signature invalid ?

[ikarusc42]

Hi Umberto,
Thank you again for your help.
I have managed to install GSX by copying the exe from a laptop onto a DVD, switching all anti virus etc off.   Preventing any scaning during install for Couatl and bglmanx + the dvd drive.   As I type this the baggage loaders are departing the aircraft in s separate window.   Brilliant.   I just wonder what will happen if I decide to buy?

Couatl updated and restarted Ok.   I have closed and opened FSX 3 times with GSX success each time.   As you will agree, there is more than one way to skin a cat and this one is well and truly skinned.

Thank you again.   I will test for a while and decide when to buy depending on results.   So far so good.   All the best TOM