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The Staff of SOH
I'm so tired....
- Thread starter Cees Donker
- Start date
Running a mid spec computer. I have fsx-se and p3d 2.5. I no longer use fsx because p3d is so much better. I think I have had a total of 3-4 CDT's in the last year. Have not upgraded to 3.3 as I am retired and on limited funds. I usually skip every other updates so am awaiting the 64 bit version of p3d which I hope is on the horizon.
SpaceWeevil
SOH-CM-2024
I'm sorry you're having so many problems Cees. For what it's worth I've never found much in a vanilla FSX installation (especially SE) to cause problems. When they arose (they did, and still do occasionally...) I usually trace them to excessive frivolous switching of aircraft / locations in one session, or loading this old engine and my hardware beyond what it was conceived to handle - complex aircraft, hi-res skins, real weather, complex scenery, AI traffic etc. That might not be the case for you, but it was for me.
I've never found better advice than in Nick Needham's (in)famous 'bible'. It starts with matching CPU, GPU, memory & motherboard before optimising the OS and only then looking at installing and setting up FSX. It's long-winded, didactic and the tone sucks in places, but followed faithfully it revolutionised my FSX experience.
I also suffer from long loading times but this seems related to Orbx FTX regions, where the loading bar sticks at 6% for up to a minute - this affects P3D too. As several people have noted, P3D is more robust mainly due to improved memory management, but I don't find it magically runs everything better or smoother. This is just my 2p / 2c worth (probably about the same now...).
I've never found better advice than in Nick Needham's (in)famous 'bible'. It starts with matching CPU, GPU, memory & motherboard before optimising the OS and only then looking at installing and setting up FSX. It's long-winded, didactic and the tone sucks in places, but followed faithfully it revolutionised my FSX experience.
I also suffer from long loading times but this seems related to Orbx FTX regions, where the loading bar sticks at 6% for up to a minute - this affects P3D too. As several people have noted, P3D is more robust mainly due to improved memory management, but I don't find it magically runs everything better or smoother. This is just my 2p / 2c worth (probably about the same now...).
I am running Win XP Pro (FSX Accel and CFS2 on 1 box) on my 2 old Dell tower boxes. Upgraded to a 512 MB video card and 4 GB RAM on each box. I do something else (sometimes cook dinner !!!) waiting for it to load and it does have the occasional crash. But I pick the plane, time, departure and destination when it's ready and it just cruises right along -- about 98% of the time. Sometimes, textures are slow to load as I change views but it gets there in a few seconds.
I do keep my addon scenery levels down. I have replaced the stock textures for sun, moon, water, night, etc., etc. with better aftermarket files. And StormILM had excellent advice in stopping processes before starting FSX. I use a utility called "EndItAll2" (which can be found on the internet) and my own batch file to stop unnecessary XP services.
For the money I put into it over the past 10 years, it has given me cheap, cheap fun and it still running fine. Every 2 years, I pull the boxes and vacuum the interiors to get the dust out of them and the fans.
These boxes are going to outlast me.
I do keep my addon scenery levels down. I have replaced the stock textures for sun, moon, water, night, etc., etc. with better aftermarket files. And StormILM had excellent advice in stopping processes before starting FSX. I use a utility called "EndItAll2" (which can be found on the internet) and my own batch file to stop unnecessary XP services.
For the money I put into it over the past 10 years, it has given me cheap, cheap fun and it still running fine. Every 2 years, I pull the boxes and vacuum the interiors to get the dust out of them and the fans.
These boxes are going to outlast me.
Smashing Time
Charter Member 2014
Ditto here
Bjoern
worst developer ever
Windows 10 has its quirks, as does FSXSE but as the old saying goes: Adapt or go extinct.
Quite disappointed that MS axed the inofficial W10 support for the Nokia 925. Would have loved to try it, if only to check if some irritating Windows Phone 8.1 bugs are gone. Now I have to look for a sub-300€ Android device with regular OS support and a good camera. *Groan*
Quite disappointed that MS axed the inofficial W10 support for the Nokia 925. Would have loved to try it, if only to check if some irritating Windows Phone 8.1 bugs are gone. Now I have to look for a sub-300€ Android device with regular OS support and a good camera. *Groan*
WarHorse47
SOH-CM-2024
In reading this thread over and over, I find it a little confusing. Cees original post was about the sim, and yet everyone is focusing on their setup or OS.
Perhaps if we knew more about what hardware and OS Cees is running, we might have some insight as to why he's experiencing problems with the sim.
What ya' think?
Perhaps if we knew more about what hardware and OS Cees is running, we might have some insight as to why he's experiencing problems with the sim.
What ya' think?
...of all the crashes, low framerates and hughe loading times I'm about to give up on this sim.
Cees
FS9 mate, FS9!! LOL.
Joking aside, I have the latest and greatest setup bar the GPU (pending) and I still find FSX disappointing performance wise. I'm gonna run FS9 and X-SE for a while and see how they pan out. This is about enjoyment, right? I'll fly what gives me that. Just tried a couple of things I grabbed on steam on sale, not convinced by them. Il2 1946 and Wings of Prey, look okay, but not quite there.
Jamie
In reading this thread over and over, I find it a little confusing. Cees original post was about the sim, and yet everyone is focusing on their setup or OS.
Perhaps if we knew more about what hardware and OS Cees is running, we might have some insight as to why he's experiencing problems with the sim.
What ya' think?
Reading Cees' original post, it is only quite natural that others will elaborate their own experiences with the (FSX) sim, their adaptation to it and fixes, if any, they have found that helped. If one is frustrated (head pounding against wall icon), there are only 3 things one can do -- give it up, accept it for what it is or find some accommodation to relieve or eliminate the frustration. As I stated, I do something else while the "graveyard" loading process is underway.
Or, perhaps since we ALL know that FSX-in-a-box is frustrating, let's just stop re-inventing that wheel in the future.
I have been flying on FSX Deluxe with SP1 and SP2 set in Windows 7 Professional for years without problems until last May. Since last May, I get strange one real annoying crash or freeze per every flight. Do not know why and cannot find what is wrong with FSX.
What can I say??
Here is the annoying freeze or crash message that happens once every FSX flight since last May:
Problem Event Name: AppHangB1
Application Name: fsx.exe
Application Version: 10.0.61472.0
Application Timestamp: 475e17d3
Hang Signature: f7fc
Hang Type: 0
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Hang Signature 1: f7fc88831a14516a1a53b7dc654b9c89
Additional Hang Signature 2: a500
Additional Hang Signature 3: a500f613cd82315a1a89ca2a82b07dda
Additional Hang Signature 4: f7fc
Additional Hang Signature 5: f7fc88831a14516a1a53b7dc654b9c89
Additional Hang Signature 6: a500
Additional Hang Signature 7: a500f613cd82315a1a89ca2a82b07dda
I wonder what are other people's freeze or crash messages?
Regards,
Aharon
What can I say??
Here is the annoying freeze or crash message that happens once every FSX flight since last May:
Problem Event Name: AppHangB1
Application Name: fsx.exe
Application Version: 10.0.61472.0
Application Timestamp: 475e17d3
Hang Signature: f7fc
Hang Type: 0
OS Version: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.256.48
Locale ID: 1033
Additional Hang Signature 1: f7fc88831a14516a1a53b7dc654b9c89
Additional Hang Signature 2: a500
Additional Hang Signature 3: a500f613cd82315a1a89ca2a82b07dda
Additional Hang Signature 4: f7fc
Additional Hang Signature 5: f7fc88831a14516a1a53b7dc654b9c89
Additional Hang Signature 6: a500
Additional Hang Signature 7: a500f613cd82315a1a89ca2a82b07dda
I wonder what are other people's freeze or crash messages?
Regards,
Aharon
Jafo
SOH-CM-2024
If you are having issues "since last May" go to your Windows Updates history and see what was installed/updated "Last May" and uninstall each/all of them until the system is stable again.
It's the one single reason why Windows 10's "Forced Updates" are a genuine issue with Computer users in general. They are guaranteed to give issues sooner or later.... not necessarily every time...but it's simple Russian Roulette ....and you are the unwilling player.
A few years ago the 'simple' updates to IE 9 and IE 10 [as well] initially prevented FSX on my Win 7 Ult box from even starting at all.
Reverting to previous version solved it....and some-when later the issue with the updating magically went away.
...until next time.
There are only 2 entities that can screw up your computer....you, and Microsoft.
And all too often it's not you...
It's the one single reason why Windows 10's "Forced Updates" are a genuine issue with Computer users in general. They are guaranteed to give issues sooner or later.... not necessarily every time...but it's simple Russian Roulette ....and you are the unwilling player.
A few years ago the 'simple' updates to IE 9 and IE 10 [as well] initially prevented FSX on my Win 7 Ult box from even starting at all.
Reverting to previous version solved it....and some-when later the issue with the updating magically went away.
...until next time.
There are only 2 entities that can screw up your computer....you, and Microsoft.
And all too often it's not you...
StormILM
Charter Member
I remember that issue and new AMD/Radeon drivers that caused my FSXA install to stop dead in it's tracks. Another thing I had an issue with after buying the Aerosoft A319 was that the freeware FSX Night Vision addon caused my A319's FPS to be completely unusable. After isolating the component files for FSXNV, my A319 ran smooth as a top. Most of these performance killing issues are caused by a 3rd party addon or some windows related update.
banjoman1960
Charter Member
i stay at w7.........
and also before i update or install something(windows,grafik or orbx) i make a image..........found also grafik-drivers are somtimes very bugy..........so if all work,no change them......
i hope for a long time on w7,for me the best ever.......i can run fsx,fsxse and p3d for days without ctd..........p3dv3 is 460 gb
i have try w10 a few days on my old pc and i hate it,it´s back to w7 to........i hope that in a few jears you can run p3d on apple or other.......if so,good bye ms.
cheers
Ralf
and also before i update or install something(windows,grafik or orbx) i make a image..........found also grafik-drivers are somtimes very bugy..........so if all work,no change them......
i hope for a long time on w7,for me the best ever.......i can run fsx,fsxse and p3d for days without ctd..........p3dv3 is 460 gb
i have try w10 a few days on my old pc and i hate it,it´s back to w7 to........i hope that in a few jears you can run p3d on apple or other.......if so,good bye ms.
cheers
Ralf
I run both FSX and FSX-SE on Windows 10 with reasonable results.
I did move to an SSD for the main disk holding both the OS and FSX / FSX-SE. I put most add on scenery on an additional HDD.
I run with a lot of AI (most major commercial airlines, GA aircraft and a selection of the MAIW military AI) and 3rd party add-ons (most ORBX products and freeware associated with them plus freeware Norway and South Africa)
Framerates are locked at 30 and usually are around there (down to 12 - 15 in busy areas like southern California and southern England) but the game is usually smooth enough.
Just to give a level set I have been timing load times ever since I re-installed on the SSD
Clean install of FSX + Acceleration - 34 seconds
Clean install of FSX-SE -40 s.
FSX-SE after installation of FTX Global, Vector, OpenLC, FreeMesh, civilian and military AI - 4.36 min booting default Cessna to Schiphol.
FSX after installation of all FTX Regions, several FTX payware airports, civilian and military AI - 5.46 min booting default Cessan to Compton Abbas
I have found the biggest issues with regards to stability are
1) AI - if there are missing aircraft in flight plans, missing textures etc this causes the system to spend time searching and trying to render no existent things. the best tool for fixing these issues is ACA-2013 http://aifs2.pvdveen.net/?p=233 It runs thru your FSX install and identifies all the issues.
2) Overlapping Airports. Sometimes I get conflicts between different 3rd party scenery packages and have multiple packages trying to render the same airport. The best way I found to resolve these is to back out packages until the system becomes stable again and then troubleshoot.
No idea if this will help Cees.
Thanks
Gavin
PS my system is an old I5 Gigabyte system (mildly overclocked to 3.2 GHz) with 12 GB RAM, GTX970 GPU, 500 GB SSD & 500 GB HDD. So not exactly a screamer but not bad.
I did move to an SSD for the main disk holding both the OS and FSX / FSX-SE. I put most add on scenery on an additional HDD.
I run with a lot of AI (most major commercial airlines, GA aircraft and a selection of the MAIW military AI) and 3rd party add-ons (most ORBX products and freeware associated with them plus freeware Norway and South Africa)
Framerates are locked at 30 and usually are around there (down to 12 - 15 in busy areas like southern California and southern England) but the game is usually smooth enough.
Just to give a level set I have been timing load times ever since I re-installed on the SSD
Clean install of FSX + Acceleration - 34 seconds
Clean install of FSX-SE -40 s.
FSX-SE after installation of FTX Global, Vector, OpenLC, FreeMesh, civilian and military AI - 4.36 min booting default Cessna to Schiphol.
FSX after installation of all FTX Regions, several FTX payware airports, civilian and military AI - 5.46 min booting default Cessan to Compton Abbas
I have found the biggest issues with regards to stability are
1) AI - if there are missing aircraft in flight plans, missing textures etc this causes the system to spend time searching and trying to render no existent things. the best tool for fixing these issues is ACA-2013 http://aifs2.pvdveen.net/?p=233 It runs thru your FSX install and identifies all the issues.
2) Overlapping Airports. Sometimes I get conflicts between different 3rd party scenery packages and have multiple packages trying to render the same airport. The best way I found to resolve these is to back out packages until the system becomes stable again and then troubleshoot.
No idea if this will help Cees.
Thanks
Gavin
PS my system is an old I5 Gigabyte system (mildly overclocked to 3.2 GHz) with 12 GB RAM, GTX970 GPU, 500 GB SSD & 500 GB HDD. So not exactly a screamer but not bad.
StormILM
Charter Member
5.46 bootup to a default Cessna? I don't run FTX but have a massive amount of scenery and addon aircraft models and my bootup time with this 1 year old well used install is around 22 seconds and my FPS is a solid 32 (locked) and I run some high end models on unlimited FPS and obtain the former target rate. When I fly into FSDT Fort Lauderdale or Drzewiecki-design Miami or New York , my FPS with either my PMDG 738NGX or AS A-319 are stable and near target. I'm running a 3 + year old i7-3770 (non-K) @ 3.40 (w/turbo boost, non-OCed), 16gb ram, and a new 2gb GTX-960 SC. In my experience, once the hardware is G2G and set, it's all a matter of tweaking to CFG file and adding/changing what settings that run best for you. The other thing I avoid like the plague is the use of any FSX menu items like the map or flight planner which unnecessarily eat up VAS and cause other memory issues/lag over the length of a flight. I either use the FMS/FMC Nav, GPS, or good ole VOR/ADF type Navs. 99% of the time, I have no lag or VAS/OOM’s.
I see load times here which make my old rig seem lickety split! Has anyone with glacial performance tried running Scandisk on their HD? I had various issues a while back including apalling response times for IE's Favorites bar and after running Scandisk the machine was back to its speedy self. Too many packages installed, removed and bodged again for its own good, I think.
Scandisk is a command-line tool shipped with Windows 7, Vista and XP if you haven't used it before. Windows 10 & 8 have chkdsk which is used from a command line. Or you can use the Tools in your HD Properties from an Explorer window.
Scandisk is a command-line tool shipped with Windows 7, Vista and XP if you haven't used it before. Windows 10 & 8 have chkdsk which is used from a command line. Or you can use the Tools in your HD Properties from an Explorer window.
Last edited:
Mr. Spin:
I searched my Windows XP Pro system for Scandisk -- no such animal. However, it did pop up with the "chkdsk" utility run from the RUN box under START.
I proceeded to boot up my system and run EndItAll2 and my StopXPServices (homemade) batch file to terminate all XP services I deem not required to run FSX Acceleration. I got my cellphone and reset the stopwatch app to zero. I was now ready to test.
I selected my Logitech Pro Stick device in my Logitech game profile. I then clicked "Play Flight Simulator FSX", followed by my stopwatch. I sat and watched until the FSX Acceleration start page with the aircraft, time, start location, etc., etc. page came up and clicked STOP on the stopwatch. The elapsed time was 5 minutes and 5 seconds.
I then ran the "chkdsk" utility via the RUN box under START and let it do its thing. I did not watch it and when I returned, it was done.
I repeated the process described in my 3rd paragraph above. The elapsed time was 1 minute and 5 seconds.
WOW !!!!!!! I was surprised, sir ! A 4 minute reduction in the compile/check time is an approximate 80% reduction. That was an outstanding tip you gave and I thank you very much for that. I believe I will have to start running the "chkdsk" utility every week. Thank you again.
I searched my Windows XP Pro system for Scandisk -- no such animal. However, it did pop up with the "chkdsk" utility run from the RUN box under START.
I proceeded to boot up my system and run EndItAll2 and my StopXPServices (homemade) batch file to terminate all XP services I deem not required to run FSX Acceleration. I got my cellphone and reset the stopwatch app to zero. I was now ready to test.
I selected my Logitech Pro Stick device in my Logitech game profile. I then clicked "Play Flight Simulator FSX", followed by my stopwatch. I sat and watched until the FSX Acceleration start page with the aircraft, time, start location, etc., etc. page came up and clicked STOP on the stopwatch. The elapsed time was 5 minutes and 5 seconds.
I then ran the "chkdsk" utility via the RUN box under START and let it do its thing. I did not watch it and when I returned, it was done.
I repeated the process described in my 3rd paragraph above. The elapsed time was 1 minute and 5 seconds.
WOW !!!!!!! I was surprised, sir ! A 4 minute reduction in the compile/check time is an approximate 80% reduction. That was an outstanding tip you gave and I thank you very much for that. I believe I will have to start running the "chkdsk" utility every week. Thank you again.