Pete Dowson

Okay, so everything worked recently, until... Hmm. Seems that uninstalling and re-installing FSX is quite a nightmare for many, and seems to be the root cause of most of the SimConnect issues. Just to confirm that it is a Simconnect installation problem, however, could you please show me the contents of the Install and FSUIPC4 log files from the FSX Modules folder? These really are always needed initially. And when you say: "I have tried your earlier suggestion in locating, deleting and then running repair to replace the simconnect folder" do you mean explicitly the one for the base release I identify in the FSX Help announcement? Possibly the entire set of SimConnect folders might have to go. With both SP1 and SP2 installed there would have been three of them. The one causing the problem may not have been the one you repaired. Regards Pete

Really? How odd. I don't see what that could possibly accomplish. Replacing one file with one which is identical changes nothing. I'm not really aware that IFLY 747 uses FSUIPC for anything, so it is difficult to help, but assuming it does, you need to see if FSUIPC is actually running correctly. Maybe it's a SimConnect installation problem, which does seem to affect an inordinate number of people. So, please look in the FSX Modules folder and find two files, an Install log and the FSUIPC log. both are ordinary text files and you can paste their contents in a message here. Regards Pete

FSUIPC is actually doing nothing whatsoever during FS startup, other than the original loading of its INI file and setting all of the options to match. It does this early, out of the way, deliberately to avoid any hesitations later, whilst you are flying, for instance. Apart from that it is merely awaiting the readiness of FS. Even after FS is ready, it still isn't doing much. Apart from the possibility that somehow the FSUIPC.INI access is very slow, the only thing which could be causing any slow down whatsoever would be access to FSUIPC from third parties -- ranging from Gauges and add-in DLLs to external programs. Maybe you should start with a freshly-installed FS2004, then compare it with FSUIPC installed and without? Well, another identical copy of the same thing obviously won't change things. there's no chance it could get corrupted because it is codesigned and checks itself. Really, the best action is ALWAYS to look in the "Other downloads" Announcemtn here and get the very latest update (3.775 is there at present). Aha! That is where the problem lies, then. You have some rogue joystick driver which is causing the problem! This has been reported a few times before -- check Windows' Game Controllers, see if it knows of any drivers for devices you no longer have. The usual problem is an old Game Port joystick driver still hunting for a device on a probably unconnected or even non-existent game port. The EPIC driver could also do the same, with no EPIC connected. Try the attached "joyview" program, see if it helps track it down ... Regards Pete joyview.zip

Good! Pete

It's similar whatever way you want to do it. See the Buttons and Switches tab. Why not refer to some of the extensive documentation supplied with FSUIPC, or at least browse through it and see what you can do? Because it is not an FS control (of which I list all), and there are hundreds of possible commands PM may take, and many, like this, are channelled through one offset, 04F4 in this case. I provided a general "PM GC Controls" control for all those through that channel, and all you need to do is look up the parameter for the WXR button. I provided the list in the documentation supplied with FSUIPC, and PM document them all on their website. I don't see how much more you could possibly expect! :-( Pete

Is that with wind smoothing on or off? Have you tried it off at all? If not, can you? Why switch back to 4.20 without trying anything? Do you use the non-really-working windsmoothing in 4.20? I'm sorry, but I do need this sort of information otherwise the feedback is of no use. Sorry, I cannot read those they are too small. Surely it is much easier to tell me the answers rather than attach mini-pictures? There may be ways I can speed up the smoothing operations -- it is probably being called too often at present -- the problem is how to select when to do anything. However, the feedback I really could do with is whether it is actually working. I need those who have been complaining about FSX's wind shifts to let me know. If you've never suffered then you might as well switch the smoothing off in any case. But you shouldn't need to go back to an older version. BTW I'm out this evening so my next reply will either be much later or more likely tomorrow. Regards Pete

You lost 5 fps with wind smoothing enabled or without? And what portion of your FSX performance IS this 5 fps? 5 off 40 is a lot different to 5 off 20! There's no difference between 4.212 (the previous version) and 4.215 other than the wind smoothing. There have been many versions between 4.20 and now, have you only just got around to trying an increment? Some information would be useful please. Pete

Thanks Thomas. Incidentally, there's also already a special FSUIPC control, documented in the FSUIPC Advanced User's guide, called "PM GC Controls (by param)" which drives that offset. The Guide does actually list parameter value 72 as "Toggle WXR". Regards Pete

Found it, a silly typo. Also affected the range parameters. Fixed in 3.775 available now from the "Other Downloads" Announcement. Thanks for reporting it. Pete

There's no differences at all in the FSX weather between SP1 and SP2, nor the original release and SP1. After many hours slaving over disassemblies of FSX modules, and trying to trace through what is happening, I think I've managed to make some improvements with wind smoothing. I've not got anywhere with visibility, but please try FSUIPC 4.215 (or later) available in the FSX Downloads announcement and see if the winds are more amenable. Please note that the "fix" is rather messy, involving some interference between modules in FSX, and it will only work as intended if you have FSX SP2 or Acceleration installed. Regards Pete

Well there is no message "asking" for a SimConnect, but if you mean it says that it cannot run because it cannot connect to the Release version of SimConnect (60905), then please refer to the "FSX Help" Announcement above and follow the instructions to repair your installation. Next time please show me the Install Log from the FSX Modules folder, if it is there. This details precisely what the installer did and what went wrong, and it is therefore very useful. It is an ordinary text file and you can paste it into your report here. Regards Pete

Oh, that's odd. I'll check it again here. Pete

For non-Vista aware third-party add-ons, yes, for sure. Not for exactly the same reasons as with FS2004, as Vista doesn't alias the FSX folders as it does with non-Vista programs, which saves difficulties finding things. But non-Vista aware programs which still want to write stuff to FSX subfolders will have difficulty. (Under Vista, programs are supposed to go into Program Files, and their data into a program-specific subfolder in Documents & Settings "AppData" fodler, or something like that -- one for each user, or into All Users). The FSUIPC4 installer still puts its stuff into a newly created FSX Modules folder, but it manages okay because it also automatically sets the permissions on that folder for all user read/write access. I expect, gradually, all third party add-ons will be changed to do this. Another reason for installing into something nice and easy like C:\FSX is that, well, it's shorter, easier to remember, etc. I've always used such short paths. In fact i usually install FS on a separate disk (or at least a separate partition) from the main system, so fragmentation happens less often and less severely and hopefully access will be faster. Maybe there's a third-party program trying to save its state someplace in the FSX subfolders? Regards Pete

Pete- I think everyone's calculating this instead... you're doing enough work as it is, so we don't ask for more if we can do it on our own :-). Oh, rightthanks everybody! ;-). Actually it was easy to find and furnish, so it's provided now in FSUIPC3, for FS2002 (untested) and FS2004 (tested ok). Same offset as FSUIPC4's. Best Regards Pete

With Vista it is a bit of a mistake installing FS to its default location, in "Program Files". Vista applies data protection to anything installed there -- this has been causing a lot of headaches. Because Vista recognises FS2004 as a pre-Vista program, and therefore one which will probably need to write stuff to its own folders (apparently a no-no for Vista-aware programs), it actually creates the folders elsewhere (I've no idea where -- they are hidden) and the ones you can see as a user are NOT the real folders, but aliasses. They don't contain anything written as data, all that stays in the "real" folders, wherever they are. There are two choices. For a trouble-free future I suggest you un-install FS2004 completely and re-install it elsewhere, like C:\FS2004. Alternatively you would need to either run everything to do with FS2004 as an "elevated administrator" (by Run As Administrator, or changing properties for every such program), or somehow change the access and user permissions for every folder which needs data files written to it. These methods are difficult and frankly I gave up trying and just took the simpler installation path method instead. Regards Pete

WideFS doesn't link multiple copies of FS! It is not any part of its job! It just links to FS add-on programs running on a PC which is NOT running FS at all! You can do what you want to do with FS's own multiplayer provisions. It has a built-in capability of flying with friends across the Internet. Check the documentation/help. Pete

This should never happen -- in fact this is the first report ever of such a thing. Please show me the Install log from the FSX Modules folder. I always need to see that for any problems with FSUIPC4 installation. it is an ordinary text file and you can paste it into your messages here if you like. The install log will show exactly where FSUIPC4's installer is looking for it. In fact the log is displayed on screen whilst it is operating, and is still there when the error message came up. The XML file is an ordinary text file and can also be pasted into a message here. However, a quick solution should be to simply delete the XML file you have and try the install again. Unless you have other add-on DLLs being loaded into FSX this should be fine. Otherwise, try it by renaming the DLL.XML file as "DLL.oldxml" or similar. FSUIPC's installer will make another. No, I agree. That error is theoretically only likely to happen when a user has already been editing the file and made a mess of it. Some add-ons do actually instruct you to edit this file (MyTrafficX, for example), and in fact to make full use of the Microsoft FSX SDK (included in the Deluxe version) you have to edit that file. This is why the error is worded in such a way. Regards Pete

Yes: the first two lines show that either the code signature failed (look at the top of the log) or you are using an illegal key. In the latter case please immediately delete your FSUIPC.KEY file. And ignore that "error". It is deliberate so that I can tell the version of the FSUIPC SDK library being used -- the library code writes its version number to a read-only location to force an entry in the log. 04B0 = version 1.200. BTW later (interim) versions are often available in the Downloads announcements above, if you want to keep really up to date. Pete

As in the response I gave, this was because you didn't follow the instructions. I have purchased from SimMarket many times using PayPal. Just follow the instructions -- you MUST return to SimMarket by pressing the button to do so -- this confirms! No no no! You are reading "debit" the same as "credit". Look at what you just posted. See the obvious difference? Sorry, no. I'm not taking sides here, but it looks like a lot of misunderstanding, no one being rude at all. Check the wording again. Regards Pete

Yes. FSUIPC4 is a different program. It had to be re-designed and rewritten for FSX (and, hopefully, the future versions of FS). Pete

Okay. the Manager kindly personally checked into exactly what happened here, and this is his reply: I hope this is clear and enables you to sort out what you want to do. Regards Pete

I think they are all saved with a flight. Just set everything the way you want, then save the flight marking it as default. Pete

I've sent a copy of your original message here to the Manager of SimMarket. I really can't do anything else. Sorry. Let's see if he can help. Yes, okay. I didn't notice the order number before. Regards Pete

Thanks Hervé! And a Happy New Year to you! [LATER] I've had a look can get the Pressure altitude for FS9 too -- in fact I'll do so in the next interim update, and put it in the same offset as for FSX! Odd no one has asked for it before. Best Regards Pete

Yes. Pete