Pete Dowson

Ahit is NOT the same as that old case I mentioned. It looks like FSUIPC4 is happily running but it totally unable to get any response from SimConnect. SimConnect, oddly, uses TCP/IP to talk between itself and FSX. I am wondering if there's a Firewall problem, there, or something up with the TCP/IP installation on your PC. Do you think you could try switching firewalls and similar off (as an experiment), and also check your TCP/IP settings? I may need Microsoft help here. Ity's all getting into areas of FSX beyong my competence. Regards Pete

The WideServer log shows nothing wrong, but that's only half the story. Where's the WideClient log? Also I need to see your FS9 WideServer INI file and the WideServer part of the FSUIPC4.INI file. Maybe you are running with different settings on FS9. The Network code for WideServer 7 is identical to that in version 6.70, which is what I assume you mean? Regards Pete

Change even within the same FSX session? I can't imagine how that can happen, as FSUIPC4 (at least, can't speak for FSInn) only ever adds its Mnu entry the once. Maybe FSInn is adding and deleting its entry, and there's a bug in SimConnect which occasionally makes this affect FSUIPC4's entry too. I wouldn't be surprised -- I don't think there's been a lot of testing with multiple SimConnect DLLs running together. I have only ever had one in any case. If the FSUIPC menu stays put with the other DLL removed (just move it out of wherever it is, temporarily, or rename it), then it certainly sounds like a bug -- you will need to report the details to tell_fs@microsoft.com. Tell me too and I'll tell the guy directly. Another thing to try is adding the two extra FSUIPC menu entries -- Load Flight and Load Plan. The options for these are in FSUIPC's Miscellaneous page. See if those stay put, with and without FSInn. That's for the Aircraft Specific axis assignments problem, which you say you can't reproduce? Could it possibly have been finger trouble at all? Regards Pete

Well, that's short and sweet! It definitely shows SimConnect loading the DLL, but it doesn't then actually call the entry point to start FSUIPC4 off. It is supposed to call a routine called "DLLstart" in FSUIPC4 -- everything kicks off from there. Is there an FSUIPC4.LOG or INI file in the Modules folder at all? It doesn't look likely, but if there is can you show it to me please? I recall one (and only one) instance like this in the FSX Beta test group, several weeks ago. The SimConnect author in Microsoft was looking into it. I'm not sure whether it was ever resolved, I've a feeling it wasn't. I'm going to try searching for it now. Regards, Pete

Thanks for letting me know. Sounds like the switch was faulty. I have a couple of DLink switches and they work fine. And it won't be a speed problem -- if anything the simple hub will be slower, though with only two PCs a switch is overkill. Regards, Pete

Erthat all works fine here, and there's no relationship between anything in the INI file and the "Add-Ons" menu, which is created by FSX when FSUIPC4 starts. I need more information please. Your INI file, and a LOG for the sequence with the specific assignment not working. If you've deleted and lost the INI file for the problem and cannot reproduce it then I cannot even start looking at it. :-( Pete

Is there a Modules folder in your FSX installation, with FSUIPC4.DLL included? If so, please right-click on it, select Properties, and check that it is Version 4.01 and has my Signature attached. What Windows version are you using? Hmmmnot sure. Maybe you accidentally told it NEVER to run programs by me instead? I'm not sure how to find out or how to reverse it if so --- those checks are imposed by Windows following calls to check the modules by FSX's SimConnect. However, I think it should be possible via Internet Explorer (for some reason IE is what Windows uses to manage these things). Do this: 1. Load IE, select Tools - Internet Options - Content. 2. Click the "Publishers" button. 3. You should now see tabs for "Trusted" and "untrusted" publishers. See which one I'm in. 4. If I'm not in either then your choice wasn't logged, so you SHOULD get the warning next time you run FSX. If I'm in the Untrusted list, Remove me from there. If I'm in the Trusted list, then, wellwe need to look further. If everything so far checks out I'll probably have to ask my SimConnect contact in the FSX team -- he's been on holiday, but I think he's back this week. There are two other things you can check, but a little more difficult that those you've already done: 1. In the same folder as your FSX.CFG file (Documents and Settings\\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX) you should find a file "DLL.XML". If it isn't there, that's the problem. Maybe you installed FSX and FSUIPC4 under different user names? If it is there, Open it with Notepad and look to see if it mentions FSUIPC4 at all. If you aren't sure about all this, ZIP it and send it to me at petedowson@btconnect.com. 2. You can get SimConnect itself to do some logging which may show why it isn't loading FSUIPC4. To do this you'll need to create a small Text file (eg in Notepad) containing: [simConnect] level=Verbose file=\Modules\Simconnect%01u.Log file_max_index=1 Fill in the folder stuff, then save this as "Simconnect.ini" in your "My Documents\Flight simulator X Files" folder. Now, when you run FSX, SimConnect will log all sorts of things to a file "Simconnect0.Log" in the Modules folder. ZIP it and send it to me. Then delete or rename that Simconnect.INI file. Otherwise, when we do manage to solve your problem, the files will become HUGE (and I mean HHHUUUGGGEEE) with all the FSUIPC4/Simconnect interaction. Yes. Always best to install, check, then pay, really. We'll sort it out though. Sorry it's so complicated. This is all imposed by Microsoft, it isn't my design. And I am informed it gets worse with Vista. More red tape than the tax man! Regards, Pete

Do you really mean PFC.DLL -- on FS2004? Or are you still talking FSX and therefore PFCFSX.DLL? If the latter, please re-test with FSUIPC4 version 4.01. You know you can copy over your FS2004 version of PFC.INI into the FSX Modules folder and re-name it PFCFSX.INI, don't you? Then everything should be the same. But please use FSUIPC 4.01, and keep an eye out for further updates. They are bound to be quite frequent in the early days of FSX -- after all I've only had the Release build of FSX for a little over a week myself! Regards, Pete

Hi Bill, It was a bug -- oddly not affecting any of the test versions, only the release build (which of course has less diagnostic information in it). It was fixed yesterday and put up here as 4.01 and also on the http://www.schiratti.com/dowson page. Incidentally, all of the Buttons, Keys, Axes and JoystickCalibration sections of the INI file are deliberately identical to those for FSUIPC 3, so if you have stuff working with FS2004 you can simply cut and paste those over into FSUIPC4.INI. Regards, Pete

Bug reported, found and fixed yesterday. Please download and install FSUIPC 4.01. Regards, Pete

Well, I've made a specially lax FSUIPC4 installer, as I just said. But in my opinion I think you should try your best to get a complete uninstall, then install it properly. Otherwise I think you'll run into more problems in the future. It is easy to get the FSX installer to install to your chosen disk and folder. Don't just select a driver expecting it to create an "FSX" folder -- YOU need to tell it the name of the folder you want. This is no different to previous versions, nor to most other program installs that I know. So, uninstall, re-install, tell it D:\FSX, or whatever you want to call it. You don't have to create the folder, it will do that, but you have to tell it the name. Regards, Pete

Yes, provided your hardware hasn't changed. I think you are allowed oner severe hardware change in any case. In the meantime, I have made a more flexible installer, which would get over your current problem -- though I'd still recommend a full re-install as otherwise there will be problems in the future. Please read the new Announcement above about a revised installer. Regards, Pete

Going back one message, what did you mean by "I tried 4.01 and got the message so I tried the beta"? The Beta of what? FSUIPC4? The one for FSX Beta3? Did you ever have the FSX Beta3 installed, and if so did you uninstall it before installing the released FSX? Anyway, it certainly seems that your Registry entries for FSX do not match the actual installation. I don't know how that may have happened, but as far as I can see it is the only explanation. I've made a special set of changes to my installer to allow it to install FSUIPC4 even to a 'moved' FSX installation. Please see the new Announcement above. You can, by all means, download and try that more flexible installer, but I would be genuinely worried for the future of your FSX installation. Please read the whole announcement. Regards Pete

Okay. You are the second with such a problem. The first had installed to D:\ then moved the files to D:\FSX. This will cause all sorts of problems later for assorted add-ons, and may actually cause Simconnect (upon which FSUIPC4 depends) to not work correctly in any case. If you haven't actually moved your FSX files after installation, the more information is needed. First of all, are you using Windows XP, or one of the Windows Vista beta releases? Then, please find your FSX folder, find the FSX.EXE file, right-click it, then select Properties -- Version. The "file Version" near the top should read 10.0.60905.0. Next, and this is a little trickier. Please go to the main Windows folder in Explorer, and Search for the file called "simconnect.dll". It should be found, once, in a folder with a complex-looking name. Mine is in: C:\WINDOWS\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.FlightSimulator.SimConnect_67c7c14424d61b5b_10.0.60905.0_x-ww_429211e9 Can you try to write down where you find yours, please? Then right-click on the simconnect.dll (in that Search window) and do the Properties - Version thing again. It should also show 10.0.60905.0. Finally, did you by any chance try the FSX Beta release at all before getting the final shipped version? If so, did you completely uninstall the Beta first, before installing the new one? If not then I'm afraid parts of the installation may not be correct. The SimConnect part of the FSX system is rather fussy. Regards Pete

Okay, I thiink I've nailed the problem. It simply *never* happens with a debug build of the program, and of course most development and testing is done with added diagnostic information so we can fix stuff more quickly. I did manage to reproduce it solidly on one machine, with the Released 4.00 build only (oddly not with a previous 'test' release build), and luckily it still occurred when I added some debug outputs near the check that was failing. It was due to using an index of -1 as if it were correct, when it actually means "not present". Duh! It'll be fixed in FSUIPC version 4.01 which I'm putting together now. Thanks for all the info! Pete

All the timE! Hmmm. Hmmm. I will go around testing it on each of my PCs. Must be something reasonably obvious if it is that consistent. Thanks, Pete

According to what SimMarket tell me, today you purchased an FSUIPC3 with WideFS 6 bundle. Loooks like you went to the wrong Window? the correct links are given on the http://www.schiratti.com/dowson page, and the names of the programs you are purchasing are nice and clear and bold on each of the sales windows. Regards Pete

No, there are separate pages for FSUIPC3, WideFS6, FSUIPC4 and WideFS7. If you can't find them, search or use the Links kindly provided by Enrico Schiratti on the http://www.schiratti.com/dowson page, where you need to go in any case to get the program. No, you but the FSUIPC4 + WideFS7 bundle, on either the FSUIPC4 or WideFS7 pages. Pete

As stated in many places, both here and in the documentation, the Weather facilities in FSX's SimConnect are no working properly yet. The results of trying to change anything in FSX's own weather are almost unpredictable I'm afraid -- I've had some horrible effects trying to change visibilities in particular. One thing, first, though. If you are not using an external weather program (for which most of the FSUIPC facilities work a bit better), then none of them operate on FS's weather unless you opt for that on the Miscellaneous options page. I had to default that off because of the problems. If you want to experiment do enable it, but please don't expect it all to work, yet. I'm still discussing all this with MS, trying to get SimConnect sorted out. I'm confident it will all come good in due course, but I do feel FSX was released rather prematurely in many respects, this being one of them. Regards Pete

Yes, I have just discovered that SimMarket, with their new super-fast automated system, have been issuing keys with a long-term expiry date which FSUIPC4 finds invalid. It makes the keys look like pirated ones, and this has rather unpredictable results. I have got SimMarket to remove their invalid expiry date (normally there is none in any case), and I am working now on a small update to FSUIPC4 to "fix" it for the invalid values in the many keys issued so far. Please watch out for an announcement here later. Regards, Pete

What does "the installation program did not give it a folder" mean? It won't give it a folder if you choose to install FS anywhere but the default. YOU have to choose the folder. If you entred "D:\FSX" it would have made FSX and installed correctly. As it is now, all your registry entries for FSX will be pointing to D:\ not D:|FSX. You are going to face many problems in the future with add-ons, and I'm not even sure Simconnect will work correctly (so stopping FSUIPC4 dead in its tracks in any case). Sorry, but I think, before things get out of hand later in your FSX usage, you should uninstall it now and re-install it properly. Even to uninstall it I think you will have to undo what you have done -- in other words, move all of the FSX back to the D:\ root. With most complex multipart programs these days you cannot simply move programs around, you need to use the installers/uninstallers. Regards Pete

You need to calibrate the minimum value with the lever away from the full back point, to give you a usable "dead zone" there. Didn't you follow the simple numbered steps to calibrate? It does tell you these things. With a simple lever with no centre you need a null zone at both ends. With a centre too there's null zone there. That makes either 2 or 4 values saved by FSUIPC from the calibration, and NONE of them should be the extremes! Please, just calibrate it again, but following the instruction steps one by one. Regards, Pete

Ahthat happened once a few weeks ago, during Beta testing, but I could never reproduce it. Something seems to corrupt part of the internal tables. If you can reproduce it can you give me the starting [buttons] section and tell me the exact sequence you are using to enter the data, please? I need to nail this one. Yes, of course. In fact I think I point out in the documentation somewhere that all of the [buttons ...], [Keys ...], [JoystickCalibrations ...] and [Axes ...] sections of FSUIPC 3's INI file can be cut and pasted directly into the FSUIPC4.INI file. The only things you may need to watch out for are slight changes in the FS controls, or how they work, and, of course, aircraft name changes if you are using aircraft-specific assignments. But I still need to locate and fix that Button assignment problem. Regards, Pete

After three years? :shock: Didn't you get your money's worth already? Please read the documentation, or visit the SimMarket place. Regards Pete

Nothing to do with FSUIPC or WideFS I'm afraid. There's no control over views at all, though there are facilities for other programs to use them. Are you copying over button assignments for FS2004? Maybe one of your buttons is activating? Pete