ATIS text problem.

[goround]

Ever since I upgraded to FSUIPC 3.6 I have been unable to see the scrolling ATIS text (in the green bar) without having "Show ATC Text" checked in the FS9 settings. This is annoying as I DON'T want to see every ATC message open a text window...only those meant for me (via the "Auto-open ATC window" in FS9 settings). It worked exactly that way before 3.6 (registered, BTW).

I also now have white text scrolling on a green background...which points to FSUIPC even more as this is something that FSUIPC 3.6 changes from the default "red on green" scrolling text.

Does FSUIPC do anything to the registry? I can't explain why removal of the DLL and a complete removal and reinstallation of FS9 hasn't fixed the problem.

Any help is appreciated. BTW...this is still one of the best addons for FS9 and worth every penny of the cost of the registered version!

[Pete Dowson]

Does FSUIPC do anything to the registry? I can't explain why removal of the DLL and a complete removal and reinstallation of FS9 hasn't fixed the problem.

No. There are absolutely no permanent changes FSUIPC makes to anything at all. Simple removal of the DLL from the Modules folder is a complete uninstall!

Sonds like there's something else happening in your system. It is AdvDisplay which intercepts FS ATIS messages in any case, not FSUIPC -- the new message facilities in FSUIPC can foward external application messages to FS for that display (and with the colour option) but it cannot interfere in FS's own messages. Sodo you have AdvDisplay installed?

Regards,

Pete

[goround]

Pete,

If I understand correctly from your reply...it is FSUIPC which changes the text to white...correct? Because I have fsuipc.dll and .ini completely deleted from my system and still get the white text, as shown in the screenshot below. This leads me to believe something from FSUIPC is still "hanging around". I've never installed AdvDisplay...or even downloaded it...but I read at the site about it and that DLL is also nowhere on my system.

I would like to make clear that if it was ONLY the white text as the problem...I would not care...I could live with it. The REAL problem is that, at the same time as this text color change occured (installation of 3.6) I also lost the ability to see the ATIS text without having the "Show ATC Text" setting checked. This is an annoyance in that, with that setting checked, I must see EVERY atc message in a text window, to anybody, instead of those just meant for me (using the "Auto-open ATC Text" setting).

I have asked at several forums and everyone agrees that a new, clean, install of FS9 should have red ATIS text, at the top...and it should show up without having to have the "Show ATC Text" setting checked. This is exactly how it used to work but this is not happening now. The fact that this all started with my installing FSUIPC 3.6 and that I'm still getting the white text (as you can see) with no FSUIPC.DLL anywhere to be found on my system is why I suspect FSUIPC.

I don't understand it either, Pete. In the past the removal of the FSUIPC.DLL from the "modules" folder was all that was necessary. But, as you can see...the removal of the 3.6 DLL has not removed the white text...and I believe that it's a bit more than a coincidence? I even checked the FSUIPC.INI, before removing it, and the line for the white text was "0".

All of this is a problem for me as I have several programs which relay info in the scrolling ATIS text bar...so I can't just "live without it"...but I can't live with every ATC message, to anybody, opening a text window in the middle of my screen, either.

Would you happen to have an older version of FSUIPC laying around...one which did not have the ability to change the text color (3.4x)? I'd be interested to see what effect on the problem using it would have?

If you can think of ANYTHING else that would both change my scrolling text color and cause this same text to not appear unless the "Show ATC Text" setting was selected...I'm open to any suggestion because, at this point, I'm starting to consider a complete format of all my HD's and a complete reinstall of everything (OS, FS9, addons etc.)...something I would certainly like to avoid! :cry:

Vic

[Pete Dowson]

If I understand correctly from your reply...it is FSUIPC which changes the text to white...correct?

No. There's an option for messages being sent THROUGH FSUIPC (i.e. from an FSUIPC application) to the FS message window to be encoded for white text, but there is no code in FSUIPC to intercept any FS messages let alone change any of their parameters at all. The ONLY code which intercepts messages in FS is in AdvDisplay, but even that doesn't change parameters for FS's messages.

Because I have fsuipc.dll and .ini completely deleted from my system and still get the white text, as shown in the screenshot below. This leads me to believe something from FSUIPC is still "hanging around".

No, that is simply not possible. FSUIPC is completely self-contained in the one DLL module. There is nothing separate possible to "hang around", and as I said in the first place, FSUIPC doesn't intercept FS messages in any case, it simply directs application messages. The colour option only applied to them.

I've never installed AdvDisplay...or even downloaded it...but I read at the site about it and that DLL is also nowhere on my system.

Well, something else is going on then. I'm very sorry, but I've no idea.

I would like to make clear that if it was ONLY the white text as the problem...I would not care...I could live with it. The REAL problem is that, at the same time as this text color change occured (installation of 3.6) I also lost the ability to see the ATIS text without having the "Show ATC Text" setting checked. This is an annoyance in that, with that setting checked, I must see EVERY atc message in a text window, to anybody, instead of those just meant for me (using the "Auto-open ATC Text" setting).

Well, there is really nothing in FSUIPC which would change all that behaviour, sorry. As far as I knew the Show ATC Text option had little to do with the ATIS message in any case -- the latter is a completely separate window, and FS's ATIS stuff has been in FS for many more releases than ATC.

I have asked at several forums and everyone agrees that a new, clean, install of FS9 should have red ATIS text, at the top...and it should show up without having to have the "Show ATC Text" setting checked. This is exactly how it used to work but this is not happening now. The fact that this all started with my installing FSUIPC 3.6 and that I'm still getting the white text (as you can see) with no FSUIPC.DLL anywhere to be found on my system is why I suspect FSUIPC.

Well, I'm sorry, but that can only be a coincidence. And most certainly a fresh (COMPLETE) re-installation of FS would restore it back to its normal operation. So evidently you did not truly uninstall it all beforehand. Try removing the FS9.CFG file and restarting FS. If it is anywhere it will be there. I'm not aware of any registry stuff for FS9 other than the usual install data.

I don't understand it either, Pete. In the past the removal of the FSUIPC.DLL from the "modules" folder was all that was necessary. But, as you can see...the removal of the 3.6 DLL has not removed the white text...and I believe that it's a bit more than a coincidence? I even checked the FSUIPC.INI, before removing it, and the line for the white text was "0".

I assume you mean "No"? Anyway, that's only an option for application messages. There is NO WAY for FSUIPC to change the ATIS message because it does not intercept it.

Would you happen to have an older version of FSUIPC laying around...one which did not have the ability to change the text color (3.4x)?

No, because as I said it is only AdvDisplay which did that, and then not for ATIS messages. If you are getting the wrong colour messages without FSUIPC or AdvDisplay loading, it is an absolute dead certainty that neither of these have anything whatsoever to do with it.

at this point, I'm starting to consider a complete format of all my HD's and a complete reinstall of everything (OS, FS9, addons etc.)...something I would certainly like to avoid! :cry:

Have you even tried simply deleting the FS9.CFG file? That is usually the very first thing to try when you get any odd behaviour from FS!

Regards,

Pete

[goround]

I have a clean install of FS9, that I have worked on for 2 weeks to get back all my addons. Why would I need a new FS9.CFG when it was just created? This problem started before my clean install. The whole idea behind the clean install was to get rid of this problem. That being said...yes, I have deleted my FS9.cfg and allowed FS9 to create a new one...to no avail.

I can not get FS9 to act like it did before FSUIPC 3.6. I, like you Pete, do not understand it. But the white text remains and I know of no other program, add-on or utility which changes the ATIS scrolling text to white...except FSUIPC.

All that being said...I'm going to re-install my entire system. After 10 years of FS...I get a little cranky when some part...any small part...of FS does something unexpected. Slow FPS is expected, at times. Unwilling addons are expected at times. I can't live with a "system wide" unexpected, however. This is not a "weird texture" or strange CTD...this is a corruption of the basic FS9 process...and I won't live with it.

I can also say that, unless you start making previous versions of FSUIPC available...it will also no longer reside on my system.

I am EXTREMELY sorry to have to make that statement...but you have NO idea what I've been through, in the last month...no idea whatsoever. I will not put myself through it again, ever. I haven't flown an aircraft in 7 weeks!!! Trying to figure this out and several clean FS9 re-installs.

Yes...FSUIPC was one of the greatest additions to my MSFS experience...but after this 3.6 experience...I think I'll do without it, in the future.

Thanks, Pete, for your help. It is appreciated!

Vic

[Pete Dowson]

I have a clean install of FS9, that I have worked on for 2 weeks to get back all my addons. Why would I need a new FS9.CFG when it was just created?

When you uninstall FS it doesn't uninstall everything. For instance, all your flights are retained, and so on.

This problem started before my clean install. The whole idea behind the clean install was to get rid of this problem. That being said...yes, I have deleted my FS9.cfg and allowed FS9 to create a new one...to no avail.

Sorry, then, I have no idea.

I can not get FS9 to act like it did before FSUIPC 3.6. I, like you Pete, do not understand it. But the white text remains and I know of no other program, add-on or utility which changes the ATIS scrolling text to white...except FSUIPC.

But as I have said a number of times, it does NOT!!!

I can also say that, unless you start making previous versions of FSUIPC available...it will also no longer reside on my system.

So be it. But remember that you have a problem which is not and cannot be anything whatsoever to do with FSUIPC, as you proved to start with by removing it to no avail. Installing an old version is not going to "fix" something which no version is causing!

Yes...FSUIPC was one of the greatest additions to my MSFS experience...but after this 3.6 experience...I think I'll do without it, in the future.

You call it a 3.6 experience, but it is not and cannot be as you have proven. You have even ignored me every time I pointed out that FSUIPC doesn't intercept ATIS messages and you somehow continue to assume it does.

I'm sorry I cannot help, but it really is not FSUIPC you should be looking at. It cannot be, it is not possible as you have clearly demonstrated.

Regards,

Pete

[goround]

OK, Pete...let me back up...AND apologize to you. I'm getting a bit "frazzled" by this whole issue but it's no reason for me to be so impolite.

I must have misunderstood...I thought FSUIPC WAS the dll which changed the text to "white". You are saying it is not? Let's start with that issue...what changes the scrolling ATIS text to white?

Again, sorry for being such an a%#_ole, Pete. I think I need a Valium! :wink:

Vic

[Pete Dowson]

...what changes the scrolling ATIS text to white?

Nothing that I've written -- I found out how to make the messages other Applications asked for display show white instead of red, so it was added as an option. But that only ever affects messages written to FSUIPC by applications.

I've never written anything which even attempts to actually change built-in FS messages like its ATIS. And the only program of mine which even intercepts those messages (so they can be re-distributed to other windows, or to WideFS clients via ShowText) is AdvDisplay, which it appears you've never used.

Again, sorry for being such an a%#_ole, Pete. I think I need a Valium! :wink:

It's okay. These things can be very frustrating, I agree.

I'm wondering if, when you clean re-installed FS, you didn't leave something which is still causing it. As I said, I don't think the uninstall cleans everything. After doing an uninstall you still need to go round deleting all the Flights in your "My Documents" FS folder, and probably the original FS folder too as added-on things will still be left there. I really cannot see how, after a truly clean re-install you could have the same problems, unless your FS CDs are corrupted which isn't really plausible! I'm almost 100% sure that FS itself doesn't keep obscure option settings in the Registry.

Regards,

Pete

[goround]

Obviously I've got something else in there, somewhere.

This could be a long hunt as I just can't bring myself to start all over again...again! :lol:

Since I did a "clean" FS9 install, including manually removing everything, even registry entries, according to the MS instructions:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888846/en-us

something else is still left in the registry as I can't think of anywhere else it could be hiding and still affect a "clean" FS9 install.

Thanks Pete.

[Pete Dowson]

something else is still left in the registry as I can't think of anywhere else it could be hiding and still affect a "clean" FS9 install.

I really don't think there's anything whatsoever kept in the Registry by FS itself regarding options, only install and uninstall paths.

If you have enough disk space why not try a complete new virgin install to a different folder or partition, and see if that does the same? Test it before adding anything to it. I often do this sort of thing as a cross-check. if you rename the original folder 2Old ..." and install with the same folder name as before, everything else won't be the wiser. You can swap between them or rename folders back as you like.

Regards,

Pete

[goround]

Well...this is incredible. I deleted all partitions on both "C" & "F" HD's, made new partitions and completely reformatted all of them. Installed XP Pro on "C" and FS9 on "F"...and it's STILL behaving incorrectly. I haven't even installed the FS9.1 patch yet. This is starting to feel like a Twilight Zone episode.

I just can't figure out what is happening. Doesn't a format delete every single bit of info on a HD (not in a "security" sense...I realize data can still be recovered)? What could possibly remain to change FS9's default behavior...from the "git go"?

These are, of course, rhetorical questions as this is certainly not an FSUIPC issue...just an update, of sorts (and a hope that someone might have a suggestion).

I figured this was an even more drastic remedy than Pete's last suggestion...but that suggestion is the only thing I haven't tried and will now do. If the FS9 behavior DOES return to normal when I install it on a HD ( "E") which has never had FS9 on it...what does that mean??

I'm glad I had the wife change the combination on the gun safe!! :P

[Pete Dowson]

Well...this is incredible. I deleted all partitions on both "C" & "F" HD's, made new partitions and completely reformatted all of them. Installed XP Pro on "C" and FS9 on "F"...and it's STILL behaving incorrectly. I haven't even installed the FS9.1 patch yet. This is starting to feel like a Twilight Zone episode.

There seems to be only two possibilities left -- either your FS CDs really ARE corrupt, or your video system card or drivers are faulty (this is regarding the white text, nothing more).

Sorry, I cannot imagine what is going on there.

Pete

[goround]

I thought about the Disk's being corrupt but it just seems hard to believe that a data error on one of the disk's would just change the default FS9 text behavior to something else...and not cause some other problem, like crashes?

I am going to try installing to the "E" drive...just because it's never seen FS9 before. What have I got to lose?? :wink:

Thanks Pete!

Vic

[goround]

Small update. Installing to "E" didn't work. Did a "zero fill" format on "F" and re-installed...giving up, at this point.

Installed the latest FSUIPC and touched nothing on the first FSUIPC window. Still don't have my ATIS text BUT...I've got my ACARS and other messages...in the normal red text...without having "Show ATC Text" selected...so I'm very happy!!

No clue what brought back my ACARS text...and I don't care. I refuse to "poke a stick" at THAT gremlin, anymore!! :D :wink:

Vic