impossible to get ADDON Menu in FSX

[jcmic]

Dear Sir :) ,

Since I have installed FSUIPC 4.0.5 in FSX I have big problems to get Addon menu on the FSX menu. The problem seems to come from a broken simconnect .Let me explain you the historic of the storie :

1) At first, I have been adviced by a forum member of Cloud9 ; He explained me how to fix simconnect by installing simconnect.msi (via FSX DVD 1, and SDK\Core Utilities Kit\...) . I did that.

2) I have also executed IPV6_install.cmd from SDK\Core Utilities Kit\... as well.

3) I made a "simconnect.ini" file that I placed in the Application\data\fsx folder to trace the problem. The file showed that FSUIPC was well loaded,

but the fscloud9 addon put the message "Can't init simconnect error".

According to the cloud9 member , this would mean that simconnect hadn't replied to the first connection request.

4) As I didn't know what to do again, I finally decided to uninstalle FSX, to cleaned my registery , then to defragmente the disk , and reinstalled fsx (without any macaffee security center active), at last, reinstall FSUIPC4.05 .

5] unfortunately , and after a complete reinstallation, I had to

observe the same problem: STILL NO ADDON MENU into FSX !

Would you have any idea for me, because if simconnect stays broken for whatever reason, I will never be able to to use any future FSX af addon.

By example the ASV6 (weather engine) don't work because it needs a valid simconnect and so on...

I am unable to say wether it could be a microsoft problem (fsx or windows xp ?), or else .

Thank's for help please.

Regards

Jc MIchel

[Pete Dowson]

Since I have installed FSUIPC 4.0.5 in FSX I have big problems to get Addon menu on the FSX menu.

Sorry, are you saying that before you installed FSUIPC 4.05 you did get an Add-Ons menu? If so, what was in it, please? How many other Simconnect client programs are you running, and what are they?

3) I made a "simconnect.ini" file that I placed in the Application\data\fsx folder to trace the problem. The file showed that FSUIPC was well loaded,

but the fscloud9 addon put the message "Can't init simconnect error".

But if FSUIPC4 was "wel loaded" and running okay, there would be an Add-Ons menu and it would have FSUIPC in it. Can you clarify please?

Would you have any idea for me, because if simconnect stays broken for whatever reason, I will never be able to to use any future FSX af addon.

You are not alone, but at present the answer still appears to be EITHER some sort of broken Simconnect installation OR a firewall problem. Please do double check that there is no firewall blocking the use of SimConnect client programs.

I have also heard that merely re-installing SimConnect from its MSI file, or, indeed, the whole of FSX, doesn't always repair a broken installation. There has been advice given that you first need to find and delete the folder of the original Simconnect installation. Search in your Windows folder for Simconnect.dll. It will be in a folder with a horrible long and complicated name including "WinSxS". Only the DLL will be there. Delete the folder along with the DLL, then try re-installing from the MSI file.

I don't know if this works, as I haven't yet heard back from others about this.

Regards

Pete

[jcmic]

Ok Sir, thank's for your answer,

1)To clarify the first point, I just wanted to say that I never seen any addon menu, even at the first installation of FSUIPC (which was at that time the only installed addon).

In fact at the beginning I didn't give attention to that, because I simply did not know that after installation of FSUIPC, one has to get and addon menu within FSX.(I hadn't read enought the doc, so my fault).

I realised that it was anormal, when I installed another product (of cloud9), which needed to simconnect and could not.

Anyway, now, I have only SFUIPC4.05 installed

2) Here is the message I have into the simconnect diagnostic window :

0.00000 SimConnect version 0x00000002

5.97098 Panels data export found and set to 20A41990

7.49988 DLL loaded : Path = "Modules\FSUIPC4.dll" Version = "4.0.5.0"

(And no Addon Menu into FSX)

I have to go working this morning , I don't have time to say anymore, but I 'll follow your advices as soon as as can , and tell you the results.

Thank's again

Regards

Jc Michel

[Pete Dowson]

1)To clarify the first point, I just wanted to say that I never seen any addon menu, even at the first installation of FSUIPC (which was at that time the only installed addon).

In that case it most definitely sounds like a firewall or security problem and is really the same as all the other "no add-ons menu" reports here and elsewhere.

2) Here is the message I have into the simconnect diagnostic window :

0.00000 SimConnect version 0x00000002

5.97098 Panels data export found and set to 20A41990

7.49988 DLL loaded : Path = "Modules\FSUIPC4.dll" Version = "4.0.5.0"

Yes, the firewall problems don't stop Simconnect loading the DLLs or EXEs, but the necessary interaction thereafter doesn't occur.

If you check the FSUIPC4.LOG file you will either find that the SimConnect_Open returned a failure (0x80004005 seems the common error return), or that the Open succeeded by then nothing else happened.

If you try FSUIPC4 version 4.052 (available in the FSX downloads announcement above), it will actually retry the connection again and again until it succeeds (unlikely) or you terminate FSX. These attempts will be logged too.

It is most likely to be a block caused by a firewall or security setting. If you refer to the announcement above about Firewalls, it will lead you to an announcement and suggestion from Microsoft about this.

Please note that the READ ME document I place inside each and every ZIP for FSUIPC4 does tell you about these problems too. Maybe you missed that? It is only a single page, or maybe tow now, basic text document.

We are all finding this situation most frustrating and hope that Microsoft are doing something more proactive about it, to prevent the problems occurring, rather than only advising folks to disable or uninstall their security software as now.

Regards

Pete

[jcmic]

1) Ok, then first you were right, the FSUIPC4.LOG file actually returns the 0x80004005 error in loop until I quit FSX, which means simconnect doesn't work properly.

Here are for information , the first lines of that file :

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.05 by Pete Dowson *********

User Name=""

User Addr=""

FSUIPC not user registered

WIDEFS not user registered, or expired

Running inside FSX

Module base=61000000

LogOptions=00000001

DebugStatus=0

109 System time = 17:55:25

109 FLT UNC path = "C:\Documents and Settings\Jean-Christophe\Mes documents\Fichiers Flight Simulator X\"

109 FS UNC path = "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\"

1453 Failed on SimConnect_Open, return = 0x80004005: FSUIPC4 cannot operate!

11609 **** Retrying SimConnect connection****

11719 Failed on SimConnect_Open, return = 0x80004005: FSUIPC4 cannot operate!

16781 **** Retrying SimConnect connection****

2) I have checked my Mc Afee Security Center and fsx is well fully authorized into the firewall.

Are there any other applications which would be in relation with addons.exe files, and that I should check into firewall (as adviced by the

suggestion from Microsoft ) ? For example is FSUIPC could be referenced into the internet list of the firewall ?I don't see any clear references about it .

3) If I completly disactivate my Mac Afee security center(Firewall+Virusscan+Privacy service) this doesn't help, so I begin to wonder wether I would not have to uninstall and reinstall the security center as some users did, according to the READ ME document of FSUIPC4 .

Thank's

Regards

Jc Michel

[Pete Dowson]

the FSUIPC4.LOG file actually returns the 0x80004005 error in loop until I quit FSX, which means simconnect doesn't work properly.

SimConnect won't work at all. That return seems to be common among McAfee users. I asked Microsoft what it meant -- it is apparently an error number meaning "unspecified error" (ie. a catchall)!

2) I have checked my Mc Afee Security Center and fsx is well fully authorized into the firewall.

Are there any other applications which would be in relation with addons.exe files, and that I should check into firewall (as adviced by the

suggestion from Microsoft ) ? For example is FSUIPC could be referenced into the internet list of the firewall ?I don't see any clear references about it .

Maybe. If so it would be FSUIPC4.DLL, but as it isn't a separate process (it actually runs inside FSX) I don't understand how you could list it. I actually think the whole business of one bit of FSX sending another bit messages via Internet Protocols which are then subject to all this stuff is a mistake, and I hope MS do something about it very soon.

3) If I completly disactivate my Mac Afee security center(Firewall+Virusscan+Privacy service) this doesn't help

No, as others have reported before in other threads both here and elsewhere. I think those who solved it uninstalled it and tried some other protection, like AVG file the virus checking and WinXPs own firewall. Maybe an uninstall and a very careful reinstall might do it. It is all really outside of anything in my experience.

I use Norton A/V and WinXP's firewall and have never had any of these problems. Sorry I cannot be any more explicit about solutions -- in the end it is Microsoft who needs to deal with this.

Regards

Pete

[jcmic]

:D At last ! it works !

What I did :

1) Uninstalled Mac Afee firewall, and switched into the windows xp firewall

2) Uninstalled Mac Afee Piracy (I think definitely).

3) Left Mac Afee virusscan activated.

After those 3 first actions it still didn't apparently work. Then I :

4) Unchecked all the Mac Afee programs within the start menu (via start --> execute-->msconfig-->start menu)

5) Reboot

Now FSUIPC well connect and the Addon menu is visible and active, for the very first time .

So, thank's again Peter for your precious help, which permitted me to solve this nasty problem.

Regards

Jc Michel

[Pete Dowson]

:D At last ! it works !

Goodbut what a palavah!

Thanks for explaining how.

Regards

Pete