FSUIPC black screen

[jboweruk]

Hi Peter,

don't know if this has come up before, I searched and couldn't find anything.

When I have the flight open in FS9, then select the menu for modules FSUIPC, my screen goes black. FS9 continues to run in the background but I can't access any functions of FSUIPC. I have re-installed FS9 outside of the Program Files folder, which at least allowed me the first time I ran FS9 and FSUIPC to register it, but from then on the black screen thing. When I had FS9 inside the Program Files folder I had the black screen all the time.

Any suggestions please?

Many thanks,

John

[Pete Dowson]

When I have the flight open in FS9, then select the menu for modules FSUIPC, my screen goes black.

Really? I've never heard of anything like that before. The dialogue facilities FSUIPC uses are standard Windows facilities, nothing special or different at all.

The only thing I've ever heard of which does cause dialogue window problems is something called "Window Blinds", which is an add-on for Windows which tries to provide user-controlled tailoring for Window appearances. It sounds like you may have something like that interfering. Maybe not that exact product, but possibly something like it?

When you say the SCREEN goes black, do you just mean the FS window? Or are you running in full screen mode? If so, try switching FS to Windowed mode first. If it works okay then it is likely to be a problem with your video drivers, not correctly supporting standard Windows graphics in full screen mode.

I have re-installed FS9 outside of the Program Files folder, which at least allowed me the first time I ran FS9 and FSUIPC to register it, but from then on the black screen thing. When I had FS9 inside the Program Files folder I had the black screen all the time.

It changes depending on where FS is installed? That makes no sense. FSUIPC doesn't care at all where it is. Are you running FS9 on Vista? That may possibly make a small difference, though Vista treats FS9 as an old program needing special treatment.

Please always specify the Version of FSUIPC when asking questions. If you are not using the latest, do try that (3.75), as well as Windowed mode.

Regards

Pete

[jboweruk]

Hi Peter,

thanks, I'm sure it's the latest version as I had to download it again before putting it in. I did wonder if the reason it didn't black out before I registered it this time was due to not touching any settings in FS9 at all, including default resolution. It's the darndest thing I ever saw but I'll try your suggestion about running windowed first tonight. (It's funny you say about that as I had another game where I had to run it windowed the first time to get it going right, and seeing that suggestion reminded me of it). Anyway thanks for the help Peter and will let you know the outcome.

[jboweruk]

Running it windowed worked anyhow, at least I can see FSUIPC that way.

On the downside and I know this isn't your problem, I can't tell FS9 to run as Administrator all the time, like I can with other programs. Thanks for the help Peter, much appreciated.

[Pete Dowson]

I can't tell FS9 to run as Administrator all the time, like I can with other programs.

You never need to run it as administrator EXCEPT to register FSUIPC. This is because the registration enters some small things in the Registry. FSUIPC doesn't touch anything else in the system in normal execution.

Pete

[jboweruk]

Thanks Peter, I'll get there in the end and get FS9 running the way it should with my add-ons. But that is why I figured maybe it needs to run as Administrator, because many add-ons need to access it constantly and Vista in it's infinite wisdom shuts out a lot of stuff.

[Pete Dowson]

... I figured maybe it needs to run as Administrator, because many add-ons need to access it constantly and Vista in it's infinite wisdom shuts out a lot of stuff.

FS9 should have got itself installed as a "non-Vista aware" program. Vista does strange things with such programs to ensure that they can even write to their own folders, like mimicking the actual folder elsewhere. This can certainly confuse programs quite a lot. I know it confuses me. Personally I think Vista is rather a disaster in its current state and I am not using it for anything serious until it looks better. Maybe after the promised SP1 update?

Regards

Pete

[jboweruk]

Vista's great in it's own right, just MS didn't put enough thought into users who halfway know what they're doing and geared it around complete novices. They've done so much to protect the computer from crashes that they have caused a lot of software not to work on it. D'oh :(

Thanks for the help anyway Peter, I've been pointed to the FS9.cfg file by someone on the forums so now should be able to edit that, apparently C:\Documents and Settings is only a fake folder, the real deal is elsewhere. As you said, cofusing. :roll:

[MichiSim]

Dear All,

I've the same problem with registered FSUIPC (3.72), Vista Ultimate 32 and FS9.1.

I've just got my new computer, installed FS9.1, and FSUIP - no problem seeing the FSUIP window by clicking on moduls.

After registration - black-screen when I open FSUIPC.

But: If I change to my desktop while FS9 is still running, I can see looming up the FSUIPC window in the background for a very short time. So it seems it's "hidden" by the black screen but already open.

In non-full screen mode it works.

Admin-Mode does not help.

I agrree that this is not a FSUIPC problem. It seems to me it's Vista. Some flickering by starting FS9, sometime black-colored mouse arrows, hidden mouse by moving it over the airplane pre-view and so on.

Updating the NVIDIA dispaly driver has not helped.

There is a MS patch for Mulit-Monitor troubles with FSX and Vista. Already installed but does not helpf for the FSUIPC probelm on FS9.

Let's hope for SP1, already postponed to 2009.

BR

Michi

[Pete Dowson]

I've the same problem with registered FSUIPC (3.72), Vista Ultimate 32 and FS9.1.

3.72 is a long way out of date. Please use the current version, 3.75. I cannot support old versions.

After registration - black-screen when I open FSUIPC.

But: If I change to my desktop while FS9 is still running, I can see looming up the FSUIPC window in the background for a very short time. So it seems it's "hidden" by the black screen but already open.

In non-full screen mode it works.

This is a video driver issue. I really cannot offer any solution other than to try different video settings or a different driver version. Are you perhaps using one of the new DX10-capable video cards, like the 8800 series? The new DX10 Vista drivers for those are known to be a little flakey at present, at least it seems so from what I have read.

Updating the NVIDIA display driver has not helped.

There may not be a fully working driver yet, if it's a DX10 card. I can only suggest trying different video driver or FS display settings. It may be related to the anti-alias or filtering, for instance.

Of course, for FSUIPC settings, which are really not needed to be accessed very often (in fact not really at all once you have things set up as you like), the easiest work-around at present is simply to swap to Windowed mode before accessing them, and swap back afterwards.

Let's hope for SP1, already postponed to 2009.

SP1 for Vista, postponed TWO years? I can't believe that! Surely it cannot be so? I have one PC with Vista installed but I'm hardly using it because of all the problems and real annoyances -- I'm waiting for MS fixes.

In any case I suspect it is new video drivers you really need.

Regards

Pete