Need troubleshooting assistance

[trisager]

Hi,

I'm using the registered version of FSUIPC 4.224 with FSX SP2 on Vista 32. I have a couple of applications running on another computer that connect using WideFS with no problems, and I can use FSUIPC to calibrate my joystick. However, when I try to run the same apps that connect using WideFS locally nothing happens.

I have disabled Windows Defender, Windows Firewall and uninstalled my antivirus, but no change.

I don't quite know what to try next, so any help would be appreciated.

Tom

[Pete Dowson]

I'm using the registered version of FSUIPC 4.224 with FSX SP2 on Vista 32. I have a couple of applications running on another computer that connect using WideFS with no problems, and I can use FSUIPC to calibrate my joystick. However, when I try to run the same apps that connect using WideFS locally nothing happens. I have disabled Windows Defender, Windows Firewall and uninstalled my antivirus, but no change.

Well none of those would make any difference in any case -- if SimConnect were affected by that at all it would prevent the WideFS application and your joystick calibration.

Since version 4.224 is a very very recent update, what were you using before, and did that work okay locally to FSX?

Are you sure it isn't just a matter of processor time, that on the FSX PC the applications you are using are simply not getting enough time to run properly? You say "nothing happens", but what does that actually mean? The programs don't appear, or they appear and hang, or they appear and don't run correctly?

To see if applications are managing to interact well with FSUIPC you can enable IPC read and write logging. Try that, briefly (just long enough to see the problem), then close FSX completely and show me the FSUIPC4 log. Please also tell me what FSUIPC application programs you are trying and what they are supposed to do (if that isn't obvious).

You could also try a couple of programs I know work fine on the same PC, with FSX in windowed mode of course so you can see them. WeatherSet2 and TrafficLook. If you've not already got them, look in the FSX Downloads announcement. You'll need to scroll down a bit.

Regards

Pete

[trisager]

Hi Pete,

I've reverted to version 4.20 and deleted the fsuipc4.ini file, but the problem remains. Basically the aps that I've tried (FsFlyingSchool, Fs Real Time, and your FS A.I. Traffic Details) simply do not connect to FSX when run locally, but they work fine using WideFS. E.g. your application appears to runs fine locally - the menus work etc - but the window is empty. Running over WideFS on the other hand I get a list of AI traffic. The two other apps just give me variations over the "not connected" theme when used locally, but again appear to run fine otherwise. I don't think the problem is performance related.

I have not actually run any FS addins locally since installing this computer, only via WideFS, so I don't know if it was working at one point. But I had FSFlyingSchool running under XP with no problems on my old computer.

I've attached a sample log file, but it doesn't look like this has anything to do with your software. I suspect some essential service must not be running on my computer or in some other way has become non-functional. I'm not sure what to look for, though.

Tom

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.20 by Pete Dowson *********

User Name="Tom Risager"

User Addr="tom@tomrisager.dk"

FSUIPC4 Key is provided

WideFS7 Key is provided

Running inside FSX on Windows Vista (SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07)

Module base=61000000

DebugStatus=255

94 System time = 14:41:26

94 FLT UNC path = "\\TOM-DESKTOP\Users\Tom\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\"

94 FS UNC path = "\\TOM-DESKTOP\FSX Directory\"

1404 LogOptions=00000001

1404 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

4758 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61472.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

4758 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

4758 FSUIPC Menu entry added

4852 C:\Users\Tom\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\Cessna cold and dark.FLT

4852 C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\C172\Cessna172SP.AIR

52588 System time = 14:42:19, FSX time = 14:41:32 (22:41Z)

52806 Aircraft="Cessna Skyhawk 172SP Paint1"

54772 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

72494 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 20 secs = 18.3 fps

380330 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 287 secs = 21.7 fps

1839673 Sim stopped: average frame rate for last 1450 secs = 20.4 fps

1851981 System time = 15:12:18, FSX time = 15:10:49 (23:10Z)

1851981 *** FSUIPC log file being closed

Average frame rate for running time of 1758 secs = 20.6 fps

Memory managed: 1471 Allocs, 1471 Freed

********* FSUIPC Log file closed ***********

[Pete Dowson]

Basically the aps that I've tried (FsFlyingSchool, Fs Real Time, and your FS A.I. Traffic Details) simply do not connect to FSX when run locally

How do you know they do not "connect", as opposed to simply don't receive any data?

Your log is as before, it simply shows FSUIPC is working fine, and this time you have decent frame rates!

The local interface is identical to the WideFS interface, so I cannot imagine what is preventing it on your system.

I don't think the problem is performance related.

Well there's really not much else it could be, but it is certainly odd as in this case the performance is okay anyway.

But why not do as I asked, enable IPC read and write logging. Try that, briefly (just long enough to see the problem), then close FSX completely and show me the FSUIPC4 log. If any requests at all are arriving at FSUIPC this will show it.

I suspect some essential service must not be running on my computer or in some other way has become non-functional. I'm not sure what to look for, though.

The FSUIPC interface doesn't use any Windows services as far as I'm aware. It uses "memory mapped files" for passing data, but that is a fundamental facility in Windows, not an optional service of any kind. Of course if you have FS2004 you could try that, with FSUIPC3, as the interface is identical. If something is preventing it working in the FSX case it should also do so with FS2004 and FSUIPC3.

Either way, please do as I asked and get a log with extra information, if possible.

Regards

Pete

[trisager]

Hi Pete,

I checked logging of IPC reads and writes, so I think what the log above shows is IPC reads and writes not occurring at all.

That made me remember that I had set FSX to permanently "run as administrator" a few weeks ago while installing an addon that required this. Not being overly concerned about the security implications, I figured that by doing this once and for all, FSX would have the necessary privileges to do whatever and addon might need in the future. This is apparently not the case, because running FSX in non-administrator mode fixes my connection problems (and exiting and restarting FSX as administrator reliably causes the problem to return).

So clearly being "administrator" doesn't make a process the all-powerful master of the computer :)

Tom

[Pete Dowson]

I checked logging of IPC reads and writes, so I think what the log above shows is IPC reads and writes not occurring at all.

Not in that log! The line "1404 LogOptions=00000001" shows no additional logging, only the default stuff you can see. That value would be 0000000D if you had really enabled that logging. And if you change it whilst FSX is running you get an entry showing this, like:

111641 LogOptions changed, now 0000000D

That made me remember that I had set FSX to permanently "run as administrator" a few weeks ago while installing an addon that required this.

Vista protects all folders in "Program Files" from being written to by anything other than an installer. FSUIPC4's installer enables all read/write access to its Modules folder to get over this, but pre-Vista programs probably do nothing of the sort.

Best always to install FS in a different place altogether. I hate those long filepaths in any case -- I always put FS in a simple folder such as "C:\FSX", or, better, on a drive well away from Windows and the fragmentation you get there.

Running FSX in non-administrator mode fixes my connection problems (and exiting and restarting FSX as administrator reliably causes the problem to return).

That's indeed very strange. No idea what is happening there then.

Regards

Pete

[Pete Dowson]

That's indeed very strange. No idea what is happening there then.

I just had a thought. I wonder if Vista protects Installers and such, i.e. programs with elevated administrator rights (the position you were in with FSX before) against "hacking", by not allowing other programs to invoke the shared memory facilities with them? The "memory mapped file" facilities used by the FSUIPC interface are partly identical to the procedures used by Debuggers to look inside and manipulate programs.

If this is the case, I wonder if those restrictions are lifted if the requesting program (in your case an FSUIPC client application) is also running with such privileges. Perhaps you'd like to try just for our illumination? In other words, get FSX running "as administrator" again, then run one of the Apps as administrator too.

Regards

Pete

[trisager]

Good guess! If I run both FSX and the addon (FS Real Time, in this case) as administrator they talk to each other.

(On the other hand, FS Real Time is now broken - when run as administrator it thinks it is the unregistred demo version).

Tom

[Pete Dowson]

Good guess! If I run both FSX and the addon (FS Real Time, in this case) as administrator they talk to each other.

Right. Another thing about Vista I'll need to remember!

(On the other hand, FS Real Time is now broken - when run as administrator it thinks it is the unregistred demo version).

Well I can't explain that. It is evidently checking some proprty about itself.

The real long term solution is to install FSX someplace else.

Regards

Pete

[trisager]

Pete,

Thanks for your assistance with this. I'll take your advice and reinstall FSX to C:\FSX.

Tom