FSX Accel and PFCFSX

[alexdan]

Pete

I have no PFC menu in FSXA. PfcFsx 4.3.0.0. Fsuipc4 is installed, shows and is normal. Baron Quadrant seems to be working and PfcFsx.log shows "9688 refresh initialization to synchronize switches". But I have no sim access to settings. PfcFsx.dll is present as is .ini file. WinSxS shows all 3 folders with relevant simconnect.dll versions. What have I done :( Dell XPS600 Nvidia 8800, 2gb Ram.

Ideas?

Thanks

Alex

[Pete Dowson]

I have no PFC menu in FSXA. PfcFsx 4.3.0.0. Fsuipc4 is installed, shows and is normal. Baron Quadrant seems to be working and PfcFsx.log shows "9688 refresh initialization to synchronize switches".

I need to see the FSUIPC4.LOG and PFCFSX.LOG files. Also it might help to enable SimConnect logging (see the FSX Help announcement above for instructions) and show me the first page or three from that.

There's an update for PFCFSX (to 4.305) in the FSX Downloads announcemetn and also version 4.294 of FSUIPC4. It might be a good idea to install those first.

Pete

[alexdan]

With Fsuipc4 4.294, PfcFsx 4.305. No change.

Logs attached. Fsuipc.log does show a simconnect error.

Thanks

Alex

AlexLogs.zip

[Pete Dowson]

With Fsuipc4 4.294, PfcFsx 4.305. No change.

Logs attached. Fsuipc.log does show a simconnect error.

There's a few discrepancies there:

From the FSUIPC4.LOG:

NOTE: SimConnect Acc/SP2 Oct07 is supported, but it isn't installed.

Running inside FSX (SimConnect SP1 May07)

8109 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61637.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

These are inconsistent. The probing of the Manifests show that neither SP2 nor Acceleration is available, yet when Simconnect responds it gives the Acceleration version (61259). Weird.

The SimConnect log also shows FSUIPC4 using the SP1 version of Simconnect -- it is using TCP/IP. not the Pipe, which it would do if it could connect to the SP2 or Acceleration version.

Unfortunately you cut the SimConnect log off rather too soon -- it is only part way through FSUIPC initialisation at the time. The PFC driver isn't loaded for a while after that --94 seconds according to the FSUIPC log. However, since the call to add the menu was rejected it may not have got as far as being logged.

The error causing the Menu not to appear is:

102484 Failed on SimConnect_Open for PFCFSX, return = 0x80070057

That error number appears to mean, simply "Invalid Argument" (useful, eh?).

Sorry, but it does appear that your Acceleration installation is wrong -- at least the SimConnect part. Try uninstalling Acceleration then re-installing. If that doesn't work, you may need to try uninstalling Accel again, then deleting those WinSxS folders (just the later two, SP1 and Accel/SP2 versions, 61242 and 61259) then re-installing Accel which should then put them right.

I'm constantly amazed at the numbers of ways the Windows side-by-side system of multiple library versions can go wrong. I really do hope MS will sort something better out for the next version! :-(

Regards

Pete

[alexdan]

Somedays I find Windows is more of an frustrating enigma than a useful tool :twisted:

I note 3 versions of simconnect.dll, 10.0.60985, 10.0.61355.0, and 10.61737.0. Will uninstall and reload Acceleration and get back to you..

Thanks

Alex

[Pete Dowson]

I note 3 versions of simconnect.dll, 10.0.60985, 10.0.61355.0, and 10.61737.0

Where are those numbers from?

The actual SimConnect version is 60905 (RTM), 61242 (SP1) and 61259 (SP2 or Accel - same version). You'll see these in the Folder names in WinSxS.

The number you read for the File Properties Version is the release of FSX itself -- they simply renumber all the modules each time, even if they are unchanged. They should be:

60905 for RTM

61355 for SP1

61637 for Accel

[There's a different one for SP", but I can't find it at pres)

Pete

[alexdan]

These are the simconnect.dll content of each WinSxs Simconnect folder, in that order. Versions 60905, 61355 and 61637. The folders themselves are listed as "60905" "61242" and 61259" if relevant. This is before, and again following, an uninstall and reinstall of Acceleration. Attached are the current logs. I don't know quite where to cut off simconnect.log.

I should have mentioned that I am running XP Home with the XP3 update, which may or may not be a factor. FSX was uninstalled and re-installed last month, as was Acceleration. I did a "FSX Repair" with the appearance of this problem. FSX runs apparently normally otherwise. I have the Serial Port PFC Controls.

Setup? Perhaps a basic XP problem?

Best

Alex

AlexLogs2.zip

[Pete Dowson]

These are the simconnect.dll content of each WinSxs Simconnect folder, in that order. Versions 60905, 61355 and 61637.

Ah, 60905 not 60985 as you said last time.

Yes, those are FS versions, not SimConnect versions -- you'd see the same on every module of that issue.

The folders themselves are listed as "60905" "61242" and 61259" if relevant.

Yes, those are the SimConnect versions, as I said. However, the WinSxS system evidently isn't correct (something somewhere is amiss) because the logs still show that only the SP1 version of SimConnect is accessible. All of your SimConnect-using add-ons are using SP1, not SP2 or Acceleration.

This is before, and again following, an uninstall and reinstall of Acceleration. Attached are the current logs. I don't know quite where to cut off simconnect.log.

Well, you cut it off after 12 seconds worth (the number at the start of each line is the elapsed time in seconds). This of course is long before the PFCFSX initialisation and failure (107 seconds or so).

But no matter. The problem is still the same. You'll need to delete the "61259" folder after uninstalling Acceleration, then re-install it. Hopefully this will repair the WinSxS system for SP2/Acceleration.

I should have mentioned that I am running XP Home with the XP3 update, which may or may not be a factor.

No, not a factor.

FSX was uninstalled and re-installed last month, as was Acceleration.

I think this is the root cause of most WinSxS installation problems. The uninstall makes a mess of Side-by-side library installations, it doesn't uninstall them sufficiently for them to be repaired. I think Microsoft should be ashamed of this whole mess.

I have four separate FSX installations, two with acceleration, two with SP1 + SP2, on both WinXP and Vista systems, and having never once uninstalled it (never having any reason to), I've never had any problems. It just doesn't like being uninstalled and reinstalled. it makes a right mess! :-(

Regards

Pete

[alexdan]

Curiouser and curiouser.. Uninstalled Acceleration with difficulties finally traced to my Virus/firewall program F-secure (aka Shawsecure), now removed.

Two x86 folders remain, 60905 and 61242. PFC page still does not load. Have not yet reinstalled Acceleration pending your comments. Logs attached.

Have a good weekend meantime...

Regards

Alex

AlexLogs3.zip

[Pete Dowson]

Curiouser and curiouser.. Uninstalled Acceleration with difficulties finally traced to my Virus/firewall program F-secure (aka Shawsecure), now removed. Two x86 folders remain, 60905 and 61242. PFC page still does not load. Have not yet reinstalled Acceleration pending your comments. Logs attached.

It won't work until the WinSXS setup is repaired. You have to reinstall Acceleration to repair it!

The uninstall didn't do much in any case. Seems it failed utterly to uninstall Accel and restore the SP1 editions of the FSX modules in the FSX folder. The FSUIPC log shows this:

Version: 10.0.61637.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

which is exactly as before, and which is the Acceleration release.

Regards

Pete

[alexdan]

Accel reinstalled. All back to normal. Thanks for your patience..

Regards

Alex

[Pete Dowson]

Accel reinstalled. All back to normal. Thanks for your patience..

Good, glad you got it sorted!

Pete