Wideview and FSUIPC

[abz]

Peter: I am still flying FS2004 with Wideview with registered versions of FSUIPC using Vista 32bit. I have 3 new client PCs. Two of the clients I had already installed FSUIPC and registered them. No problems. Just yesterday, I installed FS, Wideview and FSUIPC on the 3rd client PC and when I went to the drop down FS modules menu to register FSUIPC and clicked on FSUIPC, I got a black screen (CTD) that required a reboot. But another strange thing is when I went to the other 2 PCs to check the FSUIPC on them, the same thing happened when I clicked FSUIPC, both black screens that required a reboot. On one of the PCs I deleted all the FSUIPC entries in the modules folder and reinstalled the FSUIPC.dll file, but the same thing is happening. Any ideas on this problem? My server PC FSUIPC works fine. Thanks, Al

[Pete Dowson]

... when I went to the drop down FS modules menu to register FSUIPC and clicked on FSUIPC, I got a black screen (CTD) that required a reboot.

A "black screen" isn't a CTD. CTD means "crash to desktop", which means FS simply disappears without trace, leaving no window, no message, and you are dumped back on the Windows desktop. Surely your Windows desktop isn't all black?

If you do really mean a black screen, then it sounds exactly like a fairly well known video driver problem. Try switching FS to windowed mode first. If it then works you have a video driver problem. See about updating your drivers.

Regards

Pete

[abz]

Thanks Pete. Yes I stand corrected. It is a "black screen", not CTD. I tried the windowed mode and it works perfectly. The PC is brand new and has the most up to date GPU drivers. It has the new Nvidia GTX 280 card and these are brand new drivers. Don't have any newer ones yet. Hopefully there will be updated drivers in the near future. Thanks again, Al

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks Pete. Yes I stand corrected. It is a "black screen", not CTD. I tried the windowed mode and it works perfectly. The PC is brand new and has the most up to date GPU drivers. It has the new Nvidia GTX 280 card and these are brand new drivers. Don't have any newer ones yet. Hopefully there will be updated drivers in the near future. Thanks again, Al

I use a 9800GTX on one PC and a 9800GX2 on another. The newest nVidia drivers I've got, 177.79, are actually very good, performance-wise (much less stutters in DX10 mode than even using 177.70), but I have had three occasions this wee where FSX has "crashed" into a black screen with on way out. This wasn't when going into a menu item, just with FSX sitting there, parked at an airport, one occasion flying. I've taken to using maximised windowed mode (same frame rates) for now.

Regards

Pete

[abz]

Thanks Pete. What do you mean by maximised window mode? Al

[Pete Dowson]

Thanks Pete. What do you mean by maximised window mode?

A Window which is Maximised! i.e. Windowed mode (the normal window display where you see other programs on the Windows desktop), but with FS maximised (press the maximise button, top right in the Title bar, next to the "X" button for termination.

To change between Windowed and Full Screen modes, press ALT+ENTER.

Here the only disadvantage of using Max'd Window more is that you have a title bar at the top. My frame rates are the same as in full screen mode. But take care to make sure the Windows Task Bar is hidden -- set its properties to "Auto-Hide" and untick the "Locked" and "On top" options. The Task Bar properties can be accessed by right-clicking on the Windows Start button, selecting Properties then TaskBar.

Regards

Pete

[abz]

Thanks Pete. Yes, of course - the upper right of the title bar!!! Hit me on the head! I just was not use to hearing it that way. Yes I do hide the task bar - nice feature. Thanks for all your help. Will keep a look out for new drivers for the GTX280.

Take care. Al