FSuipc4 freezes in Win7

[hovercrafter]

Hello,

For some months I have been using Win7 RC1 and my cockpit setup via fsuipc4. Results were excellent.

Following a disc failure I have re-installed Win 7 and now there are problems. Installation and program operation are fine until the tab for button configuration is selected and then at varying time spans the program and FSX freezes/goes so slowly as to be uncontrollable. Ctrl/Alt/Del and kill fsx in the task manager is the only way out.

I have tried;

Clean install of win7

clean install of fsx directory (C:\fsx)

Switched off UAC

Run as administrator

Switched off themes

Disconnected all usb devices save for keyboard and mouse.

Installed the latest version of fsuipc4

Fsuipc4 even freezes with no joysticks/usb adaptors connected, but only when the tab for button configuration is entered and after a minute or so... can vary to five minutes and after the assignment of functions to several buttons.

Since it used to work well I can only think than Win7 has been changed in some way, or there is something like a memory leakage that has appeared on my machine.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to do next?

Thanks & regards

Gordon

[Pete Dowson]

For some months I have been using Win7 RC1 and my cockpit setup via fsuipc4. Results were excellent.

Same here. I'm using Win7 RC1 65-bit version on two systems with FSX and FSUIPC4, and excellent results.

Following a disc failure I have re-installed Win 7 and now there are problems. Installation and program operation are fine until the tab for button configuration is selected and then at varying time spans the program and FSX freezes/goes so slowly as to be uncontrollable. Ctrl/Alt/Del and kill fsx in the task manager is the only way out.

Can you clarify this please. You get into FS options, press the Buttons tab, then you never get out? If so, it sounds rather like a bad joystick driver, possibly one for a joystick no longer connected. Have you checked Game Controllers?

Incidentally, you always need to state the actual version of FSUIPC.

Please enable Button logging in the Logging tab before going to the Buttons tab, and showing me the log you get. Also show me your FSUIPC4.INI file

Since it used to work well I can only think than Win7 has been changed in some way, or there is something like a memory leakage that has appeared on my machine.

No, it does sound like something, some rogue driver, is either hanging, or continually signalling a button change, so fast that FSUIPC's scanning never returns. I've known that to happen with, for instance, old Game Port drivers -- even though there's no game port on the backs of modern PCs, the game port drivers still manage to cock things up quite well.

Regards

Pete

[hovercrafter]

Hello Mr Dowson..... thank you for the response.

Firstly the Win7 version I installed is 64bit build 7100

FSUIPC4 versions used 4.4 (14.11.09) and the latest one dated 09.06.09

I tried to produce a log of the buttons but it seems that it is not recorded when I crash out of FSX. The console log does show the button presses... and continues to log new button presses even when the program has frozen..... It doesn't record any faults.

Using fsuipc4 today, I found that the button selection and assignment worked fine for about a minute or so, then scrolling through the list of assignments got jerkier and slower and then all response to the keyboard or mouse within the fsuipc window stopped. The computer continues to work normally, and as said earlier the logging console contines to record normally new key presses.

Your comments about a rogue joystick driver are interesting, I have a usb hub which I am suspicious of. Since the win7 computer is not mission critical rather hunt around for old drivers I will wipe it and reinstall being careful to test step by step and not use the usb hub.

Many thanks for your help

Regards

Gordon

Herewith the info requested.... half of the button log was when the programme was in a frozen state.

Console Started ...

32027 *** Entered Buttons option page ***

40248 FirstButtonChange res=00000407 (0.4, 7)

74397 FirstButtonChange res=00000409 (0.4, 9)

134410 FirstButtonChange res=00000404 (0.4, 4)

135175 FirstButtonChange res=00000404 (0.4, 4)

135736 FirstButtonChange res=00000407 (0.4, 7)

137140 FirstButtonChange res=00000409 (0.4, 9)

138778 FirstButtonChange res=00000403 (0.4, 3)

139418 FirstButtonChange res=00000403 (0.4, 3)

139995 FirstButtonChange res=00000400 (0.4, 0)

140650 FirstButtonChange res=00000400 (0.4, 0)

141150 FirstButtonChange res=00000401 (0.4, 1)

141727 FirstButtonChange res=00000401 (0.4, 1)

142382 FirstButtonChange res=00000402 (0.4, 2)

142881 FirstButtonChange res=00000402 (0.4, 2)

143396 FirstButtonChange res=00000408 (0.4, 8)

143973 FirstButtonChange res=00000408 (0.4, 8)

144488 FirstButtonChange res=00000406 (0.4, 6)

145455 FirstButtonChange res=00000405 (0.4, 5)

145970 FirstButtonChange res=00000405 (0.4, 5)

[General]

History=IQL9L6EXXMIF8UAM5G9U7

MouseWheelTrim=No

MouseWheelTrimSpeed=1

FixControlAccel=No

FixMachSpeedBug=No

VisibilityOptions=No

OneCloudLayer=No

CloudTurbulence=No

CloudIcing=No

GenerateCirrus=No

SuppressCloudTurbulence=No

MaxIce=-4

MinIce=-4

UpperWindGusts=No

SuppressWindTurbulence=No

SuppressWindVariance=No

WindTurbulence=No

TurbulenceRate=1.0,5.0

TurbulenceDivisor=20,20,40,40

SuppressAllGusts=No

MaxSurfaceWind=0

WindLimitLevel=200

WindDiscardLevel=400

WindAjustAltitude=No

WindAjustAltitudeBy=2000

WindSmoothing=No

WindSmoothness=2

WindSmoothAirborneOnly=Yes

PressureSmoothness=0

TemperatureSmoothness=0

DisconnTrimForAP=No

ZeroElevForAPAlt=No

ThrottleSyncAll=No

WhiteMessages=No

ShowPMcontrols=No

SpoilerIncrement=512

MagicBattery=No

RudderSpikeRemoval=No

ElevatorSpikeRemoval=No

AileronSpikeRemoval=No

ReversedElevatorTrim=No

ClockSync=No

ClockSyncMins=5

ClearWeatherDynamics=No

OwnWeatherChanges=No

TimeForSelect=4

LoadFlightMenu=No

LoadPlanMenu=No

PauseAfterCrash=No

SaveDataWithFlights=No

ZapSound=firework

ShortAircraftNameOk=No

TCASid=Flight

TCASrange=40

AxisCalibration=No

DirectAxesToCalibs=No

ShowMultilineWindow=Yes

SuppressSingleline=No

SuppressMultilineFS=No

AxisIntercepts=No

WeatherReadFactor=2

WeatherRewriteSeconds=1

CustomWeatherModify=No

SimConnectStallTime=1

Console=No

LogButtonsKeys=Yes

ConsoleWindow=25,25,702,384

[AutoSave]

AutoSaveEnabled=No

[GPSout]

GPSoutEnabled=No

Port=

Speed=4800

Interval=1000

PosTo6Decimal=Yes

Sentences=

[WideServer]

WideFSenabled=Yes

[buttons]

1=P4,12,C66374,0

2=P4,13,C66293,0

3=P4,11,C65580,0

4=P4,15,C65725,0

5=P4,16,C65726,0

6=P4,14,C65729,0

7=P4,19,C66375,0

8=P4,17,C65724,0

9=P4,18,C66725,0

10=P4,10,C65570,0

11=P4,4,C65751,0

[Pete Dowson]

FSUIPC4 versions used 4.4 (14.11.09) and the latest one dated 09.06.09

4.4 is certainly not supported, only 4.52 and later. All versions do actually have (important) version numbers! The dates aren't really useful (especially future ones like the 14.11.09 you quote! ;-) ). The very latest increment, an update for 4.52, is available in the usual Updates and Goodies Announcement at the top of this Forum -- currently 4.523 from last week. Each update fixes and adds things. It is always best to try the latest, and ALWAYs use the latest when running tests or providing logs etc.

I tried to produce a log of the buttons but it seems that it is not recorded when I crash out of FSX.

Strange. The file is ALWAYS produced, and when you close the hung or crashed program, Windows should (always does here) finalise (close) the log file. You can also always read the log file even whilst it is open and being written to.

The console log does show the button presses... and continues to log new button presses even when the program has frozen..... It doesn't record any faults.

I wasn't really expecting it to record "faults" as such as it won't know what they are. I was hoping it might indicate to you what item of equipment, or what driver more likely, was messing your system up.

Looking at the log extract you provide:

134410 FirstButtonChange res=00000404 (0.4, 4)

135175 FirstButtonChange res=00000404 (0.4, 4)

135736 FirstButtonChange res=00000407 (0.4, 7)

137140 FirstButtonChange res=00000409 (0.4, 9)

138778 FirstButtonChange res=00000403 (0.4, 3)

139418 FirstButtonChange res=00000403 (0.4, 3)

139995 FirstButtonChange res=00000400 (0.4, 0)

140650 FirstButtonChange res=00000400 (0.4, 0)

141150 FirstButtonChange res=00000401 (0.4, 1)

141727 FirstButtonChange res=00000401 (0.4, 1)

142382 FirstButtonChange res=00000402 (0.4, 2)

142881 FirstButtonChange res=00000402 (0.4, 2)

143396 FirstButtonChange res=00000408 (0.4, 8)

143973 FirstButtonChange res=00000408 (0.4, 8)

144488 FirstButtonChange res=00000406 (0.4, 6)

145455 FirstButtonChange res=00000405 (0.4, 5)

145970 FirstButtonChange res=00000405 (0.4, 5)

Have you reconnected a joystick device? Are you actually pressing and releasing buttons that fast? That's 17 presses or releases in 11 seconds.

If it is logging button presses, and you have no joysticks or devices with buttons connected, there is evidently something wrong with your system. You need to look in windows device manager and see what "rogue" device it thinks it has got.

Using fsuipc4 today, I found that the button selection and assignment worked fine for about a minute or so, then scrolling through the list of assignments got jerkier and slower and then all response to the keyboard or mouse within the fsuipc window stopped. The computer continues to work normally, and as said earlier the logging console contines to record normally new key presses.

We aren't interested in key presses. Only buttons.

Is that really the complete INI file you appended? It seems to be missing some very important parts, like the section listing Joystick names. Or is it from an old version of FSUIPC4? I really cannot help if you provide logs and INI files from old versions, sorry. It was the Joystick name section which might tel us what rogue driver you have.

Your comments about a rogue joystick driver are interesting, I have a usb hub which I am suspicious of. Since the win7 computer is not mission critical rather hunt around for old drivers I will wipe it and reinstall being careful to test step by step and not use the usb hub.

Please do come back and let us know how you get on. And do use the latest version. Thanks,

Regards

Pete

[hovercrafter]

Found it.

It seems that the combination of Win7, fsuipc4 and RealityXP is not a good one.

Win7 and fsuipc4 (both 4.40 and 4.52) work okay and buttons can be configured. Add RealityXP (GPS programme) then fsuipc4 configuration module, particularly when configuring buttons, gets stuffed as described above.

Both FSX, fsuipc4 and RealityXP do, however, work normally when not in fsuipc configuration mode, which is why I hadn't twigged the conflict earlier (on the original win7 install) as I had no need to change the cockpit layout subsequent to installing RealityXP.

RealityXP does something to Win7 at system level. Installing it is virtually a one way action. Un-installing RealityXP and un-install/re-installing fsuipc4 or FSX makes no change to the problem. I have no idea where to look to undo the system change.

Fortunately the work around seems to be; configure all items in fsuipc before going near RealityXP. I haven't tried editing the fsuipc4 ini file but I am guessing that could be possible too.

For clarification purposes the RealityXP programme in question here is the stand alone add-on gps programme. Not the versions integrated into payware aircraft, whether they are also affected I have no data to advise on.

Gordon

[Pete Dowson]

It seems that the combination of Win7, fsuipc4 and RealityXP is not a good one.

RealityXP what? Isn't that a badge for lots of panel/gauge products from the company run by Jean-Luc? [Ah, I see you clarify that at the end].

RealityXP does something to Win7 at system level. Installing it is virtually a one way action. Un-installing RealityXP and un-install/re-installing fsuipc4 or FSX makes no change to the problem. I have no idea where to look to undo the system change.

Wow!

Certainly FSUIPC4 itself makes no changes to the system itself. The only things it touches outside of the FSX Modules folder are the DLL.XML file, in order to ask SimConnect to load it, and a small private entry in the Registry to record Registration. Neither can impinge on anything else, and certainly nothing permanently at all.

For clarification purposes the RealityXP programme in question here is the stand alone add-on gps programme.

Does that program use the joysticks? Does it use DirectInput? I wonder what it could possibly be changing to clobber FSUIPC4's button scanning. You are saying that it IS only the Buttons tab affected, aren't you? Not the axes assignments, Joysticks calibration, Keys assignments or any of the others?

The only thing mildly different about the Button assignments tab (in relation to its normal actions) is that it is scanning for activity on any possible "joy" device (i.e. all from 0 to 15, not just those already assigned), and it will also be looking for the EPIC USB device in case that is attached. EPIC devices are one of the 16 "joy"s, but return the word "EPIC" to a special request code (-1) which is ignored by other devices. You might want to try inhibiting this. Maybe the checking being done for EPIC presence is somehow invoking something set by RealityXP. Try adding

PollEpicButtons=No

to the main [buttons] section of the INI file. Perhaps the RealityXP program installs a special "joy" type device (as a software hook perhaps) which gets this EPIC query and, well, doesn't return for a while.

If this makes no difference, you need to report this to RealityXP. It may be a Win7 incompatibility someplace in their code.

Regards

Pete