FSX Lockup on opening Buttons + Switches tab

[MB327]

This happens 100% of time. FSX will completely lock up when I open the Buttons + Switches tab in 4.53 and also after updating to 4.561. Other FSUIPC functions on all other tabs seem to work fine, it's just the Buttons + Switches tab. After selecting it, you cant move off it or close FSUIPC. However, if I click a button on my CH Yoke, the button registers in the window but then everything freezes and CNTL ALT DEL is only option.

From memory of trouble shooting in the old days, I tried deleting the FSUIPC4.ini file and starting with fresh one but same result. Then I thought of deleting the FSX config file but dont see anything there that could relate to this so I have not tried that.

Note also I have taken a considerably long break from Flightsim and only yesterday updated from FSUIPC 4.11. It was not till trying to program a button for keying a mic that I ran into this last night.

Mike Bevington

FSUIPC customer since day one

note: email address XXX'd out for public post

********* FSUIPC4, Version 4.561 by Pete Dowson *********

Reading options from "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Modules\FSUIPC4.ini"

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

Trying to connect to SimConnect SP1 May07 ...

User Name="Michael Bevington"

User Addr="XXXXX"

FSUIPC4 Key is provided

WIDEFS7 not user registered, or expired

Running inside FSX (using SimConnect SP1 May07)

Module base=61000000

Wind smoothing fix is fully installed

DebugStatus=15

359 System time = 06/01/2010 21:44:30

359 FLT UNC path = "C:\Documents and Settings\Michael\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\"

375 FS UNC path = "\\AMD-64\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\"

1281 LogOptions=00000000 00000001

1281 SimConnect_Open succeeded: waiting to check version okay

23313 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61355.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61242.0)

23313 Initialising SimConnect data requests now

23313 FSUIPC Menu entry added

23359 c:\documents and settings\michael\my documents\flight simulator x files\KSTL Warm.FLT

23375 \\AMD-64\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Airplanes\LVLD_B763\B767-300.AIR

64125 System time = 06/01/2010 21:45:34, Simulator time = 21:44:48 (03:44Z)

64125 Aircraft="Level D Simulations B767-300ER - American Airlines"

71156 Advanced Weather Interface Enabled

[Pete Dowson]

This happens 100% of time. FSX will completely lock up when I open the Buttons + Switches tab in 4.53 and also after updating to 4.561. Other FSUIPC functions on all other tabs seem to work fine, it's just the Buttons + Switches tab. After selecting it, you cant move off it or close FSUIPC. However, if I click a button on my CH Yoke, the button registers in the window but then everything freezes and CNTL ALT DEL is only option.

This is almost certainly due to a rogue joystick driver in your system. When polled it is waiting for an event which will never arrive, only timing out after a period, and thus FSUIPC loses control for most of the time making it unusable.

Please check in your Window's game controllers applet (in the control panel). You could also use the attached utility "joyview" which might show more.

Let me know what you find. This problem has occurred just a few times over the 10 year+ history of FSUIPC, but perhaps I need to put a time check on the call to Windows and once a device takes more than, say, half a second, to respond, put it on a "avoid this" list.

Regards

Pete

joyview.zip

[Pete Dowson]

... perhaps I need to put a time check on the call to Windows and once a device takes more than, say, half a second, to respond, put it on a "avoid this" list.

I've added this check in version 4.562, now available in the Updates Announcement. Please try it and let me know. Here's a description of the change:

An extra check has been incorporated into the Button scanning routines (used when in the FSUIPC options to assign buttons and switches). If any joystick device takes more than 100 mSecs to respond, FSUIPC stops polling it on the assumption that it is either faulty, or has a bad driver. The ban on that device stays operative for the rest of the FS session.

This is intended to prevent the odd hangs some folks get in the Buttons options which are thought to be due to rogue joystick drivers without connected joysticks. The timeout used (100 mSecs by default) can be changed via the parameter in the FSUIPC4.INI file called "JoystickTimeout". This has a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 5000 milliseconds.

If this does help, perhaps you'd be kind enough to try smaller or larger values for that parameter? 100 mSecs might be too large and still cause it to clog up, or it might be too small and have the effect of eliminating good devices (though I very much doubt that). If it doesn't seem to help initially, do please try smaller values in any case.

Oh, if this facility does help, I'd like to see the FSUIPC4.log file, please. It should log the responsible joystick number.

Thanks,

Pete

[MB327]

You nailed it Pete, there was an old "test" joystick configuration in there which I found right on the WinXP Control Panel/Joysticks config tool. I deleted it and now everything is fine.

As in the past, your support is outstanding. Now I just have to find an unused key combination to use for a Squawkbox4 push to talk assignment and I am good to go.

Thank you sir.

Mike Bevington

[Pete Dowson]

You nailed it Pete, there was an old "test" joystick configuration in there which I found right on the WinXP Control Panel/Joysticks config tool. I deleted it and now everything is fine.

Ah, was I too late with the timeout facility? I would have liked to see if that worked! :-(

Regards

Pete

[MB327]

Sorry, I should have tried your fix first to get that feedback to you.