Previous Flight files

[abax2000]

I (sometime) find in Documents\Flight Simulator X Files three Previous Flight files (.flt, .fssave and .wx). In the .flt one is stated that is created by FSUIPC, although I have AutoSave unchecked. Is this possible? The setup is FSX sp2, W7 32b, FSUIPC 4.869

[Andydigital]

Autosaves are not the same thing as a previous flight save. The previous flight save is a flight that was automatically saved at the time you last closed the sim down properly. As far as I know you cannot turn off the previous flight save, it's not an issue though as it always overwrites the previous save so it wont waste any space or anything like that.

[abax2000]

I just tested "end flight" and then "exit" (I guess this is "close the sim down properly"), but no "Previous Files" were generated.

Anyhow, the underlying reason I am asking is:

some days ago I updated to AS2012 sp2 and FSUIPC 4.869. After that, I experienced a series of ctd's attributed to weather.dll (and one to util.dll).

I think that these ctd's do happen when these "Previous Flight" files are present; if there are not there (by manual deletion or because they were not generated) the ctd do not happen.

I also think that when ASE is in use, ctd's do not happen.

Any help on that would be great.

[Pete Dowson]

I just tested "end flight" and then "exit" (I guess this is "close the sim down properly"), but no "Previous Files" were generated.

Before FSX, Flight Sim always generated a flight called "Previous Flight" on closing, so that you could set that flight as your default and always start off where you left it. Because FSX didn't do this I was asked if FSUIPC could do it. and it does try to do it -- this relies on it receiving a call from SimConnect saying that it is disconnecting with enough time for a call back by FSUIPC to actually initiate the flight save before it is too late.

This usually works okay, but i think if you "end flight" first there's no flight to be saved -- you've ended it!

some days ago I updated to AS2012 sp2 and FSUIPC 4.869. After that, I experienced a series of ctd's attributed to weather.dll (and one to util.dll).

Weather DLL crashes are usually caused by faulty data in the WX file, or by a corrupt weatherstationlist.BIN file (the latter is in the same folder as your FSX.CFG file). You can try replacing the latter with the default, which I think you'll find in the FSX weather folder. Corrupted WX files are usually caused by faulty downloads of real weather by FSX, from the MS weather site.

If it occurs even when you don't explicitly load a flight, the problem can be down to the WX file first loaded, as part of your default flight. It doesn't then matter if you change it or load another flight, the damage is done. Either change your default flight or find it and delete it's WX file.

I think that these ctd's do happen when these "Previous Flight" files are present; if there are not there (by manual deletion or because they were not generated) the ctd do not happen.

Since even a corrupted file cannot possibly have any affect unless it is actualy read back (any old rubbish can be written, it affects nothing if never read), I think your conclusions are incorrect -- unless you are actually loading the "previous flight" or have it as default. Certainly I think it likely that some flight you are loading has a corrupted WX file.

I also think that when ASE is in use, ctd's do not happen.

That wouldn't make any difference if you are still loading flights. If when you are using ASE you are not loading flights, then that may explain it, provided the problem is not in the default flight.

Regards

Pete

[abax2000]

Pete,

thnx for helping out.

I had already deleted the default flight .wx (got the tip from an old post, but still lots of ctd's.

I never load flights; just start from scratch.

I will try to replace the Users\user\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX\wxstationlist.bin with the original in Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Weather\wxstationlist.bin.

I'll report back by tomorrow.

PS. if wxstatiolist.bin is the culprit (so it randomly produces ctd's), I guess that I will have to wait several flights after changing it to be sure that the problem is solved.

[abax2000]

I replaced wxstatiolist.bin as advised but unfortunately still experienced a weather.dll ctd.

I suppose that would leave corrupted wx files to be blamed, and that would mean something is wrong with my AS2012 (this what I used and not FSX real weather)?

[Pete Dowson]

I suppose that would leave corrupted wx files to be blamed, and that would mean something is wrong with my AS2012 (this what I used and not FSX real weather)?

No, not really. The FSX real weather download only unpades the WXstation list file. WX files are part of normal saved flights, and FSX always loads one initially even if you then don't use the weather so loaded. Files becoming corrupted on disk don't have to have originated with bad input data. Maybe just a glitch or interruption when writing, or in memory corruption somehow before writing. There are a number of bugs still in FSX which involve some sort of memory corruption (the G3D error crashes are one possible result of these).

Just delete the WX file associated with the default flight, and don't load any other flights. See if you still get the problem.

Pete

[abax2000]

Pete thnx again for input (even for a non-FSUIPC issue).

Default's flight wx file is deleted for some days now.

I also do not load saved flights, but every time begin from scratch.

Despite all this, I still experience the crash. In the meantime, I opened a ticket in HiFi attaching some of their log files.

I'll try again with ASE (instead of AS2012) to verify if ASE is crash-free.

[Andydigital]

I've just noticed you are using a 32bit OS as well, you are probably getting a lot of crashes due to the OS just running out of memory, there are really very few reasons not to be using a 64bit OS these days.

[abax2000]

This is not a OOM; message is different and Event viewer logging also. Each type of ctd can easily be identified; the problem is to get over it ,lol.

As for 64bit,of course you are right, but it will have to wait for the next computer.

[Pete Dowson]

This is not a OOM; message is different

Before memory problems get as far as a reported OOM, things start to go wrong in other ways -- memory corruption for example.

Regards,

Pete

[abax2000]

hmm..I usually monitor things via Process Explorer and I am nowhere near a OOM (all my flights for the last week were in a "light" environment and a "light-medium" aircraft).

Anyhow I'll keep using ASE (with all other parameters same) to see what happens to ctd's.