FSX CTD since the beginning of May

[Mattie941]

Hi,

I have been suffering from an API.dll CTD since the beginning of May. I detailed the crashes here: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/635654-fsx-apidll-crash-no-fixes-in-other-threads/?tab=comments#comment-4983809

 

When restarting FSX, I sometimes get an error messaging saying the FSUIPC is the cause of the crash and that it is not recommended to run the software. As one user suggests in the AVSIM post, could there be an issue with the new Microsoft update?

[John Dowson]

12 hours ago, Mattie941 said:

When restarting FSX, I sometimes get an error messaging saying the FSUIPC is the cause of the crash and that it is not recommended to run the software. 

This can happen if/when FSX crashes, even though the crash is not related to FSUIPC. You can usually safely ignore this, but if it persists, please see this FAQ entry: 

 

If the crash is not related too FSUIPC, I am not sure that I will be able to help. Can you attach an FSUIPC4.log file from when FSX CTDs and I can take a look.

Does the crash still occur when not using Vatsim or vPilot? You could try setting FSUIPC to no receive Ai data to see if that makes a difference - to do this, set
       ProvideAIdata=No
in the [General] section of your FSUIPC4.ini.

There is a known issue that can cause CTDs with FSUIPC, which is a corrupt weather file. However, this usually results in a CTD soon after start-up. You can also eliminate this by using the following ini parameter (also as a test):
    NoWeatherAtAll=Yes
 

[Mattie941]

Thanks for the quick reply John. 

On 7/8/2023 at 9:45 AM, John Dowson said:

This can happen if/when FSX crashes, even though the crash is not related to FSUIPC. You can usually safely ignore this, but if it persists, please see this FAQ entry: 

I do not think that this is the issue because FSX loads FSUIPC fine and when I first run the sim, I was given the option to trust FSUIPC. 

I have managed to recreate the crash. The log and ini files are here (I have not implemented your recommendations in these files for the purpose of recreating the crash):

• FSUIPC.ini
• FSUIPC.log

[John Dowson]

18 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

I do not think that this is the issue because FSX loads FSUIPC fine and when I first run the sim, I was given the option to trust FSUIPC. 

That thread was for when you have to trust FSUIPC every time you start FSX. If you don't need to do this, then you can ignore that.

20 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

I have managed to recreate the crash.

...

  5409032 Weather Mode now = Theme
  5409032 Weather Mode now = Custom
  5605422 Weather Mode now = Theme
  5605422 Weather Mode now = Custom
  5699547 Requested flightplan loading: "C:\Users\matty\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\LIMEEGCC_FSX_NoProc_10Jul23.pln"
  5699579 Planned flight from LIME to EGCC
  5699579 C:\Users\matty\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\LIMEEGCC_FSX_NoProc_10Jul23.PLN
  5699579 C:\Users\matty\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\LIMEEGCC_FSX_NoProc_10Jul23.PLN

Does this happen each time you load that flight plan? Can you also please post the crash event from the windows event viewer.

You could try setting NoWeatherAtAll=Yes  just to make sure that this is not caused by a corrupt weather file. If it isn't, and the crash is not related to FSUIPC, I am not sure how I can help....

John

[Mattie941]

35 minutes ago, John Dowson said:

Does this happen each time you load that flight plan? Can you also please post the crash event from the windows event viewer.

It does not happen every time I load that flight plan. It does not seem to be linked to the flight plan. It can happen without a flight plan loaded or with a different flight plan loaded. Event viewer crash log:

• Faulting application name: fsx.exe, version: 10.0.61637.0, time stamp: 0x46fadb14
• Faulting module name: API.DLL, version: 10.0.61637.0, time stamp: 0x46fadb58
• Exception code: 0xc0000005
• Fault offset: 0x0003afa2
• Faulting process ID: 0x4308
• Faulting application start time: 0x01d9b30461ae1c9f
• Faulting application path: D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\fsx.exe
• Faulting module path: D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\API.DLL
• Report ID: 51c241ba-652d-48e8-8c2d-2e625adba68e
• Faulting package full name: 
• Faulting package-relative application ID: 

From Process Monitor, the last file FSX tries to read before "Thread Exit" is the kernel32.dll file.

[John Dowson]

Have you tried deleting your fsx.cfg file and letting that get rebuilt? Otherwise it could be caused by another FSX add-on. What add-ons do you have installed? And have you tried uninstalling them and adding them back one-by-one until you find the culprit? Have you at least tried the NoWeatherAtAll ini parameter to tule out a corrupt weather file?

Other than that, I can't really help with FSX CTDs that are not caused by FSUIPC. Have you tried the avsim CTD guide for advice, and there are many other FSX CTDs in API.dll reported on avsim...

 

[Mattie941]

I have been running FSX from a fresh reinstall. Therefore the FSX.cfg, DLL.xml and EXE.xml are all stock files. I have not been able to recreate the crash from the fresh reinstall at the moment.

I can only recreate the crash once I have installed FSUIPC (with NoWeatherAtAll ini parameter) and some addons to run using it: FSrealWX lite, FSFO v3, vasFMC 2.1, vPilot and Skytrack (my VA ACARS). The API.dll CTD does not seem to be related to any single one addon or combination of addons (I have tested with individual addons and combinations of addons).

Edited July 10, 2023 by Mattie941

[John Dowson]

There is a mismatch between your FSX version and the Simconnect version:
    31844 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61637.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

You could try installing and using SimConnect 10.0.61637.0 to see if that makes a difference.

5 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

I have installed FSUIPC (with NoWeatherAtAll ini parameter) 

That wasn't in the ini file you linked to, but if you have tried with no weather requests from FSUIPC and you still get this issue, then it will not be relayed to a corrupt weather file.

You are using an unregistered version of FSUIPC, so all FSUIPC is doing is supporting your add-ons.

8 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

The API.dll CTD does not seem to be related to any single one addon or combination of addons (I have tested with individual addons and combinations of addons).

Then I really don't have any further advice, sorry.

John

[Mattie941]

18 hours ago, John Dowson said:

There is a mismatch between your FSX version and the Simconnect version:
    31844 Running in "Microsoft Flight Simulator X", Version: 10.0.61637.0 (SimConnect: 10.0.61259.0)

You could try installing and using SimConnect 10.0.61637.0 to see if that makes a difference.

I tried uninstalling SimConnect but the latest version on the FSX Acceleration SDK is 10.0.61259.0. When I reinstall and start the sim, I still have the same mismatch. Therefore:

1. How do I remove 10.0.61637.0 so that the FSX version matches?
2. Or where do I find/download 10.0.61637.0 to update my SimConnect version

I tried installing from Just Flight and from the Acceleration SDK. I run through the steps to install Acceleration SDK but when i run the SimConnect.msi, it still installs SimConnect 10.0.6129.0. It's strange because when I run the SimConnect.msi file, the "run as administrator" pop up asks if I would like to install SimConnect 10.0.61637.0 but then when I click "yes", the installer window appears it says SimConnect 10.0.6129.0. When I check for the version installed it is SimConnect 10.0.6129.0 and FSUIPC is still reporting a mismatch.

The file properties of the Microsoft.FlightSimulator.SimConnect.dll file in "...\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\lib\managed"says that it is version "10.0.616.37.0 (FSX-Xpack.20070926-1421)" and yet it does not install this version.

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong?

1.  Found here: https://support.justflight.com/support/solutions/articles/17000100065-simconnect-files-for-fsx-p3d
2. 
3. 

18 hours ago, John Dowson said:

That wasn't in the ini file you linked to, but if you have tried with no weather requests from FSUIPC and you still get this issue, then it will not be relayed to a corrupt weather file.

Apologies, it was poorly worded by me. The file I shared was before I implemented your "ProvideAIdata=No" and "NoWeatherAtAll=Yes" lines. I have experience the crash with and without these lines.

[John Dowson]

That is the xpack installer, not the simconnect one. If you go to your FSX installation folder. look under SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\LegacyInterfaces\FSX-XPACK and you should see a SimConnect.msi file/installer there - try that one.

16 hours ago, Mattie941 said:

Apologies, it was poorly worded by me. The file I shared was before I implemented your "ProvideAIdata=No" and "NoWeatherAtAll=Yes" lines. I have experience the crash with and without these lines.

Ok, no problem - just wanted to confirm you had tried this to rule out the possibility of a corrupt weather file.

 

[Mattie941]

1 hour ago, John Dowson said:

SDK\Core Utilities Kit\SimConnect SDK\LegacyInterfaces\FSX-XPACK

Is this a P3D location, because it does not exist in my FSX root folder?

I tried to install the FSX-XPACK SimConnect.msi files from both FSPassengers and Just Flight, but both files follow the same behaviour I descried above. 

[John Dowson]

26 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

Is this a P3D location, because it does not exist in my FSX root folder?

Nom that was for FSX-SE - I only have the steam version, which is 10.0.62615.0.

28 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

I tried to install the FSX-XPACK SimConnect.msi files from both FSPassengers and Just Flight, but both files follow the same behaviour I descried above. 

That is because they are trying to install 10.0.61259.0 which you already have installed. Oy seems that FSX Acceleration uses 3 simconect versions:

Quote

 

FSX Acceleration (FSX Gold) on a new system. Three versions installed:

• microsoft.flightsimulator.simconnect: 10.0.60905.0 
  Simconnect.dll: 10.0.60905.0 (FSX RTM version)
• microsoft.flightsimulator.simconnect: 10.0.61242.0 
  Simconnect.dll: 10.0.61355.0 (FSX SP1 version)
• microsoft.flightsimulator.simconnect: 10.0.61259.0 
  Simconnect.dll: 10.0.61637.0 (FSX XPack version)

 

I am not sure what the difference is between microsoft.flightsimulator.simconnect and the Simconnect.dl and why these are at different versions, but I guess you are ok with the versions installed. Could you attach your FSUIPC4 Install.log file please as that will tell me the simconnect versions installed/detected in your system.

But I don't think this can be related to your CTD issue.

[Mattie941]

50 minutes ago, John Dowson said:

Could you attach your FSUIPC4 Install.log file please as that will tell me the simconnect versions installed/detected in your system.

But I don't think this can be related to your CTD issue.

Install log: FSUIPC4 Install.log

Damn, it's more and more feeling like a Windows reset is going to be required...

[John Dowson]

Ok, the install log shows the 3 simconnect versions installed, so this should be ok...

39 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

Damn, it's more and more feeling like a Windows reset is going to be required...

You could try a clean FSX install first...

Sorry, but not sure what else I can advise.

[Mattie941]

1 hour ago, John Dowson said:

You could try a clean FSX install first...

Sorry, but not sure what else I can advise.

I'm running off a clean install of FSX at the moment. I don't see another option other than a Windows reset unfortunately 

[Mattie941]

A complete reinstall of Windows has not fixed the issue. Therefore I'm out of ideas...

Thanks for the help John, but it looks I'm on indefinite leave. 

[Mattie941]

It has recently been confirmed that the API.dll crashes (IF no corrupt dll.xml file) are being caused by a Windows update from a few months ago. It’s a shame.

I recommend everyone that is experiencing the issue to submit a support request with Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/home/contact

This will help increase exposure to the issue and will hopefully expedite a hotfix.

[John Dowson]

1 hour ago, Mattie941 said:

t has recently been confirmed that the API.dll crashes (IF no corrupt dll.xml file) are being caused by a Windows update from a few months ago. It’s a shame.

I recommend everyone that is experiencing the issue to submit a support request with Microsoft: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/home/contact

This will help increase exposure to the issue and will hopefully expedite a hotfix.

Thanks for the update.

John

[John Dowson]

On 7/20/2023 at 11:25 AM, Mattie941 said:

It has recently been confirmed that the API.dll crashes (IF no corrupt dll.xml file) are being caused by a Windows update from a few months ago.

Do you have a reference/link for this confirmation?

Thanks,

John

[Mattie941]

19 hours ago, John Dowson said:

Do you have a reference/link for this confirmation?

Thanks,

John

 

I see it mentioned here in a Microsoft support forum: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/fsx-apidll/33a02ac5-54ca-4643-98f8-2c7f10763b66

It is also mentioned in the support page: https://support.microsoft.com/en-au/topic/april-11-2023-kb5025221-os-builds-19042-2846-19044-2846-and-19045-2846-b00c3356-baac-4a41-8342-7f97ec83445a

• "You might have intermittent issues saving, copying, or attaching files using 32-bit apps, which are large address aware and using the CopyFile API."

However, this may have been fixed in the June 11 update, but I have not had time to test yet. 

• This update addresses a known issue that affects 32-bit apps that are large address aware and use the CopyFile API.

[Mattie941]

For those that are interested, SteveFx's suggestion on the AVSIM forum has fixed my CTD issues: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/633405-appdll-crash-and-kb5025221/?do=findComment&comment=5039267

[John Dowson]

46 minutes ago, Mattie941 said:

For those that are interested, SteveFx's suggestion on the AVSIM forum has fixed my CTD issues: https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/633405-appdll-crash-and-kb5025221/?do=findComment&comment=5039267

That is interesting. Thanks for the update.

John