Here we go AGAIN!!!!

[forthbridge]

HI Guys

Just setting another topic off in case I run into difficulties.......

I'd been having issues with the latest new install of FS9 locking up, not closing then restarting on it's own.

On sunday, I had the PC on most of the day, and running FS9 intermittently. In the evening, I started FS9 up, and when I went to select a flight, the program locked at the selection screen with no activity - task manager required to shut it down. After a couple of attempts, I loaded directly into the default flight, which worked- but as soon as I hit alt to select an airport, FS9 locked up.

I then rebooted the machine, only for it to refuse to even post. Nothing but the case and CPU fan running at top speed. After a few hours, and into Monday of trying things like reseating the GPU, DIMMS etc, I decided to head to Comet, where for £289 I obtained an Acer tower with Vista premium, Core2 duo, two gig of RAM and geforce 9300 graphics.

After the usual set-up hassles, I have FS9 in (without add-ons as yet,) and it runs much more smoothly than on the last system. Ithink I'll be quite content for a while, but, as the older systems components won't be useable with this Mobo (IE extra RAM etc) I've taken the decision to build a 'roarer' over time as funds permit. The last machine cost £800 quid and was giving problems within a year - so I've elected to never spend too much from now on on prebuilt kit - and get something to my own spec over time.

Anyway, for the time being this is the main FS9 machine, and being new to Vista (other than using Samantha's laptop for the net) I'm not sure what issues their may be with FS9 add-ons etc - so I may be reposting here!

I've stripped the old PC down, and Maplin are due to get some more SATA docking stations in at the weekend, one of which I intend to purchase for the purpose of using the two 160 gig HDDs from the compaq as storage (and to retrieve files).

One main question I did have.....

Theoretically my FS9 installation on the old PC was brand new and should have been bullet-proof - but I am minded to re-download any add-ons I did have rather than copy folders from FS9 into the new machine... what's the consnsus on that?

[speedbird591]

Hi Jim, sounds like a good plan. I like the idea of buying a good basic model and upgrading over time. You probably can't do that with FSX because you need all the power you can afford whereas FS9 doesn't push a modern PC to the edge so you can get good performance out of the box. And at that price you're not having to take out a mortgage either!

My Acer laptop is a similar spec but with only 8600 GeForce graphics. I haven't had any problems running FS9 with Vista, in fact I think Vista manages the sim very well by utilising both cores to free memory for it even though FS9 doesn't actually use both cores. I run all the sliders on max. I haven't many add-ons so not sure whether there would be any incompatibilities. Let's see, what have I got? DM's fab four, FlyTampa Kai Tak, FSNav, World of AI, Real Environment Pro, FS Recorder and FS Toolbox. I think that's it. Pretty simple setup, but no problems with any of those.

I haven't really any thoughts about whether to download new add-ons or use the old ones. I don't suppose it matters really, although I think I would probably go for new but I couldn't say why

Ian

[forthbridge]

HI Ian

Cheers. I've downloaded and installed the following this morning: Rick's 748, UKMils EGQL, and Glacier Bay. All running splendidly with better than ever framerates and graphics, so I'm 'well happy'. When I get the docking station I'll pull what unzipped files I have from there, and install from those I think, but I'll steer clear of the old installation tree I think.

One thing I have been doing is uninstalling a lot of the software that came pre-installed, and I'm still looking around the startup menus to see what I can turn off. I did get a warning earlier trying to start FS9 when windows aborted saying I did not have enough memory. (I did have about 12 windows open in explorer at the time!).

I'm sure I can streamline some more once I get to grips with the new interface RTFM

[SkippyBing]

Out of interest what was the graphics card in the dead machine? It may be better than the 9300 if it's one of the high number 8XXX series e.g. 8800, could be worth checking for a comparison on one of the hardware sites to see if it's worth swapping over, although I guess that may do bad things to any warranty you have.

When you say re-download the add-ons vs copying them across, if you just mean the installation packages/zip files copy them across. On the other hand I wouldn't try and copy folders between FS installs as you can never be sure if you need to copy some gauges over or some scenery textures etc. and it just ends up being a mare.

Oh and I take it you've killed/stripped out Norton and put something decent on?!

[Garry Russell]

Hi Jim

As to you last question

Copying folders from you old FS will usually work on aircraft as long as you remember to copy the guages and texture folder.

Some add ons are a bit more complex depending on what they are.

If you have any doubt .... and you seem to, then I would say start afresh and one at a time, then any problems will show when the latest addon is conflicting

In the situation you are in now I think caution is the best option and even though it is a long winded process it could save you hours or even days of stress trying to find out which one of a block you threw in has upset the apple cart. :brick:

I reloaded FS9 a while ago and I still don't have many add ons installed. Every now and then I add another but TBH the old FS9 folder was full of stuff I looked at once then never deleted and some I hardly ever use.

I store the original zips so they are they if I want them but many I just don't miss which helps keep the overall size of the active FS.9 folders down.


Garry

[petermcleland]

You will have trouble with some addons if you just copy folders over...Many firms license you by placing files in obscure places but often on C: drive...These applications or addons will no longer work on your new installation. Flight1 has a good system where you re-download the addon as if to purchase it and then click the re-install button at the bottom you then need to give your user name in the form of your email address and the last four numbers of the credit card you used to order it...It then reinstalls the package for you.

[forthbridge]

Cheers Guys

The old card used shared memory - I forget the number off the top of my head :doho: - but I'd be very doubtful it's even half as good as what's in the new machine even tho it's still a budget GPU...

As Garry says, there's not a lot I actually 'need' to fire in all at once, so once I get the docker I'll pull any add-ons a bit at a time and perhaps be a little more selective that previously, although the last install was recent, and there wasn't a great deal in TBH. Once I can access the old D drive I can do a bit of window(s) shopping from what's saved there

Seriously, at least if I get afew days stable running with minimal add-ons, that's far better than bloating the installation straight away.
Now the old PC is in bits, I'm not sure it wasn't a system as opposed to FS issue that was causing the problems, but it's a bit pointless analysing that now! :drinkers:

On a totally right-angled tack, the sound on this new system is about 1000% better than the Compaq. I've just been cranking the 748 up with the speakers at a decent level Coolio

[forthbridge]

Oh and I take it you've killed/stripped out Norton and put something decent on?!

McAfee was preinstalled - and that was the very first job completed (IE obliterated from the system) and a clean install of Avast! - which I find perectly adequate - particularly as my browsing is very specific and doesn't involve torrenting and such activity

[speedbird591]

I did get a warning earlier trying to start FS9 when windows aborted saying I did not have enough memory. (I did have about 12 windows open in explorer at the time!).

Yes, I occasionally get that warning - something like: 'Your computer does not have enough memory to run flight simulator. Flight Simulator will now close.' Utter nonsense! It's usually when I've just been doing some 'stuff' or Kaspersky is running some sort of scan. Usually closing the sidebar lets it start straight away or alternatively making a cup of tea while it finishes whatever it is it's doing!

Ian

p.s. Don't forget to use CCleaner and do a defrag after you've uninstalled all the rubbish!