Heeeelllllppppppp!!!!

[nigelb]

Sorry to hear that. I think by now, I would have tossed the computer out the window! :brick:

Anyway, are you saying you had version 9.0 of FS9 or version 9.1 - the patched version? Where was the oleacc.dll file, in the FS9 directory? As I mentioned I had that file in two locations in C:\windows, and one that was renamed to oleacc.old in the fs9 directory that I am fairly certain was renamed by the patch program. I would not do anything with the file in the \Windows\system32 directory other than maybe re-installing it from your installation disks.

Of course neither of really know if oleacc.dll is the problem. Does CFS3 still misbehave? How about any other programs - any problems? Other than that, I am stumped.

N²

[NigelC]

Sorry to hear that. I think by now, I would have tossed the computer out the window! :brick:

Anyway, are you saying you had version 9.0 of FS9 or version 9.1 - the patched version? Where was the oleacc.dll file, in the FS9 directory? As I mentioned I had that file in two locations in C:\windows, and one that was renamed to oleacc.old in the fs9 directory that I am fairly certain was renamed by the patch program. I would not do anything with the file in the \Windows\system32 directory other than maybe re-installing it from your installation disks.

Of course neither of really know if oleacc.dll is the problem. Does CFS3 still misbehave? How about any other programs - any problems? Other than that, I am stumped.

I have a few glances in the direction of the window. oleacc.dll was in the fs9 directory. I initially renamed it to oleacc.old, then tried deleting it all together. having deleted and re-installed, my version was FS9, so I downloaded the patch last night. That didn't work either. I seem to be getting longer time period now, but not timed it yet. Managed to get default C172 round the circuit at Seattle and FS9 disappeared the moment the wheels hit the tarmac on landing. Other times it disappeared when flap selected or view was changed. There were no, repeat no entries in the event viewer for these failures last night.

Haven't retried CFS3, but that does contain oleacc.dll and mfc70.dll also. No problems with any other program. Which installation disks are you talking about? FS9 or Windows?

NC

[nigelb]

I was talking about the windows installation disks - in case the oleacc.dll in Windows\system32 is munged. I think you can do the same thing with scannow, which is probably a lot easier to accomplish. See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310747 for instructions for scannow.

What version of DirectX are you using? You might want to run the diagnostics in the System Information applet and see if it reports any DirectX problems.

I assume when you say the patch did not work, you meant the patch to 9.1 did not solve the problem of FS vanishing and not that it would not install.

Good luck!

N²

[NigelC]

Is oleacc.dll supposed to be the same file in FS9 and system 32.

Using search, I have the FS9 one at 5kb and the System 32 one at 160kb?

I've removed FS9, then removed IE7, and reloaded FS9. Got all the way round the circuit at Seattle and landed, flapless. Once stationary on the runway, I lowered first stage of flap and it disappeared again.

NC

[nigelb]

"Using search, I have the FS9 one at 5kb and the System 32 one at 160kb?"

Exactly what I have except my fs9 file is named oleac.old.

Have you checked DirectX?

I can't help but think that somehow this is graphics related since lowering flaps cause animation movement, at least in spot or tower views. To see if this is the case, fly a retractable gear plane and see if anything happens when you raise of lower the landing gear. Also try turning nav lights on and off. I would also pick an isolated area with very little scenery. Seattle is scenery intensive, since it's Microsoft's home. That way you can rule out if it is a scenery issue or not.

Nothing in event viewer? Was IE7 installed in your latest tests? I wonder if the error message you had before was related to the usual ET phone home, notify Microsoft bit you usually get when FS9 crashes.

N²

[NigelC]

"Using search, I have the FS9 one at 5kb and the System 32 one at 160kb?"

Exactly what I have except my fs9 file is named oleac.old.

Have you checked DirectX?

I can't help but think that somehow this is graphics related since lowering flaps cause animation movement, at least in spot or tower views. To see if this is the case, fly a retractable gear plane and see if anything happens when you raise of lower the landing gear. Also try turning nav lights on and off. I would also pick an isolated area with very little scenery. Seattle is scenery intensive, since it's Microsoft's home. That way you can rule out if it is a scenery issue or not.

Nothing in event viewer? Was IE7 installed in your latest tests? I wonder if the error message you had before was related to the usual ET phone home, notify Microsoft bit you usually get when FS9 crashes.

N²

I'll do DirectX tonight. Graphics? I'd had that thought, I'm going to roll back to an older driver (I'm using Nvidia GeForce 6200 LE GPU). The disappearances usually coincide with a switch selection of some kind (flaps, autopilot, lights, 1-11 Generators) although not always. One recently was where I forgot to change weather and strong x-wind, off runway edge and when it started bouncing ...poof! gone!. That was at EGKA by the way. Full circuit was flown at KSEA using unpatched FS9 and IE6 installed. Earlier event viewer error message was indeed related to "usual ET phone home".

I'll get this b****r working somehow!

NC

[NigelC]

I've deleted and re-installed, changed drivers, deleted oleacc.dll due conflict with ie7, rolled back to ie6, installed firefox, various others including DirectX, all to no avail. I'm at the point of giving up, the only option left open to me is to reformat the hard drive and re-instal windows. Only I don't have the disks, got the PC nearly new and very cheap when a company I had dealings with went bust.

Sat yesterday afternoon feeling very low and wondering if I would ever get to fly any of DM's masterpieces again without spending a lot of money, when on a whim, I had one last search of the net and MS for possible answers. Nothing obvious, but one trail led me to XP SP3 download, and I thought "Hey, what the hell, why not?".

It worked! FS9 now up and running. Did MAN-GVA with G-AZMF last night! It's good to be back in the saddle.

Thanks to all who tried to help especially Nigelb.

NC

[nigelb]

Nigel, that is good news!! It must have been a system file and not an FS file causing your problem. Did you ever run the System File Checker (scannow)? That might of found the problem. Something to keep in mind for the future. I imagine some .dll file or similar was updated by SP3 and replaced a corrupt file somewhere in C:\Windows. Anyway, glad your all sorted.

NB²

[Garry Russell]

Glad you're sorted Nigel

Saved reloading widows at least.....reloading SP's might be an idea in the hope a corrupt or lost file will be sorted :think:

I am getting a lot of perculiarities in FS and my thoughts are now turning to windows........ :think:

ATB

Not a Nigel

[NigelC]

Yup it's good.

Just gotta reload all my a/c, scenery, ai traffic etc etc!

Once again thank you.

NC