FSX issues for one (me) who really doesn't want it

[Strategic Retreat]

Yeah, well, I had to bow to the need on the younger generation that thinks graphics are better than usability (God, I feel old right now) and had to recover the dusty FSX disks.

Installed, following the instructions on this very forum, installed the Acceleration, always following the instructions, configured at best Nhancer, always following the path signed by those who bled over it before just not to have issues... and in fact... I'm having a problem.

Now, you could ask me why haven't I searched on old posts... well, I did, but in a forum FULL of problem for this unfortunate version of FS I only got a splitting headache and not a way to put a strip of duct tape over it...

The problem is this: start a flight, fly for a while, press Esc or select end flight from the menu to get out and... everything freezes.

if I press "Y" or the Return key, it goes out, else we might very well wait for the rest of the day until the moment of shutting down the PC.

Worse, if I try to enter for example the Graphics Options page from inside a flight to make a change on the fly... yes, I see you got it... everything freezes over AGAIN and this time, as a pejorative, there's no way in hell to recover it but the FSX process must be terminated from the Task Manager.

I assume and presume that the pop up window with the "Are you sure Y/N" options and the options page ARE loaded, BUT they are not displayed and remain BELOW the graphics of the sim. This behavior was present ever since installed the sim and my hope that the Acceleration would cure it has been cruelly shot down, and this really bogs me down, as I REALLY don't want to lose time over this thing, but really need to bring it up or I'll be in serious troubles.

My configuration is below, the version of drivers of the graphic card is the 182.50, the OS is Windows Xp SP3. Can someone help me? Who must I kill to get the damn thing to work? Please, tell me.


EDIT

I've found out it was the double screen activated that caused everything written above... in a single screen mode everything works, but is there a way to get it to work in a double screen configuration or must I close the other screen every time my children start FSX? :-?

[Capt.Propwash]

in short, YES there is.

WIN7 = while in single screen mode, go all the way in to the plane to where you see the panel or exterior of the craft.  press ALT+ENTER this will put it into WINDOWED MODE.

Now, you can attach the cable to your 2nd monitor, and start using it.

[Strategic Retreat]

Thanks for your time. It works well and it cured the stutters too and no feared issue to be seen (as it's written all around, FSX doesn't agree with windowed mode... doesn't seem so at the moment)... beside the sound that in external look deteriorates shortly in explosions and scratches that it made already in full screen mode...

I already had problems like that in the past, under FS9, and an upgrade of the drivers was suggested... problem is, I have the most up to date Creative Live drivers ALREADY installed, and I'm QUITE SURE that Creative is not going to put newer ones out only because FSX's audio misbehaves on my rig.

...what is one more problem beside the fortune of Novalgina anti-headache drops sellers... it's like wanting to keep the Titanic from sinking using a single roll of duct tape... the headache that in 2008 I refused to get, confining its then new and shining disks on a shelf to gather dust, has returned and is determined to see my head split open.

If someone knows how to cure those sound intemperances and has pity of me, please tell me...

[EVVFCX]

sounds like your sound card software is accessing memory not intended for itself and is interpreting data as sound data files - apart from having checked drivers I wouldn't know what to do - but have you tried an older set of sound card drivers?

Nothing to stop you going back to full screen after you have setup your second screen with your extra windows 'undocked'

Be aware that in windowed mode your screen resolution is not that setup from within fsx but it's that setup via personalisation settings of each monitor.

With second monitor running OK - desktop extended, right click on your screen 1 and select screen resolution for each monitor.

Mine works fine with second monitor already running before I start fsx, whether I'm using hdmi or vga output. If I'm using projector then second screen takes a little longer fiddling with resolutions.

[Strategic Retreat]

sounds like your sound card software is accessing memory not intended for itself and is interpreting data as sound data files - apart from having checked drivers I wouldn't know what to do - but have you tried an older set of sound card drivers?

Thanks but no thanks. The only idea to put myself to try combinations of old drivers that work and then maybe discover then FS9 (that I use) has gone bonkers only to keep the kids entertained with their game is... how should I put it delicately... rubbish?

So I remembered of an age-old trick, downloaded DirectX Control, went in Directplay, pressed Dxdiag, selected tab Audio, and lowered the DX audio acceleration to Basic... and that did the trick. 8-)

Suggested to whomever may have the same problem. Use it before starting FSX and you're set. Set it to Complete when the kids' session is over. Small price to pay than a driver hunt.

Hope the problems will stop now. I've really had it. :-/

Nothing to stop you going back to full screen after you have setup your second screen with your extra windows 'undocked'

It is Undocked.

...at least if Undocked means two separate and independent screens to pass from one to the other you simply move the mouse horizontally. :-?

Be aware that in windowed mode your screen resolution is not that setup from within fsx but it's that setup via personalisation settings of each monitor.

Both monitors are 1024X768X32... well, the second "monitor" is actually a TV, seen the PC is used for games and multimedia... and that is FSX's setting as well. Should be no problemo, right? I mean... FS9 is the same and never made a fuss about it.

Thanks for the help anyway.

[EVVFCX]

Hi Strat,

Undocked is simply when you can drag and drop views etc from your main display to your second one.
I recently was bought a laptop by the wife, i use that on a tv via the hdmi port, it's superb and very very clear with the same gigh res you mention.

Going back to older drivers is an old old trick, especially if you have allowed auto updates.

Well your sorted in a way, hope the kids enjoy the FS.

[Strategic Retreat]

Undocked is simply when you can drag and drop views etc from your main display to your second one.
I recently was bought a laptop by the wife, i use that on a tv via the hdmi port, it's superb and very very clear with the same gigh res you mention.

That's exactly how it is. Two separate and independent screens, one on the main monitor, the other on a 32" CRT stereo TV, working both at the same resolution and color depth, you can drop active windows like the running media player from one to the other for it to be used on that device. 8-)

Always used like that I did. Good multimedia player like that it is. Yoda like speaking I am.

And yet... oh well. A solution was found out anyway, let's leave it at that.

Going back to older drivers is an old old trick, especially if you have allowed auto updates.

It's from... march of last year that I did not update anything, and the first thing I disabled installing the OS are the indiscriminate auto-updates. :-?

That and the Creative Soundblaster Live Value is not supported natively from Xp and its newest drivers for Windows Xp date back to... 2005~2006 or something? Can't remember... AND those are the divers I've ever used since the installation of the OS on the media/game PC. The only way to roll back would be to ERASE all the audio drivers from Windows... and you know what? Even if it's true that what isn't there cannot go bad... that is NOT an excuse to renounce to it all altogether.

Well your sorted in a way, hope the kids enjoy the FS.

That makes... three of us actually, counting my better half.

Thanks for the help.