What Next

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Good evening all...

Guess I am lucky to be a patient person.

[flyinjoe]

You can use an Upgrade DVD to install a clean install of Vista.  I've done it twice and it works fine.  If you are comfortable doing your own PC work, just follow the directions on this website.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

Having said that, if the store who built your computer did actually upgrade XP to Vista, you are still using Vista.  It's just that upgrades tend to be more finicky than full installs.  I couldn't say if that's why you are having white square problems, but I guess it's possible.

[NickN]

well that means you were never in DX10 mode so before you consider downgrading

[uncleyuk]

 I upgraded to windows Vista Premium from XP sp2.  If you are running Vista watch the boot sequence.  Just before your desktop appears a Windows circle will appear, about the size of a silver dollar.  Or type dxdiag in the run menu and it will tell you.  Actually, Vista is quite noticeably different than XP.    I'm rambling...

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Good afternoon all...

Well Nick here is what I found out:
The actual disk does say Windows Vista Home Premium and it was an upgrade from the Microsoft Windows XP software.
The System Properties does show Windows Vista Home Premium and so does the program I use called "Belarc".
I talked to the owner of the store that built this computer for me and he said it is Vista Home Premium and I do not need to purchase any other disc.

[NickN]

What if I were to tell you that driver was a bad one... tested it last night. Chuck it

Go down the forum list and get my warning post and then install 169.09 -or- 169.13



As for the textures... something is not right. They should not be glitching like that in DX9

DX10 is problematical right now

Make sure you have the latest DX Update installed from MS.

[NickN]

I still think you have some type of corrupt FSX install

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Hi Nick...

I had the gentleman here from the computer shop along with a lad who is involved in games, quite talented in his own right I suppose although I haven't got a clue what he was talking about most of the time they were here.

[NickN]

alright

Now that I am satisfied the install has been verified its time to find out if I am right or wrong. I am not always right but when it comes to this stuff I usually bat a pretty fair average.

So now, your original complaint was

[quote]Good evening all...

Well I think I did everything the way I was supposed to do it and now I have large white squares when flying an instrument approach to an airport or even doing a circuit.
It looks like towns, houses, trees and runway sitting in a lake until you get really close in.
I have played with all the sliders and settings, checked and unchecked boxes.
The navigational lights and beacon work now when they did not before.
I think this is a decent machine with lots of memory, four (4) sticks of 1024 MB and all the same.
There is 320.06 Gigabytes Usable Hard Drive Capacity with 280.78 Gigabytes Hard Drive Free Space.
The Processor is 2.60 gigahertz AMD Athlon 64 X 2 Dual Core (2 installed).
Display is NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX (Display Adapter)
Operating System

[FLYING_TRUCKER]

Good morning Nick...

Before I do any of that I want you to know I was just talking to Andrew..."Esselbach" on the forum here through P. M. and he just downloaded "Acceleration" and he has the exact, yes exact same problem I do with the lights.
The white squares go away when I check the box "Preview Direct X" and restart the simulator, I mean get right out and do a complete restart of the simulator.
When I uncheck the "Preview Direct X" box I have the white squares back and my lights all work.
Do you still want me to do the above from your reply, I am hoping Andrew "Esselbach" will also add something to this for your information.
I do not have any other game or FS9 installed.

Cheers...Doug

[BFMF]

I followed Nick's suggestion, and downloaded his light effects. The nav & strobe lights still don't work

[NickN]

Post images of exactly what you are seeing

I know there are issues with the DX10 preview (lights are one of the problems in DX10) and certain features but this 'white square' problem with DX9 and DX10 disabled makes no sense. I want to see what it is you are referring to.

Boot the sim, uncheck the DX10 preview and then close and open the sim. Confirm DX10 is indeed disabled, then:

Graphics settings:

Set frame lock to either 24 or Unlimited
global texture resolution slider is set to 100%

Make sure you monitor resolution is set to the highest "native" resoluion your monitor runs which should be the same resolution in runs in Windows on the desktop, x32

check lens flair
Uncheck Bloom
check in advanced animations
Filtering "trillinear'
AA unchecked


Aircraft Tab

Dropdown: Ultra High
Default cockpit view 3D
High Res 3D Cockpit checked
2D Transparency 0%
Show Cockpit Tooltips unchecked
Exterior: all shadows checked


Under Scenery, set the following

Lever of Detail Radius 100%
Mesh 100%
Mesh res 38m
Texture res 7cm
Water 2xLow
Check Land Detailed Textures
Scenery Complexity 100%
Autogen Density 75%
Uncheck Ground Shadows
Special Effects 100%


Under weather set the following:

Dropdown Ultra High
Cloud draw distace 60m (slider at 0)
Bullet in Detailed Clouds +

[NickN]

I followed Nick's suggestion, and downloaded his light effects. The nav & strobe lights still don't work

Question:

are you seeing 'white squares" or other error anomalies in DX9 mode too? Or just nav and beacons not working in DX10

[BFMF]

I followed Nick's suggestion, and downloaded his light effects. The nav & strobe lights still don't work

Question:

are you seeing 'white squares" or other error anomalies in DX9 mode too? Or just nav and beacons not working in DX10

When I first loaded FSX up after installing Acceleration, it was in DX9 mode. I almost immediately switched to DX10, but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I'm on my way out of the house, but when I get back in a couple hours, i'll check it out some more. So far, the only anomalies i've noticed with DX10 are the nav and beacon lights not working

[NickN]

I followed Nick's suggestion, and downloaded his light effects. The nav & strobe lights still don't work

Question:

are you seeing 'white squares" or other error anomalies in DX9 mode too? Or just nav and beacons not working in DX10

When I first loaded FSX up after installing Acceleration, it was in DX9 mode. I almost immediately switched to DX10, but I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. I'm on my way out of the house, but when I get back in a couple hours, i'll check it out some more. So far, the only anomalies i've noticed with DX10 are the nav and beacon lights not working

Thanks for checking into this

Another system repeating the results would go a long way in helping me understand what it is that may be happening.

So if you are not getting any DX9 issues (please check when you can) then there is something specific to his system causing the problem, and, I want to see images of the 'white squares' so I can ID it as well. I have not ruled out a hardware failure or a defective video card on his system.

Thanks again

I do know there are some issues in DX10. I was not aware of the lights not working but will ask around and see if there is anything I can pass along about it.