Re: FS2000 Freezes Up

[artburke]

I'm a relatively new user with FS2000 and this web site.

I'm sure this has been answered before, but I can not find the answer to my
question on the FAQ's.

When using FS2000, there are times when my computer will lock up and freeze
while in flight. I notice it happens more when I'm making turns either on
final approach or right after take off. Sometimes, I'm taxiing and it will
occur, as well.

The screen image freezes, all controls freeze and I can't get any command
feature on my computer to work. However, the sound of the engine is still
working.

The computer doesn't seem to be the problem. I took it in for a quick check
after this happened and the computer tech told me that I had more than enough
machine for FS2000 to work flawlessly.

Anybody have ANY idea has to what the problem may be and any fix there may be
for it?

Thanx!

What kind of video card?
What kind of sound card?
How much RAM?
What's the speed of the processor?
Are you running on a network?
What programs are running in the background while you're simming?

Art

[brooster]

I'm a relatively new user with FS2000 and this web site.

I'm sure this has been answered before, but I can not find the answer to my
question on the FAQ's.

When using FS2000, there are times when my computer will lock up and freeze
while in flight. I notice it happens more when I'm making turns either on
final approach or right after take off. Sometimes, I'm taxiing and it will
occur, as well.

The screen image freezes, all controls freeze and I can't get any command
feature on my computer to work. However, the sound of the engine is still
working.

The computer doesn't seem to be the problem. I took it in for a quick check
after this happened and the computer tech told me that I had more than enough
machine for FS2000 to work flawlessly.

Anybody have ANY idea has to what the problem may be and any fix there may be
for it?

Thanx!

Hi!

I fought this thing for an entire year and all it turned out to be was stuff
running in the background on my machine.

You can eliminate other programs taking up your system resources pretty easily,
I do it 2 ways. the first made the most difference.

Don;t drink and fly. Just kidding.

1) on your taksbar on the right side, are alot of things running in the
background. right click on each icon and pull up to exit or stop or suspend or
disable or whaatever it has to offer. Do this on each icon there. this is all
it ook for me to eliminate nearly 100% of the hangs. At least it was for me.
I think you can disable your joystick profilers also, if you have any, but I am
NOT certain on that one, I just can;t remember right now (SPLAT!)

2) Hover the corsur on your desktop (can't miss!) and do a ctrl-alt-del (ONLY
ONCE, TWICE WILL REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM adn this will really tack a horseshoe to
your hemlock tree). Displayed will be a small window with all programs that
were started when you booted your machine. highlight each one, clicking on
"end task" on each one, one at a time, but NEVER NEVER NEVER (got 'er?) KILL
SYSTRAY or EXPLORER. This process gets rid of other programs running in the
background. Anti-virus programs nail you every time, especially.

3) bonus round: you can use a freeware program called "enditall" that many
people find useful (I downloaded it yesterday but have not unzipped it yet-
SCARED OF CHANGE!), you might check out the posts about that - the link to
enditall is broken on this site though I think, but it is at that site they
talk about if I remember. Yesterday was a long time ago.

Best wishes, keep me posted if you had luck as well!

Brooster

[willbear]

What kind of video card?

Don't know.

What kind of sound card?

Ditto

How much RAM?

Ditto squared.

What's the speed of the processor?

Beats me. Fast enough for FS2000, I've been told.

Are you running on a network?

Nope.

What programs are running in the background while you're simming?

None. Way ahead of the game on that one. That was the first thing the
computer tech suggested. I've shut down background programs and it will still
freeze up.

Sorry I can't be any more specific with my system. I'm a novice even though
I've been working with computers for six years.

Thanx for your help anyway, Art...

Will

[willbear]

Brooster,

Thanx for the suggestions. As I said before, the first thing the computer tech
told me to do was to close other programs working in the background. I'm still
having some problems with freeze-ups even after closing the open programs. The
anti-virus program and Explorer situation you talk about I'm very familiar
with.

Someone e-mailed me privately and suggested I download the Microsoft DX 8.1
program. I'm going to give that a shot.

Thanx for the suggestions and help!

Will

Hi!

I fought this thing for an entire year and all it turned out to be was stuff
running in the background on my machine.

You can eliminate other programs taking up your system resources pretty easily,

I do it 2 ways. the first made the most difference.

Don;t drink and fly. Just kidding.

1) on your taksbar on the right side, are alot of things running in the
background. right click on each icon and pull up to exit or stop or suspend or

disable or whaatever it has to offer. Do this on each icon there. this is all

it ook for me to eliminate nearly 100% of the hangs. At least it was for me.
I think you can disable your joystick profilers also, if you have any, but I am

NOT certain on that one, I just can;t remember right now (SPLAT!)

2) Hover the corsur on your desktop (can't miss!) and do a ctrl-alt-del (ONLY
ONCE, TWICE WILL REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM adn this will really tack a horseshoe to
your hemlock tree). Displayed will be a small window with all programs that
were started when you booted your machine. highlight each one, clicking on
"end task" on each one, one at a time, but NEVER NEVER NEVER (got 'er?) KILL
SYSTRAY or EXPLORER. This process gets rid of other programs running in the
background. Anti-virus programs nail you every time, especially.

3) bonus round: you can use a freeware program called "enditall" that many
people find useful (I downloaded it yesterday but have not unzipped it yet-
SCARED OF CHANGE!), you might check out the posts about that - the link to
enditall is broken on this site though I think, but it is at that site they
talk about if I remember. Yesterday was a long time ago.

Best wishes, keep me posted if you had luck as well!

Brooster

[rlf]

What kind of video card?

Don't know.

What kind of sound card?

Ditto

How much RAM?

Ditto squared.

What's the speed of the processor?

Beats me. Fast enough for FS2000, I've been told.

Are you running on a network?

Nope.

What programs are running in the background while you're simming?

None. Way ahead of the game on that one. That was the first thing the
computer tech suggested. I've shut down background programs and it will still
freeze up.

Sorry I can't be any more specific with my system. I'm a novice even though
I've been working with computers for six years.

Thanx for your help anyway, Art...

Will

Heads up the next time you reboot! These things are reported during the
boot-up process.
Alternatively, you could use the start menu and choose programs. Way up there
at the top is "accessories". Select "syatem tools" and then "System
information".
A thourough listing of your system components is then shown.

Bob F.

[artburke]

What kind of video card?

Don't know.

What kind of sound card?

Ditto

How much RAM?

Ditto squared.

What's the speed of the processor?

Beats me. Fast enough for FS2000, I've been told.

Are you running on a network?

Nope.

What programs are running in the background while you're simming?

None. Way ahead of the game on that one. That was the first thing the
computer tech suggested. I've shut down background programs and it will still
freeze up.

Sorry I can't be any more specific with my system. I'm a novice even though
I've been working with computers for six years.

Thanx for your help anyway, Art...

Will

The reason(s) I asked some of those questions may not have been obvious. Aside
from getting help on this and other forums, there was a readme file provided
with FS2000. Microsoft went to the trouble to list video and sound cards they
were aware would have difficulties. Many times those difficulties can be
overcome by (a) this should be obvious - purchasing a different video card,
particularly one recognized as compatible with FS2K and/or (b) downloading the
most up-to-date drivers, whether they be for video and/or sound. Obviously, if
you don't know what kind of device you're running, downloading *any* drivers
would be futile!

If you don't know how to run diagnostics (the great majority of which are built
into your operating system) on your PC to determine hardware, software,
drivers, etc., either resign yourself to continuing problems or hither ye to
the local computer guru (or whoever you trust) and have that person do the
investigation.

I don't know your local computer guys from the proverbial man-in-the-moon, but
I would take with a little salt *anyone* who generically says "...this machine
should be adequate to run FS2K..." If you could go back about 20,000 posts on
this forum, you would know what I mean! The roadside is littered with people
who bitched their ACME 350 PII with 64MB RAM and built-in video card
couldn't/wouldn't/shouldn't run FS2K.

Regardless what the box says for minimum specs for FS2K, it takes several
things to make FS2K run reasonably smooth (1) sliders set to minimum on slower,
older, less beefy (i.e., not very much ram and/or not much memory on the video
card - or a poor excuse for a video card) computers (2) mo ram (this caveat
offered respectfully for Joe Watson, who may not have invented the phrase but
has received popular credit!) - the more ram the better - I was running it
under 512MB RAM by the time I switched to FS2002 and (3) a Pentium III at about
850MHz and better.

As to the very last part, I would repeat, there were a surprising number of
users (that's simmers, not druggies!) running machines at 500MHz or less, but
with sliders tweaked much lower (lotsa experimentation in this area!) than
those running state-of-the-art processors. I also should take care not to place
that much emphasis on pentium-based processors. A number of the AMD and other
processors (particularly the faster ones) seemed to work quite well also. I
remember in the past seeing tons of references to the Athlon family of chips
(which I think is an AMD product? someone correct me if I'm wrong, please).

If you insist on driving a 1932 Hupmobile and have no idea what's under the
hood you may spent a lot of time frustrated looking for reasons why it doesn't
run like you thought it should or spending time under it with a pair of pliers,
a piece of coathanger and a prophylactic!

Good luck.
Art