Public Library Flight Simulator having issues, please help!

Hello,

I am a long time flight simmer and have been around these boards for a while. I work at a public library and last year we installed a flight simulator at one of our branches. I'm asking for help in this capacity so I've created another account to be used for the library only, as not to confuse my two worlds. Thank you for understanding.

Now, to my issues.

 

Our flight simulator is running:

FSX/A

Windows 10 Home Version 10.0.10586 Build 10586 x64

Intel® Core™ i7-5820K CPU @ 3.30GHz, 3301 Mhz, 6 Core

BIOS Version/Date American Megatrends Inc. F12, 1/29/2015

16 GB Ram

250GB SSD ( I believe it's a Toshiba)

(I can supply the full report form msinfo32 upon request)

 

Peripherals:

 

TrakIR V5.2.200 Build 14548

 

Saitek Cessna Pro Flight Yoke

Saitek Cessna Pro Flight Rudders

Saitek Pro Flight TPM

Saitek Pro Flight BIP

Saitek Pro Flight Switch Panel

Saitek Pro Flight Radio Panel (x2)

Saitek Pro Flight Multi Panel

 

(for what it's worth) Dual Monitors

 

Software add-ons

SPAD 0.5.1

FSUIPC 4.9490 Registered

 

We originally had this all on a Win7 PC which worked for the most part. The problem with that was the LED on the Switch Panel would not light up. To get this to work, we would load FSX, start a flight, pause it, exit SPAD, remove the Switch Panel USB cable, plug it back in and start up SPAD. Everything would work after that.

Then we were given a grant for a far more capable gaming machine; the one mentioned above. Since then it's been a nightmare.

 

Getting the peripherals to work was a chore in itself. The yoke, TPM and rudders were not a problem. The rest was simply a horror. They either would work or they wouldn't, depending on how the PC felt when it was rebooted.

 

At first it was only the Multi Panel and BIP that wouldn't work. Then one of the radios failed. Then the switch panel joined in.

Our initial thought was incompatibility with USB 3.0 so we bought a powered USB hub and went through a 2.0 port.

When this failed we tried disabling the power saving feature of the USBs.

 

Lastly we installed two 2.0 USB cards and plugged everything except the TrackIR into them. This actually has given us the best results so far. The last session everything would boot up perfectly, including the Switch Panel LED. I booted up, launched FSX, flew for at least 10 minutes, exited, powered down seven times and everything worked perfectly, even the switch panel (the one with the auto pilot). I thought I had it licked!

 

Then after 2 hours the LED on the switch panel refused to come on, but the switches, buttons and dials worked as the A/P on the cockpit reflected the changes made with the dials and such.

 

30 minutes later FSX crashed giving me the Windows message "Flight Simulator has stopped working." I shut down and rebooted. I was able to fly and reboot several times with only the LED on the Switch Panel refusing to work (each reboot and start up of SPAD the panel would flicker but not display digits). Then 2.5 hours and several reboots later I would get the Windows message again.

 

If Windows only crashed twice a day I could live with that (I would rather not) but I need my panels to work and, as of this writing, it's only the Switch Panel LED that won't respond.

 

As a library employee, I give free flight simulator lessons every Friday to a variety of students (yes, a dream job even if it is only on Fridays!). They range from 10 to 78 years in age. The eldest once said this was on his Bucket List. I even have a 32-year-old man with Down Syndrome who can now land a float plane. The opportunity we offer is incredible, but it's come to a screeching halt.

 

Does anyone have any ideas? I can try to provide any more info you may need. We do sincerely appreciate any and all help.

 

I am repeating this request on several FS boards so please only respond to one if you see it elsewhere.

 

Thank you

 

With warmest regards,

 

George L. Seaman, Jr.

Flight Simulator Instructor

Robert Morgade Library idea lab

Martin County Library System

To be honest and blunt with you I persoanlly think this is a OS issue. Particularly Windows 10. I have seen post after post after post of people on computer forums with Windows 10 issues.

 

I would have used that grant money to build a nice system and use Windows 7.

 

Make sure the sim is installed in C:\ drive directly as the programs folder is emulated for lack of a better word. Basically, Windows doesn't give full access to the programs folder that is required by the sim. So installing the sim in the root of C drive will allow full unimpeded access. Just a tip if you haven't learned that already.

 

I would have loved our public library to have a sim. I would have been using it all the time.

Thanks for the tip. It has been behaving quite well recently. I do have my personal FSX under the root but I didn't install this one. If I get a chance to reinstall, I'll do the same. But for now it's working and the lessons are in full swing.