FS2004-Settings & Shutdown Problems

**jturnbul** · 10-14-2003, 01:13 PM

Here are the two problems that are causing difficulties in my using FS9 (FS 2004):

Hopefully, some of you folks have found solutions and would pass them along to me.

1)All of the simulator's "Settings" always revert to the "Default" settings after exiting and restarting.

In other words, all "Settings" have to be reset prior to each new flight.

Is there a way to set them once and for all??

Or, is the current reversion to "Default" settings the way it's supposed to work??

2)Every time I exit the Simulator, it "hangs" with a small black box screen left on my desktop, which, after 30-45 seconds, then shows a Microsoft Error Screen with the message "Microsoft Flight Simulator 9.0 has encountered a problem and needs to close".

There is a tiny checkbox (checked) to "ReStart Microsoft Simulator", which if left "checked" further complicates the full shutdown problem.

Any known solution to this shutdown problem??

Many thanks for any and all help that can be offered.

Jim Turnbull
10/14/03

**Trev** · 10-14-2003, 03:53 PM

System specs please.

Trevor:)

**bigal1977uk** · 10-14-2003, 06:34 PM

Hi Jim,

I can answer question 1 but not question 2, im affraid you'll have to provide your system specs like Trev said in able for us to have a pop at that one.

Specs =
Type and speed of processor (intel/AMD)
Type of Motherboard
Type of RAM (PC133/DDR 2100/2700/3200 etc... )
Hardrive size
What GPU (graphis card) and current drivers
What O/S ( operating system ) WinXP/Win98 ??
What Soundcard, if any.
Etc...

Right, Question 1......

The reason your fs9 keeps starting out with all the settings at default is because your fs9 is not shutting down properly.

FS9 save's all your in game settings when it exits the program and write's the info to one or more .cfg files.

ooooohhh, just had a thought in regards to question 2.......
I would check your fs9 folder and the files properties and make sure that nothing has been accidently changed to Read-only and in particular the fs9.cfg file located in that other folder on the comp.

Im sure i read about this in another post on here where someone had changed a folder/file by accident to Read-only and they too experienced problems.

If no one else post's the EXACT solution to your problem then id'e just do a re-install and everything should work fine after that ;-)

**jturnbul** · 10-16-2003, 12:17 PM

Thanks to both for your responses.

I should have provided you with the system specs, so here they are:

Dell 8250-P4 @ 3.06 GHz
2 GB RDRAM
Windows XP Home
ATI Radeon 9700 Pro with Omega's 2.4.96 drivers
Direct X 9.0b
Creative Sound Blaster Live

Have uninstalled/reinstalled at least 4 times - no joy.

Checked the Simulator's files . . . all clear; no "read only".

It is logical that Problem #1 (settings reverting to default) is caused by the Problem #2 improper shutdown situation.

Have talked to Microsoft . . . no effective help.

Looks like I may have to go back to FS 2002 and forget FS9.

Any further help would certainly be appreciated!

Jim Turnbull
10/16/03

**bigal1977uk** · 10-17-2003, 08:02 PM

Hi Jim,

hhhmmmmmm, this IS a strange problem......

There is only really a couple of things i could suggest,

1, you have got winXP SP1 installed hav'nt you??

2, is your My Documents folder in its Default winXP location??

3, this is a long shot but, take out your soundcard and if you have onbaord sound on your mobo then enable it in the BIOS. (doesn't matter if you havn't got onbaord sound) Remove the sound cards drivers from winXP aswell. Then try fs9 and see if you have the same problem when exiting the sim.

P.S. Don't install your soundcard into the PCI slot that is directly beneath the AGP slot......use a PCI slot that is further away and leave the PCI slot that is underneath the AGP slot empty.

**jturnbul** · 10-18-2003, 11:36 AM

Thank you, kind Sir, for your ideas.

Frankly, after installing-uninstalling FS 2004 about a half-dozen times, a long, but fruitless telephone call with Microsoft and at least 2-3 full days of trying many, many different video card and Simulator settings, I've given up and totally uninstalled and hid the FS 2004 away in the hopes that the bad memories would eventually fade and I could get on with my real work.

But, I sure do appreciate the help that you and others have gone out of your way to send me. Those offers of help made my poor luck with FS 2004 a bit more liveable!

I'm sure that I will eventually "give in" and try again . . . and, your suggestions will be at the top of my list.

Jim Turnbull
10/18/03

PS: The answeres to both questions #1 and #2 are "Yes".

**bigal1977uk** · 10-18-2003, 07:53 PM

Hi Jim,

Im really sorry that my suggestions have not worked for you and that you can't enjoy FS9 like the rest of us.

I normally only suggest this next tip as a very LAST resort, it all depends how badly you want to get fs9 working.
Now, fs9 WILL work on clean installation of the O/S and to insure that you get no problems or conflicts then everything needs to be installed in a certain order.

First obviously, you need to format your hardrive.
Then re-install the O/S
then make sure you install the latest drivers for your mobo chipset etc..
Then install the latest drivers for all the other hardware, soundcard, monitor etc..... BUT not the gpu (vid card) drivers just yet.
Then install DX9.0b
Then install your gpu drivers
Then install FS9 on your ROOT HDD usually c:/

If everything is installed in that order then im 99% sure that fs9 WILL work correctly.

Obviously, this is THE last resort if no-one else come's up with a solution to your problem.

Good luck Jim.

**donschmidt1** · 10-19-2003, 01:42 AM

I have the same problem, and have had it all the time. It's a DirectX error, usually DirectPlay8. To verfy this- go to regedit and check the entry HKEY local machine Microsoft directplay8 and check to see if the TCP/IP connection is made. If not this is the problem. Microsoft says only way to fix this is reinstall Windows XP!

This could also be caused by directplay TCP/IP connection -dpnhupnp.dll could be corrupted.

I can't afford to reinstall windows XP with all the other stuff I have installed. I just live with it.

**louboyer** · 11-05-2003, 04:21 PM

I had the same problem. Upgraded to DirectX 9.0B and the problem was solved. You can edit your fs9 config manually and the settings will remain the same even if you get the shutdown error. I did this for about a month.