The Mysteries Of MSFS 2020

I am now more leery than ever of downloading anymore updates, patches, etc. for MSFS 2020. My aircraft flew fine till SU7. Then on every RNAV approach the engine started surging at soon as it passed the final approach fix. The engine lost power till it was no longer flyable. All three aircraft would fly the ILS approach normally. I was assured that there was no code in the Garmin G1000 NXI that would cause problems with the engine. The Problem turns out to be that any A.I. assistance under piloting on RNAV approaches causes problems now after the SU7 or 9.1 or later you pick. I am fed up with the whole deal of trying to troubleshoot this mess for days on end.

I had enough experience in the Navy troubleshooting sonar gear on a submarine to last me a life time. I want to fly my sim in peace, but that is asking too much to buy a trouble free product from Microsoft. So far I have replaced the hard drive with a 1 Terabit SSD, add RAM to 36 Gigs, added a cooling stand because it works by laptop to the bone. This has been an education in frustration. If you want to defend Microsoft knock yourself out. Lets fly, not spend 90% of my time troubleshooting to fly 20 minutes before my battery is drained.

1. You will continue to update every time a new update is released.

2. Modern software requires modern hardware.

3. Plug your laptop in and the battery will not drain in 20 minutes. Problem solved.

4. If you don't want updates, then maybe FSX with its 2 updates would be better for you.

The Problem turns out to be that any A.I. assistance under piloting on RNAV approaches causes problems now after the SU7

Turn all Piloting AI Assistance off.

Turn all Piloting AI Assistance off.

I did. Thats my point.

FS2020 got updates to use more CPU and GPU to coax more performance out of less capable systems. That is harder on laptops since cooling and power can be somewhat constrained on those. The only way to free up resources and have batteries run longer is to turn down settings.

As to not wanting to download updates, you’re kind of stuck. I believe it will run without a network connection but don’t know that for certain. The nature of FS2020 kind of forces users into the Microsoft/Asobo update train for better or worse. Thankfully the marketing folks and managers have deigned to let SU8 be for fixing all the bugs they keep introducing. Though SU7 desperately needs some hotfixes, it sounds like we are getting nada for Christmas.

Microsoft is allowing the program to get so bad that users are uninstalling and/or returning to other sims. Flight Simulator used to be a flagship program but it wasn’t serious enough or whatever so they sold it off and let all the programmers go. Now, thanks to some graphics and AI innovations, Asobo was allowed to reintroduce it through Microsoft but we are now seeing the corporate mindset at work. The bean counters are pushing features they think will get them sales and hopefully not make it so unstable everyone leaves. We are in line cross hell. Maximum profit with maximum allowable customer dissatisfaction.

Flight Simulator isn’t a Microsoft passion any more. It’s a product and revenue stream being squeezed as hard as it can. But P3D isn’t that different. It’s just their customers are more demanding since it’s used for real flight training. They can’t leave major bugs out there for multiple updates without major blowback. I’m pretty sure XPlane is a passion for its devs and company.

Microsoft is a corporation that answers to stockholders. We’re just users of their product and they are able to treat us however badly we will tolerate.

1. You will continue to update every time a new update is released.

 

2. Modern software requires modern hardware.

 

3. Plug your laptop in and the battery will not drain in 20 minutes. Problem solved.

 

4. If you don't want updates, then maybe FSX with its 2 updates would be better for you.

2. Laptop is new. Checked MSFS 2020 hardware requirements before buying the XBOX version. Updated hardware as required for SU7.

3. Laptop is always plugged in. MSFS 2020 is an energy hog. Every 20 minute flight consumes 25% of battery life. 3 flights, 4 hour rest till its ready. Not much of a laptop, but I got a refund and kept the laptop because of deceptive business practices.

4. You are probably right about FSX.

3. Laptop is always plugged in. MSFS 2020 is an energy hog. Every 20 minute flight consumes 25% of battery life..

Sounds like your charging lead is underpowered or faulty? Hi MSFS shouldn’t affect the battery if the laptop is plugged in

Regards

Steve

FS2020 got updates to use more CPU and GPU to coax more performance out of less capable systems. That is harder on laptops since cooling and power can be somewhat constrained on those. The only way to free up resources and have batteries run longer is to turn down settings.

 

As to not wanting to download updates, you’re kind of stuck. I believe it will run without a network connection but don’t know that for certain. The nature of FS2020 kind of forces users into the Microsoft/Asobo update train for better or worse. Thankfully the marketing folks and managers have deigned to let SU8 be for fixing all the bugs they keep introducing. Though SU7 desperately needs some hotfixes, it sounds like we are getting nada for Christmas.

 

Microsoft is allowing the program to get so bad that users are uninstalling and/or returning to other sims. Flight Simulator used to be a flagship program but it wasn’t serious enough or whatever so they sold it off and let all the programmers go. Now, thanks to some graphics and AI innovations, Asobo was allowed to reintroduce it through Microsoft but we are now seeing the corporate mindset at work. The bean counters are pushing features they think will get them sales and hopefully not make it so unstable everyone leaves. We are in line cross hell. Maximum profit with maximum allowable customer dissatisfaction.

 

Flight Simulator isn’t a Microsoft passion any more. It’s a product and revenue stream being squeezed as hard as it can. But P3D isn’t that different. It’s just their customers are more demanding since it’s used for real flight training. They can’t leave major bugs out there for multiple updates without major blowback. I’m pretty sure XPlane is a passion for its devs and company.

 

Microsoft is a corporation that answers to stockholders. We’re just users of their product and they are able to treat us however badly we will tolerate.

I totally disagree. While the frustration of some users with the constant update problems is understandable, for others this sim is running better than ever, especially after re-setting some of the options which has been necessary following the latest update. Overall, MSFS is a fantastic achievement, going far beyond what any other sim has to offer. The notion that "Microsoft is allowing to get so bad that users are uninstalling and/or returning to other sims" flies in the face of the evidence, as many more people in this (and other) forums say exactly the opposite: they are leaving other sims en masse for MSFS. Further evidence is there in the marketplace, where third-party developers are now heavily focused on MSFS vs. the older sims. All the stuff about "corporate mindsets" and so forth is nonsense as far as I'm concerned.

Sounds like your charging lead is underpowered or faulty? Hi MSFS shouldn’t affect the battery if the laptop is plugged in

 

Regards

Steve

Yep, that's an issue with the laptop, not the sim. When that happens it's either because the laptop isn't getting the power it needs from the source it's plugged into (power adapter, or maybe a USB-C monitor or dock), or the laptop was designed to use both a power adapter and battery in order to properly power a higher end CPU and GPU. Any application or game that pushes both the CPU and GPU hard would cause the same problem, and isn't the fault of MSFS.

Here's Dell's article for their laptops, for example.

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000143915/alienware-15-r3-15-r4-17-r4-17-r5-m15-m17-performance-issue-or-battery-drain-while-ac-adapter-is-connected

This is also another good example of why a desktop system is better for swimming where possible.

 

This is also another good example of why a desktop system is better for swimming where possible.

They have waterproof PCs now?

They have waterproof PCs now?

Yep, they do. Not sure these ones would run MSFS though. :pilot:

https://teguar.com/waterproof-computers/

Lol! Going to blame autocorrect for that typo.

Yep, that's an issue with the laptop, not the sim. When that happens it's either because the laptop isn't getting the power it needs from the source it's plugged into (power adapter, or maybe a USB-C monitor or dock), or the laptop was designed to use both a power adapter and battery in order to properly power a higher end CPU and GPU. Any application or game that pushes both the CPU and GPU hard would cause the same problem, and isn't the fault of MSFS.

 

Here's Dell's article for their laptops, for example.

 

https://www.dell.com/support/kbdoc/en-ca/000143915/alienware-15-r3-15-r4-17-r4-17-r5-m15-m17-performance-issue-or-battery-drain-while-ac-adapter-is-connected

 

This is also another good example of why a desktop system is better for swimming where possible.

I switched AC adapters from my larger laptop to my MSFS 2020 laptop. It stays charged now while flying.