Please help with VNAV/Climb problem

[pbenoit 0]

Hello Everyone!!I am a very happy PMDG -400 and -400F flyer with 240+ problem free hours since day 1 of both aircraft. My last two flights have been problematic though. Something has changed or I have just become ultra stupid all of a sudden ... a distinct possibility ... hahahaha. If you can see the attached jpg, you will see what I mean ..1. after preflight, perf init, takeoff page, the full process from cold and dark etc .. the VNAV climb page has ACT 0KT CLIMB ... ooops2. taking off and climbing out, initiating VNAV at 800 ft (or any other level while climbing out) ... is a disaster ... clicking VNAV ... with the climb page as described in 1 ... speed goes to 100 in the speed window and I have to handle an impending disaster.3. quickly going to FLCH and setting speed to 250 .. I can get into a stable climb, clean up the flaps..and get on with it.4. as you can see in the pic .. climbing out at 12000 ft the speed tape is all red (stays this way for the duration of the flight) and the EICAS indicates TO when it should be CLB (I think. Flaps and gear are up on schedule ... but this is not changing anything ...I can climb out in VS or FLCH modes to cruise ... and then VNAV works. but the speed tape still has the red blocks ... all the way to touchdown.Very odd ... don't know what i have done to cause this ... HOPING I am just having a SENIOR moment and messing up something ... but reviewed the doc, Mike Rays -400 book, uninstalled and reinstalled the -400F .. don't know what else to do. Not having a "backup" of the original -400 install ... I guess I'll have to repurchase ... which is fine ... and uninstall both and try again.Any thoughts here would be gratefully appreciated. I have spent the morning on this and am giving up and asking for your help.The software is usually PERFECT and probably still is ... maybe I am messing up somehow.Cheers and many thanks,Paul BenoitKSAN

[pbenoit 0]

Just to add ... the reinstallation of the "F" software didn't help anything.Confirmed that at cruise (after a climbout in FLCH) the EICAS indication does change to CRZ, and VNAV functions correctly for step climbs and descents. BUT ... the red blocks are still present on the PFD.Is there a hidden ini or "state" file not in the FS9 folders which might hold the clue ... i.e. erase this file and let the software create another one??? Just curious ... I can see that the gauges.ini file in the PMDG folder is updated with "fuel remaining" when you quit FSUpdated FSUIPC to 3.6 from 3.5.5.3 ... no change thereI bought the redownload for the "queen" and I suppose it won't hurt to uninstall both the freighter and passenger software and reinstall.Would really appreciate knowing if anyone has seen this happen?Cheers, and

[Mats_J 2]

Paul,Try to delete all your saved panel states and start from scratch. If I remember correctly this could happen if you updated/installed and started with a panel file saved before the update/installation.Hope it helps,

[pbenoit 0]

Mats,THANKS VERY MUCH for your response. I did try what you suggested, as well as deleting the .imi files for the 747 ... unfortunately there was no change. I uninstalled the -400F, then the -400 ... deleted the folders, cleaned out any remaining stuff in the PMDG folder ... and just for fun, ran a Registry cleaner ...Reinstalled the -400 and tested ... thankfully, VNAV climb now works again ... reinstalled the -400F and all is fine there also.SO ... all's well that ends well ... but I really have trouble with causality ... hahahaha ... specifically not understanding what happened ... especially since I "fly" the -400 and -400F at least weekly on long segments ... but ... I guess for some things there are no answers ... Many many years ago I was a mainframe system programmer in a large data center ... and periodically, something would go "wrong" with a major piece of software. Attempts to troubleshooot and debug commonly did not solve the problem ... and we all would be dazed and confused because no changes were made to anything!!! ... so than as now, I simply reinstalled ... and voila!!!!! things worked ... after 30 years working with computers ... I'll never understand!!!! Maybe these problems are caused by errant cosmic rays or other heavy particles ... hahahahaha ...Again, thanks for your assistance Mats, very much appreciated!!!!Cheers, and

[Mats_J 2]

Paul,Glad I could be of assistance, even if it was a limited such.And about casuality... Ask any quantum physisist about it and he will turn your entire world upside down... :-)Cheers,

[Guest Jock in a Frock]

>I'll never understand!!!! Maybe these problems are caused by>errant cosmic rays or other heavy particles ... hahahahaha>...>>Again, thanks for your assistance Mats, very much>appreciated!!!!>>Cheers, and>I'm a field engineer for a large Telco, and your comments brought to mind the following conversation with a customer:Customer: "So what was wrong with our internet link?"Me: "The mains supply to the Gigabit copper-to-fibre transceiver was disconnected, so you lost your cross-site LAN link."Customer: "I haven't got a clue what you just said. Can you simplify it so I can tell my boss?"Me: "Pixie Dust."Customer: "Pardon?"Me: "Pixie Dust. You had ran out of Pixie Dust, so I sprinkled some more on the Mushroom and it worked."Customer: "Er, okay, thanks for that."Me: "No problem. If it happens again, just sprinkle more Pixie Dust on the Mushroom."Sometimes, it's best not to know the truth.... ;-)Andy Scholes.

[pbenoit 0]

Thanks Gents!!!!Off topic, but I just finished reading Warped Passages by Lisa Randall ... and Mats ... as you indicated ... quantum physicists do turn your world around ... or in this case into many mutiple dimensions ... so in this book ... our world is a three dimensional brane in a 5 dimensional anti DeSitter space ... hahahahahaha ... honestly!!! Worth reading if you want the latest in the world of Relativistic Quantum Physics ...On a happy note ... I did finish a very nice flight ... SQ883 from Seoul to Singapore ... on time and with a functioning PFD (no red blocks) and with ECON CLB working ... back to "normal" ... or whatever is normal on this poor old planet in whatever universe we're actually in!!!Thanks!!!!

[Mats_J 2]

Paul,Thanks for the tip on 'Warped Passages', what a coincidence eh? It sounds like a really interesting book.Oh, and speaking about causuality, don't forget the uncertainty principle. Whatever will happen to Schr