Vista x64 SP1 with FSX and 747-400X

[pbelb 0]

after having installed SP1 for Vista, I am now having issues when using the pmdg fuel loader.when fsx is full screen, the pmdg fuel loader panel doesn't display properly (ie: initially, there's just a white empty box - nothing visible).after moving the mouse over the window, some of the bits and pieces become visible.switching back to windowed mode, the pmdg fuel loader window appears to be 'normal', but, after choosing a fuel load setting, and hitting 'apply' and then 'ok', the total amount of fuel loaded in eicas still shows just the amount of fuel that remained from the previous flight.I'm not sure what's going on here, but it's just after having loaded Vista SP1.I'm also using the VAFS3 virtual airline tracking software from vafinancials. it seems to be fine however.has anyone else seen any strange behavior such as this?I'm guessing 'reinstall' will be suggested, but that's such a lame response.curiously, if I ask the pmdg fuel loader to be set to 'empty', a number of the tanks on the eicas change color to show that they're empty, but the numbers in the boxes still show it has around 100Klbs of fuel loaded.ie: the center, and large wing tank boxes show as white, meaning empty. if I then change the fuel load to 'full', they change color back to blue/green (depending on whether they're 'selected' by the pump system), but the numbers don't change.it's kind of like 'part' of the thing knows there's almost no fuel, but the details are not being updated properly on screen.I've attached screen shots of how it looks with 'empty' and then 'full' selected.

[pbelb 0]

I should probably also mention that it's FSX with the accelleration add-on installed, which implies SP1 and SP2, I suppose.also, sorry guys, I forgot to put my name on the original email.I'm Peter Belbin.

[pbelb 0]

it's me, Peter Belbin again....ok, so I did the uninstall of FS2Crew (just deleted everything in FS2Crew and the uninstall app in the FSX directory), and the 747-400X.I then just installed the 747-400X.now, I am still unable to alter the fuel load.even the FMC seems to think there's an issue.what is up with this?please advise.regards,peter belbin.

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

Peter,I've now posted 3 separate posts inquiring about the state of 747-400X and Vista OS - and haven't gotten any replies - looks like the PMDG fans are too busy simming to do anything else (understandably I might add). PMDG recommends XP for their products, as there are problems on Vista OS, even the 64 bit versions. That's why I'm thinking of downgrading to XP 64 bit (since I already have 4 Gig RAM and I'd like to use it).However, it seems that some people have no problems at all - here's some conflicting info I found:http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.p...ebcaf0b4845ab9bAnd even AVSIM review shows nothing but picture perfect performance:http://www.avsim.com/pages/0108/747Heathrow/747Heathrow.htmSo I don't know - my Q6600/8800GTS/4 Gig DDR2 800 RAM with FSX/SP1/SP2 does not run 747-400X properly.

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

Here's some more confusing results...http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=search

[pbelb 0]

Well, that's weird.I've been running FSX + Accelleration with the 747-400X / FS2Crew without much trouble at all.I've been running an Q6600 with 8GB ram, Vista x64, NVidia video.I did have some trouble with the machine initially, but, after dumping my ATI video card and the 7.x drivers, the pc has been very stable.I frequently set up my pc for 10 hour flights, and confidently arrive back after having taken off, and find the sim is running just fine, and is ready for a landing.I haven't done a lot of tweaking, except perhaps to turn off the superfetch and readyboost caching services.I'm pretty happy with Vista x64, aside from the lack of certain manufacturer's support with device drivers, but it is improving.I use a microsoft force feedback joystick, and CH usb pedals, and they work great!sorry to hear that you're having problems.I basically started off with a fresh install of Vista, then installed FSX (with the DirectX 9 drivers on the media), then install Accelleration, then the other bits and pieces.works great for me, until I did the Vista SP1 install.

[pbelb 0]

Hi, It's me, Peter Belbin again.ok, well, I think I've figured out that the problem I was having was in fact not PMDG's fault!thanks guys for your help (NOT!)I found that there was an update to FSUIPC available that was very recently released, which I installed.I also re-downloaded the VAFS3 update installer, and installed that.the add-ons for VATSIM (FSCopilot and FSInn) both seem to be working just fine too!so, what are your problems? perhaps I can help you!one thing I noticed is that it may pay for you to tweak the FSX / PMDG directory so that you have full rights from that directory onwards, otherwise it gets problematic to save flight plans using the www.simroutes.com downloads.I expect that even though I have 8GB of memory, 4GB should be sufficient, so I don't really see that as being a major issue.not that it should matter, but, what motherboard are you using?is your cpu overclocked?regards,peter.

[Tabs 2,790]

Guys,I'm gonna be doing a clean install of Vista x64 with SP1 already integrated into the DVD tomorrow night and I'll check out all our stuff to make sure it's working properly...The actual release to the general public is still a few weeks off I believe - find a friend with an MSDN subscription if you want it sooner :)

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

Asus Maximus Formula, Q6600 2.4 GHz o/c to 3.07 GHz, GeForce 8800 GTS, 4 Gig of OCZ 800 MHz DDR2.And everytime - it eventually stops working - 5-60 mins so far - usually the screen goes blank.It might the GTS - since it is display that crashes - the sim continues running. I don't suppose FSX/SP1/SP2 (which is mine) should differ from FSX/SP1/Acceleration (yours ?) in terms of performance ?One more question - what do you use to learn ? The lesson files are only for FS2004 - no ?

[pbelb 0]

>Asus Maximus Formula, Q6600 2.4 GHz o/c to 3.07 GHz, GeForce>8800 GTS, 4 Gig of OCZ 800 MHz DDR2.>>And everytime - it eventually stops working - 5-60 mins so far>- usually the screen goes blank.>>It might the GTS - since it is display that crashes - the sim>continues running. I don't suppose FSX/SP1/SP2 (which is mine)>should differ from FSX/SP1/Acceleration (yours ?) in terms of>performance ?>>One more question - what do you use to learn ? The lesson>files are only for FS2004 - no ?I'm using a Q6600 overclocked to 3.2, 8800GTS 512MB. memory is running at stock speed however, with cpu multiplier at 8 instead of 9, which makes one of the memory dividers match up exactly with the 800 speed for the memory.interestingly, I used to have a similar problem - screen would go blank, but you could hear the sim continuing.well, that was when I used an ATI based solution which I thought at the time might have been a hardware issue with the card - it was one of those passively cooled 2600XT jobbies, and I'd see a message pop up in the system tray saying that the video card had stopped, but that it had 'recovered'. sure, perhaps, but, the video for the game stopped from that point on.well, I'm unsure whether it was the hardware or software. either way, when I was researching this issue, it seemed to me thata) it was not exclusively the domain of ATI cards that caused this issue - I saw reports from nvidia users too.:( I saw some posts that claimed it was due to a cooling issue with the video cardc) I saw some posts that claimed it was a hardware issue with the card, and that it should be sent back to the supplier for a replacement.d) I saw other posts claiming it was a software issue.so, there's quite the range of possibilities out there.in the mean-time, ati has released the 8.x drivers (at the time, I was using the 7.x drivers - the latest available), and I'm unclear as to whether this situation has improved.have you seen any such indications about the driver having stopped but that it has 'recovered'?

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

I had an error like that before - but not in a long time since - now the screen will go blank without error reported. I'll continue testing for now.This a newbie question again - FSX version doesn't seem to have all the lesson files that FS2004 version came with (as per the online documentation) - are all those files and the file destination directions good with FSX ?

[pbelb 0]

regarding the video, I wonder if you're just not seeing the message about the failure, but it's still happening?Not sure about the lessons.I know fsx has it's 'learning center' functionality, which is mostly about reading.There's also the hands-on scenario based mission flights where they guide you through everything with visual and audio cues.reading portions of the pmdg 747-400X manual can seem a bit booring at times, but it's the sort of thing you end up doing because you want/need to know about something.I would say that if you have a bunch of lessons based on a flight plan, then you should be able to follow those same instructions in fsx pretty much the same way, since the geography and beacons etc probably hasn't really changed a huge amount.ie: ksfo is still where it was in FS9.

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

I hope you're also an expert on the ATC/PMDG Flight plans combo issues:1) PMDG 747-400X comes loaded with Flight plans in rt2 format - sadly most of them are outdated - mostly runways and waypoints from time to time - i tried fixing them by correcting runways to current runways - and as long as waypoints are ok - FMC will accept and I can fly no problem most of the route - UNTIL - it directs me nowhere near a runway heading or LOC to catch - it directs me right into the middle of the runway sideways ?! After correcting runways for FRAMUC001.rt2 to land on 08L - I got lucky - although the rest of the flight on display shows directions to pass by airport (right through the localizer !!!), and circle back right into the middle of the runway at 90 degrees. Same with some other flight I tested so far. I don't understand why they would release old flight plans with FSX based on updated 2007 SID/STAR data ? And what am I missing with these rt2 the way they're designed ? And of course no ATC to guide you in either.2)What do you use for flight plans ? Do I have to get FSBuild to design my own flight plans so I can cross the localizer and land ?3) Do you use FSX PLN / PMDG flight plan combos ot just fly without ATC ? I read about PLN2RTE converter, but supposedly it only applies to FS2000/2002.Thanks.

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

Well - for now I just fly with FSX ATC and no FMC RTE - I get ILS frequency and rwy hdg from the map and enter in format: 109.90/341 in FMC and I'm done - this way I get ATC and have the ability to move the plane on the map to cut the crusing time...

[Guest JacobKoziarz]

Forget the last suggestion - either get radar contact or forget flying without RTE FMC and with FSX ATC. Manual ILS freq approach does not always work - weird things happen - won't pick up or won't properly track ILS (needles don't show or fill) and even if it they fill and track - sometimes it won't even line up with runway. Forget about PMDG's rt2 flight plans too - they're crap. You will need FSBuild for rte plans. Or, you can do it all manually using waypoints from FSX map (some do not line up with pmdg database, so you have to always try a few). It's easier than you think for short flights - dep from airport/rwy you want, waypoint, another waypoint to nicely line you up with rwy you want to land on, arrival on that runway and that's it.