Hello,I am facing a strange problem with my setup. It is something that I have had since day one and effects the entire system, not just FS:At random intervals the entire systems "holds" or "stutters" for a second or so. During this event:1. Everything stops. The mouse freezes, sounds starts to loop (pretty much like the sound you get from an audio CD that "sticks"), etc.2. Processor usage will jump to 100% (as indicated by the WinXP Task Manager application).3. After a second, it's back to normal. Processor load will get down to 1-2% (the normal OS footprint with no apps running) and so on. The system will not crash and everything is OK again, until the next occurence...Things I have tried:1. I have all drivers updated to the most current ones (to the best of my knowledge - haven't tried any betas though).2. I bought and installed a PCI sound card (disabled the onboard one). The problem actually became worse - for some reason the card could not recover along with the rest of the system and I lost all sound after the "stutter", forcing me to reboot in order to get sound back. The onboard AC97 has no such issue.3. Formated and re-installed everything. That was a real pain. 4. Tried terminating any background processes using "EndItAll". The only ones left running where the ones I could not terminate via this app or the Task Manager (XP refused to do so).3. Posted in various hardware - related sites (not FS-specific). Had lots of suggestions from the very helpful people there but unfortunately none of these suggestions helped any...4. Tried a live Linux distribution - there are no stutters in Linux (so it seems XP-related...)Any ideas? i've reached a point where I feel I just might have to live with this until I get my next computer. The worst part of it is that I now feel reluctant to buy and harware since there is no gurantee I will not run into the same kind of problems I had with the Soundblaster card (it now rests in peace in some drawer... 60 euros down the drain...)Any help will be very, very appreciated...My setup:Processor PIV 3.41 Gb of RAM @ 533GzhAsus P5AD2PRE m/b200 Gb SATA HDDATI (Saphire) X800XT VGA, 256mb vramOnboard audioWin XP SP2The system is relatevely clean (mostly an FS-box)

HiIn XP:Is File Indexing turned on?Is Automatic Restore Point generation turned on?Hope this helps,Jimhttp://www.hifisim.com/Active Sky V6 Development Team Active Sky V6 Proud SupporterHiFi Beta TeamRadar Contact Supporter: http://www.jdtllc.com/AirSource Member: http://www.air-source.us/FSEconomy Member:http://dot.kelder.net:8080/fseconomy/

Jim,thank you for the interest - it is very appreciated.Automatic restore point generation is on (I had to use it more than once).File Indexing... can't be sure. How do I check this?best regards,Spiros HazapisAthens, Greece

Click 'my computer'. Right click on your "C" drive (or D, E, F, etc.).Select 'properties'. General tab. If "Allow Indexing Service to index this disk for fast file searching" is selected, Content Indexing is turned on for that drive.IMO, you should uncheck that. And also in my opin, for your FS box you should disable the Content Indexing Service from the running services.Now,Getting to your computer. Is this a home-built rig or store bought?Rhett

Rhett hi,It is built by BCOM Computers (a Canadian company, I bought it in Edmonton, AB).I will try and desect this as soon as I am back home next week.thank youregards,Spiros HazapisAthens, Greece

Ok, well when you get back home post here and maybe everyone can try to help you out.I just solved an FS stutter problem on my computer, and it was graphic-related...but yours sounds different. Maybe conflicting IRQ's or some sort of hardware problem.Rhett

>Ok, well when you get back home post here and maybe everyone>can try to help you out.>>I just solved an FS stutter problem on my computer, and it was>graphic-related...but yours sounds different. Maybe>conflicting IRQ's or some sort of hardware problem.>>RhettCare to share your problem and solution?Thanks,Jason

>>Care to share your problem and solution?>>Thanks,>>JasonSure. the problem: I was getting an occasional stutter when airport scenery (or any non-lc/non-mesh scenery) was loaded.the solution: In FS2004, Options|Display I changed "Global Texture Size" from 'massive' down to 'medium'.Stutter solved.You would think a 7800GT with 256 megs and 16 or 20 or 24 or however many pixel pipes could handle "Massive" but I guess not. I do recall one of the FS people saying that the amount of graphics memory is far more important than the raw speed of the card itself. So, I'll probably be getting a 512 meg vid card next year some time.Rhett

Thank Rhett. I use "high" for that setting. I remember doing some testing between "high" and "medium" and the look of things was better on "high".My stuttering problem is that it happens with more weather stations and clouds are being loaded as I fly forward. I was told, though, that's pretty much just how the FS weather engine works.Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts.Jason

>Thank Rhett. I use "high" for that setting. I remember>doing some testing between "high" and "medium" and the look of>things was better on "high".>Since you mention it, I think I will try "high" again. I think I was getting the stutter again with high or massive. Medium seemed to be the limit on my rig.>My stuttering problem is that it happens with more weather>stations and clouds are being loaded as I fly forward. I was>told, though, that's pretty much just how the FS weather>engine works.>Well yes I think that's a pretty accurate statement--I use ASV6 and yes, when it first loads new weather, it does have a pronounced stutter. But then, the whole rest of the flight, it's smooth as silk. The stutter is only when it first loads the weather. I can live with that one.Rhett

>>>My stuttering problem is that it happens with more weather>>stations and clouds are being loaded as I fly forward. I>was>>told, though, that's pretty much just how the FS weather>>engine works.>>>>Well yes I think that's a pretty accurate statement--I use>ASV6 and yes, when it first loads new weather, it does have a>pronounced stutter. But then, the whole rest of the flight,>it's smooth as silk. The stutter is only when it first loads>the weather. I can live with that one.>>RhettYou are luckier than I am. My sim stutters whenever more clouds appear in the distant infront of me. In another word, went FS draws more clouds it stutters. I use flight environment, and it happens with both ASv6 and default real weather.What's your system config? Mine is: AMD64 3200+ | 1GB | 7800GT PCIeJason

>You are luckier than I am. My sim stutters whenever more>clouds appear in the distant infront of me. In another word,>went FS draws more clouds it stutters. I use flight>environment, and it happens with both ASv6 and default real>weather.>>What's your system config? Mine is: AMD64 3200+ | 1GB |>7800GT PCIe>>JasonI run similar: AMD 3700+, 2 gigs ram, 7800GT PCIe.Me having more ram than you, in my opin won't make any significant difference. I run an ASUS A8N-E motherboard fyi.I don't use Flight Environment...have you checked with users of FE about this?What texture size does FE use? In ASV6/ASG, I have mine turned down to 256x256. I have found that 512x512, for example, does seem to cause stuttering EXACTLY in the conditions you describe. I guess it's too much for the system. 512 meg vid cards are what we need I guess :)I use a pretty new vid driver, 84.something if that means anything. But I have rarely noticed much difference between 6x.xx drivers and 7x.xx drivers. I even tried some 3rd party driver one time and I noticed no difference in anything.Also, I assume you've got AA turned off in FS, and enabled via the driver. I assume as an FS-person you know that, hehe. A common problem is the clouds are getting AA'ed to death with our nVidia cards.I assume you have disabled all unnecessary running processes and services on your FS-computer; firewall, anti-virus, content indexing service, system restore, for example.I have an overkill power supply (PC Power & Cooling) that I plan to keep through 2 computer builds if I can, and I am of the opinion that with high-end video cards, you can't have enough power supply. I have heard stories from users of high-end vid cards who claim that less-stout power supplies cause stutters. I can't vouch for their statements, but it is something I've heard. I don't know what power supply you run but it's something to at least consider.But I'd find out more about FE and the textures it uses. What % of 3-D clouds do you use? I use 100% 3D clouds as ActiveSky recommends, and using the 256x256 textures, it's smooth and fluid. I'm going to do more experimenting with it though, as I fly around.Rhett