Out of Memory - any more advice on the old chestnut?

[martinlest2 58]

Hi.I am (still) getting Out-of-Memory errors, mostly when flying complex payware a/c like PMDG 737s into busy airports. After spending dozens of hours on this, and reading probably hundreds of posts on this forum, (OoM, /3GB switches, use of address space etc - for example):http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=search.. I am almost at the point of giving up on it; just wondered if anyone has any further advice before I do so. The screenshot shows that there is still 350MBs of RAM available when the OoM message pops up. I just watch Task Manager show the amount of RAM left going down and down as I approach the destination airport. Am I correct in thinking that with 2GBs of RAM, 1GB is available for FS9 + applications like Active Sky, with the other 1GB for the O/S. In that case, what has used up its 1GB allocation, FS9 or XP?What have I done so far?...- I have increased the Page File to 3.5 GBs, plus 4 GBs on another disc, but clearly the system isn't using anywhere near this amount, so that was probably pointless. I've removed the Page file and reinstated it (several times), as a corrupt PF has also been blamed.- I have tried various tweaks recommended here and elsewhere. I got very good results in so far as OoM is concerned when I tried the /3GB switch (people said I would see a benefit even though I only had 2GBs) plus the appropriately tweaked fs9.exe file : no OoMs. Only probably was, no matter how low (or high) I set the /Userva= option, I got huge texture loading problems, with ground textures permanently very blurred. So I had to give up on that.- I reduced traffic density in FS, turned down other sliders...- I have analyzed what is loading with Process Monitor and eliminated problems with files like bitmaps that FS is continually searching for and not finding.- Use programmes that only load the scenery and a/c I am using during a particular flight.... and probably a whole lot of other things that I just can't recall as I type this.The options I have (apart from wiping FS9 off my PC once and for all) seem to be the following:1. Get more physical RAM. I already have 2GBs. Using FS9 with XP Pro, maybe I could go up to 3GBS. On the other hand, all I have read on this OoM problem stresses that this is NOT related to physical memory, so I don't think this will help, apart from maybe giving me a bit of extra time before FS9 crashes to the OoM window. Besides, I've thrown enough money at FS9 one way or another so don't really want to start spending again in the vague hope it will help things.2. Get XP 64-bit. Another financial outlay and unknown quantity as far as I am concerned (in practice at least). But if this were a way to prevent OoM?....3. Give up using complex payware a/c (I never have this problem with say iFDG or Posky a/c). In that case, I'd lose interest in FS altogether I think - much of the pleasure is programming the CDU and so forth!4. Give up with FS9 and get FSX (do people get OoM problems with FSX too?). A last ditch option with all the FS9 software I have that won't work in FSX.Or, as I say, find another hobby entirely. Difficult after all these years: I get painful withdrawal sysmtoms if I don't fly pretty much every day!Martin :-)http://forums.avsim.net/user_files/190621.jpghttp://forums.avsim.net/user_files/190622.jpg

[martinlest2 58]

.. do people get OoM problems with FSX too?Apparently yes. I doubtless realised that at one stage.http://support.microsoft.com/kb/892610

[ubersu 78]

Your basic problem is that those dual 512mB graphics cards are eating your OS memory allocation - that's what caused the problem with the /3GB switch and your userva problems. More physical ram will probably not help.>>Am I correct in thinking that with 2GBs of RAM, 1GB is available for FS9 + applications like Active Sky, with the other 1GB for the O/S. In that case, what has used up its 1GB allocation, FS9 or XP?<< No, this is not correct. See the interminable (and excellent!) discussions by n4gix in this forum and the FSX forum (there's one going on right now, in fact).I have an old single processer 2.8Ghz system with 2GBytes of memory, a lowline nVidia 6200 256 MB card, and use the /3Gbye switch. I can fly (with minimum blurries, 90% AI, GE, and ActiveSky) the LD 767, PMDG 747, et al, for more than 6 hours from and to the most complex airports without an OOM.I am willing to bet that with a single graphics card of more limited memory and the /3GB switch you'll never see another OOM.DJ

[Mike_CFII_MEL 789]

Hi,I was getting memory CTD's myself, I also noticed that my PF was well above 1GB. It turned out to be a memory leak, once I found the file and removed it, my PF never went above about 900mb and I never had another OOM error. I notice yours is 1.49GB, not sure if this is your problem but its worth looking into.

[martinlest2 58]

You think I should disable one of the graphics cards in Device Manager then? Worth a try I suppose.As for a memory leak, if that is the case I can't see what I can do further to trace it. I enable/disable sceneries as I use them, as I say, but I tend to "run out of available memory" just about anywhere I fly to if the airport is detailed enough and I am flying a PSS/PMDG etc. aircraft. I can see RAM draining away in Task Manager and the 'private Bytes' going up and up in Process Monitor, but I have no clues as to exactly what is using up the RAM like this.M.

[martinlest2 58]

" ...You think I should disable one of the graphics cards in Device Manager then?".. and retry the /3GB switch. What do you have the userva value set to?M.

[BIGSKY 316]

Mike,Could you tell us what the offending file was?

[DAL488 2]

I definitely think you should try to disable one of your video cards and then try the /3GB switch. I have a my userva set to 2900 to accomodate my 8800 GT 512MB.I have NEVER had another OOM after switching to this config, but I'm pretty sure you can't do it once you have a video card with more than 512MB (or possibly 640MB).Here's my boot.ini:multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition /3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /Userva=2900Remember that you have to change the FS9.exe so "App can handle >2gb addresset" using the CFF Explorer program.I would copy the details, but I only have a hardcopy of the instructions; I'm hoping the details are in that other message that you referenced.James

[DAL488 2]

Here's a post I did a while back with the instructions. Scroll down to the 4th post:http://forums.avsim.net/dcboard.php?az=sho...ing_type=searchHope this helps.James

[netshadoe 144]

I had this problem constantly for a long time before...I tried everything from the 3GB switch, pages files, etc.Then I started doing a little more research on this site and other FS sites and found something from around 2003 or so...my memory is a bit foggy.Ultimately, my problem was having landclass files in the scenery folders when there are textures in the texture folders. For some reason, this causes a memory leak in FS9. I'm not 100% sure if the scenario above is entirely accurate (some one feel free to correct me), but ultimately the Scenery folder containing the landclass files cannot have a Texture folder...Here is my example:- say you have a scenery such as VHHH- In your D:FS9Addon SceneryVHHH folder you have a "Scenery" and "Texture" folder. - If there are any LC files in the "Scenery" folder, you will have a memory leak because you have textures in the "Texture" folder.- All LC files should be moved into a separate folder without a Texture folder. Mine is D:FS9FSMLandclass that only contains a "Scenery" folder without the accompanying "Texture" folder.What I did to acheive this was download FlightSim Manager from this site and ran the "Locate Landclass files" in the diagnostic tools. (I realize that FlightSim Manager doesn't work now in 2008...just quickly set your computer to 2005 or earlier to fool the program into working...it will work...then reset to 2008 when you're done!)FS Manager will automatically relocate your LC files. It found 6 files on my system that were not in the right place (from freeware scenery AND payware... :()I also ran "ScanAFD" from this site to make sure I didn't have duplicate AFCADS which can cause crashes.Since I did all this, I've never ran into a problem and never ran out of memory. I have tons of scenery and over 300 AI traffic files running. It worked in my case...I hope this can help you too.PS - I still don't run the 3GB switch to this day and have NO problems.Devin

[DAL488 2]

Yeah, you're absolutely right on this memory leak. I don't remember the specifics either.Applying the /3GB switch assumes that the "leaky" configuration has been confirmed to not exist; otherwise, it's pointless.James

[Opa 6]

FYI -If you use FS Manager there is a patch for it at Flightsim which works but perhaps even better is the Run As Date program.It allows you to run any outdated program without going to the trouble of resetting your computer date and then correcting it afterwards.Check it out here:http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/RunA...load-74129.htmlHope this is of interest.

[netshadoe 144]

Yeah...I have the patch...but its taboo for some reason ;PAs for the other program...cool! Great little utility to store away!! Thanks!

[Mike_CFII_MEL 789]

Hi,I had one Landclass file in my addons/scenery folder. Once I removed that file and placed it in its own addons sub folder the problem was gone.

[ubersu 78]

Might be worth a try... /userva=2560DJ