When flying FS9 `sticks` for a second or two then carries on and this happens regularly during flight. I have tried reducing resolution to 800x600x16 - reducing the texture settings etc etc but I can`t stop it and I`m getting very frustrated.My set up is P4 3.0Ghz, 1.5Gig Memory, nVidia 7800 GS+ with 512 Mb memory.I would appreciate any adviceMany thanksGeorge

Several possibilities come to mind. Within the sim, it could be real weather downloads (every 15 minutes) or Pete Dowson'sn AutoSave, if you use that addon. Outside of FS, it is usually some Windows background task that causes pauses. FSAutostart is a free utility which can be used to stop background programs and services before you begin a flight sim session.There have been lots of threads on this subject. You might try a search of this forum using "stutters" as a keyword. Also look at the FS9 tips and tricks subforum in the FSX forum.I hope that this is helpful.R-

a big stutter causing application is anti-virus software. shut this down when flying. just remember to turn virus proctection back on after shutting down FS. ;-)--

Thanks Guys - I`ll try out you advice and I appreciate the prompt reply. Incidentally since installing McAfee 2007 Security it doesn`t seem to have an "disenable" selection in the Tray Menu George

If he searches keyword "stutters" the returned results will be half of the whole forum. To run FS9 clean and optimized is (at least for me) almost a sickness. Kill all background programs and services, remove all removable 3rd party modules, check for any missing effect files, remove any empty texture folders, HD defragmented at all time, basically not use scenery addons, tweak CFG, delete any force feedback secion, use DXT and reduced textures, give up some high settings, pay $70+ for FS-GS tweaks, remove all 2D gauges when able (I fly VC only), buy better PC hardware, constantly monitor ram usage and filemon...etc...etc...etc...After all that you'll still get stutters but at least then you'll settle with it. I started those when FS9 came out. I settled with it in late 2006.Jason

Sometimes stutters can be caused when the ram is not running fast enough for the cpu. For example when info is fed into the cpu if the cpu is running fast it will execute the instructions and have to wait for the ram to give it more instructions, so if the ram is slow it would cause stutters. I had this happen to me and I fixed it by boosting the dram speed.

Do a search on PCI Latency Tool and read up on it. Solved many peoples stutter problems, including mine. You can find the actual download (Ver 3.1) at http://downloads.guru3d.com/download.php?det=951Set your video card or agp bus to 32 (usually 200 or more by default), set it to apply at startup and chances are you're stuttering problems will be gone.

This wont work with PCI-E will it?

I also struggled with stutters in FS9, until I completely uninstalled Macafee Security Center, and that cured it. It's such a resource hog, even with real-time virus scan disabled, that it had a noticable effect on my FS9 performance.

Not sure, but it defenitely works with AGP. You can install it and see if you have any "video" devices or PCIe devices listed with no harm.

Hi George,Was just browsing the Forum when I came upon your query, which you have had many replies to. The problem with products such as Nortons/McAfee are they are excellent software if you are running a multi million Company network but it is like using an A380 airbus to fly your family to the Isle of Wight from Northolt. Use ZoneAlarm as your Firewall and you will not have a problem.I was a M/F System Analyst Programmer for 30 yrs in UK, and have emigrated to OZ, I am now spending time getting to grips with PC's and MS.I am an avid FS user, and also Real Pilot PPL +300 hrsHappy New Year Don :D

How frequently does this "sticking" happen? If it is very frequent, i.e. several times per minute, likely it has to do with background programs. If it occurs in longer intervals, i.e. every ten minutes or so as you fly long distances, it is likely the sim trying to load AI traffic and weather for scenery areas you're flying into. Depending on the radius of the weather you have selected and the amount of traffic you have install, this will cause periodic sticking/stuttering.http://www.commerciallevel.com/base/suppor...46supporter.jpg

Another item which jumps out to me is your RAM memory size. 1.5GB?That tells me you are using an odd set-up possibly?Just recently, (after reading some info in the forums after upgrading my processor), I read that running 4 'sticks' of memory may not be a good idea in FS. I had 4 512 'sticks' installed for a total of 2 GB. Out of curiosity, I removed two, and reduced my RAM from 2GB to 1 GB.Guess what? faster/smoother FS, and I got a frame rate increase to boot.Sometimes more is not necessarily better ;)Now I may consider two matched 1GB 'sticks' to get back to 2GB again....other than that, tep, I get stutters occasionally because of Pete's 'auto-save' program and weather downloads. I have learned to live with them.

I think that advice depends greatly on motherboard, type of ram etc.For instance, my Gigabyte mb has 6 slots. I can run 1 or 2 matched sets using up two or four slots and have it still support Dual Channel DDR, but not if I use all 1,3,5 or 6. In the later cases, the memory will operate in Single channel mode cutting memory bandwidth in half.

F-Prot virus scanning software is far less intense on system resources than MacAfee. I wouldn't recommend anyone using MacAfee with any recent version of Flight Simulator...