I had at first thought that the fix I have added to my boot.ini file (/3GB /userva=2560, documented in various posts on AVSIM of course) was one of the best things I've done to my FS9 setup for some time - it certainly seems to have cured out-of-memory crashes.However, it is proving to be a bit of a mixed blessing: instead of FS crashing, ground textures now have started refusing to load as I approach the airport, I just get the kind of blur you'd get if you had arrived there ultra-fast, in slew mode; autogen/ city scenery struggles to load and aircraft turn remain silver - i.e. missing their livery - for up to a minute at a time in spot view, in spite of DXT3 bmps.. I never had these problems before tweaking the boot.ini and FS9.exe file. I am also getting problems in AES, with sound files not playing.Once I am on the ground, things slowly settle back, but it all makes for a very ugly approach and landing.Has anyone else had this texture loading problem? And solved it?! Would I be advised to change the value of 2560, perhaps reducing it by 56 or 128 each time until I get a balance OoM and properly loading scenery? If anyone else has tweaked things because of similar problems, it'd be good to hear what resulted.Martin

Hello Martin.I have been researching this as well. From what I gather it goes in increments of 64MB.I found this at MS>>>http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316739And this at Phil Taylors blog>>>http://blogs.msdn.com/ptaylor/archive/2007...ress-space.aspxSome have higher settings (and lose stability). But if your video card is 512MB maybe try a higher setting than 2560?Phils post also explains what is heppening in AES as well. The DLL used in AES to acitvate the scenery is having trouble going above the 2GB allowed under normal circumstances. I have tried adding the "switch" to the DLL AES uses but it did not help.Back to the texture loading hiccup. My video card is 640MB and I am going to try and go with something slightly lower like 2432 and see what happens.

Yes, 64MB increments: not sure why I put 56..I will keep experimenting and post any useful discoveries.Martin

BTW, I have two NVidia cards (though not used as SLI, as I have two monitors; SLI & 2 screens seem incompatible, on my PC at least). They are both 512MB memory, but wouldn't increasing the userva value just make the texture loading worse? I am decreasing the value (2048 would be the default I presume and have no effect), hoping (against hope??) to find a setting that leaves the texture loading unimpaired but still prevents OoM crashing..M.

Removing the 3gb switch and reinstating the untweaked FS9.exe file doesn't get the AES sounds back!!

The way I gather it works is like this (and forgive me for being redundant).XP has 4GB to play with, 2GB for applications and 2GB for system. On PCI-E systems (most are now) that 2GB of system also includes any PCI-E video memory you have. In your case you need 1GB (512 X 2). I assume because no one has mentioned anything about cards running in SLI mode.So you may want to try a lower value as you said. Phil Taylor said 768MB left for the system is very resonable. So the formula...4096 Total MemoryLess...1024 of your video memory768 of system memory= 2304So your tweak number would be 2304.Mine looks like this (and seems better with the texture loading for some reason, but it could all be my imagination)4096 totalless...640 video memory768 system memory= 2688Another thing with the sounds, some play from inside and outside the plane (you can hear it or not hear it depending on your view). Again that is something in AES help that can be tweaked.I have to admit I have had zero sound issues...Another thing, I spend way too much time tweaking and such and not enough flying!

Does this mean that for a 320MB memory 8800GT, I should change to 4096-320-768 = 3008???ThanksGhiomPS: I also encounter the problem of blurries described aboe and my setting is currently 2560...

"Another thing, I spend way too much time tweaking and such and not enough flying!"I bet you aren't as bad as me - I hardly seem get a flight in these days!The AES sound issue was a conflict with Active Camera - nothing to do with the 3GB thing: odd, though, as they worked fine together before:http://www.forum.aerosoft.com/index.php?sh...=0entry104449I have started at userva=2048, and am working my way up, adding 128 each time..M.

Yes! Of course this is all at your own risk. Try some different values if that does not work, anything in a 64MB multiple.Make sure your original boot.ini is backed up.

Keep us all posted on your findings Martin..

What is the risk of changing.Could it effect the start-up of WinXP?I mean, can a change like /3008 prevent winXP from starting up? Or the risk is just limited to FS9ThanksGhiom

Well if your computer savvy I wouldn't worry. The largest risk is wrecking your boot.ini and not being able to boot. Anytime your mess around with system files you run the risk of hosing something.I have been using all kinds of values the past couple days and I think the risk is minimal in all honesty. But some that read this are not computer savvy, thus the warning. If you don't have confidence when fiddling around with settings like this DON'T DO IT!

You mean that if I am able to change from 2560 to 3008 in a text file, it should be ok?Note that I have applied the tweak already.or it is XP which could not like a change, even well made?ThanksGhiom

My experiments aren't going very well. With userva=2176, just 128MB over the default, I STILL get blurred ground textures and blank, 'liveriless' a/c (AI traffic included at airports). I am just testing userva=2112, a measly 64MBs over default and textures seem OK. But whether this setting will make any difference at all to the OoM CTDs is very doubtful I would think.I was REALLY pleased when I first added the /3GB switch and FS9 kept running even at 98% RAM usage - no OoM crashes (about 86% was the maximum I achieved before), but I clearly smiled too soon! I can either have OoM crashes, or very blurry textures and blank aircraft. Talk about the devil and the deep blue sea!Martin

Martin, you have 2 X 256MB video cards?You might try bumping it up.4096 - 512 (2 X 256) - 768 = 2816The higher setting (2688 over default 2560) actually helped my blurry problems. After more testing I'm not imagining it.