Hi!Last week I tried to repair my FSX deluxe installation with the CD, but when I was finished - I received a "Fatal error occured" message when trying to start FSX.I tried again but same thing happened.I uninstalled every addon, all service packs, and FSX. Tried to install, but now the FSX freeze in the splash screen. Tried to uninstall and install again, butstill freezes. Can this be a SImCOnnect? And please please please - can it be solved without formatting the whole computer.The screen it freezes on is this:My FSX freeze pointI running FSX on Windows XP 32 bit

Hello,One way to see if a dll (gauge or other add-on) causes the freeze is to simply rename the following files: dll.xml and exe.xml. You may also backup your fsx.cfg then delete it so FSX creates a new file.Lockups can be caused by a number of items from hardware to corrupt or mistmatched files, I'm not aware of simconnect locking up fsx per se.Hope this helps,Etienne

Go to:C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX...and rename as extension ".old"dll.xmlfsx.cfgscenery.cfg...and see if FSX will restart correctly. On reinstalls, the personal settings are not erased, and can interfere with the new install.Dick

Thanks for your tips guys. I will definately try this when I come home this evening. My machine is doing backups just now, but I would love to avoid a full format.Thanks again!

For ten minutes I was completely in heaven! It worked. I renamed the files you named. So I got into FSX and adjusted all sliders and made all the setttings like I want them to be. Took a quick flight around an airport with a C172. Then I thought it woud be a good idea to close FSX and restart it just to check If it still worked. BuhuuuuIt didnt. Now FSX freezes in the startup splash screen again. One thing is different though. The simconnect window doesnt pop up. It just freezes in the normal FSX splash screen.So I guess Im back to start. Any further advices guys?

For ten minutes I was completely in heaven! It worked. I renamed the files you named. So I got into FSX and adjusted all sliders and made all the setttings like I want them to be. Took a quick flight around an airport with a C172. Then I thought it woud be a good idea to close FSX and restart it just to check If it still worked. BuhuuuuIt didnt. Now FSX freezes in the startup splash screen again. One thing is different though. The simconnect window doesnt pop up. It just freezes in the normal FSX splash screen.So I guess Im back to start. Any further advices guys?

Well, if the renaming of the files worked, we can try that one more time to see if it's repeatable (ie, did it really fix the problem).Outside of that, a few more ideas: after the splash screen, FSX "secretly" initializes the 3D engine and sound by loading the last flight (it does this by default).I'm wondering if a) the saved flight is what causes the freeze - solution, tell FS not to load the flight by default (place DisablePreload=1 under the [Main] section of the fsx.cfg file, then start FSX). Create a new flight, see if that works. :( the video card driver dies (that usually is a blue screen, not a freeze). Did you do a recent video driver update?c) the sound driver dies (check drivers and look for the rare IRQ conflict).I suspect a) or :( . Again, not suspecting simconnect at all. What you may also try is to go to the hardware forum here at AVSIM and specifically spelunk the CTD sub-forum to see if someone else with similar setup has experience the problem. Cheers,Etienne

Thank you so much for taking time to help me with this Etienne :)I will try to rename the files again, and also check if it loads the last flight. I dont think it is set up to do so.And I have not installed any new driver lately.Ill give it a try later today. Thanks again :D