Hi. I'd be most grateful if someone could advise re. troubleshooting bad stuttering I sometimes get in FS9(.1). It is proving very hard to pin down what might be the cause. As I taxi along towards the runway (and it can be any aiport, with any aircraft), I get a fairly smooth ride for some seconds, with maybe 20fps, then for 3 or 4 seconds the frame rates drop, can be as low as 5fps, and I get stuttering. After a few seconds, back to fairly smooth taxiing and the frame rates go back up, but then again, after 5 more seconds or so, more stuttering and poor fps, then after a few seconds things are OK again. And so the cycle repeats... Even when frame rate show as good, say 29fps (I have them locked at 30fps - unlocking doesn't help), the juddering still occurs, with the fps dropping to 20 say: why would I get stuttering at 20fps? I assume the stuttering is not directly linked to the frame rates.What I have tried so far, to no avail, is the following:Looking in Task Manager: Apart from fs9.exe and System Idle Process, there are no indications of any process using the CPU - all at 0%. Antivirus etc. is off, no background tasks..Looking at what is happening using Process Monitor: Nothing untoward - all files found OK and loaded. Can't connect the few seconds of stuttering to anything in particular loading at that exact time.Closes down all FS addon programmes: Shutting down AS6, FSNav, AutoSave etc. etc., until nothing, application-wise, is running but FS9, has no affect on the problemSave the flight and restart FS9: The same flight shows the same problems when reloaded.Change FS9 display & hardware settings: Pushing all sliders to the left and unchecking the boxes in 'display' gives me a bit higher fps of course, but I get the same kind of reductions in fps every few seconds.Replace my tweaked fs9.cfg file with the 'out-of-the-box' version: Doesn't help - problem remains.Replace my scenery.cfg with the 'out-of-the-box' version, disabling all addon scenery: Doesn't help - problem remains. I can get the problem at default FS9 airports tooReplace my FS9/texture folder with the 'out-of-the-box' version, disabling all addon scenery: Doesn't helpReplace my FS9/scenery/world/texture folder with the 'out-of-the-box' version, disabling all addon scenery: Doesn't helpChanging my graphics card anti-aliasing, anisotropic etc. settings: no visible differenceDefragmenting the drives: Doesn't helpDisconnect joystick & other peripherals: No change.Testing the RAM with Memtest86: RAM (2x1GBs) tests OK, no errors show up.I also read through this:http://www.steve-lacey.com/blogarchives/20..._stutters.shtmlwhich is 'from the horses mouth' - Steve Lacey was one of the ACES team designing FS of course. (Sob..). Also looked through posts here on AVSIM (serach 'stutter') - couldn't see anything I haven't thought of, though I may have missed something. I didn't read every single post.I am at a loss. what more can I try?! Quite often I can have nice smooth airport to airport FS sessions, then I load up the next day and I just have to put up with all the juddering - once in the air, btw, the problem usually goes away. Anyone any further thoughts and ideas much appreciated!Many thanks,Martin

Very difficult problem to pin down. Hardware/Software related.Are you running any AI ?Your graphics card may have a problem. Overheating, not seated correctly, dust. The last two items might not apply at all since this must be a fairly new system but still check them..You can swap out your card with any spare card you might have on hand.Get a programe called filemon ( it's free ). It shows all the files being called (stored in a log file) and at the time of the stutter you could then match the call with the stutter at least thats the theory.Thats all I can think of at the moment, had not had enough coffee yet and brain is not up to speed.Douglas.

Two things that I've had experience with and fixed :First, are you running Ultimate Terrain by any chance? USA to be specificAlso, is this in VC mode or 2D mode? Reason I ask this is because myself and a few others recently discovered that on our systems, when the mouse curse is moving around and is visible over the VC, we get about a 30% drop in FPS in certain stations and I personally experience stutters until the mouse curse disappears, which takes a few seconds. If this is your case, there is a work around I am using.If none of these apply, use FileMon as suggested to see what FS is looking for while the stutters occur.

Hi Martin,I know that you say early in your post that you have tried setting the frame rate to unlimited but I urge you to give this another chance. Since the advent of the FR limiter I have been an advocate of setting the frames to some reasonable level and even now it seems logical to me to do that. But, I recently changed mine to unlimited andI've never looked back.I was experiencing exactly what you describe; FR drops resulting in pauses (stuttering) and especially annoying during taxi. I set the FR Limiter to unlimited and immediately noted that the FR fluctuations were worse. At that point, I had time-sensitive assignmentds to fly (FSEconomy) so I left the frames set to unlimited and ran my assignments. As I flew from place to place and taxied to and from the runways, I was surprised to see that the stutters were MUCH better (almost gone). The frame rates can be crazy sometimes but there is far less stuttering and I don't know why. Needless to say, I'm very happy. You might want to give it another go.R-

I 2nd Ron on that. I've always preached locking FR over the past few years until I myself realized unlimited was the way to go. But do look back to my two points, see if they apply to you.

To Red1, You talk of a "workaround" that you were using but said nothing more about it. Would you please tell us what your "work around" is. Thanks jerrycwo4PS and where do we get this prograsm called, filemon ?

To Red1, You talk of a "workaround" that you were using but said nothing more about it. Would you please tell us what your "work around" is. Thanks jerrycwo4PS and where do we get this prograsm called, filemon ?

Hello JerryI would be tempted to type filemon into google and see what I could find.Tell you what I will do it for you :-)http://www.snapfiles.com/get/filemon.html

Thanks all for the replies so far. To answer the various questions..Yes, I have Ultimate Traffic, but disabling this doesn't help. The problem is not really frame rates - I can get 30fps but the juddering, as if the a/c if pushing over Velcro still happens - the fps may drop slightly, but I am not too sure how accurate the Shift+Z info is.I am running FS9 on a high end gaming laptop, (Dell XPS M1730) which I know can run FS9 (and FSX) as smooth as silk. This is an intermittent problem. It may be triggered by various airports, but I don't think so: today I had an awful time at Lago's Rome LIRF, but last time I flew there I don't recall any frame rate or stuttering problems. Well, that means I can't easily replace the graphics card. In any case - although now I come to think of it, there are two graphics cards installed. I only use one of them as it's not possible (apparently) to run two monitors with a two-GPU card setup. I will try disabling No.1 and activating No.2, and report back.I think, as far as I recall, filemon is superseded by Process Monitor (which has many more options), which as I reported shows no problems as the files load.Don't think overheating is a problem as it occurs immediately I load FS9 from a new boot up in the morning.Yes, I have Ultimate Terrain - although flying outside of USA I do not load it (I use a programme that enables only the sceneries I am flying from/over/to). I do have UT Europe. But if UT were the problem, my using the out-of-the-box scenery.cfg file would have fixed things, which it didn't, so I don't imagine it's a scenery problem.I fly with VC enabled (when there is one) but usually fly with the 2D cockpit. Sticking/juddering occurs irrespective of which view I am in. Good thought, but I don't think mouse cursor on VC is the problem.I will certainly try changing to unlimited frame rates..I also wondered if the sound is a problem: the one weakness in the XPS M1730 is the feeble soundcard. I used to have an external PC card (Audigy) but it caused more crashes than it was worth. In any case, it no longer fits the latest XPS (MM1730) as there is no PC card slot. I could buy the latest Audigy Z2 (for the mini slot on my laptop), but it's not cheap, probably is as buggy as the previous one and may not in any case solve my problem. I tried changing sound acceleration in Direct X, and sound quality in FS9, but neither helped.OK, thanks again for taking the trouble to reply to me folks. I'll keep at it!Martin

Have you pressed Q to disable sound and see if the stutter goes?I built a top whack machine, all was fine then I got a big flat monitor and the stutters were back. I had been living with it, but recently I changed the nvidia driver to latest (190 is it) from 182. Had the woes of getting Anti Aliasing to work again, but then wham, from 20fps before to 50fps now.Something was obviously wrong before, and just fiddling normally gets you there in the end.Also fly somewhere else from your regular area. It might be a scenery texture.Go to the middle of Africa, miles from any special scenery you have and major airports.

I think, as far as I recall, filemon is superseded by Process Monitor (which has many more options), which as I reported shows no problems as the files load.

That is correct. If you reset the filter, you get the same thing as the old Filemon. I still use both, Filemon for simple things, PM for more complicated filters... But, if PM doesn't show ANYTHING extra happening on the computer while your frames drop and stuttering begins, the only possible thing that could be is something with some driver.I would start looking at various driver updates, beginning from chipset, audio and graphic.

To Red1, You talk of a "workaround" that you were using but said nothing more about it. Would you please tell us what your "work around" is. Thanks jerrycwo4PS and where do we get this prograsm called, filemon ?

My 'workaround' for it is to open up a 2D panel which I never use in VC, make it as small as possible, and drag it over to the corner of the screen so only a small piece is showing. Then I rest my curser in that corner when I'm not using it. This is primarily to solve the fps drop that I always experienced when opening up the ATC window, as that brought out the cursor. You can imagine how frusterating it was to be on short final, and having to open up the ATC window to confirm or report something, and having fps drop from 40 to 20 for a good 5-6 seconds. Also, it helps limit the time FPS drops when I'm done using the cursor, as I don't have to wait the few seconds for it to disappear. If you search back a few months ago, we had a thread about this, and this was the best I can come up with. Note, some people didn't say they expereinced this. It only happens to me in certain sitations when my system is getting a work out.Martin: I mentioned UT because there is a very well known bug that has to do with a missing or misplaced file, which is called for 100s of times a second in some locations which results in bad stutter from time to time. The lastest patch for UT fixes it, but it is not well known. I want to say its version 1.4 but I'm not too sure.To add...I had the EXACT same problem as you...'like velcro on the plane'...can't descibe it better then that. My monitors refresh rate is 60Hz, and I found out that if I limit it to exactly 30fps (half of the refresh rate), those stutters went away. It didn't matter if I had all my add-ons or if I was running everything default with the default cessna. I know also figured out that running unlimited has the same effect, so due try that.

Hi. I'd be most grateful if someone could advise re. troubleshooting bad stuttering I sometimes get in FS9(.1). It is proving very hard to pin down what might be the cause. As I taxi along towards the runway (and it can be any aiport, with any aircraft), I get a fairly smooth ride for some seconds, with maybe 20fps, then for 3 or 4 seconds the frame rates drop, can be as low as 5fps, and I get stuttering. After a few seconds, back to fairly smooth taxiing and the frame rates go back up, but then again, after 5 more seconds or so, more stuttering and poor fps, then after a few seconds things are OK again. And so the cycle repeats... Even when frame rate show as good, say 29fps (I have them locked at 30fps - unlocking doesn't help), the juddering still occurs, with the fps dropping to 20 say: why would I get stuttering at 20fps? I assume the stuttering is not directly linked to the frame rates.What I have tried so far, to no avail, is the following:Looking in Task Manager: Apart from fs9.exe and System Idle Process, there are no indications of any process using the CPU - all at 0%. Antivirus etc. is off, no background tasks..Looking at what is happening using Process Monitor: Nothing untoward - all files found OK and loaded. Can't connect the few seconds of stuttering to anything in particular loading at that exact time.Closes down all FS addon programmes: Shutting down AS6, FSNav, AutoSave etc. etc., until nothing, application-wise, is running but FS9, has no affect on the problemSave the flight and restart FS9: The same flight shows the same problems when reloaded.Change FS9 display & hardware settings: Pushing all sliders to the left and unchecking the boxes in 'display' gives me a bit higher fps of course, but I get the same kind of reductions in fps every few seconds.Replace my tweaked fs9.cfg file with the 'out-of-the-box' version: Doesn't help - problem remains.Replace my scenery.cfg with the 'out-of-the-box' version, disabling all addon scenery: Doesn't help - problem remains. I can get the problem at default FS9 airports tooReplace my FS9/texture folder with the 'out-of-the-box' version, disabling all addon scenery: Doesn't helpReplace my FS9/scenery/world/texture folder with the 'out-of-the-box' version, disabling all addon scenery: Doesn't helpChanging my graphics card anti-aliasing, anisotropic etc. settings: no visible differenceDefragmenting the drives: Doesn't helpDisconnect joystick & other peripherals: No change.Testing the RAM with Memtest86: RAM (2x1GBs) tests OK, no errors show up.I also read through this:http://www.steve-lacey.com/blogarchives/20..._stutters.shtmlwhich is 'from the horses mouth' - Steve Lacey was one of the ACES team designing FS of course. (Sob..). Also looked through posts here on AVSIM (serach 'stutter') - couldn't see anything I haven't thought of, though I may have missed something. I didn't read every single post.I am at a loss. what more can I try?! Quite often I can have nice smooth airport to airport FS sessions, then I load up the next day and I just have to put up with all the juddering - once in the air, btw, the problem usually goes away. Anyone any further thoughts and ideas much appreciated!Many thanks,Martin

What is your system specs. Are you using on board intergrated audio? If using separate audio card, are drivers up to date? Is you mobo using shared video or do you use AGP, PCIx card?Bill M

Martin,I had a similar problem about three years ago and tried everything I could think of. My stutters were occuring about every 4 to 5 seconds and driving me nuts. Finally came across Filemon and ran it to see what was running along with FS2004.In a very short time, I noticed a program that was executing about every 4 to 5 seconds. The name was SetIcon, a small executable from Western Digital. Then I remembered that the stuttering had started at about the time of my purchase of an external WD hard drive. Simple solution: Run msconfig, click the Startup tab and uncheck SetIcon. Click Apply. Run FS2004 ..... No more stutters!This is just a shot in the dark, but your problem could be as simple as a small garbage program that you don't even need.Good luck,JerryH

Thanks again for the input folks.Cutting the sound with 'Q' doesn't change anything: if only it were that simple! (Though it wouldn't be simple, would it: a choice between having either sound or stuttering!). I don't really have a 'usual area' for flying - I go all over the world. The stuttering can occur anywhere, and also at FS9 default airports, with no addon scenery installed..Red, do you have any links for this 'well known' UT bug? I don't get any change when I reduce traffic to 0%, but that might not be the solution, if it is a UT thing. If you have any more information, that would be useful - I'll do a search anyway: not aware of a recent FS9 patch, but maybe I haven't looked properly! (nothing shows on the UT site/downloads.. which patch are you referring to? I have my fps set to unlimited at the moment - as per advice here. Too early to say if it has helped, although recent flights have been OK (it is an intermittent problem, as I originally said). I always had frame rates limited to 30fps - and got enough stuttering to start this post.Bill, as I stated it's a laptop - Dell XPS M1730. It's a high end machine, designed for games, and 75% of the time runs FS9 as smoothly as anyone could wish - certainly better than any PC I own/have owned. Basic stats are given as a signature at the bottom of all my posts..I don't have any process called seticon installed on my FS machine - in fact, the laptop is purely for FS9 & FSX, so there's no email, messenger, even anti-virus (well there is, but it's always fully disabled when I am flying - I never go online on this machine) etc. etc. etc. Plus, with my own script, I kill off all superfluous processes before I start FS(I consider myself pretty knowledgeable PC-wise (A+ cert etc.), so am certain I am not killing off anything vital).It's at least consoling (slightly) that others have exactly the same problem as me - although from the number of posts on this stuttering, even on AVSIM, that was never in doubt of course! :-)Martin

Just a few things I remembered. This was on a laptop but not runnimg FS. I was using a aidio setup for mixing music and it would stutter quite a bit. Checked sound card blah, blah, blah. Turns out there were two things causing the woes. One was the wireles modem trying to connect or searching for a connection and the other was a antivirus program with autoupdate on. Since I do not go on the net with that puter I disabled the Av and the local area connection and that worked. Might not be your prob but....