Long Load Time for FS2004?

[gwillmot 31]

I have had FS2004 for years. I defrag regularly and turn off my antivirus before starting the sim. If I recall, it used to take 5 minutes or less to execute FS9.exe until I got the create a flight screen. It now takes 10 minutes or so for me to be able to create a flight.I have tons of addon aircraft and scenery (including photorealistic). I don't see why this should matter as none are chosen until I create a flight. I even disabled much of the scenery but it still takes that blasted 10 minutes or so to load.I'm running a P4 3.4Gig processor with 2Gig memory on an ASUS P4C800 motherboard.s I don't overclock anything.Can anyone help as to why I might be getting such a long wait for FS9 to execute? It's a pain whenever I have to restart the sim.gwillmot

[N60JBravo 27]

How much AI do you have?Try moving all excess user aircraft out of the aircraft folder.Just copy in what you plan on flying today.Hope this helps.regards,Joe

[red1 0]

Well I can say I have around 200 + repaints AI craft, along with many sceneries and user planes, and my FS takes about 30 seconds to get to 'create a flight'. I'd say it's more a problem with your computer then anything else.

[gwillmot 31]

Well I can say I have around 200 + repaints AI craft, along with many sceneries and user planes, and my FS takes about 30 seconds to get to 'create a flight'. I'd say it's more a problem with your computer then anything else.

I don't think you understand, as flightsim (any version) on any of my computers in the past takes 30 seconds to boot.I have set up FS2004 to bypass the "welcome" screen and open directly to "Create a Flight" menu ( I always have).When I double click on FS9.exe, it takes about 10 minutes until I see that screen.gwillmot

[Geddy_2112 8]

Well I can say I have around 200 + repaints AI craft, along with many sceneries and user planes, and my FS takes about 30 seconds to get to 'create a flight'. I'd say it's more a problem with your computer then anything else.

+1 Mine maybe takes about 45 seconds but no more than a minute. According to FSINN when I load it, 1461 aircraft.

[gwillmot 31]

+1 Mine maybe takes about 45 seconds but no more than a minute. According to FSINN when I load it, 1461 aircraft.

A minute to get to "Create a Flight" from where?gwillmot

[Guest Orgone1]

A minute to get to "Create a Flight" from where?gwillmot

I have a fast machine with plenty of RAM and I also have had the long load time occasionally pop up.It seems to be related to the photoscenery I have loaded for the Wash DC area. It takes forever to load the first time I go to Reagan RWY1...but after that it is fine.

[gwillmot 31]

I have a fast machine with plenty of RAM and I also have had the long load time occasionally pop up.It seems to be related to the photoscenery I have loaded for the Wash DC area. It takes forever to load the first time I go to Reagan RWY1...but after that it is fine.

Again, I'm talking about the time it takes to double-click on "FS9.exe" until you are able to CREATE a flight.....NOT how long it takes to load a flight/aircraft/location once a flight is selected. Photoscenery always takes longer to load once it is selected in an area of flight.gwillmot

[red1 0]

A minute to get to "Create a Flight" from where?gwillmot

For me, from the time I click the fs9.exe. I'm not really sure why yours is taking so long besides the dated system.

[Geddy_2112 8]

For me, from the time I click the fs9.exe. I'm not really sure why yours is taking so long besides the dated system.

Exactly. A little longer load the flight but again no where near that long. And Photo scenery is a big killer. I actually don't use the photo scenery in my Mallorca just for that reason.

[Guest datatrain]

I understand your problem. Not sure of the answer.I would get started and then go to the scenery library and turn OFF all the add ons.Reboot and time it. to create screen. Something is obviously interefering or taking a loooong time to load. Depending on what happens I'd start turning on the add ons a few at a time until I found it.DAve

[Opa 6]

I have had FS2004 for years. I defrag regularly and turn off my antivirus before starting the sim. If I recall, it used to take 5 minutes or less to execute FS9.exe until I got the create a flight screen. It now takes 10 minutes or so for me to be able to create a flight.I have tons of addon aircraft and scenery (including photorealistic). I don't see why this should matter as none are chosen until I create a flight. I even disabled much of the scenery but it still takes that blasted 10 minutes or so to load.I'm running a P4 3.4Gig processor with 2Gig memory on an ASUS P4C800 motherboard.s I don't overclock anything.Can anyone help as to why I might be getting such a long wait for FS9 to execute? It's a pain whenever I have to restart the sim.gwillmot

I believe you will find that FS2004 actually "checks" almost everything during the initial boot sequence. You say you have a great deal of addon aircraft and scenery - that would explain it.As a test, disable all the addon scenery you have and temporarily remove all except the default aircraft and see what your initial load time is. NOTE: If you have changed the default flight to some other aircraft, be sure you do not remove that aircraft as FS2004 will balk when starting if that aircraft cannot be found.

[gwillmot 31]

I believe you will find that FS2004 actually "checks" almost everything during the initial boot sequence. You say you have a great deal of addon aircraft and scenery - that would explain it.As a test, disable all the addon scenery you have and temporarily remove all except the default aircraft and see what yout initial load time is. NOTE: If you have changed the default flight to some other aircraft, be sure you do not remove that aircraft as FS2004 will balk when starting if that aircraft cannot be found.

Thanks Opa......I'll give it a try in the morning. Evidently I've got a "problem" that few others have. I've gotten several more gray hairs just waiting to load FS2004. Sometimes longer than actually flying!gwillmot

[Dillon 2,197]

I have had FS2004 for years. I defrag regularly and turn off my antivirus before starting the sim. If I recall, it used to take 5 minutes or less to execute FS9.exe until I got the create a flight screen. It now takes 10 minutes or so for me to be able to create a flight.I have tons of addon aircraft and scenery (including photorealistic). I don't see why this should matter as none are chosen until I create a flight. I even disabled much of the scenery but it still takes that blasted 10 minutes or so to load.I'm running a P4 3.4Gig processor with 2Gig memory on an ASUS P4C800 motherboard.s I don't overclock anything.Can anyone help as to why I might be getting such a long wait for FS9 to execute? It's a pain whenever I have to restart the sim.gwillmot

You might want to think about moving your files to a newer and faster hard drive. My drive was doing this progressively worse over time and finally crashed. It cost me $500 to restore everything. I usually switch out my drives every 2-3 years as a hard drive has a heavier workload running Flight Simulator than would be the case with a normal data drive (one of the reasons we all say keep FS on a separate drive than your OS). If your drive is having a harder time than before getting FS up and running this may be a sign of a failing drive. If you've had the drive for 3 years or more I'd highly recommend transferring your files to a new drive (GHOSTING). If you 'Ghost' the data or have someone do this job for you there's no reinstalling of anything. All files copy over in the exact state they were on your old drive leaving you nothing more to do then plug the new drive in, defrag, and start FS9 as you would have with the old drive. Very painless procedure if your not counting the time it takes to transfer the data.

[John Hinson 22]

Thanks Opa......I'll give it a try in the morning. Evidently I've got a "problem" that few others have. I've gotten several more gray hairs just waiting to load FS2004. Sometimes longer than actually flying!

I wouldn't lose hair over it, I think plenty of other people do experience this and I think it is perfectly normal when you have a lot of add-ons installed. Just go and read your emails or a forum while it cranks up in the background. Or brew a cuppa ready for your flight.Interestingly, my observations are that load time is substantially quicker second-time around, i.e. Flight Simulator seems to do more "checking" when the machine has been freshly booted. I'm not sure why, unless it is leaving critical information in memory and I see no evidence of that. So maybe its worth starting up and shutting FS first thing after starting your computer, even if you doing other things and aren't planning to fly at that time.John