Fresh install...fresh problem.

[strider 0]

I recently had a problem with my system resulting in a complete format and re-install of Win XP. As I was having problems with micro-stutters in FS9 I decided to do a fresh install of that also, trying something a bit different. Before the system crash FS9 lived on a dedicated 76 gb Raptor HDD but it was almost full. I had heard of others having good results by putting all their addon scenery on a seperate HDD so I decided to give that a go. I have FS9 on a dedicated 160 gb HDD and I have addon scenery on the 76 gb Raptor HDD. So far it's not working out. I have only added a few sceneries to the seperate addon scenery directory on the Raptor and when I'm flying around those areas I get this:Notice the lack of detail? This is approaching KDCA with "NatMall" and "WashDC" addon scenery. I have the same problem with KMCO and KBWI addons. When not flying in an area with addon scenery everything looks great. So...what did I do wrong? I've always understood that you could put addon scenery in a place and drive of your choosing and when activated in FS9, it would work? I do have one question...I have 2 "Addon Scenery" directories now...the usual one in FS9 and the one on the seperate HDD. Could having two folders, in different places but with the same name cause a problem?[Area.044]Title=Addon SceneryLocal=Addon SceneryLayer=44Active=TRUERequired=FALSERemote=[Area.045]Title=Addon sceneryLocal=E:\Addon sceneryRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=45Vic

[ubersu 78]

I recently had a problem with my system resulting in a complete format and re-install of Win XP. As I was having problems with micro-stutters in FS9 I decided to do a fresh install of that also, trying something a bit different. Before the system crash FS9 lived on a dedicated 76 gb Raptor HDD but it was almost full. I had heard of others having good results by putting all their addon scenery on a seperate HDD so I decided to give that a go. I have FS9 on a dedicated 160 gb HDD and I have addon scenery on the 76 gb Raptor HDD. So far it's not working out. I have only added a few sceneries to the seperate addon scenery directory on the Raptor and when I'm flying around those areas I get this:Notice the lack of detail? This is approaching KDCA with "NatMall" and "WashDC" addon scenery. I have the same problem with KMCO and KBWI addons. When not flying in an area with addon scenery everything looks great. So...what did I do wrong? I've always understood that you could put addon scenery in a place and drive of your choosing and when activated in FS9, it would work? I do have one question...I have 2 "Addon Scenery" directories now...the usual one in FS9 and the one on the seperate HDD. Could having two folders, in different places but with the same name cause a problem?[Area.044]Title=Addon SceneryLocal=Addon SceneryLayer=44Active=TRUERequired=FALSERemote=[Area.045]Title=Addon sceneryLocal=E:\Addon sceneryRemote=Active=TRUERequired=FALSELayer=45Vic

That's an interesting question... there are two approaches you can take to find out: disable each one in turn and see what happens, or simply rename the one on your e:\ drive.DJ

[strider 0]

That's an interesting question... there are two approaches you can take to find out: disable each one in turn and see what happens, or simply rename the one on your e:\ drive.DJ

DJ,Last night I tried moving the various addon folders out of the "E:\Addon Scenery" directory and just put them in E:\(going through all the proper motions, of course) and it made no difference at all. So, I guess the next step is to put them in the FS9 Addon Scenery folder and see if they are working in a "normal" configuration...they used to.

[ubersu 78]

DJ,Last night I tried moving the various addon folders out of the "E:\Addon Scenery" directory and just put them in E:\(going through all the proper motions, of course) and it made no difference at all. So, I guess the next step is to put them in the FS9 Addon Scenery folder and see if they are working in a "normal" configuration...they used to.

What you are showing in the picture you posted is what one sees when FS is beginning to run short on memory for graphics - have you changed any parameters in the FS9.cfg file or in your graphics settings? Were you previously running with the 3GB patched FS9.exe? I suspect the location of your sceneries is irrelevent based on what you've said...DJ

[strider 0]

DJ...I am in agreement...this does not look like a problem with scenery "location". I was previously running with the 3 gb "patch"...but have not put it in since the re-do of the system. Others have told me it's BS...it's always hard to get true info in MSFS, isn't it?I just flew a flight with NO addon scenery, from KBWI to KMCO, and it was perfect the entire way. I will now load both those addons (KBWI and KMCO), into the FS9 "addon scenery" folder, and see what happens. If the lack of detail occurs again...I will then put in the 3 gb switch. If THAT fixes the problem I will again attempt to put my addon scenery on another HDD. "Baby steps"...the only way to figure this out.Thanks for hanging with me through this, DJ! I definitely appreciate the guidance. EDIT> BTW, DJ...I only found out about the 3gb switch approx 2 years ago, and things worked fine before that, also. I tried it, back then, to see if it would improve FS9 performance, with no tangible results.

[ubersu 78]

DJ...I am in agreement...this does not look like a problem with scenery "location". I was previously running with the 3 gb "patch"...but have not put it in since the re-do of the system. Others have told me it's BS...it's always hard to get true info in MSFS, isn't it?I just flew a flight with NO addon scenery, from KBWI to KMCO, and it was perfect the entire way. I will now load both those addons (KBWI and KMCO), into the FS9 "addon scenery" folder, and see what happens. If the lack of detail occurs again...I will then put in the 3 gb switch. If THAT fixes the problem I will again attempt to put my addon scenery on another HDD. "Baby steps"...the only way to figure this out.Thanks for hanging with me through this, DJ! I definitely appreciate the guidance. EDIT> BTW, DJ...I only found out about the 3gb switch approx 2 years ago, and things worked fine before that, also. I tried it, back then, to see if it would improve FS9 performance, with no tangible results.

The 3GB switch will not improve performance as such; it simply allows FS to get more memory allocated. BS it isn't - but it isn't a miracle cure either. What you are seeing can be graphics card or processor related as well in the sense that textures just aren't being loaded fast enough - just for fun, you could pause the sim when you start to see these effects and see if the textures ultimately come in.DJ

[altstiff 71]

What are your MIP MAP settings at in the game?And I will add to what DJ has said. This has nothing to do with the 3GB patch. Also to back us DJ the 3GB switch is not BS if your having OOM problems. As he also said it is not the cure either (as it brings it's own set of issues, for OOM errors go with a 64bit OS).

[strider 0]

What are your MIP MAP settings at in the game?And I will add to what DJ has said. This has nothing to do with the 3GB patch. Also to back us DJ the 3GB switch is not BS if your having OOM problems. As he also said it is not the cure either (as it brings it's own set of issues, for OOM errors go with a 64bit OS).

Only have a minute...I was mistaken, the 3 gb switch was in with userva=2560. What I did not do was set up the pagefile from XP default, this is done and I'll get back...gotta go to work.

[strider 0]

OK...just flew a flight with the following scenery/mesh/improvements added...the scenery is placed in the usual places on the FS9 drive...not on the seperate Raptor drive I tried originally...everything was perfect:UT USAUT Canada AlaskaAll FSG meshThe UT USA/FSG landclass "sandwich"Ground EnvironmentFlight Environment (Note that the above will always remain on the FS9 dedicated drive, they are not really "moveable"). The items below are addon scenery that I will try to move to another drive and see if they work as they did on this flight:Static Objects Library (the collection of RW12 and EZscenery scenery and textures needed for many freeware scenery)FreeFlow Florida for UTFreeFlow Florida for UT Afcads (in the Addon Scenery\Scenery folder).FlyTampa-Miami I flew this flight in both the default Cessna and the MAAM-SIM DC-3...not a single problem with scenery graphics ever raised it's ugly head. I also dropped my FS9 in game MIP MAP settings from 8 to 6 (I'm somewhat sure I was running max, 8, before the system crash...but I hadn't had to touch settings for over a year so I'm not positive on that) I also manually set my pagefile settings...I always set min and max the same, less resources spent resizing the file, I'm told, on the OS drive (C:)...9,216. So, now, without changing a thing on my settings and pagefile, I will try moving the following objects to the empty Raptor drive, E:\, and see what happens:Static Objects LibraryFreeFlow Florida for UTFreeFlow Florida for UT Afcads (in the "E:\Addon\Scenery" folder).FlyTampa-Miami I'll get back to you with results.

[strider 0]

Results, I did exactly what I described in my last post...and everything was beautiful. Apparently the original problem I had was more related to:1. Windows pagefile settings being "default" (Allow Windows to adjust pagefile).2. MIP MAP in game settings maxed out (8). I am going to try a flight with MIP MAP in game back to max, just to see what happens...but , so far, things are shweet. If I can run MIP MAP at max then the only culprit left (that I can be aware of)is Uncle Billie's handling of Virtual Memory?? Of course, I have not tried the original scenery culprits...NatMall and WashDC...so I will try those again also.