How to reduce FS9 loading time

[ghiom 2]

Hi,My FS9 takes more and more time to load.Probably :a- 1-2 minutes from launching the .exe to the start-up windowb- 45sec for the load bar to start, after having selected an airportc- 10sec for the scenery to load completelyWhat is strange is that during FS9 launch (Phase a), FS9 seems to load all the bgl files (scenery, trafic). I would expect that only the relevant files get loaded only at phase c).What is the purpose of the scenery cache?ThanksGhiom

[Opa 6]

Hi,My FS9 takes more and more time to load.Probably :a- 1-2 minutes from launching the .exe to the start-up windowb- 45sec for the load bar to start, after having selected an airportc- 10sec for the scenery to load completelyWhat is strange is that during FS9 launch (Phase a), FS9 seems to load all the bgl files (scenery, trafic). I would expect that only the relevant files get loaded only at phase c).What is the purpose of the scenery cache?ThanksGhiom

A "layman's" observations - not a technical explanation.........Especially if your computer has been "off" and when you first start up FS2004, everything (scenery and aircraft) is "checked" by FS to see that it is all in good order. If you have added a lot of scenery and/or aircraft the process will take a considerable amount of time. Just compare a fresh install with only the default item loading time - you will be amazed.Subsequent restarts of FS will take less time because (as I understand it) a good deal of that info is kept in what is called a "pre-fetch" area - where the computer stores what it thinks you will be wanting to use.The "cache" - - if it is the question I think it is - is only used if you did not do a complete install i.e. installed the "smaller version" where some items are kept on the install disks. The cache apparently store that information. It is not used if you did a complete install as the vast majority of users do.Hope that helps - and is reasonably "correct".To reduce the load times, consider some of the options use a "hangar" approach which keeps unused aircraft and/or scenery out of FS unless you plan to fly in that area or use that particular aircraft. There are several threads regarding such alternate orgaization approachs.

[Clutch Cargo 384]

Suggestions:1. - Reduce the number of aircraft in your hangar.2. - Select areas/airports to fly with fewer custom textures to load. Or fly into those areas from "default" areas so they are loading in the game as you approach.3. - Purchase a Solid State Drive to load things faster.

[ghiom 2]

Opa,You explanations make sense. I also see that the 2nd time is much faster.I understand that all I am seeing is "normal".And things will get worse as I further expand my addons, AI trafic, etc...Too bad.ThanksGhiom

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Opa,You explanations make sense. I also see that the 2nd time is much faster.I understand that all I am seeing is "normal".And things will get worse as I further expand my addons, AI trafic, etc...Too bad.ThanksGhiom

The suggestion about reducing the number of aircraft in your hangar is a good one. It can make a significant difference in start-up time. Just put the ones you are not currently using in another folder and move them when you need them. If you're like me you have many that are hardly ever used...

[ghiom 2]

Of course, you're not talking about the AI planes...The other option would be to rename aircraft.cfg to aircraft.cfgx for example...However, I think that what is taking time is the sceneries...Thanks for your helpGhiom

[Delta330 1]

Suggestions:1. - Reduce the number of aircraft in your hangar.2. - Select areas/airports to fly with fewer custom textures to load. Or fly into those areas from "default" areas so they are loading in the game as you approach.3. - Purchase a Solid State Drive to load things faster.

Hi, is there any freeware program that shows the instaled sceneries folders so i could choose wich ones to activate (with out restarting the FS)?thanks.

[ubersu 78]

Hi, is there any freeware program that shows the instaled sceneries folders so i could choose wich ones to activate (with out restarting the FS)?thanks.

Why not just open the scenery.cfg file in notepad and look at what you have installed? If you don't want to use it in a session just set ACTIVE=FALSE for that scenery. Then start FS as usual.DJ

[WingZ 547]

As David points out, restarts are faster.This is because on first start, FS loads everything - scenery, planes, everything and does its "housekeeping".On restarts, it only looks (mostly) at the planes, including AI.SO reducing sceneries will reduce "first-time" startup times.Removing planes will reduce both startup and subsequent loads.Hope this helps, you can see this happening if you run something like Filemon as you load FS... There are scenery managers on AVSIM, just search.But as pointed out, a simple text edit in the scenery.cfg file will tell all.