You only need to browse The FSDT forums to find Support there is both plentiful and punctual.

I've never had this coutal program update any files... How is everyone having this happen? I never even run the coutal script, or hardly ever run the addon manager. Is there an option upon install that people are checking and shouldn't be?

It's not something that happens automatically, when flying or working in windows so, it's nothing like other live updates like Antivirus, or Acrobat reader, or Flash, or Quicktime, which all installs runtime services in Windows to check at regular intervals if there's an update. Our automatic update is happening only when installing something that comes with the Addon Manager, and the only thing it does is the crucial files that makes the bulk of the Addon Manager+Couatl programs (a .dll and an .exe) which are included in the installer and would have been installed automatically anyway, are pulled from the internet, if a working internet connection is found and if not, the copy of the same files included in the installer will be used instead. This way, whenever a user runs any of those installers, he'll not have to wonder if he's got the latest version of those programs or not because, assuming the download was successful, he'll surely have.Not running an installer will not result in any automatic updates and, if the version that was downloaded is really newer than the one that was there before (it might not, if the installer was downloaded fairly recently), the usual FSX notification system will act, notifying first the user a new executable from that developer has been installed, and asking if it should be trusted permantently, or for the next FSX session only.Nothing really happens without user consent, even with UAC off and all the Windows security off, FSX will always ask to trust or not any new executable added to its installation, unless the user specifically chose the option to automatically trust *everything* signed from a certain developer, which is also an option, although not default.All our installers includes also a standard uninstaller which is accessed in the normal place under the Windows Control Panel Add/Remove Programs, which at the end of the uninstall process, will also ask the user if he would like to remove the Addon Manager and the Couatl programs. It's a question, because it shouldn't been done automatically, since it might affect other addons requiring them BUT, in case something went wrong, and FSX had problems starting because of the Addon Manager, by running the Uninstaller is possible to remove the modules as if they weren't never installed in the first place.

This whole thread started because someone had an issue with a install/uninstall. It has now turned into a thread full of conspiracy theories and wild conjecture all bashing a top notch software developer who make great stuff. I for one use FSX and never ever had a problem with any of their stuff. I have all of their scenery, QW's 757 and the Flightbeam scenery all running under that program without a hiccup. I also have other stuff from other dev's which interact flawlessy. If there was a true problem with that program, many more would be screaming about it. It just happens that owner of Avsim has a problem with it and now this mole hill has become a mountain. Absolutely ridiculous some of you are. I for one stand behind Umberto and his team for a job well done.

Well said.

All of this just makes one wonder - why did the OP feel it appropriate to rant rather than try to get product support?

It has now turned into a thread full of conspiracy theories and wild conjecture all bashing a top notch software developer who make great stuff.

Hey now, a few of us including me, have voiced our support of FSDT and their products. Only a few decided to pile on.

I'm going to agree with Eric here...I am at the least, just a little perplexed at this thread in general. IMHO... this thread and some of the responses are more than just a little OTT.On occasion, I have had the odd issue when installing my FSDT scenery. But, never something that has taken more than 2 minutes brief searching of a well supported FSDT forum, to find the solution. I have no issue in trusting anything released with the "Virtuali" name on it, or one of the very best developers around.

Absolutely ridiculous some of you are.

No doubt we are.And yet, what happened to me was: I had a good-running FSX install, I installed several FSDT airports, I began experiencing CTDs on initial launch, I eventually cured them by jumping through several hoops to replace my Simconnect folders with earlier versions from a backup.It's conceivable that, as Umberto suggests, there was something already wrong with my Simconnect files that bglmanx.dll and/or couatl.exe simply revealed. If so, this suggests that, at minimum, those are pretty demanding programs, to have revealed a weakness that no other add-ons had exploited. But such things happen.I was left fairly uneasy about bglmanx.dll and couatl.exe since I didn't fully understand what they were doing in the background. As a rule, I'm uneasy about programs that do complex things while out of sight - EZCA comes to mind. But the explanations in this thread are quite helpful - thanks, Umberto.Like others here, I have no complaints about the quality of the Virtuali products. Nor am I questioning anyone's character. I'm just reporting an experience with software, and my reaction to it.That's all.

Googling reveals threads onseveral flight simulator forums relating to problems with bglman.dll and bglmanx.dll going back quite a few years. The official response is that they are caused by mixed-up versions, an FSX bug, anti-virus software, or some unidentified problems with the user's PC but not by the .dlls themseves.

I am at the least, just a little perplexed at this thread in general. IMHO... this thread and some of the responses are more than just a little OTT.

I even wondered when I first saw this post that I though maybe someone hacked Tom's account and started this thread. It seemed uncharacteristic to me for someone from Avsim to make a post like this.

Googling reveals threads onseveral flight simulator forums relating to problems with bglman.dll and bglmanx.dll going back quite a few years. The official response is that they are caused by mixed-up versions

Few years ago we didn't had the automatic update so, if was left up to users to keep their Addon Manager updated, the installers with an automatic update were made to fix this, and they normally fix it, except for the unfortunate case of antivirus issues, when the antivirus blocks the downloaded update, and results in a mixed-up install.

I did have problems with the bglmanx in the old Cloud9 days with the F-4 (one of the very best fs9 planes ever btw) but in the end after re-checking numerous times which bglmanx is the correct I got it to work.Due to these problems I stayed away from FSDT stuff in FSX but I'm surprised to read the that the QW 757 uses the same system? Please confirm.It's nowhere mentioned on the qw website!!! I almost bought the 757 but their strange forum posting rules plus this new information is a bit too much :( (Sorry for the partial hijacking) I tried a few FSDT airports and they are really beautiful. I'm happy that my FSX never CTDs so I simply don't want to risk this stable installation by installing files no company else needs. I'm no scenery expert but e.g. Flytampa and Orbx airports are breathtaking and they don't need this rather strange system...

I tried a few FSDT airports and they are really beautiful. I'm happy that my FSX never CTDs so I simply don't want to risk this stable installation by installing files no company else needs.

If you installed any of our sceneries, and were able to see them, it simply means you didn't had any problem with the Addon Manager, otherwise you wouldn't see any scenery to begin with.

I'm no scenery expert but e.g. Flytampa and Orbx airports are breathtaking and they don't need this rather strange system...

Being breathtaking is not enough for us, we also have several features other sceneries lack like working docking system without purchasing anything extra or animated ground vehicles and even more structural things we added recently. A recent post on FT forum asked why they didn't had native shaders materials on ground like we have at KDFW, which is both fast, sharp, and nice to look at, and the reply was they had it in a smaller scenery, but it wasn't usable for large airports, see their reply here:http://www.flytampa.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4310&p=31037#p31037We have them at KDFW, which is one of the largest airports in the world, thanks only to that "strange" system, which handles fully custom runway lights that, while we were at it (once you have it fully custom, you can do anything), were also enhanced to interact with AI airplanes, so we get custom flashing FAROS PAPIs and all the custom taxilights that interacts with AI traffic, something I doubt anyone else made on FSX before. And they work in fog too...

Good and valid points, but why is it that the QW 757 uses the same sytem? what for? (if that's really the case)

Few years ago we didn't had the automatic update so, if was left up to users to keep their Addon Manager updated, the installers with an automatic update were made to fix this, and they normally fix it, except for the unfortunate case of antivirus issues, when the antivirus blocks the downloaded update, and results in a mixed-up install.

I've had a lrge number of downloads over the years, not only for FS. I can't remember the last time I had a problem with my anti-virus software. Why are youes prone to being blocked?