Trying to hunt down FS9 stutters

[ronzie 21]

Check if advdisply.dll is in your modules folder and if so rename the extension to .dlh to disable it. It is no longer required for RC and will release a bit of ram. Unless some other application is using it (the green stripe) it shouldn't cause a problem but if not needed for anything else disable it. FS loads all modules whether used or not that is in the modules folder.When using RC keep display.txt and prerecorded chatter off.If you want to see what is running on your pc with and without FSUIPC and the resources being used you can run this free diagnostic from Microsoft if it will run in Win 7. Not sure about it as I use it in XP. You'll need to set it up with admin privileges.http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb545027Process ExplorerIf you hover the mouse over a .dll or some system services it will tell you what started the service or uses the .dll.I don't know what is actually available for Win 7.Be careful if you kill or try to restart a process as that might crash Win itself.There also are four graphs at the top which include various IO. Other information is available in the status bar. In the menu I think using view\option you can add various items to columns and each status bar. Right click on the lower status bar and add the reading for physical ram usage.On my XP 2 GB system 3.2 MHz P4 FS9 was using nearly 90% CPU (it will take as much as it can get) whether the PMDG 738 or the default King Air was loaded. That utility does not show the .dll resources taken. Only 65% of total ram was in use.

[CaptKornDog 283]

Check if advdisply.dll is in your modules folder and if so rename the extension to .dlh to disable it. It is no longer required for RC and will release a bit of ram. Unless some other application is using it (the green stripe) it shouldn't cause a problem but if not needed for anything else disable it. FS loads all modules whether used or not that is in the modules folder.When using RC keep display.txt and prerecorded chatter off.If you want to see what is running on your pc with and without FSUIPC and the resources being used you can run this free diagnostic from Microsoft if it will run in Win 7. Not sure about it as I use it in XP. You'll need to set it up with admin privileges.

Just for the record, I don't have/use RadarContact :)I'll take a look at ProcessMonitor and onboard sound.

[ronzie 21]

Process Monitor doesn't display resources info. You want Process Explorer. I tried both.I'm only contributing to this thread because I'm familiar with FSUIPC. It has noting to do with my position on the RC beta team although there is communication by the developer and some beta team members with Pete Dowson.I participate in quite a few threads that do not involve RC. My tag is just basically a disclaimer in case I'm talking about ATC apps.Applying a banner in AVSIM carries through all forums.I have a paid registration for FSUIPC which I acquired when version 4, the first semi-payware version, came out.

[CaptKornDog 283]

Process Monitor doesn't display resources info. You want Process Explorer. I tried both.I'm only contributing to this thread because I'm familiar with FSUIPC. It has noting to do with my position on the RC beta team although there is communication by the developer and some beta team members with Pete Dowson.I participate in quite a few threads that do not involve RC. My tag is just basically a disclaimer in case I'm talking about ATC apps.Applying a banner in AVSIM carries through all forums.I have a paid registration for FSUIPC which I acquired when version 4, the first semi-payware version, came out.

Well, in that case, I'm confused because your previous posts make direct ties to RC.

Check if advdisply.dll is in your modules folder and if so rename the extension to .dlh to disable it. It is no longer required for RC and will release a bit of ram. Unless some other application is using it (the green stripe) it shouldn't cause a problem but if not needed for anything else disable it. FS loads all modules whether used or not that is in the modules folder.When using RC keep display.txt and prerecorded chatter off.

No, I don't have advdisply.dll. I never had RC to begin with, so I didn't indeed expect it to exist on my computer; or your statement on display.txt isn't applicable to me since I'm not using RC.Thanks.

[Bob Scott 7,720]

Well, in that case, I'm confused because your previous posts make direct ties to RC.No, I don't have advdisply.dll. I never had RC to begin with, so I didn't indeed expect it to exist on my computer; or your statement on display.txt isn't applicable to me since I'm not using RC.Thanks.

Kevin; Here are a couple of suggestions. I recommend setting TextureMaxLoad=10 in the DISPLAY section of the fs9.cfg file. Note that this is NOT the same as TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD Disable "last access" file stamping in Windows. Run the latest DirectX update to ensure that all minor updates to DirectX 9C are installed. Set Prerender frames to 0 in nvidiaInspector's FS9 profile.

[CaptKornDog 283]

Kevin; Here are a couple of suggestions. I recommend setting TextureMaxLoad=10 in the DISPLAY section of the fs9.cfg file. Note that this is NOT the same as TEXTURE_MAX_LOAD Disable "last access" file stamping in Windows. Run the latest DirectX update to ensure that all minor updates to DirectX 9C are installed. Set Prerender frames to 0 in nvidiaInspector's FS9 profile.

Thanks Bob, I'll give it a try!(P.S. Forgot to also thank you for the fantastic TinMouse updates recently!)

[ronzie 21]

I used the RC forum message just to provide update links to FSUIPC. The statements about RC options are just for RC but other applications use FSUIPC and FSUIPC user paid registration offers features not related to add-ons that use it but such things as additional access to FS functions not in the key/button assignments table of FS, an AI traffic zapper to nuke a stuck AI in front of you, an easy to use AI toggle that can perform an AI refresh, controller axis mapping and smoothing functions, etc. Some RC users may be reading this thread so I mentioned those two specific suggestions. I apologize for the confusion.There was a similar thread in this FS9 forum where the user did use RC and I got confused, that's all.

[CaptKornDog 283]

Bob,I went through your recommendations and have seen a bit of improvement. While the stutters are still there, in the same spots (once every 5 seconds or so as I pan around the aircraft or taxi/fly close to the ground) they are less "severe". I think pre-rendered frames to 0, and "last access" were the contributors here; I apparently had TextureMaxLoad=10 already. Thank you for those suggestions.I also installed Process Explorer but am not positive what to do with it since the help file links to a dead webpage. I see all of my system process and lots of blue, white, and light red.

[JerryH 1]

I had a similar problem about four years ago that drove me nuts, but I only realized the similarity today. It has nothing to do with FS9 or add-ons. I found the culprit by running "Filemon", which I think was a predecessor to "Process Explorer"In my case, a small program named "SetIcon" was interrupting the PC about every 5 seconds. It belonged to a Western Digital external hard drive that I had purchased back then. I don't remember the reason for "SetIcon", but it wasn't needed.For my Win XP setup, it was simply a matter of running "msconfig", selecting the Startup tab and unchecking the SetIcon program. Next, I rebooted and ran FS9 ..... and finally, No More Stutters!! I have no idea if Win7 works the same as WinXP for shutting down unwanted programs, but I hope this gives you some more ideas. Good luck.Regards,JerryHEdit: I just re-read your first post that implicated FSUIPC and realize my comments may not apply. But maybe it will help someone else with an external WD hard drive.

[ronzie 21]

Hmmmm. No help file.Right click on the lower status bar and set up the tabs as attached:For the top graphical boxes just hover the mouse over them for a description. Moving the mouse within the graph shows the information at the time as you slide. Latest is to the right. The top left graph box is the CPU draw. Just move the mouse through the box to show what process is displayed at that point.The line colors - green is process starting, red is process stopping, forgot the other colors. Click on options, configure highlighting, and that will explain the line colors. Don't sweat the graph colors.The process columns by default include the process name, Process ID, and percent CPU time, path and description. Idle CPU top line is just left overs from non used clock cycles and is the percent available for other processes. DFP is deferred process percent (lower priority items). With FS running it will be near 0%. It is the opposite of the CPU Usage in the lower status bar.The other important item for you is in the lower status bar is Physical Usage (of ram). Depending on your Win performance options if it gets too high it will start paging ram to disk as part of virtual ram. That can cause stutters or even FS crash because of ram access needed by FS. Scrolling the process window to the write will show the virtual ram used by FS (or other process) or what I think has been paged to disk or the total of physical ram and paged to disk. In your Win Performance settings it is usually best to select let Win determine memory management. I also added a column called I/O which includes disk access so you can see what its use is for paging and applications. Scroll to the right.See what processes are running besides FS. If you are off-line maybe you can kill a firewall or antivirus if your Internet connection is disabled. I discovered an older Norton background task that ran every few minutes to check for updates. Since I no longer user that I'm going to see if I can kill it. In procexp you can right click on a process to kill, suspend, start, or restart but there is no protection. It is best to do this through the services tab in task manager.

[CaptKornDog 283]

I had a similar problem about four years ago that drove me nuts, but I only realized the similarity today. It has nothing to do with FS9 or add-ons. I found the culprit by running "Filemon", which I think was a predecessor to "Process Explorer"In my case, a small program named "SetIcon" was interrupting the PC about every 5 seconds. It belonged to a Western Digital external hard drive that I had purchased back then. I don't remember the reason for "SetIcon", but it wasn't needed.For my Win XP setup, it was simply a matter of running "msconfig", selecting the Startup tab and unchecking the SetIcon program. Next, I rebooted and ran FS9 ..... and finally, No More Stutters!! I have no idea if Win7 works the same as WinXP for shutting down unwanted programs, but I hope this gives you some more ideas. Good luck.Regards,JerryHEdit: I just re-read your first post that implicated FSUIPC and realize my comments may not apply. But maybe it will help someone else with an external WD hard drive.

Thank you for the suggestion, I do indeed have a WD external drive from way back in the day (I usually just leave it unplugged, it's mostly backup). I don't have SetIcon software it appears in the msconfig list.

[CaptKornDog 283]

My current list of processes from Process Explorer (yes, I know Firefox is huge at the moment, I have multiple tabs open).

[ronzie 21]

It looks like your before CPU and RAM use is OK. Does the CPU graph above your screen shot in the upper left show any specific frequent spiking?

[CaptKornDog 283]

It looks like your before CPU and RAM use is OK. Does the CPU graph above your screen shot in the upper left show any specific frequent spiking?

Nothing that jumps out at me unfortunately.

[CaptKornDog 283]

I ran DPCLat this evening as well, all of the bars appeared in the green for about the 10 minute trial I ran with FS9.