Sorry if this has already been suggested. But download Memtest86+. Follw the directions to make a boot disk and let the program check your memory. It's best to check 1 memory stick at a time. The program will let you know if you have good or bad chips. Good luck.

 

Bob

It sounds as though your disc image is causing the problem and fs9 "has lost its memory!" i.e. it doesn't have the original links to different parts of the system that it laid down when first installed.

 

Make a backup of all your critical fs9 files: aircraft, scenery modules, etc, etc, including your flight plans, fs9.cfg and a/c state files.

These directories are setup when fs9 is first installed. and any change to the disc can break these links.

 

C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files

 

C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\FS9

 

then do a reinstall of fs9

if it fires up then it will have created a new cfg file

add back all the backed up directories and files in the fs9 directory and in the ones above.

add back the saved info in your old cfg file making sure that there are no conflicts.

 

If your fs9 re installs successfully then it should fire up. If not then you have a deeper problem which to me still points to your imaging.

 

Some years ago I had a virus that totally disabled Windows and prevented a reinstall. Short of reformating I was able to delete and rename the original windows directory and thereafter reinstall it. I didn't need to reinstall fs9 as the links outside the windows directory were still there. The only thing that changed was that my fs9 is now not in the registry i.e it's running independently of windows control!

Sorry if this has already been suggested. But download Memtest86+. Follw the directions to make a boot disk and let the program check your memory. It's best to check 1 memory stick at a time. The program will let you know if you have good or bad chips. Good luck.

 

Bob

 

Bob,

 

Thanks for the great suggestion. I downloaded and ran Memtest86+. The processor caches and memory modules passed with no errors. I'll continue on the quest.

 

Glenn

It sounds as though your disc image is causing the problem and fs9 "has lost its memory!" i.e. it doesn't have the original links to different parts of the system that it laid down when first installed.

 

Make a backup of all your critical fs9 files: aircraft, scenery modules, etc, etc, including your flight plans, fs9.cfg and a/c state files.

These directories are setup when fs9 is first installed. and any change to the disc can break these links.

 

C:\Documents and Settings\user name\My Documents\Flight Simulator Files

 

C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\FS9

 

then do a reinstall of fs9

if it fires up then it will have created a new cfg file

add back all the backed up directories and files in the fs9 directory and in the ones above.

add back the saved info in your old cfg file making sure that there are no conflicts.

 

If your fs9 re installs successfully then it should fire up. If not then you have a deeper problem which to me still points to your imaging.

 

Some years ago I had a virus that totally disabled Windows and prevented a reinstall. Short of reformating I was able to delete and rename the original windows directory and thereafter reinstall it. I didn't need to reinstall fs9 as the links outside the windows directory were still there. The only thing that changed was that my fs9 is now not in the registry i.e it's running independently of windows control!

 

Thanks for another suggestion. I do have a question though. What do you mean by "reinstall FS9"? Should I delete the entire program and reinstall from the disks (after backing up the files that you mentioned)? I might be wrong, but it seems that deleting FS9 still leaves the aircraft/scenery folders, etc. intact after the deletion. I assume that I would have to manually add back the scenery based on the "old" scenery.cfg? I guess what I'm asking is: would someone kinda give me a step-by-step instruction as to what to do in this case. Any help would be greatly appreciated. At this point, I'm willing to try almost anything. I'm just not sure I have all the scenery programs still available anymore if I have to reinstall Birdseye View, Ultimate Terrain, Flight Environment, airports, etc.

 

Sorry I sound so "dumb", but in all these years I've never had to "reinstall" FS9. Just want to make sure that I can do it in the least painful manner.

 

Glenn

Sorry I didn't do this sooner. My computer specs are:

 

ASUS P7P55 LX, Intel P55 motherboard

Intel Core i3 540 processor at 3.06 Mhz

Corsair DDR3 1333 DHX memory modules (2 X 2GB)

Powercolor HD5750 1GB video card

Thermaltake TR2 TRX-750M 750W PSU

WD 300GB Raptor 10K HDD (C: drive): Operating system and FS9 resident here

WD 500GB SATA-2 WD5000KS HDD (D: & F drives)

Windows XP sp3 (boot.ini patched for 3GB)

FS9.1 (FS9.exe modified for extended memory access)

 

All programs running well except FS9

 

Glenn

Best thing to do, instead of breaking your head (LOL) and trying to find a solution to a problem thats hard to solve i would take a moment to relax take a deep breath and start to backup all your critical files as stated above, Add-on scenery, Aircraft directory ect, just simply copy paste them on your desktop)

 

Note not all scenery files are stored in the Add-on Scenery if you have any Areosoft, tropical sim scenery, fly tampa sceneries they are usually stored on there own Directories inside the MAIN fs9 folder,I prefer just re-installing the sceneries but if you have to many and dont wish to re-install the sceneries then i would backed them up

 

After backing them up Use iobit uninstaller http://download.cnet...4-75161625.html it not only performs an uninstall but also gives you an option to performe a power scan (Wich searches for registry entries that are left behind after the initial uninstall)

 

After that go into C;/ Documents and settings/ Local (i believe Microsoft/ fs9 (Delete as i belive thats usually left behind also)

 

Then go into c:/ My documents and delete the flight simulator Files floder Where your saved games are stored)

 

Then assuming you have already backed up your critical files delete also the main FS9 Directory that's left behind after initial uninstall.

 

After that download CCLeaner http://download.cnet...latform=Windows to make sure that Iobit uninstaller din't miss any other registries linked to FS9

 

Once you've completed all of this Re-install FS9 then run it as a fresh install DO NOT Add any of the backed up files just yet (And do not a temp to tweak your CFG file just yet

 

If everything works slowly start adding your backed up fles one at a time and testing in between (See if that solves your problem ) B)

 

As you stated above you have 4gb of memory and your running XP SP3 Just to verify this 32 Bit Operating systems will not see the entire 4gb as far as the patch ive never heard of it lol but guess im always learning something new. If i were you o would upgrade to a 64bit Operating system I recomens windows 7 64bit, DOnot use xp 64

You can verify this by going into contol panel then system look at the amount of memory it addresses

Best thing to do, instead of breaking your head (LOL) and trying to find a solution to a problem thats hard to solve i would take a moment to relax take a deep breath and start to backup all your critical files as stated above, Add-on scenery, Aircraft directory ect, just simply copy paste them on your desktop)

 

Note not all scenery files are stored in the Add-on Scenery if you have any Areosoft, tropical sim scenery, fly tampa sceneries they are usually stored on there own Directories inside the MAIN fs9 folder,I prefer just re-installing the sceneries but if you have to many and dont wish to re-install the sceneries then i would backed them up

 

After backing them up Use iobit uninstaller http://download.cnet...4-75161625.html it not only performs an uninstall but also gives you an option to performe a power scan (Wich searches for registry entries that are left behind after the initial uninstall)

 

After that go into C;/ Documents and settings/ Local (i believe Microsoft/ fs9 (Delete as i belive thats usually left behind also)

 

Then go into c:/ My documents and delete the flight simulator Files floder Where your saved games are stored)

 

Then assuming you have already backed up your critical files delete also the main FS9 Directory that's left behind after initial uninstall.

 

After that download CCLeaner http://download.cnet...latform=Windows to make sure that Iobit uninstaller din't miss any other registries linked to FS9

 

Once you've completed all of this Re-install FS9 then run it as a fresh install DO NOT Add any of the backed up files just yet (And do not a temp to tweak your CFG file just yet

 

If everything works slowly start adding your backed up fles one at a time and testing in between (See if that solves your problem ) B)

 

As you stated above you have 4gb of memory and your running XP SP3 Just to verify this 32 Bit Operating systems will not see the entire 4gb as far as the patch ive never heard of it lol but guess im always learning something new. If i were you o would upgrade to a 64bit Operating system I recomens windows 7 64bit, DOnot use xp 64

You can verify this by going into contol panel then system look at the amount of memory it addresses

 

Thanks for the additional information. One question again - What if I just renamed my current FS9 folder, backed up the information in the "My Documents" folders, and then re-installed to the "old" FS9 directory (C:/Games/FS2004_9.1? Would that work? It seems like it would save me some time copying FS9 files to an external drive. I am assuming registry entries for the addons would still be pointing in the correct place.

 

I'll be starting tomorrow morning to reinstall, so any more hints or suggestions from you or others is still appreciated.

 

Glenn

Some people do that. ie. rename the fs9 folder and do a fresh install. As long as you have backed up/copied all your add ons and other critical files like fs9.cfg and your flight plans etc.

Re-install fs9 (as if it were a fresh install) and gradually add everything back.

I still think your imaging caused the problem. Out of memory errors are confusing in that if other heavy use programmes don't have that problem then the memory is ok.

It just means that fs9 is lost. It doesn'tknow where it is or who it is. Think of it as a spider's web. Your imaging has cut some the strands that support the web( fs9).

The odd occasion I've had OOM errors, it had nothing to do with memory, rather it was a rogue element in a recent addon install, which FS9 misreports.

Do not panic is the first rule, and do not do a whole lot of system stuff.

Go back a restore point or two, as suggested above, and see.

It doesn't know where it is or who it is.

 

I know the feeling quite well .........

 

Glenn

 

Go back a restore point or two, as suggested above, and see.

 

I did that as described above.

 

Glenn

The odd occasion I've had OOM errors, it had nothing to do with memory, rather it was a rogue element in a recent addon install, which FS9 misreports.

Do not panic is the first rule, and do not do a whole lot of system stuff.

Go back a restore point or two, as suggested above, and see.

 

Yes iwould not recomend renaming the main fs9 just backup the following

 

1.} Your saved flights

2.) Your Aircraft directory within the old fs9 folder

3.) the addon scenery directory and any others

 

Then perform a fresh install as i stated above and make to follow the instructions i posted above so that nothing is left behind

After you've performed a fresh install run FS9 without the backed up files first to determine if fs9 was the main cause of your problem.

 

After start with copy pasting your scenery files,and load fs9 again (in other words start putting everything back one by one) this will help you determine if anything you've backed up was causing the issue) if not then it could have been a corrupt registry or executable file from the previous install. then you will be good to go

Your best bet is to do a fresh install as i stated above, You don't want to do a system restore that does'nt always work. Follow my steps above its less time consuming to do that then trying to narrow down your problem.

 

If your hardware past all the test you have performed then im pretty sure your issue is software related.

 

Another thing to answer your question as to weather or not you should rename your FS9 folder the answer to that is no, :Hmmmph: I would not recommended only to prevent (since we are not sure where the problem is originating) anything from getting overwritten on the fresh install that will probably cause the problem to rise again.

 

Follw my steps above run fs9 right after performing the fresh install

 

Make sure to use the tools i posted above make sure nothing is left behind, also make sure you reboot after uninstalling and performing the registry clean with the tools i provided above before re-installing fs9

I was referring to a plain Windows restore using the operating system, not sure if the effect is the same with a backup image?

This has worked for me in the past, as a first resort.

It fixes rogue Windows updates, driver issues, and of course that rogue element you installed yourself.

But I suspect you may have passed this point, of course the more things you have done, the less likely the path backward can be found...

 

The rule: Don't panic and Do a Lot of Stuff

may be of help to others who experience this kind of issue

Your best bet is to do a fresh install as i stated above, You don't want to do a system restore that does'nt always work. Follow my steps above its less time consuming to do that then trying to narrow down your problem.

 

If your hardware past all the test you have performed then im pretty sure your issue is software related.

 

Another thing to answer your question as to weather or not you should rename your FS9 folder the answer to that is no, :Hmmmph: I would not recommended only to prevent (since we are not sure where the problem is originating) anything from getting overwritten on the fresh install that will probably cause the problem to rise again.

 

Follw my steps above run fs9 right after performing the fresh install

 

Make sure to use the tools i posted above make sure nothing is left behind, also make sure you reboot after uninstalling and performing the registry clean with the tools i provided above before re-installing fs9

 

I think that this is the best course after all. Will attempt in the next day or two and report back my findings. I hate this ..... I hate this ..... I hate this ......

Sorry, had to get it out of my system!

 

Glenn the Depressed

I was referring to a plain Windows restore using the operating system, not sure if the effect is the same with a backup image?

This has worked for me in the past, as a first resort.

It fixes rogue Windows updates, driver issues, and of course that rogue element you installed yourself.

But I suspect you may have passed this point, of course the more things you have done, the less likely the path backward can be found...

 

The rule: Don't panic and Do a Lot of Stuff

may be of help to others who experience this kind of issue

 

When you mention System Restore are yo referring to Start> Accessories System Tools> System Restore, Pick a date previous to one before the problem occurred and and allow the pc to restore that image. Yes ive used that also, it works for alot of things once a friend of mine had some kind of malware or false scanner stating he had multiple viruses on his computer and it woulnt allow me to uninstall it so i used system restore to cure the problem and it worked.

 

Once the PC Finished restoring i had too clear all of the other restore points and create a new one just to prevent (not that it could but just in case) it from coming back. But good call i believe he stated that he tried it but dint resolve his problem. B)