I Loathe FSDT's COUATL!

[Jim Padgett 11]

Sometimes it isn't the product, but the OS .. that added with multiple installs and uninstalls of various software and with FSX add-ons .. and well you get the pictures..

 

After years of these issues, I finally have created a separate hard drive with it's own windows and FSX install... and that is all I use it for...

 

Easy to backup, only FSX is used on it... and I can now use planes that would crash intermittently with no issues at all..

Same plane no issues ...

[virtuali 4,421]

 

 

I suddenly see the 'green bar' pop-uup that comes up once in a while, saying "GSX is regenerating airports", then BANG!

 

You took the time to post THREE screenshots but, why you haven't took the time to read what the screenshot relly said, entirely ?

That message said you should have checked error details on WHAT was causing that issue, and pointed out to your Couatl.ERR file and its actual location in your system.

 

So why, instead of doing the right thing, which is of course posting on the FSDT SUPPORT FORUM, the content on that Couatl.err file, you are posting here, with so many screenshots, but nothing that would help understanding WHAT really CAUSED it ?

 

The Couatl.ERR file is there for a reason, so you can either get a clue about WHAT went wrong or, if you don't know what it means, to be posted or email to support, so we can help you understanding the issue.

 

Some users pointed out a possible cause, which is caused by other very invasive products that have being mentioned here (Radeon Pro, ATI Tray Tools, Lenovo power manager and Trillian), but they only had to guess, looking at the Couatl.ERR file would have immediately identified the real reason, you would see an "Executable Integrity compromised" message in the Couatl.ERR if this was the case.

 

This is not the only possible cause of that pop-up. THAT'S why there's a Couatl.ERR file that you are supposed to check: the standard FSX error pop-up dialog can only contain a very short text, the Couatl.ERR file is made to allow a more complete diagnostic, because it MIGHT be also something else, but if it's happening on every airplane and every airport, it's very likely the problem caused by those programs.

 

I understand that pop-up might be annoying but, would you rather prefer that Couatl would have quitted SILENTLY so, you would then saying that "Couatl is unreliable, it just died by itself without warning!!" If you are getting that message, it means that everything has been handled correctly, a Couatl.ERR has been generated for you to check, nothing has crashed and no FSX stability has been affected.

 

The only thing your screenshots shows, is that Couatl is able to gracefully handle errors, presenting with a proper alert, use proper error logging methods (the Couatl.ERR file) and it can trap problems, even those eventually caused by other apps, without crashing or, even worse, crashing your FSX.

 

So, please, post on the FSDT support forum the content of the Couatl.ERR file, and we will obviously help you fixing this, as all the other posts before this one confirmed.

[virtuali 4,421]

 

 

OK..what has FSDT done that is beneficial to ME in this update that it was not able to think of since the last update that couldn't wait and it feels the need to intrude....  ? I want to know!

 

And why do you think that one of the 3 menu options that are presented by you when an updated is released, is aptly named "Read list of changes in this update", which will point to this page ?

 

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/couatl_liveupdate_notes.html

 

Are you complaining that we are worked too much in September, because we released 4 updates ? Are you going to complain again, because we just released the much requested Hi Cargo loader today ? Do you think that all the updates on that list shouldn't have been released in the first place ?

 

I USED to think (that's the general wisdom, but wisdom seem to play with different rules in the Flight sim world) is that users APPRECIATE software that gets updated very often.

 

Have you ever been notified by updates by, let's say, Windows Update, Acrobat Reader, Apple Quicktime, the Antivirus, etc ? Do you find the update notification practice to be unusual ?

 

Would you rather NOT being notified of updates ?

 

Sure you can, just edit the %APPDATA%\Couatladdons.ini file and under the [Live update] section, add this line:

 

disable = 1

 

I understand that this is not documented but, since it's the first time that someone complained about the product being updated too often, we never thought putting an option. We'll consider adding the following options in the GSX Settings page, the "Stalking settings" page, with:

 

- A slider with a time interval ( "I want to be stalked by GSX every xxxx hours/days" )

 

- A checkbox that will read either "stalk me according to the above time settings" when checked and "I don't want to be stalked at all, I'm happy with my outdated version" when unchecked.

 

 

I'm one of those "few folks" who have problems with fsdreamteam products and finally gave up and wrote off the better part of a hundred dollars in their products. I have had numerous direct communications with the producer

 

Since you are not adding your name and I can't find any member with the same nick on our forum too, I can't immediately identify your case.

 

So, please, send me another message, either in our forum or by email, and we'll check again your issues. In the most problematic case, we offered direct assistance with Teamviewer and, of course, there wasn't any case that wasn't solved.

 

The only case that are not solved are those the user gave up without telling us because, when all else fails, I always offer the option of using the remote assistance.

[Don t moderate me this way 882]

(...)

Simple common sense... There is diminishing marginal utility to the  bbenefit vs disturbing. 

 

(...)

Don't stand there bleeding in front of my door step everyday. 

 

I mean how hard is this concept? Imagine if every addon Vendor I have bought addons from does this to me everyday. What a night mare and It's beyond RUDE!

(...)

 

 

I've been experiencing just the same with my antivirus software - every day, or even 6 hourly, a sheer/almost constant flow of updated virus signatures.

 

And I'm thankful for that ...   B)

 

For a completely different experience, just visit the PMDG forums and count the number of "when will this plane/SP/update/hotfix be released" threads.   :lol:

 

Umberto, lemme thank you for the continuing upgrades you've been providing. After all I paid a fixed amount for my GSX quite some time ago already and you do not charge me for those updates! 

[virtuali 4,421]

 

 

Everything with that LHBP looked hunky-dory. But guess what? The minute I asked for GSX, the airport became those 5-minute FSDT trials----your aircraft is parked on grass. Luckily I soon figured it was the Add-On Manager & Couatl causing this, which was later confirmed by LH Simulations. Apparently Virtuali are planning to fix this

 

Yes, we have been in contact with LH Simulations, and they sent me a copy of the scenery to test. The issue is not obviously an Addon Manager "bug", but it's due to the fact that, other FSDT sceneries, this one is the first that also use objects created by Simconnect so, we should make a special exception for it, and this is going to be done very soon.

 

However, note that this happened TO US, with FSUIPC.

 

For the SAME reason that GSX needs to remove any objects from the parkings, AES does the same using FSUIPC. So, as soon as AES added the automatic removal of ground objects on a parking, we had random objects from our sceneries disappearing, exactly the case of the LH Simulation objects disappearing because of GSX. This was fixed later on with an updated FSUIPC version, which makes an exception for FSDT objects.

 

But of course, nobody cried afoul about this supposedly being an FSUIPC bug. Someone might have thought it was "our fault" that we were affected, because of the "unusual" way we create our sceneries.

 

Now, there's another scenery out there which creates its objects in the same way, and it's being affected by the Addon Manager+Couatl for the same that we were affected by FSUIPC+AES in the past so, let's not always put the blame on us, regardless how which role we take, either as the scenery developer that does "strange" things (as we were when FSUIPC+AES removed *our* objects), or as a software developer that does bad things to other developers sceneries, as we are now...

 

As I've said, now that we released another interesting update to GSX, I might have some time to look into the issue of the LH Simulation scenery.

[DarkstarF16 72]

From all the observations in this thread I'm quickly coming to the conclusion that its easy to complain and difficult to seek help.

 

If, as in my case, the cause of GSX failing was due to an invasive third party programme. Who do I blame? GSX for informing me, or the third party programme for being invasive?

 

Lets assume I went to seek help (which I did) and was informed that it was due to the third party programme, which it was, does that mean the problem is solved? Yes, if I choose to no longer use the third party programme or, GSX. Is the problem solved by virtuali? Well yes, but their is a further point that now needs answering.

 

As a user of both, this means that I cannot use both programmes at the same time! So who can fix the problem and who's responsibility is it? Well actually I was even given the fix for the third party programme. Impressive. Problem solved.

 

In my case, the cause of the issues was Radeon Pro which uses API Monitoring. I did bother afterwards to go and check and its acknowledged by them that API monitoring can cause issues so they give you a method to switch it off.

 

I'm positive that a developer like virtuali would not abdicate responsibility when they are informed of such a problem. What gain is their in that? I'm sure they go and research the issue and if it is something they have overlooked they would fix the problem so it doesn't happen again. This frees up their time so they can get on with the better things in life, in the knowledge they have made their programme even better.

 

If they tell you it's because of programme 'x' then it because they have looked into it. If they tell you they will get back to you or want to do a team viewer session then its either because they need to find out more about your problem and when they do, they can add it to their knowledge base so they can help someone else in the future. Or, it's a new problem that needs solving, again to help you, make their own programme better, add it to the knowledge base so they can help others in the future. Win win for everyone. Well that's how a responsible developer would behave and I believe they are.

 

They can't fix it if they don't know about it.

[virtuali 4,421]

Just a further note, the problem with the LH Simulation Budapest has been fixed in the current Live Update

 

GSX now makes an exception for their objects, and won't remove them from the parking when an operation is selected, same as FSUIPC makes an exception for FSDT objects when AES starts.

[Manny 1,293]

 

Are you complaining that we are worked too much in September, because we released 4 updates ? Are you going to complain again, because we just released the much requested Hi Cargo loader today ? Do you think that all the updates on that list shouldn't have been released in the first place ?

 

 

No I am not complaining that you keep improving" I am complaining that you are pushing it to my PC. Instead of me pulling for updates.

 

I don't even allow MS to update my PC with their constant updates. I have turned it off. I update them on my own terms.

 

I bought your KJFK new version/update when you announced it  and I am yet to install it cause when time comes I do my updates 

 

I take a complete backup of my FSX PC (using Acronis) and when everything is working fine.. I do my simming for a month or two without messing with it,.. and then Once in a while after I take a complete backup I do all my Win security update and driver updates and what not that is required.

 

I don;t want to give my PC to everyone to push their updates on my PC. I want to do some simming in peace for a while rather than constantly keep updating and  be in a flux all the time.  These updates loses its benefits if I am unable to have a period of constancy,

 

 

As for as PMDG.. yes... if I feel there is something of interest I go pull what they have..or ask for it. PMDG does not keep putting stuf on PC or keep interrupting me while I am in FSX.

 

Its really the philosphy of push vs pull of updates

 

 

Thanks for that feature to stop the updates. that would be useful. And when I buy the next airport you put out... and I install it, I am hoping I would have all the updates that I need. I can wait until that time. Unless I read about a feature that really excites me, then I take a chance and update it. This way I feel I have some control over my setup. 

[virtuali 4,421]

No I am not complaining that you keep improving" I am complaining that you are pushing it to my PC. Instead of me pulling for updates.

 

The Live Update *itself* it NOT "pushed" automatically. Only the NOTIFICATION is!

 

 

I don't even allow MS to update my PC with their constant updates. I have turned it off. I update them on my own terms.

 

That's not what we do. As I've said, nothing is updated automatically while you start FSX, unless you told to do so, when an update notification is coming.

 

This is comparable to the "Check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them" setting in Windows Update, which is the setting that makes most sense to me, since is not installing anything without your control, and is not downloading anything automatically either. This is the setting I always suggest, and this is how OUR Live Update is configured by default.

 

And, you can always turn off the Live Update entirely, by setting the Disable = 1 line in the Couatladdons.ini file, so you won't ever see a notification again from GSX Live Update, until you explicitly check for it. This is similar to the "Never check for updates (not recommended)" option in Windows Update.

 

 

Thanks for that feature to stop the updates. that would be useful

 

This has always been there, it's just that we haven't documented it so far and there's no UI for it, because nobody ever complained about update notifications before. Until now...

 

 

 

 And when I buy the next airport you put out... and I install it, I am hoping I would have all the updates that I need.

 

That's why the *installers* also downloads some things automatically, and why we always keep the full installers as updated as possible, without bothering you with full installers+patches. Since you are installing, it's assumed you *want* the latest files.

[B777ER 2,492]

Updated today to GSX V 1.8. I am assuming the coualt app was also updated. Guess what? I know get a BEX/hackstash error every time I shut down FSX. As Firehawk44 had pointed out this error especially in fsx exit is something hanging in the memory. Since this (should never have updated) update I get this error now every time.

 

If I take out the coualt application in the coualt folder (leave all the other files alone) which causes it not to load in fsx, I close fsx and get no BEX error. Put the application back in the coualt folder, bam, BEX error every time I exit fsx. Repeated this a half dozen times and same results. Error started just after going this update. Thanks Umberto and team for mucking up my smooth running install. Clearly the coualt app is hanging in memory and not closing down /releasing memory as it should. Again to be perfectly clear, coualt application file in the coualt folder, get the BEX/hackstash error on fsx shutdown. Take that one application for it off fsx, no error on exit. Can repeat /reproduce every time. Started agreed updating to GSX v 1.8. The coualt application itself is not showing as the fault in the error report. However it is not shutting down and/or releasing memory causing fsx to throw up the BEX error.

 

I posted on their forum and awaiting a response. I will lose my mind if he has the audacity to tell me it can't possibly be his precious little software. Umberto, IT IS YOUR SOFTWARE THAT IS AT FAULT! PLEASE FIX YOUR FAULTY CODE!!

 

Sent from Samsung Galaxy Note 2

 

[virtuali 4,421]

B777ER, I've obviously already replied to you in our forum but, since you posted it here too, I have to reply here with the same answer.

 

And yes, I HAVE the audacity to tell you it's NOT Couatl causing this, because it's EASILY proven, just follow the explanation.

 

Couatl.exe is an external .exe and, by definition, it doesn't have ANY access to the FSX memory, not even in read (let alone writing and allocating it), Couatl.exe can ONLY allocate *its* own memory, which is under an entirely different and separate address space from FSX. It's not technically possible that Couatl, by itself, could crash FSX.

 

Your elimination process is misleading you thinking that Couatl "must" be the case of this BEX error, which I understand "seems" logical, because you "fixed it" by not running Couatl. But this is not what is happening.

 

Couatl, by means of Simconnect commands, can ASK FSX to create some objects on its behalf, and of course it's what it does for most of the time.

 

Which means, if there's a problem with, for example, your video driver or video settings or video tweaks, such as an otherwise perfectly legal scenery objects would cause a crash in FSX BECAUSE of those video-related issues, you will see exactly this behavior: the crash will disappear if you don't run Couatl, so you are mislead thinking it was Couatl "causing" the crash, but in fact the crash was caused by a problem with your settings that caused an object that would normally work fine, to misbehave.

 

You are also being mislead thinking this "must" be a Couatl problem, because it "happened with the 1.8 update".

 

First, the Couatl.exe HASN'T CHANGED in 1.8! The current Couatl build, 2354, has been released a week or two earlier so, if you installed anything from FSDT in that time, you were *already* using the latest build.

 

But even if you got the latest build only now with the 1.8 update, there's a perfectly logical explanation on why this is NOT a Couatl problem and might be a settings problem: the new cargo loader has a bit more complex animation than the old one so, it's possible that, due to some kind of problem with your settings, that object animation is causing problem to your video card so, again, you will be mislead thinking it "must" be a Couatl problem because you only noticed in the 1.8 update AND you "fix" it by not running Couatl, when the problem is instead something else, and its the inability of your FSX to display an otherwise 100% standard and legal object animation, because of some settings problem.

 

So, I'd start by resetting your FSX.CFG to default, by moving to another folder and have FSX create a new one. Only apply the HIGHMEMFIX tweak and nothing else.

 

If it's not a settings problem, maybe it's something more trivial, like a corrupted file on your system, if such file belongs to one of the objects created by Couatl, again you'll will be mislead thinking Couatl is the problem when it isn't.

 

In this case, you might try uninstalling all FSDT products and reinstall them, to ensure all their files are ok.

 

I don't think there should be any need to add that no, of course, I don't have any crashes by FSX on exit, nobody else has reported this problem, and many are using the 1.8 update already.

 

Instead, if you search around for "FSX crash on exit BEX", you'll find plenty of different reports, dating since 2008, when GSX and Couatl weren't even planned...

 

As you can see, although your "elimination" process SEEM to be logical on a very quick glance, it's very easy to demonstrate there are very plausible reasons why this specific problem CANNOT be caused by Couatl.

 

This long explanation wasn't needed if you were a software developer: just knowing that an external .EXE can't cause an FSX crash by definition would have been enough (unless it *launched* FSX itself and attached to it as a debugger, which surely is not the case here) but, since you don't probably know that and might not willing to take this as granted, I had to give you additional explanation why your elimination process, although seems to be logical, can be very misleading, and this is the very nature of the client-server nature of Simconnect, things are done by FSX "on behalf" of other applications, that only sends commands, but what happens inside is a black box.

 

The WHOLE point of having Couatl.exe being an .exe is PRECISELY that it will not be able to crash FSX, even if it tried to, and it would use an entirely separate memory area, without being able to affect the FSX one.

[virtuali 4,421]

But in any case, I'm so sure of this, that if it's ok with you, we can arrange a remote assistance session with Teamviewer, so I can see your problem directly, and you'll see how it will go away without having change anything in Couatl.exe.

 

PM on the FSDT forum to arrange a session.

[vc10man 732]

Just a further note, the problem with the LH Simulation Budapest has been fixed in the current Live Update

 

GSX now makes an exception for their objects, and won't remove them from the parking when an operation is selected, same as FSUIPC makes an exception for FSDT objects when AES starts.

Great news. I can now use this newly-bought airport. Has the issue of the reminder flag for L Entry Door 2 when the door is already open been fixed too with the latest LiveUpdate?

[B777ER 2,492]

But in any case, I'm so sure of this, that if it's ok with you, we can arrange a remote assistance session with Teamviewer, so I can see your problem directly, and you'll see how it will go away without having change anything in Couatl.exe.

 

PM on the FSDT forum to arrange a session.

I will for sure take you up on this offer. I am traveling until middle of next week. I will PM you for the arrangements. Thursday, October 3rd will work best. We can coordinate a time via PM.

 

Sent from Samsung Galaxy Note 2

 

 

[virtuali 4,421]

Has the issue of the reminder flag for L Entry Door 2 when the door is already open been fixed too with the latest LiveUpdate?

What issue ? If you are referring to the problem of doors state not correctly detected after using the Save/Load state on the PMDG 777, that's nothing we can fix from our side.

 

GSX only ask FSX for a specific variable value, that variable is either named correctly or it's not, if it's working normally, but not when loading/saving a state, it can only a problem of those function not updating all variables correctly.