I have been using an exe.xml file copied over from FSX to load SPAD (Saitek panel drivers) when P3D loads.  It has always worked before, but now it doesn't.  The file hasn't changed.  It's still there in the same directory as the P3d.cfg file and SPAD.exe is in the same location. I tried adding another program to the exe file to see if it would launch and maybe this was just a SPAD issue  No luck with that either. It seems that P3D just no longer reads the exe.xml file.  Any ideas?  

Something is confused in your paths. My exe.xml works fine and starts several programs with P3D.

 

The right paths are:

 

P3D v1.x:

%appdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D\

 

P3D v2:

%appdata%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2\

As you know you can not use SPAD and the SAITEK drivers at the same time. Just install SPAD and do NOT install the SAITEK panel drivers, just plug the panels in and start SPAD an it will work in P3D v2.

Nothing confused. It just stopped working. Had worked fine since day 1. As I said, it has nothing to do with the drivers. P3D is no longer seeing the exe file even though it is a valid XML file and has not been edited in any way and remains in the proper directory. Strange.

It happened after a CTD upon exiting p3D (that is, it worked fine until that event). I've tried deleting the file and restoring a new one. I've also deleted the cfg file. Nothing.

Ok, narrowing it down.  I'm also getting a "Completing setup...generating scenery file index" upon every startup.  That must be preventing the exe file from running, but how do I resolve that? I've tried deleting the scenery.cfg file and letting P3D rebuild one, which it did.  Still no luck.

Mark,

 

I saw this interesting peace of text from years ago:

Maybe you are lucky to to solve your completing setup problem

 

Well, i reinstalled FSX once more, but after getting all Microsoft's updates
and fixes etcetera (i had a hard time finding back this page with newly
installed Explorer 7, somehow i lost all my old bookmarks).
After installing FSX i found out that nothing had changed. Still "completing
setup" every time i started FSX. Then i found a posting by someone about
incompatible hardware. So i tried unplugged my joystich (it's a SpeedLink
BlackHawk, el cheapo but it serves me fine with lots of convenient buttons,
thrust handle and a twistaxis for rudder).

After uncoupling the USB plug i restarted FSX and voila no more "completing
setup". Somehow the joystick prevented FSX from finishing its setup. After
plugging the joystick back in, FSX continued to work OK. No more "generating
scenery indexes".

 

Regsrds

Berend