Done with Windows 10 (unfortunately)

[Trans_27 Pilot Chase 59]

When I first upgraded a week or so ago, FSX would not progress beyond the splash screen without giving a fatal error and crashing. I tried right clicking and running as an administrator, I attempted running in compatibility mode for numerous versions of windows and I still was unable to enter the sim beyond the splash screen. I reverted back to windows 7 and all was normal again.

 

Yesterday, I reformatted my hard drive and updated windows 7 and then updated to Windows 10 thinking I would have a different experience. The first hitch came when the dvd installer wouldn't even begin to write the files. After numerous install attempts and no progress being made, I threw in the towel and purchased FSX steam edition. Install went along fine with no issues. After the install had completed, I returned to my desk top, double clicked the FSX icon and.... Absolutely the same as before. The splash screen comes up, then displays a fatal error and crashes. Same as before, I've attempted numerous compatibility modes and scoured the Internet for a fix and I have come up empty handed.

 

I am running the latest nvidia driver for windows 10 (I read that this could cause an issue if running an older version.) I'm just throwing my hands up at this point. I am extremely frustrated with the whole ordeal. I love the overall look and feel of windows 10 and would love to be running it, but I have come to the conclusion that there is something system specific that is causing me this issue.

 

Very disappointing... I have read plenty of positive reviews in regards to FSX and W10 working well with each other and I was really hoping to take part in the experience, but it I'm afraid that I'll be sitting this one out on the sidelines.

[AviatorMoser 353]

Yeah, there are always teething issues with OS upgrades. I'm going to be sitting on Win 7 for a while longer until Win 10 has a chance to age and ferment.

[Art_P 6]

The Windows 10 upgrade downloaded to my computer today and I installed it as an update.  It deleted many of my apps, including FSX so I reverted back to Windows 7.

[Trans_27 Pilot Chase 59]

I just installed two new SSDs. One for windows and one specifically for FSX. I installed windows 10 without doing the "upgrade" but rather a clean install. I'm currently trying to get FSX to install, if I can't get it to install or work without complications, I'm reformatting and installing windows 7 and completely giving up with the new OS.

[RaptyrOne 1,398]

I have clean installed Windows 10 Pro and FSX (not Steam Edition). While there have been a few small issues, most have been overcome now and I am reaching a point where I am pleased with the setup. I first got the sim and all addons running under DX9 and then took the step up to DX10 with the Fixer. FSX does work fine both under DX9 and DX10. The issues some are having such as the aircraft preview window not showing are due to an upgrade install. If you are going to upgrade to Windows 10 you need to bite the bullet and do it properly. Download an ISO to USB, repartion and format your drive and save yourself a lot of pain in the long run. If you are not prepared to do this because your FSX is too huge (all the add on's), rather stay with what you have. That's my advice... :-)

 

I installed my new OS by first replacing my disks with two brand new SSD's. C: for Windows and my main programs and F: for FSX and all the associated addon's such as REX Essential +, ASN, GSX, FTX Global. Of course you do not need to replace your drives but if you are still using HDD's , it's time to get your PC act together. :-) SSD's make a huge difference to the overall computing experience. I ran Win 10 for about a week before installing FSX, to iron out all the gremlins, make sure it was 100% updated with all necessary drivers etc. I also refrained from making any edits to the OS that would complicate trouble shooting. I then installed all my other programs such as MS Office, Photoshop Express and Steam. Only then, once everything semed to be OK, did I pull out the FSX box.

 

I can offer one small bit of advice to those doing a clean install if you have installed FSX on a separate drive: go to you FSX drive and right click every folder in the root of that drive, select Sharing tab and share the folder with your name ( or whatever name you log in with). This step immediately stopped an annoying FSX has stopped working crash for me.

 

Another source of issues for me (possibly hardware specific) was to deselect the Fast Boot up option under Windows Power options. It did not appear to have any effect on my boot times but has taken my Windows Reliability Monitor from the mud into the sky. For those struggling with Windows 10 Specific issues, there is a great forum to help. Not sure if I can mention the name here? But it's a pretty obvious name for a Windows 10 forum.

 

Just follow the guide here on Avsim for fresh installing and setting up your FSX and follow the excellent tutorials over on the afore mentioned Windows 10 forum for setting up you Windows 10 installation and you will be fine. Don't go adding "a million tweaks" to your FSX cfg from the outset either, there are only 3 or 4 entries you need to make depending on your system:

HIGHMEMFIX, DisablePreload=1, AffinityMask=84 (essential if running ASN), WideviewAspect=1. Steve's FSXFixer also suggests a few tweaks for shadows etc. and maybe the TeXtureMaxRes=2048. I have not seen a need to add any uiautomation file to the FSX directory either.

 

Take your time adding your scenery and aircraft. Add one, run it, check it, make sure it is activated, then move on to the next one. Install multiple sceneries and aircraft at one time without any reboots or running the simulator and you WILL have a mess on your hands. Go thru the installation instructions for each add on, it is easy to forget the small procedures required to get some add on's working properly.

 

I'm running FSX with ASN, Rex Essential, FTX Global, GSX, My Traffic6, DX10, detailed payware airport add on's such as those from Aerosoft and the NGX and Majestic Dash 8. Sliders all to the right except Water 2x Low, Autogen Normal and Aircraft, road and sea traffic tuned to my system. Liquid smooth multi hour flights.

 

So it is possible under Windows 10. Patience with the set up and a little perseverance with be your friend. :-)

[Darcy 63]

Sounds like a lot of work for something that does not run FSX any better?  I too would have loved it to work but had to revert back to Win 7.

 

oh well such is life with and old, albeit, good program.

 

Darcy

[Alan Rhodes 2]

That post from Greg does seem a whole lot of trouble and I am sure that I would not have bothered if I had to do all that.

 

I just let windows update itself to windows 10 from 8.1 and have had no problems at all with FSX and add ons. 

 

I have also done this with 2 laptops and the only problem I had was that I had to re install a colour calibrator which I also use on the FSX machine as I do a lot of photography.

[Trans_27 Pilot Chase 59]

I reformatted my drive and installed from a usb and couldn't even get the sim to install. I've thrown the towel in.. 

 

My desktop is staying on windows 7, everything else in the house is on 10 (laptops and surface.) I'm happy enough with the SSD upgrades. From the time I press the power button to the time that I'm looking at my desktop is under 30 seconds. 

[Jude Bradley 659]

My biggest gripe with Windows 10 is the interface. Too many mouse-clicks and menus to do simple tasks. For example, for FS2crew, you need to add English (American) language.

You have to go through the personalization settings , instead of Languages (which is more intuitive).

The Windows Vista/Windows 7 model is better optimised for these tasks.

[Gokau 4]

My biggest gripe with Windows 10 is the interface. Too many mouse-clicks and menus to do simple tasks. For example, for FS2crew, you need to add English (American) language.

You have to go through the personalization settings , instead of Languages (which is more intuitive).

The Windows Vista/Windows 7 model is better optimised for these tasks.

See that big bar on the bottom of the screen next to the start button? Type in language and then select it from the list. Don't have that big bar? Click the start button and then type language and you'll get the same results.

[Jude Bradley 659]

Thanks Brian, but my point was that you should not have to re-learn how to use a new OS interface, it should still be accessible via the old one too.

Look at Linux for example, the baby is not thrown out with the bath water. MS have done this with Windows 8.X and 10 which is a really bad design concept for an OS.

[Gokau 4]

Thanks Brian, but my point was that you should not have to re-learn how to use a new OS interface, it should still be accessible via the old one too.

Look at Linux for example, the baby is not thrown out with the bath water. MS have done this with Windows 8.X and 10 which is a really bad design concept for an OS.

Windows 10 is just like using Windows 7. You don't have to use the settings app, just right click the start button and use the control panel like you would in Windows 7. (Tip: Right clicking the start button opens all the power user stuff. An improvement made by Microsoft in Windows 8/8.1). You can also pin the control panel to the start menu so that it's right there every time you use it.(And pin individual settings from the settings app, right click---->pin to start).

[Frank 747 0]

Thanks Gokau,

 

For the tip re: hitting Windows Start button and then typing. Useful.

 

Frank

[Dougal 165]

Its intersting (and bizarre) that the Win10 update seems to cause different issues for different people. I've just tried it, and it worked flawlessly for all my applications EXCEPT FSX!!!!!!

 

It didn't remove anything from my PC, and I have dozens of apps installed.

 

The only serious issue with FSX was a well documented one, but one I couldn't fix it.... In full screen mode, which is the only way i use it, the menus don't show. This means I can only exit FSX by switching to windowed mode first.

 

I tried all the things sugested I could find, including rebuilds of the cfg and shader files.

 

For now, i guess its back to trusty win7

[Ed_S_Pilot 227]

updated from windows 7 a week ago, Been working flawless!