Is there a way to autostart applications such as Active Sky and/or FPFS with FSX or FSX:SE??

Adding entries to the 'exe.dll' file in the App Data folder will start the programs when you start FSX. If you are comfortable editing the exe.dll file then it is pretty easy to do.

"exe.xml" in:

 

C:\Users\[you]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX

or

C:\Users\[you]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX-SE

 

example file content starting "SaiPanels.exe":

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="Windows-1252"?>

<SimBase.Document Type="Launch" version="1,0">

 

<Descr>Launch</Descr>

<Filename>exe.xml</Filename>

<Disabled>False</Disabled>

<Launch.ManualLoad>False</Launch.ManualLoad>

 

<Launch.Addon>

<Name>Saitek Panel(s) Plugin for FSX</Name>

<Disabled>False</Disabled>

<Path>C:\Program Files (x86)\Saitek\Pro Flight Panels\SaiPanels.exe</Path>

<CommandLine>-run</CommandLine>

</Launch.Addon>

 

</SimBase.Document>

If you have FSUIPC then the same can be done in the FSUIPC.ini file in the modules folder - follow instructions in the manual for same. Make a backup of original files before altering.

There is various software progeny that will do this for you and Mr Google could help you there.

Denis B

If you have FSUIPC...There is various software progeny that will do this for you...

Indeed - IF10 can start apps during several phases, when starting up itself, or when the sim is started or when the sim is running.

 

Remember if using an Affinity Mask in the FSX cfg, other apps started by FSX (and FSUIPC) run in the affinity of FSX. Whereas apps started by IF10 get access to the full CPU.

 

 

"exe.xml" in:

 

My mistake! Thanks for correcting me  :wink:

Thanks for the info guys! I'll probably buy FSUIPC and do it that way. Just downgraded to windows 7 so I'm still reinstalling all my stuff atm tho. Thanks again

I'd put in a plug for Ken Salter's Alacrity program.  I've used it for years.  

 

It starts FSX together with all the other add-ons like ASN that you want to add.  My main FSX profile starts ASN (for weather or more exactly, to get the PMDG weather radar feed), Opus FSI (for cockpit views), ProATC-X,Topcat and FSX itself.

 

You can set the affinity mask for each of these separately and you can also close any troublesome non-FS related services and programmes each time you start FSX to avoid stutters and free up memory.  All of this is temporary and cleared after you close Alacrity (I think, or at least with a reboot).  You can set Alacrity to run several iterations of memory defrag before FSX starts to maximise the RAM available.

 

Alacrity isn't restricted to FSX, you can set up a profile to prepare your PC for any game or other software.

 

This is an old utility and I don't know if Ken Salter is around but it works every time for me with FSX under Windows 7.   I can't comment on FSX:SE.  To me, it's a lot easier than fiddling around with various config files yourself and trying to remember where all the changes are when you want to have a re-fiddle and a re-re-fiddle!

 

http://sourceforge.net/projects/alacritypc/

 

http://www.avsim.com/topic/65728-ken-salters-alacritypc-released/

I'd put in a plug for Ken Salter's Alacrity program.

 

+1.  This is a gem of a program.  Too bad Ken seems to have left the FS community after Katrina (I recall it hit him and his family rather hard).

 

Greg

Alternatively, you can use a batch file to do it all without involving any other programs! It's easy enough to make a menu in the batch file to select different options depending on what you want to start with FSX. You can even stop programs before starting FSX and then restart them when FSX closes. If you use a batch file which runs as administrator (which needs just a single line in the batch file), any programs which the batch file starts are automatically run "as administrator". Batch files are tiny compared to even the most compact .exe files which achieve the same thing and are effectively part of Windows. I use a batch file which gives me options for starting REX, ASN, head tracking, flight planning software and plugins for my iPad - all, none or a mixture.

SimStarter