UIAutomationcore.dll Error with FSX:SE

[Afterburner 374]

Hello Folks,

 

About two weeks ago, I uninstalled the FSX DVD Edition to make room for the Steam Edition. I made sure to erase all traces of the old version in order to avoid potential conflicts before installing FSX:SE.

 

I installed all of the Add-Ons that I knew should work with the Steam Edition, including ORBX Global, Vector and OpenLC, GSX, Level-D 767 and others.

 

A few days later I attempted a medium-range flight from LOWW to OMDB with the Level-D 767. First time it happened that while I went to have dinner, ATC terminated my IFR flight plan, since I didn't respond to a handoff to another controller. Not a problem in general, since it's possible to simply reopen a flight flan en route and request another IFR clearance. However, when I selected the flight plan and clicked OK, the flight simulator crashed.

 

On my second attempt, I made sure I would not miss a handoff, so I didn't have to request another IFR clearance. However, I wanted to change views from virtual cockpit to first class right seat (after having changed views many time already), and opening the view menu by right-clicking triggered another crash to desktop. The error log didn't state anything informative - it was an unknown error with an unknown module.

 

Today, on my third attempt, I missed another handoff two and a half hours after takeoff while being absent for dinner, and I again requested an IFR clearance after coming back. Guess what: The same thing as first time happened again: Upon loading and confirming the flight plan, I got another crash. This time it was the dreaded uiautomationcore.dll module fault.

 

Even though the causes of the first two crashes were "unknown", I highly suspect that they are menu related, since I opened it in one way or another. That is quite disappointing, because I thought that the Steam Edition had this issue fixed by default. With the DVD version, I never had a menu crash again since I downloaded and pasted the appropriate file to the FSX root folder. With FSX:SE, however, I made no changes at all, and the installation is quite fresh without any modifications. Did anyone experience menu-related uiautomationcore.dll crashed?

 

What should I do?  Should I delete the culprit dll-file from the FSX root foldel altogether?

 

I would be grateful if anyone could chime in and report their experience.

[SteveW 1,792]

Deleting the file is not fixing the problem, since the file is not faulty, some app goes wrong and since it's used it dumps it, not its fault. Anyway, if you delete it from the folder FSX-SE will simply use the system one, which strictly is incompatible, that's why DTG provided the one that's there.

 

Why not keep the radio on but simply not contact the next service after handing off. Saves talking to them all the time, and keeps the flight active.

[Afterburner 374]

Not contacting the next controller after a handoff is certainly a functional workaround, but it merely avoids some of the symptoms of a broader problem, which is still the uiautomationcore.dll file. Even if I don't have to reload a flight plan en route, I still have to fly with the fear that accessing the menu or changing views through a right-click another time can crash the sim. And as I said, the presence of DTG's own uiautomationcore.dll file is the problem, which didn't exist with the DVD version and the recommended downloaded file.

[SteveW 1,792]

It's not a faulty file, and it's not a valid conclusion just because the exception occurs running with this file. If you look at the reports the exception also in fsx.exe, you wouldn't conclude to delete that? Something else goes wrong and dumps it. Removing it will mean that FSX-SE will load the system version, and it may change the way the sim works, so why not rename that dll, so as to give it a try with the system version?

[Afterburner 374]

Alright, I was successful in identifying and solving the cause.

 

After having completed and saved the first half of a long-range flight from Dubai to Perth with the LVLD 767 yesterday before going to bed, I played around with the menus (right-clicking and switching views) and got another CTD quite soon. This time it was a BEX error. Next day, I continued the flight and made sure to use the menus as few times as possible. I made it to Perth fortunately (and found that I had no parking options available from ATC ground because there were no gates for heavy airliners - but that's another story). After having parked with no more intentions to fly, I switched views many times by right-clicking on the mouse, and the Crash to Desktop striked again with the mysterious BEX error. I was convinced that the crashes were related to accessing the menu, which are known to be triggered in conjunction with the uiautomationcore.dll file.

 

Next, I loaded the default Trike on a default airport and "combed" through different views via right-clicking. I switched every available view in order: Cockpit views, outside views, runway views and views from AI planes at different locations for a real stress test. Even before I could try the AI views, I got another crash with another BEX error. Deleting the uiautomationcore.dll file didn't help. Then I wanted to try to replace the existing dll file by an older version (13565 instead of 18000 I think). Tried again, but with no success.

 

Having tried with and without all available versions of the uiautomationcore.dll file to cure the CTDs unsuccessfully, I was out of clues on what to try next after even uninstalling some add-ons (GSX), and decided to roll back to the boxed version, which never gave me these issues. The slightly better performance under heavy load and the reduced stutters of the FSX:SE edition weren't worth the risk of having the program crashed in my opinion. Before I had uninstalled the FSX DVD edition with all the add-ons to make room for the Steam edition, I backed up the system image, which I now rolled back to.

 

Well, guess what: the "menu stress test" under the same scenario lasted longer, but the FSX DVD edition eventually crashed as well. Once again it was the ominous BEX error. I didn't expect that. Something was wrong.

 

After having tried different settings and setups, I was finally able to pinpoint the culprit: My Ant-virus program (Webroot). I don't know why, but it caused the crashes. After having disabled it, I got no more crashed to desktop from switching views through the menu even with putting a lot of stress from switching quickly at different AI plane views. When I made the tests on FSX:SE, I had the anti-virus program always activated. Since it is most likely THE lightest and least intrusive anti-virus defender available, I didn't expect it to be responsible for menu-related crashes, more so as it hadn't happened before. But maybe there was an update to that anti-virus program that changed things...

 

Anyway, I had fortunately created another system image with the Steam version before uninstalling add-ons and rolling back to the DVD version. Now I wanted to go back to the Steam Edition, because I was sure that I needed to deactivate the anti-virus program to avoid the crashes - and I was right!  After having conducted another stress test on the Steam version, no more crashes!

 

Thank you for all your suggestions!

[SteveW 1,792]

Cool. That's right though, you can't get rid of UiAutomationcore.dll to cure a problem simply because it manifests in it. As you found out, it's a problem caused by another program, in your case it was the intervention of your anti-virus engine. Nice find.

 

...By the way if you are sticking with FSX-SE then at some point the SE version of UiAutomationcore.dll (6.0.6001.18000) will make its way back into the folder, if you've not already put it back, best leave it there. In the case of FSX Boxed, place UIAutomationCore.dll v6.0.5840.16386 in the program files folder so it uses that in preference to the system one. There are subtle differences in the later operating systems, that's why DTG supplies their own.

[Afterburner 374]

Yes, I pasted DTG's own supplied version of uiautomationcore.dll back into the main FSX folder before I started testing with AV software deactivated. To make sure that it was indeed the AV program responsible for the crashes, I activated it at some point after having switched views extensively, and Bingo - I got a CTD when I continued to do so.

 

I have no idea how in the world the AV defender would tamper with FSX menus. It doesn't block FSX from running...  Whatever, I'm glad it runs OK with AV deactivated. One more happy flyer!

[SteveW 1,792]

It is quite possible for your internet security antivirus program to interfere with communications between apps and user interface controls that are present, which is what UiAutomationcore.dll is used for. You could try it again later when an update comes out.