DC-6 plugin not loading

[Comanche 417]

I havent flown the DC6 in a few weeks. Just loaded it up today and I see 2 coclipts, one low res, the other normal.  I looks like th ePMDG plugin is not loaded. I have no PMDG menu's either.  I do not see the plugin listed in my plugins menu.

 

I re-installed the plane again using the latest installer and still no good. 

Not sure what else to try?

 

Robert Feddersen

 

 

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Not sure what else to try?

 

Sounds a lot like the sim is paused and the view is being switched. It will load both if the sim is paused and the view is switched.

 

Also: 'sudden' issues like this are usually changes to your workflow, or something you'd done habitually before, but have since changed. This is particularly the case when there have been no code changes, which was the case until you reinstalled (though no code changes were made to affect what you're seeing).

[Comanche 417]

Sounds a lot like the sim is paused and the view is being switched. It will load both if the sim is paused and the view is switched.

 

Also: 'sudden' issues like this are usually changes to your workflow, or something you'd done habitually before, but have since changed. This is particularly the case when there have been no code changes, which was the case until you reinstalled (though no code changes were made to affect what you're seeing).

 

Hi Kyle,  Thanks for responding.

 

The sim is not paused, I can see ai planes taxing right passed me.  It looks to me like there is a plugin missing. 

I am not getting any of the on screen menu's. If I select ("let ai fly the plane") it runs (engines start), but the exterior ladders and such stay attached to the plane. Also the cockpit remains messed up. I even see the co-pilot next to me.

 

I have re-installed it using the latest DC6 installer and that made no difference.  Than I ran the installer again and told it to repair and that made no difference. Finally, I un-installed it and re-installed and that also made no difference.   I'm just guessing here, but it feels like the installer keeps seeing that the plane is installed even after being un-installed and does not install any plugins or some required files.

Shouldn't there be a PMDG plugin in the plugins folder?

 

I'm using win 10. The plane ran great a few weeks ago when It first came out. I haven't flown it in a few weeks and was showing it to a friend last night, when I noticed it was corrupted.

Since then, I installed the 10.5 beta, but all my addons and other planes are fine. This is the only casualty.

 

Thanks for any advice

 

Robert Feddersen

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I have re-installed it using the latest DC6 installer and that made no difference.  Than I ran the installer again and told it to repair and that made no difference. Finally, I un-installed it and re-installed and that also made no difference. 

 

Reinstalls are usually a waste of time in so many circumstances, but it seems that it's the first step in troubleshooting with the sim crowd. I can kinda understand why people might think it would work, but if that were the true resolution, there would be little point in product support. Reinstalls should be the absolute last step you attempt after you exhaust all other options, since a reinstall can cover some of the "tracks" that the actual issue has left. Additionally, it can further compound issues by introducing errors from the uninstalls/reinstalls if something doesn't get properly deleted, overwritten, or added.

 

 

 

I'm using win 10. The plane ran great a few weeks ago when It first came out. I haven't flown it in a few weeks and was showing it to a friend last night, when I noticed it was corrupted.

 

The 10.5 Beta might be part of it, but so far, we haven't seen any issues in our internal testing.

 

All the same, we can't really offer direct support for a beta platform, as it could result in us chasing our tails for quite some time if the dev screwed something up, released incremental updates in the meantime, and then reverted or fixed the change in the RTM version.

 

For what it's worth, while I understand wanting to have the latest updates on your machine, if you're really looking for a trouble free sim installation, you should probably avoid participating in the beta unless you're willing to accept that problems will exist and you are absolutely going to provide feedback to that developer. It's good for third party developers, like us along with our testing teams, to see how it will affect their software. Active simmers who want to provide beta feedback to the sim developer are also a good candidate for beta stuff. Unless you're providing feedback or have some need to mess with software that hasn't been proven to be stable, however, I strongly advise against it.

 

 

 

I'm just guessing here, but it feels like the installer keeps seeing that the plane is installed even after being un-installed and does not install any plugins or some required files.

 

How are you coming to this conclusion?

 

 

 

Thanks for any advice

 

Uninstall the DC-6. Find the PMDG folder in the aircraft folder of XPL. Delete it.

 

Run the installer as an administrator.

[Comanche 417]

 

 

Reinstalls are usually a waste of time in so many circumstances, but it seems that it's the first step in troubleshooting with the sim crowd.

 

Well, reinstalling has fixed more problems than I can think of over the years.

We will have to agree to disagree on that one.

 

 

 

I'm just guessing here, but it feels like the installer keeps seeing that the plane is installed even after being un-installed and does not install any plugins or some required files.
 
How are you coming to this conclusion?

 

Because when I try to install it after having just uninstalled it, it never asks me for my license key and asks me if I want to fix my installation, uninstall it or reinstall it. I have to assume its seeing something that is telling the installer that the plane is still there.  I have uninstalled it through the installer, and also deleted the PMDG folder you referenced, but its still seeing something that says the plane is still there. 

Is there something in the registry that needs to be removed?

 

Robert Feddersen

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Well, reinstalling has fixed more problems than I can think of over the years.
We will have to agree to disagree on that one.

 

Work a help desk for a bit and it'll change your mind right quick. Either way, I put it out there as an effort to help you avoid wasting time. What you do with that is up to you.

 

 

 

it never asks me for my license key

 

Uninstalls don't return the license. None of our aircraft return the license on an uninstall.

(Note: don't attempt to return the license when doing so, either - it'll waste one of your activations if you do it enough, which is a waste because it's irrelevant to the uninstall/install process itself.)

 

 

 

asks me if I want to fix my installation, uninstall it or reinstall it. I have to assume its seeing something that is telling the installer that the plane is still there.  I have uninstalled it through the installer, and also deleted the PMDG folder you referenced, but its still seeing something that says the plane is still there. 

 

Hmm...something got left behind from an earlier install somehow.

 

Did you have the demo version of X-Plane installed at some point in the past?

[Comanche 417]

Hello again Kyle,

 

I searched my system for anything left over from the previous install and aside from the PMDG folder in the aircraft folder, there was nothing else that I could find. I did a registry search and there was one entry in there for PMDG, and something in "flexnet" for PMDG but I left those alone.

 

I tried to install one more time, but Its still corrupt. 2 cockpits and no menu's.

 

Anyhow, I don't want to waste any more of your time on this. I appreciate your help. I only bought this plane to support PMDG in coming to X-plane. I don't have much interest in the DC6 so I'm ok that it does not work on my computer anymore.   It is a very nice plane and while it worked, it flew very nice. just does not tickle my interest right now.

 

Looking forward to the 737 or 777 or 747 hopefully someday!

 

Robert Feddersen

[Jude Bradley 659]

I'm using 10.50 latest beta 5 and no issues with the DC-6.

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I searched my system for anything left over from the previous install and aside from the PMDG folder in the aircraft folder, there was nothing else that I could find. I did a registry search and there was one entry in there for PMDG, and something in "flexnet" for PMDG but I left those alone.

 

Good call. That refers to the licensing service. Removing those could've caused larger issues.

 

 

 

I tried to install one more time, but Its still corrupt. 2 cockpits and no menu's.

 

Reinstalls aren't going to fix things here. Your reinstalls are proof of that, as is the additional "clean" reinstall that I had you do. Best to write that avenue off.

 

 

 

Anyhow, I don't want to waste any more of your time on this. I appreciate your help. I only bought this plane to support PMDG in coming to X-plane. I don't have much interest in the DC6 so I'm ok that it does not work on my computer anymore.   It is a very nice plane and while it worked, it flew very nice. just does not tickle my interest right now.
 
Looking forward to the 737 or 777 or 747 hopefully someday!

 

Product support is actually my job, so you wouldn't be asking me to do something outside of what I'm supposed to be doing. While I appreciate the support, I must also mention that an underlying problem - depending on what it is - could also affect any future releases of ours in the platform. That in mind, the time spent here certainly wouldn't be a waste. Additionally, it's a lot better on my conscience that you actually have a working product that you seldom use, than a non-working product that you never use.

 

It's up to you, but know the option is there.

[Comanche 417]

 

 

Product support is actually my job, so you wouldn't be asking me to do something outside of what I'm supposed to be doing. While I appreciate the support, I must also mention that an underlying problem - depending on what it is - could also affect any future releases of ours in the platform. That in mind, the time spent here certainly wouldn't be a waste. Additionally, it's a lot better on my conscience that you actually have a working product that you seldom use, than a non-working product that you never use.

 

Good point.  I am somewhat stubborn, and could not just walk away from this without knowing what the cause is and I was in the mood to be a detective, so last night, i tried a few more things to figure this out.

 

I installed a 2nd copy of X-plane on another drive with bare minimum amount of scenery. I installed the DC6 into that version of X-plane and it worked fine. everything showed up just the way it should. I had this version updated to 10.45.  So I then updated it to 10.50B5, just to see if the issue was at all related to the beta, but it still worked perfectly at 10.50B5.

 

I then tried copying the plane (DC6) from that drive to my full X-plane install (the one I'm having trouble with) and it is still no good. I didn't think this would work, I just needed to humor myself.

 

So then i started to wonder why it would work on one install and not another and the only other thing I could think of is a plugin conflict. So I fired up the original X-plane install and deactivated all the plugins in the plugin menu and re-loaded the DC6. Still no good.  I figured X-plane must still be loading these plugins even though they are deactivated, so I moved them all out of XP and into a temp Directory and fired up XP again and the DC6 loaded perfectly.

 

So now I know the problem is a plugin conflict, I just don't know which one yet. I have about 15 of them but I can narrow it down to 3 since the DC6 worked when I first got it when it first came out and since then added about 3 plugins, but since I haven't fired up the DC6 in a while, I never noticed the issue and made the correlation between the two.

I ran out of time this morning and had to run off to work (yes I have to work on the 4th of July), so Ill have to finish troubleshooting this later tonight or tomorrow morning.

But at least i know pretty much what it is.

 

As soon as I know specifically which plugin is the offender, Ill report back. Then if someone else has the same issue down the road it will be easy to diagnose.

I should have tried this from the start but I just didn't think of it.

 

Robert Feddersen

[scandinavian13 5,192]

As soon as I know specifically which plugin is the offender, Ill report back. Then if someone else has the same issue down the road it will be easy to diagnose.

I should have tried this from the start but I just didn't think of it.

 

Thanks for all of the work! I had a feeling it was plug ins.

[Comanche 417]

OK, the problem plugin is "X-life" from Jar design. When removed, all is well. When its installed in the plugin directory the DC-6 will not load correctly. regardless of x-life being turned on or not.

 

I havent tried this on 10.45 yet, but only on 10.50B5.

 

X-life is a free download to add ai traffic and I believe, still in development.

 

I haven't really played around with  X-life yet, so I don't mind ditching it for now. Before make them aware of it, Id like to hear from someone else with the PMDG DC-6 that it is in fact an issue and not just something peculiar to my system.

 

Robert Feddersen  

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

I haven't really played around with  X-life yet, so I don't mind ditching it for now. Before make them aware of it, Id like to hear from someone else with the PMDG DC-6 that it is in fact an issue and not just something peculiar to my system.

 

I'd still make them aware of it. If they haven't had a report yet, it'll bring it to their attention. If they have, then they'll know it's not an isolated issue. Either way, it's best to snag an issue when something is still in development and not after it's released.

[Comanche 417]

I sent them an email to let them know.  At least now, I feel better knowing what it was.

I hate walking away from something out of frustration.

Thanks for your help Kyle!

 

Robert Feddersen

[scandinavian13 5,192]

 

 

Thanks for your help Kyle!

 

Thanks for the follow up and troubleshooting. Now I know what to suggest if I see the same come through the support queue. Very, very helpful.