New System Locking Up

[Will273 23]

Just got a new computer to run FSX...no add-ons. Windows 7... It's an Intel i5 6500 3.2 GHZ 6MB and a Nvidia GeForce GTX1060 3GB PCI-E. I'm running it on a 27 inch monitor and have tried every combination of settings known to man from FSX settings to the cards settings. Problem is it locks up after about 15 minutes when flying no matter the change in setting. Resolution was 1920x1080 and have changed that down for a little longer flight but in 20 minutes it locks up. I have the SP1 and SP2 installed. I'm wondering if the Nvidia card is strong enough to run FSX or should I get a 6GB card? Not sure if that would make a difference but am wondering about it. Could also "possibily" be I need to change some settings in the card but I'm not a wizard and not sure what. When I start FSX I get a message saying "Color scheme has changed to Windows 7 Basic"...not sure what that means if anything. Any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Will

[Jude Bradley 659]

Your card should work fine, I have a GTX970, and it works fine.
Are there any windows level errors when it locks up? Check event viewer for any clues.

[Will273 23]

Thanks Jude...no messages ...it just freezes but I get engine sounds.

Jude...what is the event viewer and how do I get to it? Thanks.

Ok I found the Event Viewer. Says in the Critical Section: Kernal-Power- System. Error Section: MSinstaller MSinstaller. Warnings: Kernal Events. Has some other stuff but this looked most important.

[Jude Bradley 659]

Go to "Windows Logs" -> "application", it should display some red statuses regarding FSX

[Will273 23]

ok...on it and thanks.

Well not sure if I did it right but I typed in windows log in windows search and info about Control Panel came up along with two SP2 files...that's all it said. Was wondering if I might need to reinstall SP1 and SP2 again. My version of FSX is old...it's the Deluxe Boxed Version I got way back when around 2010 or there abouts. Didn't run good on my old machine so I stayed with FS9. I reinstalled FSX yesterday but think something might be going on with the updates not being installed right.

Stupid question but I have to ask...I didn't notice an Installer in SP1...I just clicked it and it seemed to install ok. SP2 says you have to run the installer first...to me that sounds like two different packages...one the installer and the other being SP2 but I only see SP2 and no separate download...so the installer is included in the SP2 download and it's only one download?

I'm also considering getting the Steam Version of FSX instead of messing with this seeing it's newer and maybe more up to date. My Deluxe Version might have been corrupted or something and maybe the SP updates also.

[Mickeyj 35]

Hi,

 

your GPU is way enough to drive FSX as it is more CPU bound than GPU bound. An older GPU would have done the job also. Anyhow the message "Color scheme has changed to Windows 7 Basic" means that Windows Aero crashed and switched to basic mode. Check out this video how to resolve the switching.

 

 

If it happens again it might also be driver related but im not 100% sure. I dumped FSX 2 years ago and changed to P3D as it is more stable and uses modern hardware.

[Will273 23]

Thanks Mickey. Updated the drivers last night. That message in itself doesn't bother me only that it might have something to do with my problem. By the way...if anyone knows...SP1 or SP2 do not show up in FSX files with all the other files...is that normal? Both say they installed but I don't see where they are. I did see SP2 in the Add Remove Program but not SP1...maybe SP2 takes over and SP1 isn't listed anymore? The more I mess with this the more I might try the Steam version or something else.

[Mickeyj 35]

Which version of FSX do you have? If you consider getting FSX:SE i would highly recommend P3D.

[martin-w 3,234]

Switching to W7 Basic is normal behaviour when FSX runs.

 

I don't run FSX any more, but when I did, it did the same. It should automatically switch back to aero afterwards. 

 

This is not related to your issue.

Is your new computer overclocked? If it is, run at optimised defaults as the overclock may be unstable.

 

Have you any add-on's installed, if yes, one of them could be causing the issue.

 

 

There are many causes of lock ups and crashes.

 

 

Overheating CPU can also cause lockups, at the point where the CPU is beginning to throttle back.

Make sure your CPU, GPU and motherboard temps are normal, install all the latest drivers for your system, install all the latest Windows updates, install all the latest patches for your FSX add-on's.

[Will273 23]

It's a new system and now I'm getting Windows Installer Help error message and it won't install. Tried tracking down some fixes and I'm about done with it. Looking for a new FSX Deluxe Edition but all I see are mostly used for sale on Amazon which might not even install depending on how many computers they were already installed on. The Steam Edition looks like some sort of multiplayer game thing and installing it doesn't look very promising from what I've read so taking a closer look at X Plane now.

[vortex681 806]

The Steam Edition looks like some sort of multiplayer game thing and installing it doesn't look very promising from what I've read so taking a closer look at X Plane now.

 

FSX:SE is the equivalent of FSX Gold boxed (FSX + Acceleration). Whilst it does multiplayer well it's not specifically a multiplayer edition. I changed over to SE recently after a new PC build and prefer it to the boxed edition as it seems a little faster and smoother. As for installing, not sure what you've been reading about problems with SE. I would say that you'll have fewer issues installing SE than you would the boxed edition - no worn DVDs to worry about and no potential registration problems to name just 2 advantages. Plus, SE is a bargain compared to trying to get the boxed version (particularly if you buy it in a Steam sale).

[Jude Bradley 659]

I agree, FSX:SE is better optimized than the boxed edition, which I also have but never use. I picked up the steam edition for $5 "just in case" at their regular sales.

Prepar3D is much better though and more stable than FSX. I always feel like FSX is like a house of card ready to fall at any moment, whereas X-Plane is pretty rock-solid and Prepar3D is not to far behind X-Plane in that regard.

[Will273 23]

Thanks guys. I'm new to Dovetail Steam so don't know much about it. Seems like a multiplayer platform of sorts. So if it's downloaded would I be flying on a server somewhere with others? I hope I'm wrong but I like flying alone...just not much into flying on line. Vatsim is ok but I have a funny feeling about being connected to some server somewhere sitting on a runway with a bunch of teenagers yelling and all... flying into control towers...you get the picture. Excuse my ignorance...I just don't know much about it and I'm probably wrong in my assumptions. Thanks.

[spesimen 135]

Thanks guys. I'm new to Dovetail Steam so don't know much about it. Seems like a multiplayer platform of sorts. So if it's downloaded would I be flying on a server somewhere with others? I hope I'm wrong but I like flying alone...just not much into flying on line. Vatsim is ok but I have a funny feeling about being connected to some server somewhere sitting on a runway with a bunch of teenagers yelling and all... flying into control towers...you get the picture. Excuse my ignorance...I just don't know much about it and I'm probably wrong in my assumptions. Thanks.

 

steam is just an online store. it's quite commonly used, something like 75% of all pc games are bought through there these days.

 

you wouldn't be flying on a server with others, it is functionally just about identical to boxed fsx. the main thing about it is that it has bug fixes and optimizations that are not in the boxed versions. sort of an SP3 version you could say. 

 

it does support multiplayer just like the boxed version but there is no reason to use that unless you are interested in it.

 

anyway i'm not sure switching versions would make a difference, the description of your problem sounds more like overheating or something, kernel events point to those type of issues. . check the temps on your cpu and gpu, are you sure you have a strong enough power supply to run a 1060

 

cheers

-andy crsoby

[Will273 23]

Hi Andy. So Steam is just an online store then. Read somewhere you have to be online to fly...not sure what that means exactly. My power supply is a 600WT ATX...I asked about it and they said it will be ok. It's a new computer and I got Compuzone to built it for FSX. Let me know what you think. Thanks.