FSX-SE FSX-SE saved flights will not load

[kiwiflyer45 123]

I am having a problem in getting FSX-SE to recognize any of my saved flights or missions... The recent update of Windows 10 has caused me a number of headaches, some of which were created when the update made Microsoft Edge my default browser and also changed my UAC settings. (Don't you love it when MS acts as if it owns your computer and you have no say in the matter!)

 I'm not sure if this problem was created by the update but as of the last 24 hours, when I try to select a saved flight or mission, all I get is a blank. I have checked that it is selecting the right directory in my Documents folder, but FSX simply doesn't recognize any of the files. Even when I create a new flight and save it, when I restart and try to find that saved flight, it isn't recognized. It seems that the sim is searching for a different kind of file and that's why it isn't recognizing the dozens of saved flights in the directory. Any suggestions?

[kiwiflyer45 123]

2 hours ago, kiwiflyer45 said:

I am having a problem in getting FSX-SE to recognize any of my saved flights or missions... The recent update of Windows 10 has caused me a number of headaches, some of which were created when the update made Microsoft Edge my default browser and also changed my UAC settings. (Don't you love it when MS acts as if it owns your computer and you have no say in the matter!)

 I'm not sure if this problem was created by the update but as of the last 24 hours, when I try to select a saved flight or mission, all I get is a blank. I have checked that it is selecting the right directory in my Documents folder, but FSX simply doesn't recognize any of the files. Even when I create a new flight and save it, when I restart and try to find that saved flight, it isn't recognized. It seems that the sim is searching for a different kind of file and that's why it isn't recognizing the dozens of saved flights in the directory. Any suggestions?

It gets worse and worse. There are a whole bunch of issues so I am doing the Steam reinstall option as I write this. I had a nice stable installation and now it's completely screwed up. To paraphrase the words often heard at a Christian funeral, "Microsoft giveth and Microsoft taketh away." Sighhhh...

[charliearon 3,022]

Maybe time to run the verify game cache to Repair your Sim.

To verify your game files please do the following:

1. Load the Steam platform and log into your account
2. Click the Library tab in the menu at the top of the screen
3. Click the List View from the view options on the top right of the screen
4. Right click on Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition to bring up a popup menu
5. Click on Properties from the popup menu to bring up another popup box
6. Click on Local files from the popup box menu
7. Click on Verify integrity of game cache from the Local file options
8. Wait for the progress bar to finish verifying your files. Additional files may download
9. Restart Steam
10. Restart Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition

[kiwiflyer45 123]

10 hours ago, charliearon said:

Maybe time to run the verify game cache to Repair your Sim.

To verify your game files please do the following:

1. Load the Steam platform and log into your account
2. Click the Library tab in the menu at the top of the screen
3. Click the List View from the view options on the top right of the screen
4. Right click on Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition to bring up a popup menu
5. Click on Properties from the popup menu to bring up another popup box
6. Click on Local files from the popup box menu
7. Click on Verify integrity of game cache from the Local file options
8. Wait for the progress bar to finish verifying your files. Additional files may download
9. Restart Steam
10. Restart Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition

I plan to do that soon Charlie. But late last night, I found out that although FSX-SE was running, albeit with major problems, none of my DLC was working. I went to Steam to check and found that they were all listed as "not installed." Then I realized that FSX-SE itself was listed as "not installed!" So I had to reinstall it, praying all the time that it wouldn't overwrite some of the tweaked files and make me have to do all those tweaks over again. When it was reinstalled, I saw that all of the DLC was also now "installed." So of course I thought to myself, "problem solved." NOPE! So I am now about to run the Steam repair utility as you have suggested. My next plan if this doesn't work, is to throw my PC out the window and slit my wrists!!! JK of course - though a hard drive wiped clean and Windows 7 reinstalled is a real option. I have never had an issue with Win10 running both FS9 and FSX until this recent "upgrade." I can't say for sure that is what has caused all this - I suppose there may be some malware that my security programs haven't been able to find, or perhaps my PC has become possessed by an evil spirit. We shall see before the day is out. Thanks for reaching out Charlie

Cheers

Ian

[charliearon 3,022]

OK, best of luck to you! 😀  I keep a 20lb sledgehammer close by for situations such as this.  I have also worn out my "Bang head here" sign that's mounted on the wall.

[Dumont 9]

Okay, this looks a lot like a problem I found after a major upgrade from Windows 10 to version 1803.
For me it happened a little worse, FSX-SE did not find a standard flight, so I did one but did not solve, my missions, flight plans and saved flights were not accessed, but I knew everything was in place.
In the antivirus protection of Windows 10 there is a Protection against Ransomware option and then Access to Controlled Folders, the latter by default comes off but for some reason on without my interference.
We can off and access is normal, or give special privileges to applications that will have access to controlled folders.
I am using Google translator but I believe that with will understand what I am posting

 

João Alfredo

[Bjoern 1,156]

No problems after the 1803 update.

 

The only occasions on which I've experienced an error message loading a saved flight is a missing user aircraft.

Loading a flight saved with real world weather injected by a third party tool (FSXWX in my case) sometimes also makes FSX hang or crash.

Edited May 25, 2018 by Bjoern

[kiwiflyer45 123]

10 hours ago, Bjoern said:

No problems after the 1803 update.

 

The only occasions on which I've experienced an error message loading a saved flight is a missing user aircraft.

Loading a flight saved with real world weather injected by a third party tool (FSXWX in my case) sometimes also makes FSX hang or crash.

No, this is far more extensive than that. I don't get an error message - I get a blank menu. There are dozens of saved flights, all of which have been created and used recently without any problems. Now I get zilch - an empty menu. What Dumont posted above seems like it's the same problem so I will pursue that option. The Steam file integrity option restored two files only and made no difference other than now giving me a highly realistic red colored text scrolling across the screen telling me I have opened or closed an exit - as if I didn't know that already. When I have the saved flights issue resolved I guess I'll have to go back and try to remember how I got rid of the blankety blank on-screen messages...  If none of this works, can I borrow your sledge hammer please Charlie?

[charliearon 3,022]

I think the on-screen messages can be hidden in the FSX.cfg   Something to add like Hide Infotext.

HideInfotext=1 under [display]

[188AHC 2,138]

You do know that you can roll back the Windows 10 update don't you?  I think I would try this to see if the update messed something else up.

[Bjoern 1,156]

Is FSX installed in "C:\Program Files(x86)"?

If so, Windows security might have locked it down.

 

The red bars with missing text might be caused by a faulty video card driver or missing DirectX runtimes.

And check that the required Visual C++ runtimes (2005 SP1 or so) are installed.

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Thanks for the continued suggestions guys. I really appreciate it. If I can't resolve it soon, I will certainly try the "roll back the windows update" option - thanks for that tip

Bjoern - no, all of my flight sims are on a dedicated D: drive. But I think you are right that this was a Windows security issue. I recall before all this happened that I was at SimMarket and clicked on a product description and Windows security went bananas - a long, complex series of warnings including a woman with an English accent verbally telling me that I had downloaded malware and actually (I'm not making this up) saying that if I didn't fix it, my IP would be reported to "the government..." I was only able to close it by using Task Manager. Since then, FSX-SE has had all sorts of strange errors, most of which I've been able to correct. And before anyone suggests it, yes I did run Malware Bytes and MS Defender and neither found any malware on my computer....

What I have discovered, is that the sim is searching in one of the Steam DLC folders for saved flights. By putting them in there, I can now actually use them. (One is loading as I am typing this)… Obviously, there's something corrupted somewhere that has changed the default location from Documents/Flight Simulator X. I did the Steam "file validation" routine but it didn't fix the problem.

The mystery continues....

Ian

[Bjoern 1,156]

40 minutes ago, kiwiflyer45 said:

What I have discovered, is that the sim is searching in one of the Steam DLC folders for saved flights. By putting them in there, I can now actually use them. (One is loading as I am typing this)… Obviously, there's something corrupted somewhere that has changed the default location from Documents/Flight Simulator X. I did the Steam "file validation" routine but it didn't fix the problem.

This is not default behavior for FSXSE.

Check the registry entries for FSX. And the "SITUATION=" line in the fsx.cfg for good measure. And remove some DLCs you might have installed.

 

And THOROUGHLY review your security measures INCLUDING those of your web browser.

[kiwiflyer45 123]

59 minutes ago, Bjoern said:

This is not default behavior for FSXSE.

Check the registry entries for FSX. And the "SITUATION=" line in the fsx.cfg for good measure. And remove some DLCs you might have installed.

 

And THOROUGHLY review your security measures INCLUDING those of your web browser.

I ran the registry repair utility from Flight1 but I don't know how to actually "check the registry entries." Can you give me some idea how to do this?

Also, I checked the line SITUATION= …. What should it actually read? (ie. SITUATION= xyz)

Your comment on the security measures is probably very relevant. Prior to the update I was still using Internet Explorer but the update changed my default browser to Microsoft Edge. It also changed my UAC settings and I think that's what triggered the insane malware warning. I have since restored my default browser to Explorer and UAC settings to what they were before. But there are signs of corrupted files since that all happened.

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Well, this might be the final post on this issue. On a whim, I decided to use FS9 for a while so I could actually fly and not keep wanting to use that sledgehammer that Charlie has so generously offered.

Bad idea! My FS9 installation is corrupted in exactly the same way as FSX-SE, including the issue of not finding the saved flights that are there in Documents/Flight Simulator Files... So it looks like I'll be making a trip to my local Microsoft store with my PC and get them to figure out what's going on and how to restore it. My guess is that I will then find myself doing that thing we all dread - reinstalling. It was working fine a week or so ago when I decided to visit some of my old FS9 friends that didn't make it over to FSX - especially my beloved Flight1 727.