Reinstall could have gone better......

[cowpatz 243]

For some unknown reason the mapping of the flight controls and thrust levers (Logitech 3D pro and CH throttle quadrant) has stopped working. I went through all the usual drama of deleting and rebuilding the FSUIPC cfg file but still no luck. I tried all the usual assignments including direct to FS instead of via FSUIPC. Nothing happens except an initial twitch of the RH thrust reverser then dead.
So i decide to uninstall and reinstall it. PMDG suggest not deleting any files manually but instead let the uninstaller do it's thing. All was good except the 777x folder still remains in the main PMDG folder within the P3D root folder. Why is that still there?
I decided that rather than install the original downloaded install programs that I would go to the PMDG website to download the latest installers. Product page for the 777 says P3DV3.3+. Not really that helpful so I decide to log in to my account to just download them anyway and then I get the "you have to reset your password" due to some security enhancement. I go through the process (including that word not allowed Captcha which is one of my pet hates) to get informed that an email would be sent with a link back to the website to reset the password. Wait....wait...wait....wait still no password. Thinking there must be a mistake I go through the process again...wait ....wait....wait....wait. Over an hour later and still no link.
Come on PMDG why is this not an auto generated email? Does it have to wait for the receptionist to come in tomorrow to clear her emails before she sends out a link?
Could you also please make it clearer as to what version of P3D the product will run on? Maybe even email your customer base to let them know as well?
Another frustrating day spent tinkering and failing instead of flying.

 

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by cowpatz

[scandinavian13 5,192]

5 minutes ago, cowpatz said:

Come on PMDG why is this not an auto generated email?

It is.

I'll ignore the snark in the next questions. As a recommendation, though: when asking for support, it's best to do so in at least a neutral manner. Being outwardly antagonistic really isn't going to get you any help...particularly when you make sweeping assumptions.

 

The email is auto-generated. If you're not getting it, there's some sort of mail filtering going on. We don't have receptionists (though had you contacted support directly, as we recommend in multiple spots - this forum is user-to-user support - one of us could have overridden it for you). The product page is clear about P3D versions - can you explain how you are confused by its notation? If an email is failing to get to someone, why would that person suggest email as a method of notification?

10 minutes ago, cowpatz said:

Another frustrating day spent tinkering and failing instead of flying.

This is unfortunate, but to be honest with you, quite unnecessary. We have not updated the 777 in quite some time, so it's not like you downloaded an update from us causing this change. If mappings disappeared, then it was a config change on your own computer, unrelated to our code. In other words, the issue is entirely unrelated to the 777. For some reason, though, you assumed it was, and set off digging a hole in the wrong spot, striking a utility line in the process.

While I understand the result of all of this is frustration, we never asked you to do any of it, primarily because we didn't cause any of its underpinnings. We can work with you on the email thing (please reach out to support using the link in my signature), but I'd suggest having a look into your control issues via other avenues. Something else isn't working properly - the hardware, the intermediary, the calibration, or some tool getting in the way (usually, oddly enough, camera software, at least recently). I'd also suggest reaching out to people for support in guiding you to/through solutions so you don't waste a bunch of time demolishing the "walls" of your simulator to figure out why your sink isn't working, only to have a semi-destroyed software install, only to find that someone shut the water off using the valve right below it.

[cowpatz 243]

I wasn't really asking for support but thanks for your kind offer. I just wanted to download the latest installers.
Twice I went through the hoops of resetting the password so that I could get into my account. Your system said an email had been sent (and to the correct email address). It still has not arrived and is not in the junk file. Other email is getting through so I could only have assumed that some sort of manual intervention was required your end or that it simply isn't working correctly.

P3DV3.3+ could mean 3.3 up to 3.4. It is not specifically clear that 4.3 is supported. Admittedly other sections of the website mention V4. I guess I am used to most other add on vendors not mixing V3 with V4.

The fact is that nothing had really changed in my system. Resetting and reinstalling FSUIPC didn't really help. Reinstalling the original 777 installers did however fix it.....go figure.

Having been in flight sim for several decades I am aware that sometimes complex add ons give issues or other programs can have unintended consequences and it is a slow and systematic process of finding the culprit.

I am not suggesting that the 777 product was the problem just the solution after a reinstall. Simpler just to reinstall the 777 than everything else is it not?

What I really didn't need was an uncooperative website slowing the already frustrating process down further.

Edited October 2, 2018 by cowpatz

[scandinavian13 5,192]

6 minutes ago, cowpatz said:

I wasn't really asking for support but thanks for your kind offer. I just wanted to download the latest installers.
Twice I went through the hoops of resetting the password so that I could get into my account. Your system said an email had been sent (and to the correct email address). It still has not arrived and is not in the junk file. Other email is getting through so I could only have assumed that some sort of manual intervention was required your end or that it simply isn't working correctly.

Then what was the point of the post?

...with specific references to us...?

6 minutes ago, cowpatz said:

P3DV3.3+ could mean 3.3 up to 3.4. It is not specifically clear that 4.3 is supported. Admittedly other sections of the website mention V4. I guess I am used to most other add on vendors not mixing V3 with V4.

A number of 4 is greater than, or + than 3.3, so it would be implied that it is supported, unless specifically excepted.

7 minutes ago, cowpatz said:

Simpler just to reinstall the 777 than everything else is it not?

In theory...

Uninstalls/reinstalls rarely ever fix anything. The fact that we hadn't changed any code between when things worked on your system, and when they stopped working means that it isn't the plane. Something on your system did change (keep in mind that you do not need to consciously change anything anymore: win updates, and anti-virus programs constantly updating themselves means things are actually changing all the time), which affected the plane.

If it keeps working, then great, but I'd argue the fix in this case is coincidental. If you run into it again, you'd be better served tracing the actual root cause, and not mitigating its effects by reinstalling.

[cowpatz 243]

I think I explained myself quite well Kyle.
I could screw around for days looking for system or antivirus or addon updates etc that might have caused this and get no where. The simplest fix was a reinstall of the 777.
Somehow the program got corrupted. If it happens again I will look deeper.

Still no email by the way.

 

 

[Captain Kevin 586]

2 hours ago, cowpatz said:

Still no email by the way.

 

6 hours ago, scandinavian13 said:

If you're not getting it, there's some sort of mail filtering going on. We don't have receptionists (though had you contacted support directly, as we recommend in multiple spots - this forum is user-to-user support - one of us could have overridden it for you).

So did you file a support ticket, like Kyle told you to do?

[Olympic260 415]

No he has not.... OP. Open a support ticket and it will be sorted.

[cowpatz 243]

Just had a flood of PMDG emails. 5 no less 🙂

 

Edited October 2, 2018 by cowpatz