P3D? New Member

[tgmjr777 0]

Hi all, I am a new member and have been flight simming about 5 years. I originally have used XP from about version 10 through to the current version 11.

I recently tried P3D again, version 4.4 and love what the P3D has to offer as far as simulation and study level software, planes, plug-ins, etc.

Unfortunately, I have only flown 2 times successfully with P3D 4.4 and I am dealing with the "black screen" issues.

Well, I've tried everything and sooner or later, I'll be back up and running and looking forward to having some forum chats about products, etc.

Cheers as they say, tgmjr777, Thomas. 

[Chock 17,769]

Welcome to Avsim 🙂

[Jim Young 2,356]

What's a "black screen" issue?  If you are seeking help for this, you need to provide us with your system specs (see example in my signature), the fact that you have renamed your P3D.cfg to P3D.off (so that it can be rebuilt), the fact that you have moved all of your addon scenery shown in Documents/Prepar3DV4 Addons folder and moved the contents to a temporary folder, and the fact that you have renamed the two dll.xml's (one is in the same folder as your P3D.cfg and the other, the default, is located in the same folder as your scenery.cfg).  Once you do this, then you restart P3D to see if the "black screen" still occurs. 

AVSIM has a great CTD Guide that provides more information on fixing problems like this.

Welcome to AVSIM.  We hope you enjoy your visits.

[tgmjr777 0]

Thanks Jim, I did all the CTD says and more, and it would take a "volume" to post every detail of what I have done.

Basically, and in it's entirety, if it's been recommended, I have done and nothing works over the last 4 days.

The only incremental improvement, after I uninstalled and reinstalled P3D, was at least the P3D loading screen shows up, then black and nothing.

I uninstalled and reinstalled today without any add-ons, and it worked the first time. I loaded a basic default plane.

I closed it down, reopened and the same thing, black screen. Only the windows key gets me back to the desktop.

I did notice though, even though I close P3D, it's running in Task Manager, but I have run out of options at this point, like I said, I flight sim to actually sim, and at 53 years old, I don't have time for major fixes on a platform that should work.

Flight simming to me is about simming, not fixing cankor sores on a program that obviously is unstable.

Having done research on this same issue over the last almost 4 full days, I can see online the massive issues with P3D on this same issue.

Does that mean I will get it fixed one day? Maybe, but at this point, thanks, but its not my "main" job.

To me, honestly, if I have no confidence in double left clicking a software system to work, I won't use it. It's that simple. 

Sorry if that sounds rude, but prior to joining and posting, I have researched exhaustively and did everything. Nothing works so far.

Back to XP for now.

My system specs:

Windows 8.1 OS

Zotac Extreme 1080ti GPU

i7 CPU 5730K clocked at 4.2GHz

32 GB RAM DDR4

Samsung HHD 1TB

Samsung 1TB backup

ASUS Deluxe X 99 MB

Corsair water cooled CPU 80i

Three 27" Asus Monitors 60Hz

[fppilot 4,355]

12 minutes ago, tgmjr777 said:

I did notice though, even though I close P3D, it's running in Task Manager

I understand you are using P3D 4.4 So let's get that out of the way.  This sounds like the old FSX incident when a user alt-tabs from FSX when it was in full screen.  To get back to FSX required either a series of Alt-Enter or Ctrl-Enter.  Forget which. 

If you Alt-Tab do you see in the available apps one with a black screen?  If so, try the Alt-Enter or Ctrl-Enter routine.  May need to do it multiple times.  Look through this link:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/352941-full-screen-to-windowed-mode/

Edited March 4, 2019 by fppilot

[tgmjr777 0]

Thanks, not the issue and does not work, thanks again.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

Windows 8 problem, possibly?

[CanAmRyder 30]

Have you deleted the .cfg

[pedrotrindade 335]

Welcome to Avsim and good luck on your problem.

[tgmjr777 0]

Bert, Windows 8.1 is not the problem.

Windows 10 is plagued with this same issue, do some research and you will see.

Just because some person uses windows 10 and does not have this issue is an over generalization.

Thanks for no solutions input.

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

34 minutes ago, tgmjr777 said:

Bert, Windows 8.1 is not the problem.

Windows 10 is plagued with this same issue, do some research and you will see.

Just because some person uses windows 10 and does not have this issue is an over generalization.

Thanks for no solutions input.

Sorry, I am on Windows 7 and have never experienced or heard of a Black Screen Issue.. sorry..

[Jim Young 2,356]

3 hours ago, tgmjr777 said:

Just because some person uses windows 10 and does not have this issue is an over generalization.

I thought your problem was fixed in the CTD Forum by lowering your settings.  Your overclock was also too high.  Windows 10 has issues like any OS but I have never seen black screens using it.  In fact, P3DV4 runs extremely well in the 64 bit environment. 

[tgmjr777 0]

I've been on Windows 8.1 for almost 5 years, works perfect. Not an issue, what I have found in the last days is this:

1.P3D has become more stable; due to: (and this is my experience over the last 3 days); P3D has consistently:

*Started

*At prompt for Chase Plane, I answer NO

*P3D loads screen

*P3D loads scenario, I have ONE saved for the P8 737

*After loading of P3D completes,

*I THEN start Chase Plane

NOTE: I do NOT use vfx central / OldProp AT ALL; and I have found the above scenario, despite Chase Plane, cfx Central and OldProp "stating" you MUST start cfx Central and Chase Plane first, rubbish!!

At least over the last 3 days, I have tested it, and this works for me. I have not had anymore black screens, but I do see that my scenarios do NOT save. I have saved a default P3D plane first, and the P8 saved its scenario, but when I try and save another scenario, for example at another airport, P3D says, scenario "failed."

 

[tgmjr777 0]

My overclock is fine, it's been at 4.2 for five years and running strong, never changed it, never will. It works great. 

My CPU is a 5730k i7, I mispoke early on and said it was a 5930k i7, it's a 5730k i7. Sorry; anyway, I have never changed the overclock.

I do find my GPU and CPU run about 10-15 degrees cooler on P3D versus XP11.31 though.

Interesting.

[tgmjr777 0]

Amazing, I've started P3D for the last 4 days successfully after having all these issues, then today, after doing NO updates to my computer or anything (my updates are set to notify me) I followed my usual routine that has been working over the last 4 days, after having ALL these P3D v.4.4 issues, and BAM, same old problems.

I mean really?

So from what I can gather, P3D version 4.4 at least absolutely sucks, its absurd and ridiculous and the most unstable platform I have EVER seen.

If you even get it to work, after deleting generated files, farting with dll.xml files, blah, blah, blah, blah, with only having Chase Plane and the 737 PMDG base package, you lose all your settings and have to spend a bunch of time screwing with getting options and settings back, hotas, throttles, views.

Really? I mean all this foolishness to get a $60 software bundle to work? Really? Pathetic man, pathetic.

Who is the heck wants to spend the hours on end researching P3D fixes just to get it to work?

Man, I can't uninstall and ask for my $60 bucks back quick enough. Too bad I spent $89 on PMDG and $40 on Chase Plane. I would pay that $200 just to get it all off my computer, but I'll make sure of that issue.

I just can't believe how we can put man on the moon and send ICBMs across the word within 2 feet and can not get P3D v.4.4 to work. Insane, really.

Honesty guys, after using XP for over 6 years, its back to XP 11.31 and my trusty Zibo, screw P3D in it's entirety, P3D is the MOST unstable thing I have ever seen in my 53 years on this earth, absolutely ridiculous.

Everyting works like a charm with XP, no issues whatsoever, and I get smooth 75 fps, opens, sims great, hotas works, settings don't change or get lost or have to be deleted, the program opens, my plugins work and honestly, it looks much better.

For me its about the experience, not a comparison, BUT read into what you want, most people see and hear what they want, and in the forums read what they want. 

I started with an open honest attempt, and man, P3D sucks!!

Thanks for the help, I wish you guys the very best of luck, but I have NEVER had this amount of frustration with XP, EVER!!

Experimenting is OVER, GO XP11!!!