Win 10 2004 and 1.7.14.0 = always stuck on blue bar.

[Dylanear 26]

I've been running fine in general since launch day, with some random crashes to desktop while flying and the Marketplace greyed out being my only complaints. So this weekend I launch the app with 1.7.14.0 applied for the first time and see the Marketplace was still grey so I figure I'll try a full reinstall. I uninstall (Steam). I delete all files in the install directory and packages directory. I then install Windows 10 update 2004 since I've been on 1909 for ages and had been meaning to get up to date for months. Windows update goes fine, check I have the latest Game Ready drivers, reinstall MSFS2020.

On the first start it sticks near the end of the blue bar on the loadscreen. And then every single time I try opening it sticks at that same point. I re-installed many times, I tried moving the install to C: (was on E: last it worked), then back to E. Countless re-starts, always the same thing, stuck on the blue bar at the same point. Tried deleting the various files in Users/<user>/AppData many times. Etc. Etc. From noon to 10:30 PM I kept trying anything I could think of. My "Hours Played" in Steam went from 13 hours to 20 hours just from constantly trying to start the application, never once actually got into the sim. 

So either 1.7.14.0 is broken for me, or Windows 10 update 2004 is problematic or both. The only thing I can think of now is to try uninstalling the 2004 Windows update or just waiting for the next patch/version of Flight Simulator. I can not express my frustration bordering on rage for my wasted one day off this week. Get your s--t together Microsoft/Asobo! I feel I've paid good money to be an alpha tester for them, this isn't even beta quality. Which I'd be happy to do if they called it alpha/beta testing and not a finished product. 

Anyone else have any problems when going from an earlier version of Windows 10 to the 2004 update? Or has anyone had trouble starting after the 1.7.14.0 update who was running more or less fine before that?

[wim123 765]

never change something that works.

[Dylanear 26]

"never change something that works."

Believe me I have nothing but regret that I uninstalled now. But it didn't entirely "work" before either. Many many crashes to desktop while flying and I only got into the Marketplace the first time I ran the sim, it never let me in after that. So it worked a lot better than it does now, which is not at all, but it wasn't working perfectly before either. 

[wim123 765]

the whole windows has become so complex, always there are issues with these big updates .

i am still on 1909 and stay there, until i am forced over.

no issues here, no ctd's, hardly any stutters..install went smooth.

so many pc's there are with different hardware , drivers. software.

it doesnt surprise me there are issues, but it has to be said also several 100 k users fly without much troubles.

[Dylanear 26]

Well, I may revert back to 1909. I've never tried uninstalling a major Windows update so I have my fears that's going to be it's own mess. But I am desperate at this point, I don't have anything else to try. I can't install MSFS2020 with the original version as far as I l know. So the only thing I can change back to when it was working is the OS version. 

When is the next MSFS2020 patch/update due??!! I am heartbroken, deeply frustrated and trying to not be enraged over this situation. I was one of those 100k users without much troubles UNTIL yesterday. Now I can't fly at all. 

[abrams_tank 7,500]

43 minutes ago, Dylanear said:

 I delete all files in the install directory and packages directory. 

Did you use File Explorer to delete MSFS? 

Because MSFS likely has registry settings and possibly even hidden files/folders that you are not aware of if you physically deleted it yourself with File Explorer.  I hope you uninstalled the official way, either using Steam's uninstall, or using the steps at: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016125019-How-to-repair-or-remove-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-on-Steam.  

If you revert back to 1909 but the registry settings are still there, and/or the hidden files/folders are still there, you may still have problems.  At this point, you should go to the official MSFS forums and seek further help.https://forums.flightsimulator.com/

[CJ1045 469]

I am running 2004 and 1.7.14 no problem at all

 

CJ

[Dylanear 26]

Thanks for that report CJ1045. Good data point to have. Maybe reverting to 1909 will not help and be it's own pain in the rear. 

I do think this is a MSFS2020 issue, not an OS issue, but I'm at my wit's end. I don't know anything else to try. Reinstalling over and over and restarting the application over and over certainly has not helped. 

Edited September 7, 2020 by Dylanear

[Dylanear 26]

I guess I'll just make a report over at Zendesk and pray for the next patch or something. 

[Dylanear 26]

37 minutes ago, abrams_tank said:

Did you use File Explorer to delete MSFS? 

Because MSFS likely has registry settings and possibly even hidden files/folders that you are not aware of if you physically deleted it yourself with File Explorer.  I hope you uninstalled the official way, either using Steam's uninstall, or using the steps at: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016125019-How-to-repair-or-remove-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-on-Steam.  

If you revert back to 1909 but the registry settings are still there, and/or the hidden files/folders are still there, you may still have problems.  At this point, you should go to the official MSFS forums and seek further help.https://forums.flightsimulator.com/

I've tried uninstalling every which way, but yes, started with the official instructions. I did uninstall with Steam first. I did use file explorer to delete additional files, but have show all file, show protected OS files, etc, turned on. I have thought about exploring what I might be able to find/delete in the registry, but haven't found any posts/comments about people doing that. I guess that's worth a go tonight when I'm home from my 12+ hour day at work. 

Yeah, I'll get a report in at the Flight Simulator forums and Zendesk. 

[abrams_tank 7,500]

7 minutes ago, Dylanear said:

I've tried uninstalling every which way, but yes, started with the official instructions. I did uninstall with Steam first. I did use file explorer to delete additional files, but have show all file, show protected OS files, etc, turned on. I have thought about exploring what I might be able to find/delete in the registry, but haven't found any posts/comments about people doing that. I guess that's worth a go tonight when I'm home from my 12+ hour day at work. 

Yeah, I'll get a report in at the Flight Simulator forums and Zendesk. 

Messing with registry settings is always a risk.  If you delete the wrong registry settings, you can really mess up your computer.  So if you are firm in your decision to delete registry settings, you should go to the official MSFS forums and search for which registry settings to delete before you actually do it: https://forums.flightsimulator.com/

In theory, if you uninstall it using the instructions at https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016125019-How-to-repair-or-remove-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-on-Steam, the uninstall process should have deleted the folders for you and also cleaned the registry settings for you as well.  Now I don't use Steam - I use the Windows Store version.  I would have thought Steam would also delete the correct files & folders for you, and also cleaned up your registry.  But I'm new with Steam too so I can't really comment on how bulletproof Steam's uninstall is.

 

Edited September 7, 2020 by abrams_tank

[Dylanear 26]

Generally my experience with Steam games has been very trouble free, many games over many years. MSFS2020 is the first nightmare I've had. 

Yeah, I haven't done anything with the registry because I haven't seen any specific conversations about that. But I believe you can search the registry for key words like "flight". 

Steam cleans up it's directories when you uninstall, but it does not remove the files in the User account directory. That I've done manually. 

[RaptyrOne 1,462]

1 hour ago, Dylanear said:

Well, I may revert back to 1909. I've never tried uninstalling a major Windows update so I have my fears that's going to be it's own mess. But I am desperate at this point, I don't have anything else to try. I can't install MSFS2020 with the original version as far as I l know. So the only thing I can change back to when it was working is the OS version. 

Yup, more than likely reverting now will result in a way bigger mess. Don’t do it. Save yourself a ton of issues. Backup your files. Download the latest Win 2004 installer from MS onto a USB. Format your C drive. Fresh install Win 2004. Install sim. Pretty darn sure your woes will be history.

From the time you finish backing up and downloading Windows to a USB, until you have a clean and perfect, uncorrupted Windows installation = 10 minutes. Then install the sim while you sleep. In the morning all will be good.Or you can continue to fault find and roll back to 1909 and continue to suffer the vagaries and mysteries of the PC universe. Until you decide to take my advice. 😉
 

I am running Win10 - 2004 and the sim is running like a dream. I did not update 1904 to 2004. I did as I suggest here, installed a clean copy of 2004.

Edited September 7, 2020 by RaptyrOne

[slait 169]

I'll be interested to hear how this turns out for you. I had this same issue all the way through alpha/beta testing and it never got resolved for me. It's one of the reasons I haven't bought the release version yet.

[Dylanear 26]

This is not a dedicated flight sim machine. This is my general PC and it's got a lot of important apps and various set ups on it. A full reinstall of the OS is days and days of full time work to get everything set back up. That's simply not happening any time soon. 

Sorry to hear that Slait. Very worrisome. I've paid for the sim and the deluxe/premium content and it was more or less working before the patch and my reinstall attempts. So the idea this may be unresolvable for the indeterminate future is deeply frustrating.