ATC window disappeared - any tips please?

[AUA425 130]

20 hours ago, robert young said:

Many thanks to both of you. It did download a fresh folder on start up but unfortunately the ATC window is still not there (greyed out) and the reset button does nothing. I confirm have enabled ATC in options. I wonder if there is another folder that also controls ATC, or is linked to it, that might be corrupted or missing?

This folder perhaps:

fs-base-ingamepanel-controls  ?

no I have additonal one

"myfolder\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore\fs-base-ingamepanhels-atc"

 if you are missing this folder then we know anyway where the problem is !

[robert young 2,897]

2 hours ago, AUA425 said:

no I have additonal one

"myfolder\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore\fs-base-ingamepanhels-atc"

 if you are missing this folder then we know anyway where the problem is !

Thanks, but I re-downloaded that one too. Still no luck. After looking around there are a lot of people with this strange issue. Some manage to fix it, some not, and the solutions range from flying on easy assistance all on, then off, to several reboots, to flying around then landing, to a complete re-install. I'm trying to avoid the nightmare of the last one!

Edited September 21, 2020 by robert young

[Andreas Stangenes 1,628]

Did you reinstall windows?

 

 

JK

[Phantoms 800]

On the same install one profile has it and the other doesn't?  That seems to indicate it's tied to the profile and not a glitch in the software. Why one profile would have it grayed out and another not though, I don't know.

[robert young 2,897]

2 hours ago, Andreas Stangenes said:

Did you reinstall windows?

Oh very funny....

[robert young 2,897]

1 hour ago, Phantoms said:

On the same install one profile has it and the other doesn't?  That seems to indicate it's tied to the profile and not a glitch in the software. Why one profile would have it grayed out and another not though, I don't know.

That's interesting. I haven't any knowledge on profiles. Can I create a new one and retain all my controller setups from the previous profile?

[Phantoms 800]

Sorry Robert, I was responding to a post by NZ_Pilot and forgot to quote him.

As for profiles, if you have more than one (Xbox or Microsoft ) then you can try clicking on your profile picture in the top right on the main menu and signing out, then sign in as the other profile and see if anything is different.

[robert young 2,897]

4 hours ago, Phantoms said:

Sorry Robert, I was responding to a post by NZ_Pilot and forgot to quote him.

As for profiles, if you have more than one (Xbox or Microsoft ) then you can try clicking on your profile picture in the top right on the main menu and signing out, then sign in as the other profile and see if anything is different.

Ah ok thanks. 

EDIT: Solved!

No need to create another xbox/microsoft profile. If you have Steam, go to Program files x86 Steam (or wherever your main Steam folder is).

Then find the folder "Userdata" - then 47049580/120410

You will see a file named "profile_00

Make a backup copy "profile_orig 00" then delete the original. Start FS 2020 and it will generate a new user profile (a bit like FSX would do). Navigate the menus and set up your preferences. The good thing is that all of your saved control settings can be retrieved in the controls menu.

Eh Voila - my ATC window is restored. I can only guess something got corrupted in the original profile.

Edited September 22, 2020 by robert young

[robert young 2,897]

On 9/21/2020 at 1:13 AM, robert young said:

 

 

Edited September 22, 2020 by robert young

[bobcat999 8,483]

I am glad you have found it - and thanks for reporting back with the fix! 👍

One of the saddest thing I see (relating to software bugs) is people who completely reinstall Windows or gigabytes of game data all of the time out of sheer desperation.

The answer quite often lies with a little config file or config error somewhere.

I sometimes think people are given an unnecessary run around by being told to 'completely reinstall' stuff that takes ages.  Even after doing this, a lot of the config files are saved elsewhere anyway, and the new install simply loads them back in.  I have heard of people completely reformatting SSD's out of desperation!

Strange how a corrupted profile can make just the ATC window go missing, but there have been some strange things happening with MSFS.  Probably some of the strangest issues I have ever seen.  I sometimes think someone is having a bit of joke with us! 😄

Edited September 22, 2020 by bobcat999

[pjs37 319]

Good news indeed glad you got it working.  Bizarre big but a fixed one now at least!  Hopefully this will help someone in the future.

[Phantoms 800]

Robert, I'm glad you got it sorted. It's a good thing NZ_Pilot posted about it or we'd probably be going for ages still trying to figure it out.

[robert young 2,897]

2 hours ago, bobcat999 said:

I am glad you have found it - and thanks for reporting back with the fix! 👍

One of the saddest thing I see (relating to software bugs) is people who completely reinstall Windows or gigabytes of game data all of the time out of sheer desperation.

Yes, and you can tell that when support answers (from microsoft to some well-known third party fs developers) routinely tell you to completely re-install something (P3d/FSX/Windows) they are being lazy, avoidant and desperate. I have never found a single glitch or bug fixed by re-installing anything so fundamental. It is nearly always a cfg file, a tweak that did not work, a small corrupt file or a plain bug or setting.

For example I recently tweaked an FS2020 flight model cfg file and saved it with a comma missing in one line. The sim crashed and then would not restart. Which is why it is important to keep meticulous records of what you tweaked! Lucky I found the tiny syntax error and all was well. 

 

[robert young 2,897]

6 minutes ago, Phantoms said:

Robert, I'm glad you got it sorted. It's a good thing NZ_Pilot posted about it or we'd probably be going for ages still trying to figure it out.

Yup. It took ages to find that post and I should have acknowledged it. I confirm it is not my discovery. Thanks NZ_Pilot.

[NZ_Pilot 1]

Yes thanks Robert, I just need to find where the profile is stored for Microsoft Store Installs.