What a saga. I installed some software for a monitor calibrator that I borrowed from a friend. It caused a blue screen loop that I couldn't fix (no Windows access other than safe mode). So eventually I had to reinstall Windows and that meant reinstalling all my apps again. I reinstalled MFS from Game Pass and interestingly it remembered things like my controller settings and past flights. But the scenery is now looking like low even though it's using the ultra settings. The main issue is that there are hardly any trees. Also loads of things weren't downloaded (most of the game by the looks of it) and had to be manually downloaded in the content manager. It had all been plain sailing for me before, not a hitch, and now I'm caught up in the install mess that this game seems to be for so many people. Performance is looking to be a bit degraded as well.

Does anyone know if there is a way to check the integrity of the game files, like in Steam?

Make sure you have Bing streaming data set to “on” in the settings. There were some reports that this option changed itself to “off” after the latest patch, resulting in awful graphics.

Yes, I checked that the streaming was set on. I even tried turning it off and then on again in case it needed a reminder. I tried using each of the pre-set graphics settings but to no avail. Tried the repair function within Windows but I suspect that only inspects the MFS wrapper program. So I've regrettably uninstalled (and experienced the truly stupid uninstall that just removes the wrapper and not the actual sim) and am currently re-installing (with reboots between each step). Fingers crossed....

As an aside, I wonder if Asobo had anything to do with this install process or if it was dictated by MS. The whole install/uninstall for the sim has been one of the big issues with it for many and really has an armature feel to it.

3 hours ago, Bottle said:

Does anyone know if there is a way to check the integrity of the game files, like in Steam?

This is it for steam, but I could find no windows store or Gamepass equivalent. Apparently MS store and Gamepass files are too heavily encrypted.

STEAM

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016125019-How-to-repair-or-remove-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-on-Steam

MICROSOFT STORE

If you installed the game from the Microsoft Store, you'll only be able to completely uninstall and reinstall the game.  Be sure to back up your save files to another location.  Instructions for save file location can be found here.

EPIC GAME STORE

• Navigate to the game in your Library and click on the cog icon.
• Once open, click Verify in the drop-down navigation.
• After the verification, the launch option appears. Click Launch.

Edited October 4, 20205 yr by HiFlyer

No luck on a reinstall. Still only like 10% of the trees are present. All grass strips are missing. Although it downloaded and installed 95Gb, in the content manager it shows only about 80Gb and a whole lot of the content has to be manually downloaded. Just as well I spent only £1 on Game Pass.

 

Will uninstall it tomorrow, cancel Game Pass, get on with real life and maybe try it again in a year or so. Utter armature PoS.

1 hour ago, HiFlyer said:

 

STEAM

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016125019-How-to-repair-or-remove-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-on-Steam

 

It appears there are many reports of the Steam file integrity check erasing critical files resulting in re-installing MSFS.

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/steam-version-and-packages-folder-content-deleting/286450

3 minutes ago, Noncon said:

It appears there are many reports of the Steam file integrity check erasing critical files resulting in re-installing MSFS.

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/steam-version-and-packages-folder-content-deleting/286450

I just try to keep in mind that with tens of thousands of users, only a handful seem to be reporting this issue.

Hopefully when trying it one should hope its not their unlucky day!

One last afternoon spent on this. Looks almost certain that I'm stuck on offline mode. Nothing I can do will fix it. Reset system network connection, turned modem and router off and on again, reset windows firewall (I'm not using any others), no antivirus other than Windows is being used, checking the whole system is up to date, etc. etc. Everything else in the sim is fine except it simply won't download the Bing maps data. For a while I thought it might be the teredo business which was showing as unavailable in Xbox networking, but now that's miraculously fixed itself, but no change for MSF. Deeply frustrating and disappointing. 😞

 

It sounds like you've had a helluva time with it Bottle but it's got to be something really simple.

Are you getting LIVE weather in sim?

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by Will Fly For Cheese

Good call. I just checked and there's no live weather data in the G1000 (no wind data in the PFD and 0 knots and a twitching arrow in the MFD). I also set live traffic and all players with name plates enabled, but the sky is completely clear of anything.

It's odd since the program can download itself and missing modules, but isn't able to connect for anything else.

Does anyone know if there's a connection config file buried somewhere? I wonder if a setting or two has been "jammed".

I also noticed that on reinstall all my controller mappings and past flights are still in place. I tried to clear out any residual files between installs in C:AppData/Roaming and Local but it all comes back on reinstall. During the install there's a fraction of a second flash of a sync window, so I think this information is stored somewhere in the cloud and gets sucked back out. I wonder if there's a way to find that and delete it.

At the moment the sim is only good for flying above overcast, which is less than satisfactory. All my digits are crossed that the next update fixes it.

Right, Bottle - do the following. This is a low bandwidth fix I discovered - my Mobile Data is appalling at the moment; 2-6 Mb/s - that will force MSFS to open all ports to outside DATA.

However, regardless of your connection speed it forces the sim to download optioned data immediately.

You have to do this exactly in this sequence.

1) Load a new Flight anywhere, any aircraft, any airfield, etc.

2) You can skip the Cinematics and plonk yourself in Cockpit View as soon as able.

3) Wait a moment or so - say 20 seconds.

4) Press ESC.

5) Options ---> DATA --->

6) Now, if you have Bing Maps ENABLED - turn it off - if you don't and it's OFF already leave it off.

7) Then, top line of DATA Options "Online Functionality" if it's OFF slide it ON then OFF then ON.

If it' s already ON, slide it OFF then ON.

 

8) Then Bing Data World Graphics turn ON.

9) Then hit GO BACK at bottom of screen, "okay" it to Apply the settings - and it might take up to a couple of minutes to Apply them.

10) Then RESUME.

 

Just make sure you do it in that exact order or it won't work. Especially in regard to sliding settings OFF and ON in the correct order.

That's it. I hope this works.

EDIT; It's possible that when you RESUME the flight you'll be faced with a sea of blue in front of the aircraft but this will (depending on your connection speed) be replaced by the Bing Textures after a few moments.

 

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by Will Fly For Cheese

Thank you so much for taking the time to write that out. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately, I tried it, plus a few variants just for good measure but all to no avail. At this stage I really am going to put my toy back in its box and move on.

On 10/5/2020 at 1:28 AM, Bottle said:

Also loads of things weren't downloaded (most of the game by the looks of it) and had to be manually downloaded in the content manager.

That's a sign of a corrupted installation (ie. when you installed, it didn't install all the core game files correctly).  You shouldn't need to download things again in the content manager, if they are core game files.  The exception would be things like 3rd party downloads (ie. Orbx scenery that you purchased), the Japan scenery, etc, that are not core game files.

If your core game files didn't download/install correctly, and you have to manually download/install it, then you have a corrupted installation.  You need to do a clean uninstall, and then a clean install again: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360016125019-How-to-repair-or-remove-Microsoft-Flight-Simulator-on-Steam

Edited October 5, 20205 yr by abrams_tank

Yes, something was definitely wrong with it. It downloads and installs 95 Gb, but then shows only 83 Gb of files installed and needs another 20 Gb to be manually downloaded through the content manager. So something is definitely screwy. The problem is, I've done three clean uninstalls and reinstalls already with the same result each time. The repair function only works on the launcher program. Plus the files they state you need to clean up afterwards aren't all of the remnants lying around the system so I'm not sure I trust the MS web site all that much.

I strongly suspect the problem has arisen due to the unfixable blue screen I got due to some completely unrelated software install, which forced me to reinstall Windows from the recovery screen and that "uninstalled" the game. Quite likely it messed something up somewhere hidden and only for MFS (just my luck) as everything else has reinstalled just fine and is working fine. My absolute last resort is to remove everything and fully format the disk and then reinstall Windows from a USB.

10 minutes ago, Bottle said:

It downloads and installs 95 Gb, but then shows only 83 Gb of files installed and needs another 20 Gb to be manually downloaded through the content manager.

That's actually normal, now.