2 hours ago, Mace said:

This is why tools like Addon Linker are so useful.  You can disable all of them with a click.

I think that for those that are having problems, just maybe they should try removing Add-On Linker. Don’t be so naive to rule it out as the culprit. It is interacting with both Windows and the sim. Everyone is raving about it yet I have 100GB on add-ons in my Community Folder, I do not use a linker program and my sim is rock solid. Add-on Linker might knock 15-30 seconds off your loading time but who’s to say it is not also the source of these CTD’s. Think about it… when the sim calls for data Add-on Linker is the interface that feeds that data to it. 
 

Just throwing it out there as an idea….

3 hours ago, RaptyrOne said:

I think that for those that are having problems, just maybe they should try removing Add-On Linker. Don’t be so naive to rule it out as the culprit. It is interacting with both Windows and the sim. Everyone is raving about it yet I have 100GB on add-ons in my Community Folder, I do not use a linker program and my sim is rock solid. Add-on Linker might knock 15-30 seconds off your loading time but who’s to say it is not also the source of these CTD’s. Think about it… when the sim calls for data Add-on Linker is the interface that feeds that data to it. 
 

Just throwing it out there as an idea….

I don't think you understand what Addon Linker does, because it doesn't interact with the sim, at all, so it would be rather impossible for it to cause a CTD in MSFS.  It just creates a symbolic link in Windows that points from one folder location to another.  It doesn't need to be running when you use the sim.  It is not the "interface" to anything in MSFS.  The sim doesn't call it, or even know it exists.  It's more like a shortcut on your desktop.  It's pretty safe to say Addon Linker is not a cause of a CTD's in MSFS, unless how Windows works in general is a cause of a CTD.

1 hour ago, Sigwolf said:

unless how Windows works in general is a cause of a CTD.

Yes, this is more what I was thinking. You are right, not using it, I don’t know enough about it but I know it is in wide use. If the sim calls for the files (an add-on) and through that symbolic link, does not get it fast enough, or as it expects it, maybe because Windows is doing its own thing, a case for CTD. In other words more a Windows/sim relationship thing. The link is an extra process in the chain. Sim goes to shortcut, and shortcut redirects to file location. Without the linker, sim just goes to file.
 

As I said earlier just throwing it out there.

 

Make sure to get current with Windows updates before running MSFS is my own rule.

Regards

bs

12 minutes ago, RaptyrOne said:

Yes, this is more what I was thinking. You are right, not using it, I don’t know enough about it but I know it is in wide use. If the sim calls for the files (an add-on) and through that symbolic link, does not get it fast enough, or as it expects it, maybe because Windows is doing its own thing, a case for CTD. In other words more a Windows/sim relationship thing. The link is an extra process in the chain. Sim goes to shortcut, and shortcut redirects to file location. Without the linker, sim just goes to file.
 

As I said earlier just throwing it out there.

 

The only problem being that you, admittedly, don't even know how a program actually works, yet feel confident warning people away from it as a source of CTD's?  Despite having no evidence that users of said program are experiencing CTD's at a rate any higher than those that don't use it?  Because you don't use it and don't have CTD's, Addon Linker is obviously the source?  What about the people that use the program and also don't experience CTD's?  Maybe it's because some people run MSFS by clicking a link a link on their desktop instead of running it through Steam or the XBox app... or maybe they need to use File Explorer to navigate to the install directory and run the EXE directly?  That seems pretty darn unlikely, much like trying to correlate it to a utility that doesn't even run while the sim is running.

You repeatedly say "just throwing it out there", perhaps without realizing you could be steering new people away from a very useful program that may benefit them, with no evidence to do so.  By that count, maybe it's people who downloaded their addons with Firefox or Chrome, instead of Edge?  There's no evidence to support that, but maybe?

IOW if you run a Windows PC you need to think like Basil Rathbone and not Inspector LaStrad.

bs

Edited August 22, 20214 yr by bean_sprout

3 hours ago, RaptyrOne said:

Yes, this is more what I was thinking. You are right, not using it, I don’t know enough about it but I know it is in wide use. If the sim calls for the files (an add-on) and through that symbolic link, does not get it fast enough, or as it expects it, maybe because Windows is doing its own thing, a case for CTD. In other words more a Windows/sim relationship thing. The link is an extra process in the chain. Sim goes to shortcut, and shortcut redirects to file location. Without the linker, sim just goes to file.
 

As I said earlier just throwing it out there.

 

RaptyrOne, no offense, but you don’t seem to know much about software development (this is my impression since I am a software developer). First you speculated the Addon Linker interacts with the sim, but the Addon linker does not interact directly with the sim. Next, you say “If the sim calls for the files (an add-on) and through that symbolic link, does not get it fast enough,” that is like kind of like made up conjecture.  I have not heard of software that does not “get” the file contents fast enough, nor am I aware of file I/O libraries in C++ or C that behave this way, which is likely what Asobo are using.  I think you are making stuff up and it’s not helpful. Sigwolf also seems to be inferring that you’re out of your depth as well..

I think it’s best to stay within your own area of expertise when you offer advice, or at least let people know your background when you speculate (ie. if you speculate, just say you’re not a software developer or an IT person).   If you speculate outside your area of expertise like the above, you add more confusion to the issue.

Edited August 22, 20214 yr by abrams_tank

11 hours ago, Mace said:

FSX didn't really have this problem because it was a non-changing platform after circa 2007 or so with Acceleration, or after circa 2013-14 with FSX:SE.

Yup, FSX had few patches (the original version released by Microsoft at least, not sure if the Steam version was patched later).  And if my recollection is correct, the last patch for the original version of FSX released by Microsoft, was 2008 or 2009, I think.  Also, FSX had very few patches between 2006 and 2009.

Because FSX wasn’t patched after the last patch came out for it, and it had very few patches, that would have helped the stability of add-ons.

6 hours ago, Sigwolf said:

The only problem being that you, admittedly, don't even know how a program actually works, yet feel confident warning people away from it as a source of CTD's?

Nope you are very wrong. I made it very clear it is just an idea. Use it, don’t use it. Just trying to help with ideas.

3 hours ago, abrams_tank said:

RaptyrOne, no offense, but you don’t seem to know much about software development (this is my impression since I am a software developer).

LOL, I am not a software developer or software engineer, no. However I can make Microsoft Excel do things using Visual Basic code that ran a real world commercial airlines entire flight operations, flight planning and aircraft performance department for several years, approved by the CAA. So, no, I am not a software developer or a programmer but software developers have exclaimed “how the heck did you do that?!) a few times. Happy to share some of the many 1000’s of lines of VB script if you doubt me. Drop me PM if you feel the urge. Promise I will oblige.

Sharing IDEA’S is not welcome today though, so see ya all in another, happier thread, not visiting this one again. No offence taken and I hope none received.

Just a warning to all other Avsim’ers - do not offer up ideas on CTD’s and other sim issues in these forums unless you are a certified software developer/engineer/programmer. You will be told off and advised to get back in your box.😉

49 minutes ago, RaptyrOne said:

Nope you are very wrong. I made it very clear it is just an idea. Use it, don’t use it. Just trying to help with ideas.

LOL, I am not a software developer or software engineer, no. However I can make Microsoft Excel do things using Visual Basic code that ran a real world commercial airlines entire flight operations, flight planning and aircraft performance department for several years, approved by the CAA. So, no, I am not a software developer or a programmer but software developers have exclaimed “how the heck did you do that?!) a few times. Happy to share some of the many 1000’s of lines of VB script if you doubt me. Drop me PM if you feel the urge. Promise I will oblige.

Sharing IDEA’S is not welcome today though, so see ya all in another, happier thread, not visiting this one again. No offence taken and I hope none received.

Just a warning to all other Avsim’ers - do not offer up ideas on CTD’s and other sim issues in these forums unless you are a certified software developer/engineer/programmer. You will be told off and advised to get back in your box.😉

Because it was very obvious you are talking out of your area of expertise.  I am not a licensed pilot and I have never even attended flight school and because of that, I would not make claims about real life flying.  So if it's out of the expertise of my area and if I feel my claims may confuse people, I will usually put a disclaimer so people know I am not an expert in that area (ie. I started a thread on the flight model of MSFS before but I made the disclaimer in the first post that "I am not aeronautical engineer and I do not know the details about the physics/mathematics involved for aerodynamics").

I think it's fine to try to help people.  However, some of the claims you made were incorrect so we (Sigwolf and I) had to correct you or else the more people would be confused, and I hope you understand that.  Perhaps you can put a disclaimer (such as I did that I am not an aeronautical engineer), so people will understand the context of your claims.  Especially when it comes to how the nature of software works, how add-ons work, and how MSFS works in this forum, expect to be fact checked by others who are more proficient in this area.

Edited August 22, 20214 yr by abrams_tank

Hi,

I've been using MSFS Addon Linker since October 2020. I've been having CTDs after some updates. Each time ASOBO fixes the issues the CTDs stop, with or without MSFS Addon Linker.

After SU5 and the two following HF I had tons of CTDs. I uninstalled everything, even MFSF Addon-linker, but the CTDs were there.

I reduced the CTDs adjusting the graphics, the NVIDIA panel, selecting just the airports that I have to use for each flight... 

Now, for instance, I have always a CTD when I fly around LEMD, Madrid Barajas. I've uninstalled that Asobo airport and installed again and no success, then uninstalled Microsoft Flight Simulator and installed it again. But no way! No add-ons whatsoever, no Addon Linker either, no nothing, but CTD!

I honestly don't think Addon Linker has anything to do with CTDs. If anyone can prove otherwise, let him prove it. But, please, don't speculate.

Regards.

Edited August 22, 20214 yr by John Fields

4 hours ago, RaptyrOne said:

Nope you are very wrong. I made it very clear it is just an idea. Use it, don’t use it. Just trying to help with ideas.

LOL, I am not a software developer or software engineer, no. However I can make Microsoft Excel do things using Visual Basic code that ran a real world commercial airlines entire flight operations, flight planning and aircraft performance department for several years, approved by the CAA. So, no, I am not a software developer or a programmer but software developers have exclaimed “how the heck did you do that?!) a few times. Happy to share some of the many 1000’s of lines of VB script if you doubt me. Drop me PM if you feel the urge. Promise I will oblige.

Sharing IDEA’S is not welcome today though, so see ya all in another, happier thread, not visiting this one again. No offence taken and I hope none received.

Just a warning to all other Avsim’ers - do not offer up ideas on CTD’s and other sim issues in these forums unless you are a certified software developer/engineer/programmer. You will be told off and advised to get back in your box.😉

The problem is not, and never was, offering ideas on CTD's.  The problem came from offering "ideas" about a program you haven't used, and clearly had no idea how it worked.  That's not offering ideas, that's making baseless speculation. 

On 8/21/2021 at 3:38 PM, RaptyrOne said:

I think that for those that are having problems, just maybe they should try removing Add-On Linker. Don’t be so naive to rule it out as the culprit. It is interacting with both Windows and the sim. Everyone is raving about it yet I have 100GB on add-ons in my Community Folder, I do not use a linker program and my sim is rock solid. Add-on Linker might knock 15-30 seconds off your loading time but who’s to say it is not also the source of these CTD’s. Think about it… when the sim calls for data Add-on Linker is the interface that feeds that data to it. 
 

Just throwing it out there as an idea….

Thanks for the idea, but it's wrong. Add-on linker does not "feed data" to the sim, it merely places links to selected addon files in Community. Moreover, since Add-on Linker does not reside in the MSFS program (it may not even be on the same drive), removing or not removing it from your computer can have no effect on MSFS. As for "knocking 15-30 seconds off loading time", this too is incorrect. Add-on linker can lower loading times by an enormous amount, depending on the files involved. Moral of the story: it helps to have some familiarity with a program before offering advice on it.

Edited August 24, 20214 yr by cobalt