TLDR: After sorting some hardware issues (new motherboard and CPU), I have lost all aircraft sounds, both internal and external. ATC sounds still work. 

Has a configuration file changed in some way perhaps? What should I check? 

I’ve read there are issues with Intel’s Alder Lake CPUs which mean it’s better to run them on Win11 (which I’ve yet to upgrade to), but this seems far too specific a problem for that. 

 

Here’s the long version, at least some of which is possibly to blame: 

 

After ordering and fitting a new motherboard - ASUS TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4 – and CPU – Intel Core i5-12400 - (the background to why I needed to is here), I then made the mistake of changing the drive letter of my G drive (HDD) to keep my SSD drive letters concurrent. I’d forgotten that MSFS core files are there (due to originally trialling MSFS in Game Pass, but that’s another old story which I got resolved. Doubt it's relevant). Of course, I couldn’t start MSFS or the other Game Pass-installed games residing on what had been G, so I changed the letter back to G, rebooted and signed out and back in to MS Store to start them properly.  

All was well until I got into MSFS. The small music clip started as usual (I have music disabled) but I had no menu sounds (no big deal) and no engine or cockpit sounds (e.g. hydraulics), very big deal. Everything else appears ok and the CPU is barely taxed. 

I used the Repair function for MSFS in Windows settings but that didn’t solve the issue. I don’t think a Windows repair (using the Media Creation Tool method) is likely to change anything. 

I also don’t think it’s an issue with the new mobo’s sound as sounds appeared fine in both Forza 7 and Forza Horizon 4. I also tried the headphone port instead of the speakers and the problem was the same in MSFS, ATC sounds but no aircraft noise. 

I’ve looked at the sound settings in the sim and all seems as it was before. I also checked the config files of a couple of aircraft after flying them to see if there was any reference to sounds being “False” rather than “True” but I couldn’t see anything which suggested something had been disabled. 

I have to assume it’s a main file in the sim which has been affected, but which one and where/how? 

 

 

Edited January 19, 20224 yr by 109Sqn
added product links, also typo

I have lost the internal engine sound since I did a re-install recently

I should probably tag you, @Bert Pieke, as you seem to have the knack for sorting my issues!😉

1 hour ago, 109Sqn said:

I should probably tag you, @Bert Pieke, as you seem to have the knack for sorting my issues!😉

Sorry, not this time  😉

7 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Sorry, not this time  😉

Then all hope is lost.😭

 

 

Thanks anyway.😊

This just gets better. On top of losing all aircraft sounds, I'm now getting CTDs more or less as soon as I start a roll down a runway, and that's in Safe Mode.🤯

The only change I've made between losing sounds and the CTDs was to enable XMP in the BIOS as my new mobo (see sig.) doesn't support 3600MhZ for some odd reason. Yet enable XMP and it automatically sets 3600.🤔 

So I guess I'll be disabling XMP to see if that stops the CTDs. Not convinced as all the monitor apps are showing everything well within parameters right up to (and after) the CTDs.

Well whatd'yaknow? It's the Windows Media Creation Tool to the rescue yet again!👍

After all else had failed, I tried it and, after an initial failure when it hung at 83%, I successfully ran it and I have the sounds back again. The first sign it had worked was I heard the clicking sound when navigating the MSFS main menu screen and the World Map. Once I began a flight, I could finally hear the aircraft sounds again. People talk of immersion breakers a lot, but no audible feedback of what you or your plane are doing is about as immersion breaking as you can get.😁

The only negative was the flight was a micro-stutter fest at 23-27fps, despite flying between small default airfields in the Cessna 152 aerobat. Hopefully that was a one-off.

12 hours ago, 109Sqn said:

So I guess I'll be disabling XMP to see if that stops the CTDs

Every flight with XMP enabled has resulted in a CTD shortly before or after take-off, so I have unfortunately decided it is the cause. It's a pity XMP can't be enabled/disabled from within Windows as I could simply switch it off before launching MSFS. It's just too inconvenient to have to reboot and enter the BIOS every time I decide I want to use the sim. I'll just have to leave the RAM running below its stock frequency, which is annoying as it did that fine with the Ryzen 5 3600 and MSI mobo I was previously using.

Computers, eh?! 🙄

13 hours ago, 109Sqn said:

The only change I've made between losing sounds and the CTDs was to enable XMP in the BIOS as my new mobo (see sig.) doesn't support 3600MhZ for some odd reason. Yet enable XMP and it automatically sets 3600

Latest Asus bios? Sometimes the bios adds XMP timing stability for certain speeds / sticks brands.

Edit - think this the latest for your MB (which notes improved DRAM stability)

TUF GAMING Z690-PLUS WIFI D4 | Motherboards | ASUS Gloabl

Edited January 21, 20224 yr by DylanM

44 minutes ago, DylanM said:

Latest Asus bios?

Hadn't thought of that. As the board is brand new, I assumed the BIOS was up to date. Armoury Crate says BIOS is 0601 and the new one is 0807. I'll check that's what it says within the BIOS to be certain and flash it to see if it helps. Thanks.🙂

Update:

The Plus - the BIOS updated to 0807 without any problems.

The Minuses - Enabling XMP still results in MSFS CTDs. A reboot of the PC (still with XMP) resulted in an immediate BSoD when it reached the desktop (first one ever on this PC).

                     - Flights are still constantly running with micro-stutters, even after disabling XMP again.

                     - FPS remain low, even in default mode at 21 - 23fps instead of 40+ like I had before the hardware upgrade.

 

I am now trying to manually increase the RAM frequency to find out when MSFS fails. First attempt was 2500MHz, which was no worse than the 2133MHz the mobo defaults my 3600MHz RAM to. Once I find the maximum MSFS will run at without a CTD (or worse performance than I'm currently getting), I'll stick to that. (Edit: 2700MHz seems to be the highest stable frequency for MSFS). But I also need to find out why my FPS has dropped so far.

Bearing in mind I've so far left everything else at default in the BIOS since I got this mobo, what is the current thinking on Hyperthreading - on or off? Just trying to think what might have changed between my previous (MSI X570 Tomahawk/AMD Ryzen 5 3600) setup and this. And, when should I cave and get Win11, seeing as the Alder Lake CPUs are supposed to get improved performance with it? ("after I have things more stable in MSFS" is probably the first part of that answer!).

Edited January 21, 20224 yr by 109Sqn

2 hours ago, 109Sqn said:

The Minuses - Enabling XMP still results in MSFS CTDs. A reboot of the PC (still with XMP) resulted in an immediate BSoD when it reached the desktop (first one ever on this PC).

That's frustrating. One thing to check - did you try loading setup defaults in bios after the update? Then set XMP on the next boot. The BSOD into Windows means there's still instability at the hardware / OS level.

And Win 11 is one of those things that Alder Lake will benefit from due to the scheduler being optimized for the cores. But perhaps do the update with XMP off so you can at least boot in once 🙃Also note that you'll need the latest chipset drivers for Win 11 to get the best out of the hardware.

Finally, may want to change the title of the thread if others could perhaps jump in.

16 minutes ago, DylanM said:

did you try loading setup defaults in bios after the update? Then set XMP on the next boot.

As I recall, I did it that way, yes. Update BIOS, reboot with standard settings. Reboot with XMP, MSFS CTD. Reboot with XMP, BSOD as soon as desktop appeared.

Would definitely leave XMP disabled when upgrading to Win11. Definitely hoping I can at least get rid of the microstutters in MSFS first, especially as they only appeared after I solved the original fault in this thread - the lack of aircraft sounds. Coincidence or not, that happened as soon as I installed the new mobo/cpu.

Thread title: don't think I can change that, so maybe time for a new thread as the original issue is solved, but referencing this one for continuity.