Is this caused by FSx SP2??

[PhilTaylor 45]

did you by chance try SP2 with all sliders left, to see if that eliminated the problem? and then start advancing them to see when/where the problem starts?

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

Hello Barry,The problem is in fact caused by video memory exhaustion (really!)SP2 fixed a lot of things that were not working correctly, a lot more things than are listed in Phil's list on his web log. One of those is that FS + SP2 will now correctly display a lot of textures that had problems previously. The result seems to be that there are a lot more textures going to video memory and it is a lot easier to fill it, thus the spikes that you see, also ATC window and menus going dark, also easier to get the dread Blurries.So, SP2 fixed some texture problems and therefore exhausts video memory more easily. You have found an easy fix, and avoided the problem of video memory, but you no longer have all the SP2 fixes. Not a problem if you never notice the bugs.Happy flights.Luis

[barryward12345 0]

Louis I know that you and others are only trying to help- but I don't know how many times I have to say this. I used/use the programme called MEMSTATUS - this gives dynamic readings of your system RAM and Video RAM - how much you have available (taking into account even the amount of system RAM allocated to video via the system BIOS AGP setting), how much you are using right now and what the peak usage was.When I had SP2 installed, I adjusted my scenery settings such that the amount of video ram being used was only 180Mb ( I have a 256 MB card) - and the problem remained. I had the problem regardless of how much vid RAM I was using. Would you consider 180 MB usage from a 256 card to be "video exhaustion"??NOW - with SP2 removed - I can run FSx with ram usage figures around 300 MB ( total physical vid RAM plus some from system RAM) -- and I don't get the artifacts. Now , if I did in this case - I would accept the fact that the card has "video exhaustion" Now, whether I have "fixed" THE problem or not -- I have fixed MY problem. Stopped hitting my head against the wall - because it hurts - and the doctor told me to stop. Undoubtedly it would hurt again if I recommenced that action.Maybe SP2 doesn't like my brand of MOBO, VID CARD, system RAM - or perhaps the brand of red wine I am drinking at the time. I don't know. Barry

[timcook 0]

When I was playing with the /3GB/Userva=2560 setting in the boot.ini file, I had exactly the same problem when I made the number to large.

[sightseer 895]

Barry -I agree with you.I dont know what it is about SP2 that causes my system a problem but it does cause problems. It may very well be that SP2 has increased the load on my system so much that it cant handle it but I dont really notice all of those improvements. What I do notice is that I am apparently expected to drop all my addons (all I have is FEX) and get rid of my trees that I enjoy.FSX SP1 runs FANTASTICALLY WELL compared to SP2.It doesnt sound to me that you are suffering from 'VRAM exhaustion'. I'm not an expert though.One of these days I will surely try again with SP2. I will go through everything that I have thought of since my last attempt that might help. Hopefully it will. What I do wish is that everyone who has no problems with SP2 would quit telling those that do that it has nothing to do with SP2. It sounds kinda rediculous to say that the 1000 pound man who sat in the chair is not at all responsible for the breaking of that chair. It must be solely the chairs fault. I think the 1000 pound man had a substantial role to play.One of these days I'll have enough money to buy whatever it is that I need to buy to handle whatever it is that is in SP2. But I'd rather just fly SP1.

[LuisFelizTirado 33]

I understand, Bary, the terminology is somewhat vague and most of us here are not system experts, certainly not me. However, what you experience is certainly due to frame buffer overload on your graphics card, whether the VRAM is saturated or not.SP2 has changed the way FS handles textures, at least some of them. I have the same problems as you, but have chosen not to revert to SP1, because I clearly benefit from some of the new texture handling procedures, (and I believe that my complaints in the beta are in some part responsible for getting this change! But, please don't blame me - the developers make the final decisions.)Anyway, you are not wrong, but perhaps the changes in SP2 are not clearly understood by us, including myself. In all cases, SP2 did not introduce a new bug in this particular instance, but simply fixed some things that were not working, thus resulting in buffer overruns, it seems.Best regards.Luis

[Guest Easy Xjer]

Ive been having the same problem Ill try removing SP2 and see oif it goes away!!! thanks