marangog

More apologies (my head is spinning) The file running.lock was in users\%username%\appdata\roaming\microsoft flight simulator, not the main MSFS folder

Fppilot & Newtie: I found running.lock in my main MSFS folder, which for me is Program files\Steam\Steamapps\Common\Chucky. Adamski_NZ has pointed out that it forces MSFS to start in safe mode. Thanks for that, my fellow Kiwi! However, I did not put the file there, and I tried unsuccessfully to launch many times after the file date, never getting more than 20 seconds into the process. So maybe it was some other adjustment that I made which cleared the blockage. Or maybe the Steam version treats the file differently than the boxed version does.

Oops. RUNNING.lock, not RUNNER. Duh.

Just sharing my delight in getting MSFS to work again. I installed a slightly earlier driver (535.98) but that didn't make a difference. Then I stumbled on a file called RUNNER.LOCK dated 19.6.23 (when I crashed). I don't know how I didn't see it earlier. I disabled it, and BINGO! the splash screen appeared and Mandatory Update 1.33.8.0 popped up. The update began as about 134Mb I think, but quickly ballooned to 104 Gb - reinstalling all the Official Packages folder that I had disabled in order to get a plain vanilla version. Everything is more or less back to normal now, happily. I believe that the runner.lock file was the sole cause of my failure to launch and that there was no need to follow Asobo's "plain vanilla" advice. Please correct me if you know I am wrong. I wish that the use of a lock file was more public knowledge, either in Asobo's FAQs or perhaps as a forum sticky. Maybe it is, and if so I'd be grateful if someone here can show me where and how to look for that sort of thing.

I also got that message about updating my GPU driver to 535.79.0 or better. I continued to load the game and flew for a couple of minutes before CTD. I updated the driver to the latest (536.23 for my RTX 2070 super) but the relaunch crashed after only a few seconds (the black screen before the splash screens start). I tried to get help from Steam but got fobbed off. I followed the cleanup process to get a plain vanilla version, but the graphics just won't kick in. No problems with other Steam games or anything else on my PC. It's very annoying. I have 1400 hours flying in this game and now am locked out. I have used Stem diagnostics to check the integrity of my installed files. Do you think reinstalling would help?

Sorry for the delay here. My settings are: Graphics (slightly tweaked from the GE Force Experience OPTIMAL settings) windowed (easier to switch to Google Earth etc) 1920x1080 Global rendering - custom v-sync ON Frame rate limit - 60 (I regularly get framerates of 50+) Render scaling - 100 Anti Aliasing - TAA Terrain LOD - 125 Terrain vector - ULTRA Buildings - ULTRA Trees - LOW (it reduces the tree density too, which I prefer) Grass - LOW Objects LOD - 100 Clouds - LOW Texture resolution - HIGH Anistropic - 4x Texture supersampling - 2x2 Texture synthesis - MED Water waves - HIGH Shadow maps - 768 Terrain shadows - 512 Contact shadows - MED Windshield effects - LOW Ambient occlusion - MED Motion blur - OFF Lens correction - OFF Lens flare - ON Glass cockpit refresh - LOW AI (Not very interested in other activities) Aircraft traffic - OFF Show nameplates - OFF Airport life/ ground aircraft / worker - 50 Boats / vehicles / ships - 50 Fauna - 100 AI - OFF Traffic density - LOW DATA Online functionality - ON Bing Data - ON Photogrammetry - ON Live traffic - OFF Live weather - OFF Bandwidth unlimited (I have fast cable) Rolling cache - ON Rolling cache limit - 8GB I also have an IPS monitor with a 144GHz refresh rate and 1ms MPRT If there is anything there that you recommend changing, I'd be glad to give it a go. Though I want to repeat that I'm pretty happy with what I get now, and indeed if I had only understood that "Buy" concept better I would not have complained in the first place. Cheers

I looked at my BIOS but couldn't find any way to control the threads. However, your tip to monitor the usage was very handy. I used Task Manager (Processes) to report CPU speed and Ram usage as the game ran. CPU speed went up to 4.55GHz and was regularly over 4, so I guess Turbo boost is on my MoBo. I got 13Gb RAM at the Welcome screen, and around 14 even when skimming rooftops, with only rare small spikes showing pagefile access on the disk. Your other tip - slowing the sim speed - allowed me to enjoy the view better. I don't think it added details, but I am happy with the ultra buildings settings. So, I think I can wait for the prices to drop before doubling that RAM. Cheers

Success! I initially just clicked "Buy" assuming that the "checking for updates", two-minute startup time, and opening razzamatazz meant that the updates were actually downloaded. Not so. But when finally I added "Download" I finally got the improvements I had vainly expected two months ago. True, Bruce, slightly melted, but quite acceptable for me, and helped by Noel's suggestion to slow down the sim, I can now enjoy air tourism again.

Hey thanks for all the help everyone. Turns out that Glen and Moose were on the money - no I don't "own" either UK or France updates. Wow! Strangely enough, I do own the earlier Japan update, but have no recollection of "buying" it. I will correct that omission now and post the results. Good advice, Bandyka. I don't actually have any overclocking. If I do upgrade my RAM, I'll report what happens.

Thanks, Farlis and Glen, but I do have all updates installed. Steam won't allow me to play unless I choose to download the updates. Contents manager lists various planes, bush trips, training sessions, and airports plus a 79Gb Core content of mandatory packages. I could delete all except the last one, or download any that are marked as Not installed. But there is no option to install anything. In an early attempt to solve this problem, I re-downloaded the full 165Gb package from Steam. I'm thinking the problem is shortage of memory. I can't afford a better video card. Doubling the RAM would be relatively cheap, but it would be a waste if the Arc de Triomphe is still an ugly hotel building. I'm hoping there is someone out there with a machine similar to mine and with similar expectations of MSFS.

Hi, I can't get the London or Paris photogrammetry, though Brussels for example is fine. My specs are RTX 2070 super 8gb i7-9700 @ 3.00GHz 16Gb RAM (2666) I was wondering if increasing my RAM to 32Gb would help. Also, are there any in-game tweaks to save memory (not VRAM or Pagefile)? I have used Contents manager to remove jets, and would be happy not to load any airports/challenges if that would free more memory - and if it is possible. I bought MSFS mainly for the scenery it promised. Any help here would be appreciated.

Post script: minimal display settings turned out to be too basic to enjoy. I upped them a couple of notches but it kept crashing at medium high (still not very good) and in fact blue-screened me just after switching resolution. So I'm going to have to reinstall.....

Back in the air again! I tried changing my Display-scenery settings to minimal and bingo! The cause is still a bit of a mystery though - I have been using Gb-sized photolayers with autogen for years at high settings. True, it would occasionally freeze, but Options-unpause always fixed it. Maybe my RAM is getting tired. (I do have MSFS on brand new hardware, but FSX is will be "Old Yeller" for some time to come.)

Thanks, HighBypass, but it's not Steam. I tried your helpful suggestion, Overspeed3, but it didn't work for me.

My faithful FSX is suddenly misbehaving. It loads to the main menu, but when I choose a flight it loads terrain data up to 69%, announces "loading autogenerated scenery" and then crashes. Before that, I had just uninstalled some old programs/addons. I used an UNdelete application to see if anything had been deleted from my FSX folder or Appdata, but didn't find anything. I tried a system restore without luck. I have retried FSX with a very basic configuration, with the same results. Does anyone know what FSX is looking for at loadpoint 69? My actual world/scenery & texture files are intact; could it be a misplaced .dll perhaps?

Sorry in advance - this is probably an old chestnut but I'm having no luck with my forum searches. Here's my problem. My freeware Agusta 109a helicopter is unresponsive when I first select it in FSX. I have to slew, rise up and unslew to crash it. From then on it works perfectly, including subsequent landings and takeoffs. I've also had this same problem with some other freeware helicopters. Is there a simple fix, perhaps in aircraft.cfg, for this?