FSX won't run

[Paco]

Hey guys,

    So  I come home last night and tried to run FSX and got this.

Problem signature:
  Problem Event Name:   APPCRASH
  Application Name:   fsx.exe
  Application Version:   10.0.61637.0
  Application Timestamp:   46fadb14
  Fault Module Name:   visualfx.dll
  Fault Module Version:   10.0.61637.0
  Fault Module Timestamp:   46fadb59
  Exception Code:   c0000005
  Exception Offset:   00014857
  OS Version:   6.0.6002.2.2.0.768.3
  Locale ID:   1033

Additional information about the problem:
  LCID:   1033


    Any ideas?  I haven't touched or installed anything.  Obviously with all the add-ons I'd rather not do a complete re-install.  Any help would be appreciated.

/r,
Paco

[Razgriz]

I had the same thing for no reason... Change your fsx.cfg's name to fsx.cfg.bak in %appdata%/microsoft/fsx/


Then FSX will rebuild the fsx.cfg, and then for me, it ran, but the animations/views/everything were FUBAR and I had to reinstall.

[Paco]

Worked!  Thanks.  Now i have redo all my settings.

/r,
Paco

[Razgriz]

Once you get them configured you may want to save your graphics settings to prevent this.  You can grab some of them from your old fsx.cfg.  I don't know what corrupts it but it does.

[neutrino]

Great tip, Raz ! My FSX couldn't start no matter what I tried and I was about to reinstall, when I remembered this topic. So I tried what you suggested and FSX started immediately. I didn't let it remap my keyboard settings and the graphics settings were pretty easy to return.

[Orion]

Wait, what?  Why didn't you let it re-map?  Well, actually, I'm not sure if deleting your fsx.CFG resets your keyboard mappings, so maybe it isn't a problem.

Anyways, instead of deleting it, I'd recommend copying the contents of the [Trusted] section of your fsx.CFG to another file and saving it (as a backup), then removing it from the fsx.CFG.

What's in that section, I believe, are C++ gauges, and I'm not completely sure, but also things that load alongside FSX (stuff in the exe.xml and dll.xml files).  I believe, if a C++ gauge or .dll based addon crashes, it can bring down all of FSX with it - reason being that the SDK states "The recommended method of writing an add-on is to build it out-of-process, as an application (an .exe file) rather than in-process, as a library (a .dll file). This is because out-of-process applications provide more stability, if they crash they will typically will not crash Flight Simulator..."

[neutrino]

I didn't delete the fsx.cfg, just renamed it. When FSX is started it asks if you want to remap your keys, but this is only about a couple of keys such as tailhook, launch bar, sling hoist, i.e. new features. Anyway, if you say no, nothing happens, the keys should work as defined before.

[Orion]

Well, yeah, deleting/renaming/moving all has the same effect.  The file fsx.CFG is no longer in %appdata%\Microsoft\FSX so FSX handily makes a new one for you.  I just wasn't sure about the key mappings.

Anyone care to try out my theory?

[Tregarth]

This really is a most useful post.

Can I suggest that a section be created called "Troubleshooting" which is made a Sticky and this post be in it?

Thank you for the solutions, I wil give them a go since my FSX is still not happy even after re-installing Win 7.

Thanks again,

Tregarth

[Law Legge]

What I have found, after e x t e n s i v e research, is that this error usually shows up after a change/addition to the "Airplanes" folder, and seems to be related to the "FSX.cfg\[USERINTERFACE]\SITUATION=" section. This is the "default flight" and I found (ALWAYS BACKUP your .CFG FILE) if you delete the line after

"SITUATION="

FSX will start up. Then, if you wish, you can go back and reset your default flight via the "Free Flight\Load\(choose your flight)\Make this the default flight" menu.


Law Legge