Couatl Error at EGSS (UK2000 Stansted)

[Bruce Hamilton]

I've been playing around with Stansted, and I can't get Couatl to crash at all.  Unless you have Gary's service fleet active and its messing with Couatl in some way...

[cbd80]

It's done it at FranceVFR's LFSB, and Taxi2Gates MHTG. So I don't think it is a UK2000 Scenery problem.

I can't figure anything specific that triggers it. I've tried with different aircraft and I get the same result.

[Bruce Hamilton]

Afraid I can't help you there, I don't have either of those sceneries to test.

[cbd80]

Thanks anyway for looking at EGSS.

[virtuali]

What happens with some airports is that I get a message box that pops up saying an 'Addon (unknown) has caused Couatl.exe to stop responding'. Couatl restarts, and shortly afterwards the message pops back up and Couatl restarts again, and so on...

On the GSX settings menu, there's a Troubleshooting page that allows you to create a Log file. Use that, and post the content of it, after going on an airport that generates the error.

[cbd80]

Hi Virtuali. I have run the Troubleshooting Log, please find it attached.

I loaded UK2000 EGSS and when the scenery loaded the green text came up saying that GSX was re-generating scenery cache. It got to about 46% and I got the message that Couatl.exe had stopped responding. I let the message appear 3 times before exiting FSX.

The log doesn't say much, but hopefully it will be of some help to you.

Thanks.

[cbd80]

This should be a better log. What seems to happen is that when Couatl.exe crashes and then restarts the log is erased. I managed to capture this between 2 crashes.

[cbd80]

Here is another log when I try to load Taxi2Gate MHTG.

The only difference I can see is that it states it has failed to enumerate audio devices.

I have also included a screenshot of what I get on screen. Plus this time I also got a C++ Runtime Library error.

[virtuali]

Here is another log when I try to load Taxi2Gate MHTG.

The only difference I can see is that it states it has failed to enumerate audio devices.

I have also included a screenshot of what I get on screen. Plus this time I also got a C++ Runtime Library error.

The audio driver is probably the only problem. You think there are different problems at the same time, but only because the audio problem happened at different steps.

As discussed many times on the forum, if the runtime error is caused by your audio driver, you should try the following:

- Restart Windows first.

- Update your audio driver. Try first updating it with the version of your audio card (or mainboard) manufacturer. If that doesn't work, try instead to use the default audio driver for your card (or mainboard) supplied with Windows.

- If that doesn't work, try this OpenAl download from Creative:

http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/Downloads/oalinst.zip

Which installs an updated Open sound driver

- If that doesn't work, try to run FSX As Administrator.

[cbd80]

Thank you for your detailed reply. Unfortunately none of the steps suggested have resolved the issue.

I have 2 audio devices:

1. Creative Xtreme Gamer PCI Card
2. Realtek (on-board sound card)

I have the requirement to use both cards.

With reference to your recommendations:

1. Restarting windows has no effect.

2. I updated the audio drivers of both devices with OEM drivers and this did not resolve the issue. In turn I disabled each device in Device Manager, and the problem still persisted i.e. I have not been able to determine which driver causes the issue.

3. I removed both hardware devices and rebooted and let Windows install the driver. This made no difference to the problem.

4. The Open Sound Driver did not resolve the issue either.

5. I always run FSX as administrator and I don't use UAC and I have cascaded Full Permissions through all of my FSX folders.


I have attached the log of loading FranceVFR LFSB (which only sometimes results in a Couatl crash). This time the scenery loaded fine and GSX worked.

From the log you can see that audio has been disabled. So, this wouldn't appear to be a factor with Couatl crashing and GSX subsequently not working. Also, at the bottom of the log it can be seen that GSX has loaded and it has loaded the scenery.bgl.

The Couatl crash happens 100% of the time at EGSS. The log for EGSS only ever gets as far as reading the scenery library and no further, understandably due to the Couatl crash.

If the audio drivers are the issue, why doesn't Couatl crash for all airports? What makes loading LFSB different from EGSS?

Furthermore, after Couatl crashing at EGSS, I can change location and load LFSB and it will then work fine.

I can't help but feel there is something more than sound drivers at play here. Is there anything we can do to investigate this issue further?

I appreciate your assistance.

[cbd80]

Virtuali,

Please see the attached log. I was loading LFSB again and I managed to get this log before Couatl crashed.

What is the significance of this warning:

Warning: airport F6723 described in multiple BGL files without proper DeleteAirport record

[cbd80]

Virtuali,

Please also see this log. I loaded LFSB again and this time it didn't crash. The log details further warnings.

When Couatl crashes the log is wiped as soon as the error message appears on screen. Is there anyway to prevent this from happening?

[cbd80]

Virtuali,

It appears that Couatl/GSX can't handle more than 1 active AFCAD file at a time.

With my install of UK2000 EGSS I have the their AFCAD plus an AFCAD generated by VoxATC (a voice recognition AI ATC program) that informs VoxATC of the latest runway number changes from the current AIRAC.

When I disable the VoxATC generated AFCAD the scenery and GSX load without issue.

How can this be resolved?

[virtuali]

It appears that Couatl/GSX can't handle more than 1 active AFCAD file at a time.

We'll check this. In general, GSX doesn't work with partial AFCADs, that are not self-contained, it assumes the AFAD in use will contain all the information needed. This is by design and won't likely be changed but, we surely must prevent the program from crashing in these cases.

[cbd80]

Thank you Virtuali.

I have attached the AFCAD that VoxATC generated in the hope it can be of assistance to you.

Please let me know if there is anything further I can do to assist in this matter.