I reinstalled the most recent Couatl engine and I'm still getting the error. (It is 3.0.0.3187)
This is the first time you really confirmed the version that got installed is the latest one. I obviously HAD to ask, to be sure it wasn't updated for some reason, usually the antivirus.
I still get the error double-clicking the .exe even when FSX is not running.
Which confirms what I said the problem didn't had anything to do with FSX...
As I've said, the problem is either caused by an antivirus, or by another program that behaves similarly.
disabled my anti-virus
You might have disable your antivirus, but that doesn't ensure you don't have another one running, or your antivirus is STILL acting on the file, even when disabled. As I've said in my previous message, we had seen cases when some antivirus managed to corrupt a file even when it was disabled.
No other add-ons running now, just FSX and GSX
I haven't said anything about another FSX addon being the cause. In fact, the most likely cause is a NON-FSX program, because only an external program that has been installed as a global service, like an antivirus, anti-spyware, or similar, can cause this.
get the error message and GSX doesn't work.
That's normal. If another program has corrupted the executable, it cannot obviously run.
You can check very easily if the program has really been corrupted on your system by an offending program: all our executables are of course digitally signed, and the reason why they are digitally signed, is to ensure you they haven't been altered.
Check the Digital Signature tab in the Couatl.exe Properties. If it's missing or it's invalid, then IT'S SURE the executable has been altered by SOMETHING on your system, so it's not the one we made, but it has been corrupted locally on your system.
If the Digital Signature is valid, then the issue is a bit different, and the 3rd party offending program has not corrupted the actual file, but it's trying to ATTACK IT, in memory, when it runs.
Again. this is usually an antivirus/anti-spyware behavior, but that's just the most common case. There are other less common cases of non-antivirus products doing the same, but we NEVER, EVER had such reports from any Couatl 3 version, which doesn't try to fight these offending products anymore so, it simply cannot happen with the current version (which is why I asked several times to be extra sure you have it), so I still think you have an antivirus running in the background without your knowledge.
OR, last possible reason, you HAVE a virus, which would do exactly that (attaching to a running executable, corrupting it) and of course, since you said yourself you "don't have any antivirus", you cannot obviously exclude the fact you have a REAL virus instead.
Again, check the Digital Signature, and report back.
