Addon Manager **SOLVED**

[virtuali]

I urge everyone using FS Copilot to launch the Stand-alone Addon Manager installer again, because we have another update that *might* fix the problem.

If it works, it only confirms what I was suspecting, that was a problem of system libraries conflict, because nothing has changed in the Addon Manager actual code, just a compiler settings to use system library in a slightly different way (which wasn't touched in ages so, it means it has been broken by a Windows Update).

Is still not very stable, because I still get a consistent crash when exiting from FSX, but only if FS Copilot is enabled. However, since it does exactly the same in FS9, which never had any problems together with the Addon Manager, it might be an entirely different issue.

[allybear21]

Not sure what you did, but all is working again!  I used the new addon manager and have no more problems with start up or with FSINN/FSCOPILOT.  Thank you for fixing this issue so quickly.  Ok, now back to my cockpit!

[papalimabravo]

Hi Virtuali
I've got some little problems with these sceneries (LSGG/KJFK/KLAS/KORD/LSZH): no building appears now and I don't understand why. I've tried to reinstalled the sceneries and the new addon manager but nothing are working.
I can't explain why. I red all the forum lines about the problem which occurs many time but I didn't understood how to resolve it I'm sure its should be not a big problem but I need help.
Thank you for your extremely patienza (when reading the forum!) and also for taking time for me (if you can).
Got any solution?
Thanks by advance
Phil

[bojote]

just a compiler settings to use system library in a slightly different way (which wasn't touched in ages so, it means it has been broken by a Windows Update).

Umberto, care to share? I know this is unrelated, but I'm trying to help fix a bug in the Level-D 767 ground menu. It ocasionally shows a ntdll.dll CTD error when opening. I want to contact Wade (the developer) with some solid evidence of this being a 'possible' bug with the Level-D and since you mention compiler settings, Im guessing (like you said) Windows Update changed something along the way that could be the cause of CTD's.

My guess is:
ms vc++ 2005 redistributable and some define somewhere plus a security fix preventing/breaking compatibility, correct?

[virtuali]

ms vc++ 2005 redistributable and some define somewhere plus a security fix preventing/breaking compatibility, correct?

No, I haven't changed anything in the program code, and not even in the actual c++ compiler: it was related to how the code is wrapped when signed, and how this interacts with installed system libraries.

That's might be a reason. There are several security hotfixes that updates files related to those runtimes, one of them might have broken compatibility between a standard library call that was used by both programs.

In fact, is more complex than that, because there's also the issue of the Windows Side-by-Side loading mechanism, which should in theory fix those problems, but it requires all the apps using those libraries to have an embedded manifest (which the Addon Manager has, the FS Copilot hasn't, that's why their eventual dependencies of different versions of the same library can't be solved with the Side-by-side system)

And, there's also the side-by-side policies mechanism, which is a file that automatically "upgrades" a program to use a newer version of a .DLL (if found), even if that program had a manifest that specified an older version. But, of course, nobody can be 100% sure that the newer version doesn't break compatibility with programs compiled for earlier version.

The main issue here is, as usual, security: there's a conflict between the simple Side-by-side, which allows programs written for different version of the same library to run together, each one loading its own version (which wasn't possible before side-by-side) and the policies, that upgrades those older programs to use the newer libraries, which are supposed to be more secure, but there's an added risk of breaking compatibility.

[virtuali]

I've got some little problems with these sceneries (LSGG/KJFK/KLAS/KORD/LSZH): no building appears now and I don't understand why. I've tried to reinstalled the sceneries and the new addon manager but nothing are working.

It's obviously impossible to help you without any description of what's happening.

So, the usual question, which is of course has been repeated in countless of other threads:

- Do you see the Addon Manager menu ?

- Do you see the Couatl menu ?

- Have you seen the question about trusting the Addon Manager when you installed the new version ?

- Have you replied YES to that question ?

- Have you done the same for Couatl ?

- Have you turned OFF your antivirus when installing the scenery and/or the updated Addon Manager ?

- Have you configured your Antivirus to ignore the following files, before trying to run FSX again ?

\Your_FSX_folder\fsdreamteam\Couatl\couatl.exe
\Your_FSX_folder\bglmanx.dll

- Have you seen any error messages when installing the Addon Manager ?

[papalimabravo]

Hi Virtualy
Thank you for your support!

Before answering to your questions here the following message I've got when trying to install a scenery :
(Antivirus is deactivated)

runtime error at 116:2188
error on line 0, position 0 the following tags haven't been closed : simbase document.
(when installing addon manager)

and this other one:
app.data/microsoft/fsx/exe.xml
error on line 0, position 0
the following tags haven't been closed : simbase document.
exe file has not been modified by the installer
(when installing LSGG FSX scenery)

Could you light my candle please?
thanks again
Phil

[virtuali]

Download and install the current version of the Stand-Alone Addon Manager, after you installed the scenery, with the scenery installed.

No, it's not enough you just run the Addon Manager installer that you already have, you need to download it again, because its installer has just been updated yesterday, and will now propose to recreate a correct xml file for you, in case one with errors is found.

[papalimabravo]

Thanks Umberto for your precious help
Everything is working fine now with the new installer addon manager
here the procedure which works fine:
1/install addon manager
2/install all utilities (fs copilot and so on)
3/reinstall addon manager
4/ don't forget to check fsx config because this file is modified (if you added some lines before)
I think its a question of hierarchy in the dll folder. Can we move the lines in this folder to attribute to each addon some priorities??
Thanks again for the quality of your support!
Its also why FSDT is number one of Fs products sceneries
Phil

[virtuali]

I think its a question of hierarchy in the dll folder. Can we move the lines in this folder to attribute to each addon some priorities??

You can change the loading order by rearraning section but, it shouldn't be done normally, only in case one finds that the loading order matters to solve a possible conflict between modules.

[Kevin]

Thanks Virtuali I will give it a shot!

KB

[normandean]

Well, I give up!!

I have been folowing this thread, as I have been plagued by the failure of FSX to load with the FSDT airports loaded. I do not have FSCopilot installed and have tried each remedy that has been suggested, all the no avail.

Today I noted the comment about an upgrade to the addon manager, so I have uninstalled everything, re-installed and then installed the stand alone addon manager, all separately and checked one at a time and still I get the failure to load due to FSX hanging after accepting the addon manager dll.

It is therefore with a heavy heart that I have finally decided to give up the struggle and remove all the FSDT products form my system.

Norman

[virtuali]

You probably haven't tried all the remedies. So, let's start from scratch again, please follow every step:

- Go into Control Panel, remove the Addon Manager, if you have an entry for it.

- Go into the FSX folder, verify that ALL bglmanx.dll files AND all the bglmanx*.dat files have been really removed. If not, removed them manually.

- Reboot Windows. Yes, this IS important. Do it, please.

- Turn the Antvirus OFF. Yes, this IS important.

- Reinstall the Addon Manager using the stand-alone installer. Don't run FSX yet.

- Configure the antivirus to ignore the following files:

YourFSXFolder\bglmanx.dll
YourFSXFolder\fsdreamteam\Couatl\couatl.exe

- Open your FSX.CFG file, located at %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX, with Notepad.

- Look under the [Trusted] section, and remove ALL the lines that contains a reference to bglmanx.dll. The whole line. Save the file back, don't launch FSX yet.

- Launch FSX. At the request to Trust the Addon Manager, reply YES, to both question, the one by Windows and the one by FSX itself.

- If you get the error the 3rd party module can't be loaded, IGNORE IT, and ALLOW it to run, regardless of what it says. Don't worry if FSX crashes after having issued that message. It doens't matter.

- Keep trying and, allow 20-30 seconds between each tries. If after 3-4 times it's always the same, REBOOT Windows and try again. Yes, this IS important, do it please.

[normandean]

Well, there was almost no difference between what you have specified and what I have been doing. A couple of differences; firstly I have UAC permanently turned off and secondly I have an exemption for my Microsoft Flight Simulator X folder and all the folders and files it contains in my anti virus already.

However, I have now been through your procedure three times, with UAC turned on and off; with the virus exemptions you specified also added to my already general exemption and this time I deleted the file bglmanx_aerosoft, that I had not done before.

After about 20 to 25 restarts it still doesn't run!!

Norman

[virtuali]

I have an exemption for my Microsoft Flight Simulator X folder and all the folders and files it contains in my anti virus already.

That's not enough. If you read my message carefully, this was just *one* of the two operations needed on the antivirus.

The other one was to turn it off entirely ( not just quit from its interface, you need to turn off the real-time protection options ) before reinstalling. This is important because, files are first copied to the Windows Temporary folder BEFORE they are copied in the FSX folder. So, just exempting the FSX folder from scanning it's not enough, because the antivirus might still interfere before the files get a chance to be copied there.

So please, be sure that you have any realtime protection option turned off in the antivirus, before reinstalling.

this time I deleted the file bglmanx_aerosoft, that I had not done before.

I'm sorry, but if you are saying this, there might be an issue. You shouldn't remove just 1 .dat file. In fact, the uninstaller will remove all of them: the bglmanx.dll and the 4 .dat files. You shouldn't had to remove just the bglmanx_aerosoft.dat file.

In fact, if you have mixed .dat files from different versions, you might get that error.

So, please, check again that you don't have ANY file named bglmanx* ( the 1 DLL and the 4 DAT ) in the FSX root folder, before reinstalling.