Getting rid of OMs

[PHo17]

I have been using this PC nearly 5 years (w/Windows 7 Pro OS 64 bit English version). All this time memory consumption (of OS and background programs) has gradually grown up being now far over 2 GB (as "clean"). This means that OMs have become more and more familiar while using FSX.

The system is good enough to run FSX smoothly and I haven't met any CTDs just OMs. The physical 16 GB memory on mother board and 64 bit OS should be enough for FSX to leave it the maximum 4 GB address space (32 bit program limit VAS). However in practice the OMs happens now almoust daily bases.

I downloaded 2 programs Game Booster (payware) and Clean mem (freeware). They helped for some time but not anymore. I cut off photo sceneries (I know to consume memory) but not much help either. OMs are here to stay. Clean mem shows the consumption in real time and when "the clock" ticks near 4.8 GB or like it (part of the 64 bit OS goes over the 4 GB barrier I think, that's why over 4 GB) OM strikes and there we are on the desktop again.

So I see only 2 solutions. To reinstall Windows 7 (and almost everything else I have installed during 5 years) which is a very tedious job I'd not like to do

or remove all not necessary background programs, services and processes. This is what I'd like to do, but don't know which are necessary and which aren't. Is there any program for this job to renew an old OS?

[thefrog]

Why not try 64 bit P3D v4? A month's one-off license is $9.95 to see how it performs on your system.

[jeansy]

as frog stated, 64bit platform is the way to go P3Dv4 or xplane 11

[hairyspin]

64 bit software is great, but for a free option you should check what background apps and processes are hogging that PC. Hit the Start key and type MSCONFIG and you'll get a useful tool. Look at the startup tab and exclude MS apps from the list. Look for automatic printer driver updates, social media real-time feeds, handy screensaver theme searches and other such tripe. I had a Google app updater that was a real drag on W7 a few years ago - disable them one by one and see how you get on.

One thing - does the Get Windows 10 nag app still appear? Find out how to trash that too.

[Blackbird686]

One thing - does the Get Windows 10 nag app still appear? Find out how to trash that too.

Microsoft terminated the Free Win10 "push" at the end of July so one shouldn't be seeing any more pesky messages or pop-ups about it. However, if it's still showing up on your machine, get the "GWX Control Panel", a freeware program from "The Ultimate Outsider", John Mayfield's site. It'll zap that nasty tray icon as well as any telemetry software connected with forcing you to download and install Windows 10. It will also monitor your machine for any future attempts to install Win 10.
just wanted to say thanks again to Bill Leaming (N4GIX) for giving me the low-down on the GWX Control Panel. I would have been doomed without it.

It makes me wonder what exactly is in those new "Quality and Security Roll-ups" that show up from month to month from Microsoft... Used to be each "KB" was listed separately and one could get a pretty good idea what each one did from the Windows knowledge base. Just say'n...

BB686:US-flag:

[hairyspin]

They could tell you, but then they'd have to kill you...

[vortex]

So I see only 2 solutions. To reinstall Windows 7 (and almost everything else I have installed during 5 years) which is a very tedious job I'd not like to do

or remove all not necessary background programs, services and processes.

If you're not already using it, move to FSX Steam Edition. Whilst it hasn't completely eliminated OOMs, they are much less frequent as it includes a fix to flush all levels of detail in the terrain cache. If you're already using FSX:SE, try using the DX10 preview mode (best with Steve's DX10 Scenery Fixer) which also seems to reduce OOMs.


Used to be each "KB" was listed separately and one could get a pretty good idea what each one did from the Windows knowledge base.

They still list each KB reference. Type "Windows update" in the search box in the Start Menu and select "View your Update history". All of your updates are shown followed by the KB reference.

[expat]

Why not try 64 bit P3D v4? A month's one-off license is $9.95 to see how it performs on your system.

Yep. I was too long a hold-out to come over to the FSX dark side, so when I saw P3Dv4 was 64 bit I did not wait long. No OOM's and massive FPS, fluidity,immersion and graphics that make you drool.

[ncooper]

Hello.
Perhaps a read through of this excellent guide from PMDG (https://support.precisionmanuals.com/kb/a108/vas-management-stopping-out-of-memory-oom-errors.aspx) would help you past some of the misconceptions
and towards a solution.

[Bjoern]

For P3Dv4, mind your add-on compatibility. Portover FS9 models will not work anymore.

If you need that compatibility, the only option is FSX:Steam and DX10. FSXSE received mildly better memory management and DX10 does away with DX9's mirroring the content of the graphics cache in FSX' VAS. Hence, there's more headroom for memory.

Oh, and resize all those bloody UHD-4096px-32bit aircraft textures, if you have some. These kill memory BIG TIME.

[Naismith]

Yep. I was too long a hold-out to come over to the FSX dark side, so when I saw P3Dv4 was 64 bit I did not wait long. No OOM's and massive FPS, fluidity,immersion and graphics that make you drool.
What is your graphics card if I may ask? The one thing holding me back from P3Dv4 is my card (below) as I am led to blv it inadequate and I am not in any position atm to get a fancier one.

[William Njurmi]

Very much the same experience. I suspect that simultaneous weather programme and numerous payware airports all contribute to this problem.

[hairyspin]

What is your graphics card if I may ask? The one thing holding me back from P3Dv4 is my card (below) as I am led to blv it inadequate and I am not in any position atm to get a fancier one.

nVidia 660Ti should make the min spec? Minimum 2GB graphic card memory, fully DirectX 11 compatible

[Stefano Zibell]

Oh, and resize all those bloody UHD-4096px-32bit aircraft textures, if you have some. These kill memory BIG TIME.

Sometimes devs are extremely insensitive about optimization. That goes to polygon count as well. VC's that drop a good 15 fps in performance are not acceptable no matter how much you advocate towards "extreme detail".

Now with 64 bits becoming the norm, they'll just abuse it more.

There's really no reason for using 32-bit bitmaps other than wasting storage space and memory.

[PhantomTweak]

I've been using FSX:SE since the day it came, and in all that time, I've had a grand total of ONE OM. Ever.
When I did, I started looking at, and applying, the changes to FSX.CFG, and the Nvidea inspector. It's only gotten better and better. For me.
Not super helpful, but the best I can offer.
Pat☺

[paulopp]

Download and read the AVSIM FSX Config Guide (https://www.avsim.com/files/file/41-avsim-basic-fsx-configuration-guide/). It's frequently actualized and field-tested. Apart from that, KISS: keep it simple, stupid! Close all other programs while running FSX. Deactivate non-used scenery and traffic for any planned flight. It matters. Refrain from HD resolution if not really necessary. Less is often more.

Best regards,
Christian

[Ganter]

I have been using this PC nearly 5 years (w/Windows 7 Pro OS 64 bit English version). All this time memory consumption (of OS and background programs) has gradually grown up being now far over 2 GB (as "clean"). This means that OMs have become more and more familiar while using FSX.

The system is good enough to run FSX smoothly and I haven't met any CTDs just OMs. The physical 16 GB memory on mother board and 64 bit OS should be enough for FSX to leave it the maximum 4 GB address space (32 bit program limit VAS). However in practice the OMs happens now almoust daily bases.

I downloaded 2 programs Game Booster (payware) and Clean mem (freeware). They helped for some time but not anymore. I cut off photo sceneries (I know to consume memory) but not much help either. OMs are here to stay. Clean mem shows the consumption in real time and when "the clock" ticks near 4.8 GB or like it (part of the 64 bit OS goes over the 4 GB barrier I think, that's why over 4 GB) OM strikes and there we are on the desktop again.

So I see only 2 solutions. To reinstall Windows 7 (and almost everything else I have installed during 5 years) which is a very tedious job I'd not like to do

or remove all not necessary background programs, services and processes. This is what I'd like to do, but don't know which are necessary and which aren't. Is there any program for this job to renew an old OS?


First off - kick Game Booster and Free Mem into touch - FSX might display some advantage at first but that soon passes.

Make a cup of coffee - large one - and sit down and do some reading.

http://www.simforums.com/forums/the-fsx-computer-system-the-bible-by-nickn_topic46211.html

That links to what is seen as the definitive guide to unleashing 32 bit FSX in a 64 bit Windows 7 environment. If you follow it to the letter you'll get running like a champ.
There is a large section on arranging system resources, services and processes. Read it carefully and then deploy. From what you describe above this could fix you up quickly and efficiently.

You might however after reading the entire article, like me, opt to do a clean install of Windows 7 - my Sim PC ONLY runs FSX - it's not my daily/ home or work computer so a reload from scratch is something I do once a year anyway.
If you follow the Nick Bible from the start you'll stave off the need to go 64 bit for quite some time.
I run FSX in a wholly satisfactory way after building according to Nick's instructions and certainly don't need to go P3D yet.
I'm running countless addon aircraft up to PMDG 777/ 737 NGX resource hogs/ AS 2016, GSX, Wildlife, TACPACK, ORBX Regions, UK2000, and of course, I'm running it all with Steve's DX10 Fixer.

When I get an OOM it's a novel experience. Think I've had three or four in the last year or so. Sometimes I have FSX running for days.

Don't let the 64bit boys drag you in just yet if you're happy if you can eliminate your current problems.

On the other hand now might be the time to upgrade.

The decision for me was budget based. I will go to 64 bit P3D but as Gladiator says: "Not yet."

[BendyFlyer]

I have a similar system (Win 7 etc) and I agree completely with Ganter. Nick's FSX Bible cleaned up my machine very well. It will take a while to work through this but do it scrupulously and carefully especially the bits about killing of Googlies. I completely shutdown ADOBE and GOOGLE when running FSX. (I do not need them and they are memory grabbers and disrupters of the first order, so is NORTON). If you follow the FSX Bible by Nick I think you will be surprised at how much junk has accumulated on your machine over time and how much of an unecessary drag it is on your PC's resources/ After all you have heaps of RAM and good CPU speed.

One tip not mentioned by Nick but I think came via PMDG was to start FSX by selecting 'Run as Administrator' and to ensure that any anti virus stuff was either off or was setup to exclude any activity involving FSX.

There is also the well established advice of ORBX and REX to hold any AI to a maximum of 16%, Road Traffic to less than 10% and water traffic to less than 25%. I also run autogen at the NORMAL level. The only time I ever got OOM messages was with AI traffic (maritime at a high level).

Oh If your using REX be aware it has a clunky interface with FSX and could bring my system to a halt. and I do not use REX's weather engine at all I have their textures etc but I use the freeware FSXWX which is a neat clean weather loader and I never even notice that it is changing stuff other than it changes.

The only nice to have that I cannot use is Steve's DX Fixer it killed the frame rates on my system and after much discussion with Steve it appeared that it was my video card GPU that was the problem even though it had a 2GB capacity, which was a shame because I liked the shadowing.

I have no other tweaks or fixes and FSX runs nice and smooth now for me and even with A2A's Connie and PMDG's DC-6 and it has never had an issue with the Capt Sim stuff either. In fact I have no need to jump into the 64 bit world, even though I would like to but FSX is fine (at the moment) and, and, I would need to buy a new computer which is not in my foreseeable budget possibilities AND all my older aircraft are not going to work there and I have a particular affection for old piston types and flying boats not shiny jets.

Another helpful arrangement is the way your scenery addons are managed. I have all scenery addons outside of FSX completely in a well defined and manageable directory structure and the freeware FSX Scenery Config tool is very helpful.

And of course that well tried and tested advice not to allow FSX to be setup within the Microsoft Games directory but on C on a directory of its own.

Hope this helps.

[vortex]

Nick's Bible was great in its day (2013) and still contains some good, common sense, information about setting up your system. However, much of it has been overtaken by system and software improvements. For example, the maximum screen resolution he talks about is 1920x1200. If you use WQHD or 4k, some of his settings would bring all but the most powerful systems to their knees. FSX:SE (and the minor improvements it brought) didn't even exist when he first wrote his bible. It was mostly written in the days when the only solution to getting a reasonable working sim was to tweak many of the parameters. Fixes to DX10 preview mode were in their infancy then and Nick pretty much dismisses it - the latest version of Steve's DX10 Fixer eliminates virtually all glitches in FSX and gives (at least in my case) a small performance improvement. I used Nick's settings with my old system and saw some improvements. However, most tweaks have consequences and you can easily end up chasing your tail trying to resolve them. I found with my latest system that less is definitely more! I use FSX:SE (which already has the HIGHMEMFIX setting) and I found virtually no difference between a fully tweaked fsx.cfg and the default version. That said, if you have the older hardware referenced in Nick's post, then you'll lose nothing by trying his settings.

It's easy to find advice from "experts" (I'm not one - just an enthusiastic amateur!) about how to achieve massive improvements in performance and avoid OOMs but what works for some often has the opposite effect for others. There are the perennial posts about having affinity mask set/not set, bufferpools on/off, never use internal/external frame limiters and so on. The best advice I've seen is to get rid of unnecessary background apps (but do it manually). Find an antivirus program which doesn't significantly affect games (I've found Bitdefender to be best for this) - I would never advise turning off your antivirus if you are connected to the Internet. NEVER have a browser or an email program open in the background. Use Task Manager to see which processes are taking up CPU time and, if it's safe to do so, get rid of the big hitters - there are often many processes that run at a few percent which make little difference to performance, overall. Be realistic about what you system is capable of and don't expect miracles, especially from older hardware. There is no magic bullet for FSX. Also, if you need to use vsync to avoid screen tearing, try the new Fast sync - it works without limiting your FPS and seems to have very little performance hit. Whilst it's only supposed to work at very high frame rates, a number of people (me included) have had success with it in FSX.

The one thing that I completely agree with Nick about is not to get obsessed with FPS - as he says, the goal is SMOOTH regardless of the frame rate being displayed.

[PHo17]

Thank you everyone for good advises. Moving to a 64 bit flight sim might also be a serious alternative in near future.

[Bjoern]

Sometimes devs are extremely insensitive about optimization. That goes to polygon count as well. VC's that drop a good 15 fps in performance are not acceptable no matter how much you advocate towards "extreme detail".

Now with 64 bits becoming the norm, they'll just abuse it more.

There's really no reason for using 32-bit bitmaps other than wasting storage space and memory.


Exactly. But to be fair, there is no established "good practice" regarding optimization during development and much is down to experience or finding the right threads at FSDev.