Ridge
June 6th, 2005, 23:07
By hey_moe
Yea I copied it from another site so we can have a peek-a-boo too:icon_twis >>>
General
I am planning to upgrade to FS2004, what frame rates am I likely to get with my system?
On a normal setup, A Century of Flight will run OK on a 750 Mhz Pentium, but is happier on 1.0 Ghz + systems. It is comfortable on a 1.5 Mhz Pentium, though you will need to have many of the sliders pulled back, and it really begins to work well on a 2.0 Ghz machine. Even on a 3.0 Ghz system, you will experience some slow downs using very complex planes at detailed airports. I am told that FS2004 runs OK on Athlons rated at more than 1.0 Ghz.
If you know what you are doing, substantially faster frame rates can be achieved by stripping out your system, so that the OS boots as 'clean' as possible. This means killing all the apps that load with the OS, unloading your virus scanner and so on. Under these circumstances, FS2004 can be run OK on a 400 Mhz system.
The more system RAM you have fitted, the better - depending on OS, I would advise at least 256 Mbs, ideally 512 Mb and a gigabyte if you are running XP and can afford it.
Video cards hardly affect frame rates, though I would advise at least a reasonably up to date 128 Mb 3D card, as otherwise you will miss out on many special effects. The crucial message here is that upgrading your video card will not increase your frame rates or resolve stuttering if the CPU is not up to it - if you suffer from these problems, the solution is either to start pulling sliders to the left or to buy a faster CPU.
Although I did a full install, every time I start FS2004, the program asks me to put CD 4 in the drive. What am I doing wrong?
Nothing - this is normal behavior and is the result of Microsoft's piracy protection software checking to see if you have a legal copy.
Where can I get the Pro version of FS2004?
There isn't one. Unlike FS2002, which came in two different flavors, 'standard' and 'pro', there is only one version of FS2004.
I cannot find the FS2004 cfg file. Where is it?
For Windows XP users the FS2004 cfg file is best found using Windows Explorer to open My Computer and then looking in C:/Documents and Settings/Your_User_Name/Application Data/Microsoft/FS9 and it is called fs9.cfg, not fs2004.cfg as you might expect! This is a hidden folder by default so you need to modify the folder options via the control panel: go to the view tab and check the "Show hidden files and folders" option. For Windows 9x users the fs9.cfg file is located in Drive_Letter:/WindowsApplicationData/Microsoft/FS9.
How do I get the aircraft doors to open?
Press shift and E together - but remember that you can't open all the doors on every plane!
I don't have a hat control - how do I pan the spot plane view up and down?
Shift-enter moves the view down, shift-backspace moves it up
I can see some aircraft folders in FS2004\aircraft that don't appear in the selection menu. What are they and how can I use them?
These are the AI planes and they aren't really intended to be flown, but there are various fixes which get around this. Try searching for the file ai.zip, which makes some of them flyable, or dh-8fly3.zip, which makes all three Dash-8s flyable. You will need to find panels to use with the planes, though.
Where did all the bridges go that we used to have in FS2002? Man, I used to love those bridges, I don't know how I am going to cope without them. Can you help?
Rumor has it that the guy that wrote the code for them moved over to the golf simulation team. Try and stay calm, don't make any sudden movements and take slow, deep and regular breaths. The feeling will pass.
FS2004 crashes and how to prevent them
I am getting frequent crashes when I run FS20004. What causes this?
Assuming that you haven't been sold a beta copy masquerading as the real thing (don't laugh, it happens), try updating your video card drivers to the latest version, as this fixes the problem about 90% of the time.
Everytime I open the kneeboard, FS2004 crashes to a black screen. Is there any way of preventing this happening?
The problem is most likely an app you are running called RoboForm. The solution is either to kill the app, or to download a version later than AiRoboForm5-4-1. If you aren't running RoboForm, WindowBlinds is another common cause of this particular behavior.
Joysticks, yokes etc.
I fly FS2004 with a yoke and Il2 with a joystick and keep getting spurious control inputs. How can I fix this?
This is usually due to a conflict with the axis/ buttons being assigned to the same thing across controllers. You can reassign all of the axis and button via FS - if you go to the control dialog, their is a drop down box with all of the controllers that FS can find, just select the one you want to work with. However in some circumstances it won't go away, becase FS polls the joysticks for changes, so if you have a noisy joystick it could be sending changes to FS even though it is apparently sitting idle on the desk. In effect you can have one controller saying "pitch up 50%" and then the other controller saying "neutral" at random intervals. If you don't want to be forever unplugging one control or the other you can try widening the null zone for the noisy joystick.
I can't fly my planes because I seem to have permanent control inputs even with the stick centered - the result being that to fly the plane straight and level I have to use left or right aileron and/or large amounts of rudder. When the stick calibration is checked in control panel, everything seems to be normal. What is the cause of this?
Try hitting the "Z" key. You may have inadvertently hit it when meaning to hit "Shift + Z" and turned on the autopilot. Thanks to Don Horneff for this one. If that doesn't work, joystick 'chatter' might be the cause, the first thing to do being to go to the control panel and set your hardware up again using the game controller applet there. If the control panel won't fix the problem, download FSUIPC.zip and use that - note that this utility is payware, but solves many other problems including mysteriously flattening aircraft batteries.
I can not get my Sidewinder II to work with FS2004. My operating system is Windows XP - what can I do?
Try uninstalling the software for the joystick and then plug the joystick back in again without the software, Windows XP should recognize the game controller and suggest drivers for it. Once these have been loaded, recalibrate the joystick using the control panel applet and then reinstall the Sidewinder II software again.
How do I steer the twins (particularly the Vimy) on the ground?
It is difficult to steer the Vimy on the ground because it has a relatively small rudder, no tail wheel, and the airflow from the engines doesn't flow
directly over the rudder surfaces. So here's the trick to steering this airplane on the ground -- use the differential power on the engine control levers. Press shift+4 to display this device. You'll notice that the larger lever in the middle is labelled with port and starboard. Once the airplane is moving forward, you can grab the lever with the mouse and it will twist in the direction that you want to turn the airplane.
How can I get dual throttle control without going to the expense of buying a separate throttle unit?
If you can run to one of the CH Products three lever yokes, assign the first and second levers to right and left throttles and the third lever to control the props (it helps if you have FSUIPC installed, in which case you can map the axis of this lever to 'four props' which will keep everything in sync). Then go to the FS aircraft realism menu and check automixture, unless you plan to adjust this via the keyboard.
My Force Feedback Pro joystick doesn't work with FS2004 and Windows XP. Is there a work around?
Nope. The original FF Pro doesn't work with some combinations of FS2002 and operating systems. It won't ever be sorted out because Microsoft have released a different version of the stick, the Force Feedback Pro 2, and recently have got out of game controller hardware altogether.
Can I use two controllers together to fly planes? I am thinking of using a joystick and pedals.
You sure can, but assuming that Windows detects the two devices, you will have to set them up using the FS2004 menu - Options\Controls\Assignments will get you where you need to be. Select the first device using the 'joystick type' drop down, assign the axes (an axis is anything that swivels) and any buttons, then do the same for the other device after selecting that. If you are adding in pedals after using a joystick with rudder assigned to a twist grip, take care to delete the rudder assignment on the joystick before assigning it to the pedals.
Can I install a joystick and a yoke at the same time? I like to fly some planes with a joystic and others with a yoke.
You can, but if either device creates 'chatter' you will have problems - see the item elsewhere in this section.
Where is the 'Use mouse as yoke' option we used to have in FS2000 and before?
There isn't one. Microsoft took it out in FS2002 and it hasn't reappeared.
Flying the planes
I am having big problems landing at high altitude airports. I keep crashing on approach. What is the solution?
First, make sure you have indicated airspeed set in Flight Simulator, as otherwise the airspeed that is displayed will be below stalling speed half the time. The other is that you need to lean the mixture to preserve power at altitude.
I am having big problems flying the planes because I always have to hold the joystick/yoke most of the way forward/back. What causes this?
You need to adjust the 'trim'. Raising or lowering the gear and flaps, or adjusting power alters the thrust/drag profile of the plane and will cause it to climb or descend. Real airplanes get around this using 'trim tabs' on some or all of the control surfaces, altering the position of which counteracts the tendency to diverge from the straight and level. In Flight Simulator, elevator trim is most important, and having this set to the wrong position is causing the trouble you describe. To use it, make sure that 'NumLock' is not engaged on your keyboard, then if you are having to pull on your joystick to fly level, keep tapping the 7 button on the numeric keypad until you can relax your pull. If you are having to hold the joystick forward all the time, keep tapping 1 on the keypad until you can relax your push. Remember that you will need different amounts of trim for climb, level flight and descent, and that in many aircraft, changes in power settings will alter the trim requirement as well. If you are sure you have the trim adjusted correctly, check out your stick calibration as described elsewhere in this FAQ.
How do I get the sailplane up to altitude so I can fly it?
Use slew mode. Hit Y on the keyboard, then press F4 until you are a few thousand feet up. Whatever you do, don't touch the joystick or pedals while slew is engaged. When the plane is high enough, press F2 to stop the ascent, then press Y again, to put you back in normal mode and go glide.
Importing aircraft and scenery from older versions of FS
Can I import FS2002 planes into FS2004?
You can, but it isn't straightforward - dragging the aircraft folders from one version of FS to another may leave important bits of code (mostly gauges) behind, so the best thing is to do a complete reinstall. Be warned that some planes may not work and that only the developers can fix them.
How can I get older add-on planes to show up in the aircraft selection menu?
First thing, before you go to all the trouble, is that they may not work, or even appear in the menu as planes which cause this problem were designed for FS2000 or before, but if you still want to go ahead...
1. Open the aircraft.cfg of each plane in notepad.
2. Make a backup.
3. Edit the file to add the lines shown in red - the red is only for emphasis in this example
[fltsim.0]
title=FSD Commander C115TC
sim=FSD C-115_2002
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
kb_checklists=FSD C115_check
kb_reference=FSD_C115_ref
ui_manufacturer=Commander
ui_type=C115TC
ui_variation=Factory Demonstrator
atc_id_enable=1
atc_id=N115C
editable=1
atc_heavy=0
atc_airline=
atc_flight_number=
description=Commander Aircraft Company C115TC by FSD for FS2004.
If you add the lines hihglighted in red to the file, substituting Cessna or Piper for Commander and Saratogo or 152 or whatever (you can leave the variation line empty), not only will ATC call you up with the right name, but the aircraft will now show in the aircraft selection dialog as the correct type too. Furthermore, if you change the atc_id line, ATC will call you with whatever reg you enter (within reason).
I have downloaded and installed various freeware planes into FS2004, but some of them don't show up. Why?
The most common reason for this is that the planes aren't compatible with FS2004. Aircraft designed for FS98 or before usually won't run under FS2004 - you can check this by looking up the version of the sim the plane was designed for in its readme. A second reason why a plane may not load is that you are running Windows XP or 2000 and the aircraft has a corrupt mdl file - you can sometimes fix this using a freeware utility called mdrepair.zip, but if this doesn't work, the plane isn't usable.
Why I can not see the landing lights on the runway at night with an aircraft which is not one of the defaults of FS2004?
This is because only G-Max (i.e. native FS2004) planes and specially programmed FSDS (a design tool for FS) planes are capable of doing this.
I would like to add a virtual cockpit to an airplane - is there any easy way of doing this by copying some files over?
The short answer to this one is no, unless you enjoy coding in FSDS or Gmax. The VC is part of a plane's visual model and unlike a 2D panel, isn't easy to transfer.
I have downloaded and installed a panel in a freeware plane, but there are holes where the gauges should be. How can I fix it?
In our experience the most common problem people face when installing new panels is forgetting to put the gauges in the \Flight Simulator 9\Gauges directory, with the result that when the panel loads for the first time they are faced with a bitmap with a series of black holes where the instruments should be. Check out the package you downloaded - somewhere in there you will most likely find a zip called something like "gauges". Extract that into \Flight Simulator 9\gauges and then restart FS2004. Every now and again, you will come across planes which have the gauges in a .cab file - if that is the case, drag the cab into the gauges folder and drop the whole thing in there.
When I try and change the heading or course settings using some addon panels, the bugs move in ten degree jumps. How can I fix this?
Download Pete Dowson's FSUIPC utility (http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html) (fsuipc.zip) and check the 'Fix Control Acceleration' box in FSUIPC once you have reloaded FS2004. Once installed, FSUIPC can be accessed via FS2004's 'modules' menu. Bear in mind that this utility is payware.
How can I prevent the "Flight Simulator 2004 has detected third party software that may not be compatible with this version of Flight Simulator "message appearing when FS2004 starts?
Write down the name of the offending module and add an entry like this to the FS9.cfg file - the location of this will vary depending on your Windows version, so it might be best to do a search for it using the finder.
[OLDMODULES]
Old_module_name.dll=1
Keep on the lookout for upgrades and new versions of the modules concerned, because there is usually an advantage in doing so.
How can I get the DF734 to work in FS2004?
You can't. Wait for the upgrade.
Addons
I installed an addon plane and would like to get rid of it, but there is no uninstall routine in Control panel. What can I do?
Assuming you are reasonably experienced with Windows, go to C:\Program files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9\Aircraft, identify the folder containing the plane you don't want, highlight it and delete it. The first few times you do this, it is well worth creating a backup of the folder in case you nail the wrong one.
Should I ever get concerned about the size (amount of files) of the gauges file? I keep adding new panels and when I delete them I have always left the gauges behind.
The short answer is no, it doesn't really matter if there are surplus gauges in there. I just leave them in after reviews, because it is too much like hard work cleaning them out. The only rule I operate is that I am careful not to overwrite newer gauges with older ones when I install a new panel.
Frame rates, stuttering and all
How do I toggle the target frame rate?
With FS2004 running and a plane loaded, go to the top menu in windowed mode. Select options\settings\display then click the 'hardware' tab. The target framerate slider is top right. You can either left click the slider, hold the mouse button and pull it, or you can left click either end of the slider to move it frame at a time.
How can I tell what frame rate I am getting in FS2004?
Hit shift-z twice. This will bring up the figure top left. Hit shift-z twice again to get rid of it.
FS2004 stutters and runs very jerkily, especially in spot plane view. How can I fix that?
Try setting the target frame rate to 20 fps. This will improve frame rates in cockpit or spot view at the price of suppressing AutoGen and scenery detail. If this doesn't work, try pulling all the sliders (apart from target frame rate) under the options\settings\display tabs and unchecking all the tick boxes. Then load the default 737 and starting with the aircraft tab, start pulling the sliders back to the right and checking boxes - but each time you alter one, go back and fly for half an hour and keep an eye on what the frame rates are doing. As soon as they start failing to make 20 most of the time, you have reached the limit of what your PC can do.
My friend has an identical system, but gets much faster frame rates. What's the deal here?
Assuming you aren't trying to run FS2004 at the same time as Microsoft Word and PhotoShop, the explanation may lie in the programs that load at Windows startup. It doesn't matter which version of Windows you are using, every time you install a new piece of software it has a horrible tendency to install about fifteen extra little applets it doesn't tell you about, just to monitor this and that. Sometimes these give the game away by appearing in the system tray at bottom right, but most often they just load invisibly and steal processor time in the background. If enough of these are present, they can double the Windows load time and significantly cut into performance. The best site I know devoted to explaining what they are and how to get rid of them can be accessed here (http://www.lafn.org/webconnect/mentor/startup/index.html).
I heard about a thing called 'hyperthreading' on XP. Can I use this to speed FS2004 up?
You can, though only to a certain extent, assuming your CPU and BIOS support it, which Pentiums running at around the 3.0 Ghz mark usually do. Assuming hyperthreading is enabled in your BIOS (if you don't know how to access the BIOS, don't even think of trying this), start FS2004, access task manager (CTRL_ALT_DEL), select the Processes tab, right click on FS9.exe, select "Set Affinity", disable one of the two check boxes so that FS9 only runs on one virtual CPU (e.g. CPU 0). If you want the fastest possible results, do the same with any other utility you can find running and select the other virtual processor. The problem is that this has to be repeated every time you reboot. There is said to be a permanent workaround, but we are presently investigating this.
Graphics
If you are having graphics problems not described in this section, remember that you have a reasonable chance of curing them by installing the latest video drivers for your card. These are normally found at the manufacturer's web site.
Notwithstanding the above, if you install a new set of drivers and you start experiencing problems you didn't have before, try rolling back to the older set, if you have a version of Windows which supports this. The one thing that you should not do in any circumstance is try installing an older set of drivers on top of a newer set, because this can sometimes result in an incompatible mix of files.
I have an ATI 9800 Pro. How should I best set it up for use with FS2004?
Follow this link (http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/ati2004.htm).
I have an nVidia Ti4xxx video card and when I go to the "Create Flight" screen everything except the window with the rotating aircraft model goes black - the buttons flicker on if I move the cursor over their supposed location and I can click on them all right, but there are other weird graphical glitches too. What can I do about it?
Go to the nVidia card setup page (how you get there varies from version to version) and turn off anti-aliasing. Also turn this off from the FS2004 \options\settings\display\hardware tick box.
My aircraft have black textures. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
One cause of black textures is a video card that does not support the DXT textures used by FS2004 planes, or textures bigger than 256x256 pixels in size (e.g. old Voodoo cards). In this case, the only work around is to upgrade the card. However, before you do this, it is worth checking out that you have the latest DirectX driver - available from Microsoft via Windows Update.
My instrument panels won't load. I know they are there because the tooltips still operate, but I can't see them. What can I do?
Video card driver problem again. This usually an nVidia card problem, updating should cure it.
All my lights have black squares around them. Is there a way around this?
Go to Settings-Display-Hardware where you will find a check box called 'Transform and Lighting'. Try unchecking it.
The following is displayed on my screen when I hit SHIFT Z to display frame rates: FRAMES/SEC = 028.5 (LOCKED AT 30 FPS) +Gs. Does that mean that my graphics card is somehow limited to 30 FPS ? Is it possible to increase the rates by somehow removing this lock ?
What the message means is that you have the target frame rate locked at 30 fps in settings\display and that your PC is giving an average of 28 fps. If you work through the display settings dialog, you can drag the slider to a higher setting. The purpose of target frame rate locking is to allow your PC to concentrate its resources on displaying your aircraft, rather than trying to render every single AutoGen tree to the far horizon, so use with care!
Why do the scenery textures look blurry?
The explanation for this is complex, but it depends on hardware settings for the video card and also on settings in FS2004, primarily the level of bitmapping used. One possible cause is the simulator settings: the "Aircraft Texture Size" slider in the Display settings seems to apply to the scenery textures as well - try dragging this slider to "Massive" if you are affected by blurring. For some strange and unaccountable reason, the "Aircraft Texture Size" slider can affect scenery textures at settings lower than "high" (set at "High" FS2004 uses 512 x 512 texture sheet, the preferred size of autogen). "Medium" (256 x 256) will affect autogen textures, but no other scenery textures. "Small" (128 x 128) will affect most scenery textures to some extent.
Checking 'use extended terrain textures' under the display settings will help, as will running in full screen mode, but ultimately the problem is caused by the way FS2004 handles terrain texture loading.
If you are confident about editing FS9.cfg, try setting TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT to a higher figure. The default is 40, on a fast machine you may be able to increase it to 300 or more.
AI traffic and ATC
Is there a setting where I can "adjust" the volume of traffic at the airport or in the air? For example: it's a 5PM rush hour at LAX and there are 10 in line waiting?
Adjust ATC traffic using the menu \options\settings\ATC and adjust the traffic percentage slider.
If this is set to 0%, you won't see any other planes, at 100% it may be difficult to get taxi clearance at larger airports.
Why do my addon AI planes sometimes appear without wheels in FS2004?
This is because the planes concerned are non-Gmax designs, and there doesn't appear to be any way of fixing it, short of replacing the offending aircraft with a different one which has a Gmax visual model.
How can I create my own AI traffic?
Read this tutorial. (http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/ai4beg.htm) - though note that it was written for FS2002. Same principles apply, though.
My ATC sound is very faint. The weird thing is that the engine sounds are OK, but I have to turn my sound volume all the way up just to make out the words of the ATC, which makes the engine sounds almost unbearably loud. My option sliders are all turned way up on the sound options. How can I fix this?
This is most likely to occur if you use Windows XP. Find the DirectX Diagnostic tool (Accessories/system tools/system information/tools/DirectX Diagnostic tool/sound) and change the "hardware acceleration level" on the Sound tab from 'full' to 'basic'.
Technical stuff
Where can I get a copy of FSUIPC?
Try this link (http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html). However, note that it costs 20 euros (around $20). Sounds a lot for a bitty utility, but so many programs need it, it is virtually a must have.
Can I use an old version of FSUIPC in FS2004?
Nope. Bad things happen.
How do I make the Nav2 and/or ADF2 radios work?
Assuming that the aircraft has a workable Nav2 radio on the panel, add the following lines to the aircraft.cfg file.
[Radios]
Audio.1=1
Com.1=1, 1
Com.2=1, 1
Nav.1=1, 1, 1
Nav.2=1, 1, 0
Adf.1=1
Adf.2=1
Transponder.1=1
Marker.1=1
How can I increase the pan rate in VC view?
You need to edit the fs9.cfg file. All you have to do is increase the number under the pan_rate=400 line - try increasing it to 600 to start with. Also, if you add pan_in_cockpit_mode=1 after the pan rate line, you can pan around in the 2D cockpit view.
How can I get rid of the brakes banner?
1. Using notepad, open up your FS9.cfg file - the location of this will vary depending on your Windows version, so it might be best to do a search for it using the finder.
2. Make a backup copy of this file.
3. Scroll way down for the section named (Sim).
4. Find the section which says:
(SIM)
SYSCLOCK=1
5. Add the line
show_brake_message=0 below SYSCLOCK=1
How can I stop my aircraft displaying the 'overspeed' message and then breaking up?
As far as I know, the overspeed message can't be got rid of - however, you can stop the 'airframe overstress' that causes the breakup and reset by going to the menu: \aircraft\realism settings and then unchecking 'aircraft stress causes damage'
If you want to visit Flightsim.com without leaving your FS9 session, and are happy editing cfg files, try this suggestion from Johan Peeters:
To display the Flightsim.com website in the FS9 "news" section you need to edit the FS9.cfg file. Backup the file and then search for the following section:
[USERINTERFACE]
MAP_ORIENTATION=2
PAUSE_ON_LOST_FOCUS=1
PROMPT_ON_EXIT=1
FSLiveURL=www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulator/product/fsliveweb.asp
DisplayFuelAsWeight=0
SelectFlightLevel=0
SelectFlightTitle=0
PageID=3
OpenATCOnCreate=1
SITUATION=//////////////////////////////
Then change it as follows -
[USERINTERFACE]
MAP_ORIENTATION=2
PAUSE_ON_LOST_FOCUS=1
PROMPT_ON_EXIT=1
FSLiveURL=www.flightsim.com
DisplayFuelAsWeight=0
SelectFlightLevel=0
SelectFlightTitle=0
PageID=3
OpenATCOnCreate=1
SITUATION=////////////////////////////////
Yea I copied it from another site so we can have a peek-a-boo too:icon_twis >>>
General
I am planning to upgrade to FS2004, what frame rates am I likely to get with my system?
On a normal setup, A Century of Flight will run OK on a 750 Mhz Pentium, but is happier on 1.0 Ghz + systems. It is comfortable on a 1.5 Mhz Pentium, though you will need to have many of the sliders pulled back, and it really begins to work well on a 2.0 Ghz machine. Even on a 3.0 Ghz system, you will experience some slow downs using very complex planes at detailed airports. I am told that FS2004 runs OK on Athlons rated at more than 1.0 Ghz.
If you know what you are doing, substantially faster frame rates can be achieved by stripping out your system, so that the OS boots as 'clean' as possible. This means killing all the apps that load with the OS, unloading your virus scanner and so on. Under these circumstances, FS2004 can be run OK on a 400 Mhz system.
The more system RAM you have fitted, the better - depending on OS, I would advise at least 256 Mbs, ideally 512 Mb and a gigabyte if you are running XP and can afford it.
Video cards hardly affect frame rates, though I would advise at least a reasonably up to date 128 Mb 3D card, as otherwise you will miss out on many special effects. The crucial message here is that upgrading your video card will not increase your frame rates or resolve stuttering if the CPU is not up to it - if you suffer from these problems, the solution is either to start pulling sliders to the left or to buy a faster CPU.
Although I did a full install, every time I start FS2004, the program asks me to put CD 4 in the drive. What am I doing wrong?
Nothing - this is normal behavior and is the result of Microsoft's piracy protection software checking to see if you have a legal copy.
Where can I get the Pro version of FS2004?
There isn't one. Unlike FS2002, which came in two different flavors, 'standard' and 'pro', there is only one version of FS2004.
I cannot find the FS2004 cfg file. Where is it?
For Windows XP users the FS2004 cfg file is best found using Windows Explorer to open My Computer and then looking in C:/Documents and Settings/Your_User_Name/Application Data/Microsoft/FS9 and it is called fs9.cfg, not fs2004.cfg as you might expect! This is a hidden folder by default so you need to modify the folder options via the control panel: go to the view tab and check the "Show hidden files and folders" option. For Windows 9x users the fs9.cfg file is located in Drive_Letter:/WindowsApplicationData/Microsoft/FS9.
How do I get the aircraft doors to open?
Press shift and E together - but remember that you can't open all the doors on every plane!
I don't have a hat control - how do I pan the spot plane view up and down?
Shift-enter moves the view down, shift-backspace moves it up
I can see some aircraft folders in FS2004\aircraft that don't appear in the selection menu. What are they and how can I use them?
These are the AI planes and they aren't really intended to be flown, but there are various fixes which get around this. Try searching for the file ai.zip, which makes some of them flyable, or dh-8fly3.zip, which makes all three Dash-8s flyable. You will need to find panels to use with the planes, though.
Where did all the bridges go that we used to have in FS2002? Man, I used to love those bridges, I don't know how I am going to cope without them. Can you help?
Rumor has it that the guy that wrote the code for them moved over to the golf simulation team. Try and stay calm, don't make any sudden movements and take slow, deep and regular breaths. The feeling will pass.
FS2004 crashes and how to prevent them
I am getting frequent crashes when I run FS20004. What causes this?
Assuming that you haven't been sold a beta copy masquerading as the real thing (don't laugh, it happens), try updating your video card drivers to the latest version, as this fixes the problem about 90% of the time.
Everytime I open the kneeboard, FS2004 crashes to a black screen. Is there any way of preventing this happening?
The problem is most likely an app you are running called RoboForm. The solution is either to kill the app, or to download a version later than AiRoboForm5-4-1. If you aren't running RoboForm, WindowBlinds is another common cause of this particular behavior.
Joysticks, yokes etc.
I fly FS2004 with a yoke and Il2 with a joystick and keep getting spurious control inputs. How can I fix this?
This is usually due to a conflict with the axis/ buttons being assigned to the same thing across controllers. You can reassign all of the axis and button via FS - if you go to the control dialog, their is a drop down box with all of the controllers that FS can find, just select the one you want to work with. However in some circumstances it won't go away, becase FS polls the joysticks for changes, so if you have a noisy joystick it could be sending changes to FS even though it is apparently sitting idle on the desk. In effect you can have one controller saying "pitch up 50%" and then the other controller saying "neutral" at random intervals. If you don't want to be forever unplugging one control or the other you can try widening the null zone for the noisy joystick.
I can't fly my planes because I seem to have permanent control inputs even with the stick centered - the result being that to fly the plane straight and level I have to use left or right aileron and/or large amounts of rudder. When the stick calibration is checked in control panel, everything seems to be normal. What is the cause of this?
Try hitting the "Z" key. You may have inadvertently hit it when meaning to hit "Shift + Z" and turned on the autopilot. Thanks to Don Horneff for this one. If that doesn't work, joystick 'chatter' might be the cause, the first thing to do being to go to the control panel and set your hardware up again using the game controller applet there. If the control panel won't fix the problem, download FSUIPC.zip and use that - note that this utility is payware, but solves many other problems including mysteriously flattening aircraft batteries.
I can not get my Sidewinder II to work with FS2004. My operating system is Windows XP - what can I do?
Try uninstalling the software for the joystick and then plug the joystick back in again without the software, Windows XP should recognize the game controller and suggest drivers for it. Once these have been loaded, recalibrate the joystick using the control panel applet and then reinstall the Sidewinder II software again.
How do I steer the twins (particularly the Vimy) on the ground?
It is difficult to steer the Vimy on the ground because it has a relatively small rudder, no tail wheel, and the airflow from the engines doesn't flow
directly over the rudder surfaces. So here's the trick to steering this airplane on the ground -- use the differential power on the engine control levers. Press shift+4 to display this device. You'll notice that the larger lever in the middle is labelled with port and starboard. Once the airplane is moving forward, you can grab the lever with the mouse and it will twist in the direction that you want to turn the airplane.
How can I get dual throttle control without going to the expense of buying a separate throttle unit?
If you can run to one of the CH Products three lever yokes, assign the first and second levers to right and left throttles and the third lever to control the props (it helps if you have FSUIPC installed, in which case you can map the axis of this lever to 'four props' which will keep everything in sync). Then go to the FS aircraft realism menu and check automixture, unless you plan to adjust this via the keyboard.
My Force Feedback Pro joystick doesn't work with FS2004 and Windows XP. Is there a work around?
Nope. The original FF Pro doesn't work with some combinations of FS2002 and operating systems. It won't ever be sorted out because Microsoft have released a different version of the stick, the Force Feedback Pro 2, and recently have got out of game controller hardware altogether.
Can I use two controllers together to fly planes? I am thinking of using a joystick and pedals.
You sure can, but assuming that Windows detects the two devices, you will have to set them up using the FS2004 menu - Options\Controls\Assignments will get you where you need to be. Select the first device using the 'joystick type' drop down, assign the axes (an axis is anything that swivels) and any buttons, then do the same for the other device after selecting that. If you are adding in pedals after using a joystick with rudder assigned to a twist grip, take care to delete the rudder assignment on the joystick before assigning it to the pedals.
Can I install a joystick and a yoke at the same time? I like to fly some planes with a joystic and others with a yoke.
You can, but if either device creates 'chatter' you will have problems - see the item elsewhere in this section.
Where is the 'Use mouse as yoke' option we used to have in FS2000 and before?
There isn't one. Microsoft took it out in FS2002 and it hasn't reappeared.
Flying the planes
I am having big problems landing at high altitude airports. I keep crashing on approach. What is the solution?
First, make sure you have indicated airspeed set in Flight Simulator, as otherwise the airspeed that is displayed will be below stalling speed half the time. The other is that you need to lean the mixture to preserve power at altitude.
I am having big problems flying the planes because I always have to hold the joystick/yoke most of the way forward/back. What causes this?
You need to adjust the 'trim'. Raising or lowering the gear and flaps, or adjusting power alters the thrust/drag profile of the plane and will cause it to climb or descend. Real airplanes get around this using 'trim tabs' on some or all of the control surfaces, altering the position of which counteracts the tendency to diverge from the straight and level. In Flight Simulator, elevator trim is most important, and having this set to the wrong position is causing the trouble you describe. To use it, make sure that 'NumLock' is not engaged on your keyboard, then if you are having to pull on your joystick to fly level, keep tapping the 7 button on the numeric keypad until you can relax your pull. If you are having to hold the joystick forward all the time, keep tapping 1 on the keypad until you can relax your push. Remember that you will need different amounts of trim for climb, level flight and descent, and that in many aircraft, changes in power settings will alter the trim requirement as well. If you are sure you have the trim adjusted correctly, check out your stick calibration as described elsewhere in this FAQ.
How do I get the sailplane up to altitude so I can fly it?
Use slew mode. Hit Y on the keyboard, then press F4 until you are a few thousand feet up. Whatever you do, don't touch the joystick or pedals while slew is engaged. When the plane is high enough, press F2 to stop the ascent, then press Y again, to put you back in normal mode and go glide.
Importing aircraft and scenery from older versions of FS
Can I import FS2002 planes into FS2004?
You can, but it isn't straightforward - dragging the aircraft folders from one version of FS to another may leave important bits of code (mostly gauges) behind, so the best thing is to do a complete reinstall. Be warned that some planes may not work and that only the developers can fix them.
How can I get older add-on planes to show up in the aircraft selection menu?
First thing, before you go to all the trouble, is that they may not work, or even appear in the menu as planes which cause this problem were designed for FS2000 or before, but if you still want to go ahead...
1. Open the aircraft.cfg of each plane in notepad.
2. Make a backup.
3. Edit the file to add the lines shown in red - the red is only for emphasis in this example
[fltsim.0]
title=FSD Commander C115TC
sim=FSD C-115_2002
model=
panel=
sound=
texture=
kb_checklists=FSD C115_check
kb_reference=FSD_C115_ref
ui_manufacturer=Commander
ui_type=C115TC
ui_variation=Factory Demonstrator
atc_id_enable=1
atc_id=N115C
editable=1
atc_heavy=0
atc_airline=
atc_flight_number=
description=Commander Aircraft Company C115TC by FSD for FS2004.
If you add the lines hihglighted in red to the file, substituting Cessna or Piper for Commander and Saratogo or 152 or whatever (you can leave the variation line empty), not only will ATC call you up with the right name, but the aircraft will now show in the aircraft selection dialog as the correct type too. Furthermore, if you change the atc_id line, ATC will call you with whatever reg you enter (within reason).
I have downloaded and installed various freeware planes into FS2004, but some of them don't show up. Why?
The most common reason for this is that the planes aren't compatible with FS2004. Aircraft designed for FS98 or before usually won't run under FS2004 - you can check this by looking up the version of the sim the plane was designed for in its readme. A second reason why a plane may not load is that you are running Windows XP or 2000 and the aircraft has a corrupt mdl file - you can sometimes fix this using a freeware utility called mdrepair.zip, but if this doesn't work, the plane isn't usable.
Why I can not see the landing lights on the runway at night with an aircraft which is not one of the defaults of FS2004?
This is because only G-Max (i.e. native FS2004) planes and specially programmed FSDS (a design tool for FS) planes are capable of doing this.
I would like to add a virtual cockpit to an airplane - is there any easy way of doing this by copying some files over?
The short answer to this one is no, unless you enjoy coding in FSDS or Gmax. The VC is part of a plane's visual model and unlike a 2D panel, isn't easy to transfer.
I have downloaded and installed a panel in a freeware plane, but there are holes where the gauges should be. How can I fix it?
In our experience the most common problem people face when installing new panels is forgetting to put the gauges in the \Flight Simulator 9\Gauges directory, with the result that when the panel loads for the first time they are faced with a bitmap with a series of black holes where the instruments should be. Check out the package you downloaded - somewhere in there you will most likely find a zip called something like "gauges". Extract that into \Flight Simulator 9\gauges and then restart FS2004. Every now and again, you will come across planes which have the gauges in a .cab file - if that is the case, drag the cab into the gauges folder and drop the whole thing in there.
When I try and change the heading or course settings using some addon panels, the bugs move in ten degree jumps. How can I fix this?
Download Pete Dowson's FSUIPC utility (http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html) (fsuipc.zip) and check the 'Fix Control Acceleration' box in FSUIPC once you have reloaded FS2004. Once installed, FSUIPC can be accessed via FS2004's 'modules' menu. Bear in mind that this utility is payware.
How can I prevent the "Flight Simulator 2004 has detected third party software that may not be compatible with this version of Flight Simulator "message appearing when FS2004 starts?
Write down the name of the offending module and add an entry like this to the FS9.cfg file - the location of this will vary depending on your Windows version, so it might be best to do a search for it using the finder.
[OLDMODULES]
Old_module_name.dll=1
Keep on the lookout for upgrades and new versions of the modules concerned, because there is usually an advantage in doing so.
How can I get the DF734 to work in FS2004?
You can't. Wait for the upgrade.
Addons
I installed an addon plane and would like to get rid of it, but there is no uninstall routine in Control panel. What can I do?
Assuming you are reasonably experienced with Windows, go to C:\Program files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9\Aircraft, identify the folder containing the plane you don't want, highlight it and delete it. The first few times you do this, it is well worth creating a backup of the folder in case you nail the wrong one.
Should I ever get concerned about the size (amount of files) of the gauges file? I keep adding new panels and when I delete them I have always left the gauges behind.
The short answer is no, it doesn't really matter if there are surplus gauges in there. I just leave them in after reviews, because it is too much like hard work cleaning them out. The only rule I operate is that I am careful not to overwrite newer gauges with older ones when I install a new panel.
Frame rates, stuttering and all
How do I toggle the target frame rate?
With FS2004 running and a plane loaded, go to the top menu in windowed mode. Select options\settings\display then click the 'hardware' tab. The target framerate slider is top right. You can either left click the slider, hold the mouse button and pull it, or you can left click either end of the slider to move it frame at a time.
How can I tell what frame rate I am getting in FS2004?
Hit shift-z twice. This will bring up the figure top left. Hit shift-z twice again to get rid of it.
FS2004 stutters and runs very jerkily, especially in spot plane view. How can I fix that?
Try setting the target frame rate to 20 fps. This will improve frame rates in cockpit or spot view at the price of suppressing AutoGen and scenery detail. If this doesn't work, try pulling all the sliders (apart from target frame rate) under the options\settings\display tabs and unchecking all the tick boxes. Then load the default 737 and starting with the aircraft tab, start pulling the sliders back to the right and checking boxes - but each time you alter one, go back and fly for half an hour and keep an eye on what the frame rates are doing. As soon as they start failing to make 20 most of the time, you have reached the limit of what your PC can do.
My friend has an identical system, but gets much faster frame rates. What's the deal here?
Assuming you aren't trying to run FS2004 at the same time as Microsoft Word and PhotoShop, the explanation may lie in the programs that load at Windows startup. It doesn't matter which version of Windows you are using, every time you install a new piece of software it has a horrible tendency to install about fifteen extra little applets it doesn't tell you about, just to monitor this and that. Sometimes these give the game away by appearing in the system tray at bottom right, but most often they just load invisibly and steal processor time in the background. If enough of these are present, they can double the Windows load time and significantly cut into performance. The best site I know devoted to explaining what they are and how to get rid of them can be accessed here (http://www.lafn.org/webconnect/mentor/startup/index.html).
I heard about a thing called 'hyperthreading' on XP. Can I use this to speed FS2004 up?
You can, though only to a certain extent, assuming your CPU and BIOS support it, which Pentiums running at around the 3.0 Ghz mark usually do. Assuming hyperthreading is enabled in your BIOS (if you don't know how to access the BIOS, don't even think of trying this), start FS2004, access task manager (CTRL_ALT_DEL), select the Processes tab, right click on FS9.exe, select "Set Affinity", disable one of the two check boxes so that FS9 only runs on one virtual CPU (e.g. CPU 0). If you want the fastest possible results, do the same with any other utility you can find running and select the other virtual processor. The problem is that this has to be repeated every time you reboot. There is said to be a permanent workaround, but we are presently investigating this.
Graphics
If you are having graphics problems not described in this section, remember that you have a reasonable chance of curing them by installing the latest video drivers for your card. These are normally found at the manufacturer's web site.
Notwithstanding the above, if you install a new set of drivers and you start experiencing problems you didn't have before, try rolling back to the older set, if you have a version of Windows which supports this. The one thing that you should not do in any circumstance is try installing an older set of drivers on top of a newer set, because this can sometimes result in an incompatible mix of files.
I have an ATI 9800 Pro. How should I best set it up for use with FS2004?
Follow this link (http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/ati2004.htm).
I have an nVidia Ti4xxx video card and when I go to the "Create Flight" screen everything except the window with the rotating aircraft model goes black - the buttons flicker on if I move the cursor over their supposed location and I can click on them all right, but there are other weird graphical glitches too. What can I do about it?
Go to the nVidia card setup page (how you get there varies from version to version) and turn off anti-aliasing. Also turn this off from the FS2004 \options\settings\display\hardware tick box.
My aircraft have black textures. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
One cause of black textures is a video card that does not support the DXT textures used by FS2004 planes, or textures bigger than 256x256 pixels in size (e.g. old Voodoo cards). In this case, the only work around is to upgrade the card. However, before you do this, it is worth checking out that you have the latest DirectX driver - available from Microsoft via Windows Update.
My instrument panels won't load. I know they are there because the tooltips still operate, but I can't see them. What can I do?
Video card driver problem again. This usually an nVidia card problem, updating should cure it.
All my lights have black squares around them. Is there a way around this?
Go to Settings-Display-Hardware where you will find a check box called 'Transform and Lighting'. Try unchecking it.
The following is displayed on my screen when I hit SHIFT Z to display frame rates: FRAMES/SEC = 028.5 (LOCKED AT 30 FPS) +Gs. Does that mean that my graphics card is somehow limited to 30 FPS ? Is it possible to increase the rates by somehow removing this lock ?
What the message means is that you have the target frame rate locked at 30 fps in settings\display and that your PC is giving an average of 28 fps. If you work through the display settings dialog, you can drag the slider to a higher setting. The purpose of target frame rate locking is to allow your PC to concentrate its resources on displaying your aircraft, rather than trying to render every single AutoGen tree to the far horizon, so use with care!
Why do the scenery textures look blurry?
The explanation for this is complex, but it depends on hardware settings for the video card and also on settings in FS2004, primarily the level of bitmapping used. One possible cause is the simulator settings: the "Aircraft Texture Size" slider in the Display settings seems to apply to the scenery textures as well - try dragging this slider to "Massive" if you are affected by blurring. For some strange and unaccountable reason, the "Aircraft Texture Size" slider can affect scenery textures at settings lower than "high" (set at "High" FS2004 uses 512 x 512 texture sheet, the preferred size of autogen). "Medium" (256 x 256) will affect autogen textures, but no other scenery textures. "Small" (128 x 128) will affect most scenery textures to some extent.
Checking 'use extended terrain textures' under the display settings will help, as will running in full screen mode, but ultimately the problem is caused by the way FS2004 handles terrain texture loading.
If you are confident about editing FS9.cfg, try setting TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT to a higher figure. The default is 40, on a fast machine you may be able to increase it to 300 or more.
AI traffic and ATC
Is there a setting where I can "adjust" the volume of traffic at the airport or in the air? For example: it's a 5PM rush hour at LAX and there are 10 in line waiting?
Adjust ATC traffic using the menu \options\settings\ATC and adjust the traffic percentage slider.
If this is set to 0%, you won't see any other planes, at 100% it may be difficult to get taxi clearance at larger airports.
Why do my addon AI planes sometimes appear without wheels in FS2004?
This is because the planes concerned are non-Gmax designs, and there doesn't appear to be any way of fixing it, short of replacing the offending aircraft with a different one which has a Gmax visual model.
How can I create my own AI traffic?
Read this tutorial. (http://www.flightsim.com/cgi/kds?$=main/howto/ai4beg.htm) - though note that it was written for FS2002. Same principles apply, though.
My ATC sound is very faint. The weird thing is that the engine sounds are OK, but I have to turn my sound volume all the way up just to make out the words of the ATC, which makes the engine sounds almost unbearably loud. My option sliders are all turned way up on the sound options. How can I fix this?
This is most likely to occur if you use Windows XP. Find the DirectX Diagnostic tool (Accessories/system tools/system information/tools/DirectX Diagnostic tool/sound) and change the "hardware acceleration level" on the Sound tab from 'full' to 'basic'.
Technical stuff
Where can I get a copy of FSUIPC?
Try this link (http://www.schiratti.com/dowson.html). However, note that it costs 20 euros (around $20). Sounds a lot for a bitty utility, but so many programs need it, it is virtually a must have.
Can I use an old version of FSUIPC in FS2004?
Nope. Bad things happen.
How do I make the Nav2 and/or ADF2 radios work?
Assuming that the aircraft has a workable Nav2 radio on the panel, add the following lines to the aircraft.cfg file.
[Radios]
Audio.1=1
Com.1=1, 1
Com.2=1, 1
Nav.1=1, 1, 1
Nav.2=1, 1, 0
Adf.1=1
Adf.2=1
Transponder.1=1
Marker.1=1
How can I increase the pan rate in VC view?
You need to edit the fs9.cfg file. All you have to do is increase the number under the pan_rate=400 line - try increasing it to 600 to start with. Also, if you add pan_in_cockpit_mode=1 after the pan rate line, you can pan around in the 2D cockpit view.
How can I get rid of the brakes banner?
1. Using notepad, open up your FS9.cfg file - the location of this will vary depending on your Windows version, so it might be best to do a search for it using the finder.
2. Make a backup copy of this file.
3. Scroll way down for the section named (Sim).
4. Find the section which says:
(SIM)
SYSCLOCK=1
5. Add the line
show_brake_message=0 below SYSCLOCK=1
How can I stop my aircraft displaying the 'overspeed' message and then breaking up?
As far as I know, the overspeed message can't be got rid of - however, you can stop the 'airframe overstress' that causes the breakup and reset by going to the menu: \aircraft\realism settings and then unchecking 'aircraft stress causes damage'
If you want to visit Flightsim.com without leaving your FS9 session, and are happy editing cfg files, try this suggestion from Johan Peeters:
To display the Flightsim.com website in the FS9 "news" section you need to edit the FS9.cfg file. Backup the file and then search for the following section:
[USERINTERFACE]
MAP_ORIENTATION=2
PAUSE_ON_LOST_FOCUS=1
PROMPT_ON_EXIT=1
FSLiveURL=www.microsoft.com/games/flightsimulator/product/fsliveweb.asp
DisplayFuelAsWeight=0
SelectFlightLevel=0
SelectFlightTitle=0
PageID=3
OpenATCOnCreate=1
SITUATION=//////////////////////////////
Then change it as follows -
[USERINTERFACE]
MAP_ORIENTATION=2
PAUSE_ON_LOST_FOCUS=1
PROMPT_ON_EXIT=1
FSLiveURL=www.flightsim.com
DisplayFuelAsWeight=0
SelectFlightLevel=0
SelectFlightTitle=0
PageID=3
OpenATCOnCreate=1
SITUATION=////////////////////////////////