a cautionary tale about file type associations

[UncleTgt]

This is a cautionary tale that folks might find useful.

My system - 7 year old Pc running XP
My issue - all of a sudden my CFS 2 started hanging during the transition for aircraft selection to flight. Free Flight, Quick Combat, Missions, every route was affected.

No recent changes to aircraft or ships, so I assumed the scenery was the culprit. Stripped back to default, & still a no go.

So, I got out my default back up copy, & started to rebuild my install.

I also use Morten's utility (mkutilv2)to swap out aircraft sets, or just change aircraft of ships in mission files without having to open mission builder.

Recently I had changed my file associations to allow me to open aircraft.cfg & dp files with Notepad using a double click.

Still with me? I found (by trial & error) that it was this file association that was causing CFS 2 to hang during the transition to flight. Morten's utility changes the aircraft.cfg file extension to .cgf for those aircraft not selected in a set. This way they don't appear in any selection list. What I discovered was the only aircraft list that would allow me to fly was the original stock a/c list when I ran mkutility for the first time. Any subsequent changes would cause cfs2 to hang. I could see the 3d view of the a/c in the selection screen, but I couldn't then get the flight to load...

So I went to Control Panel/ Folders/ File Associations, removed the links for dp & cfg filess to open with Notepad. - Problem gone, no need for a fresh install after all!!

Mortens utility works fine, I can swap a/c sets to my hearts content etc. So, one for the tips & tricks folder, you never know when it might be of use..

Go figure...

[SW]

Recently I had changed my file associations to allow me to open aircraft.cfg & dp files with Notepad using a double click.

I've had my cfs2 .cfg files associated with Notepad ever since I've had cfs2 (and cfs1) and it has never caused a problem that I'm aware of. I've never tried the .dp files.

I'd say it would be safe for you to associate the .cfg files back to Notepad - haven't got the time right now to test with the .dp files sorry, I'm about to catch a train!

Cheers,

SW

[Devildog73]

I open DP files with notepad all of the time.

No problems doing it for years.

[UncleTgt]

Seems I spoke too soon, my "new" install went south today - I can fly missions, but no QC or Free Flight, & no mission builder. Even though my a/c total is reduced to 29, the game is behaving as though I have 100+.

I've checked my base install, thats OK, but nothing I copy across seems to work.

So far I've uninstalled Mortens Utility, & replaced the following:

cfs2.cfg

ppath
WAYPOINT_INDEX
LAT_INDEX
ICAO_INDEX
AIRWAY_INDEX
STR_INDEX
INDEX_FILE
qc.mis

contents of PILOTS folder

qc_plane.qcb from QUICKCOM folder

all with "good" files from backup installs I've flown today. One install was created from a fresh CFS 2 CD install too.

Nothing seems to work.

If anyone has any ideas, I'm all ears. No fun reinstalling twice in 20 days

What makes it all the more frustrating is I am just about done with the New Ireland scenery, but now I can't fly to take some screen shots of the eye candy!!

[simonu]

Hi Uncle Tgt
your story rings a distant bell in my mind,

Do you get the

"Failed to initialize the databases.
You might need to reinstall this product as some data files are missing or corrupted."

or are you just crashing to desktop?

[Fibber]

That happened to me many moons ago and the only way around it I found was to go through each and every aircraft and make sure that all the a\c read the proper format of .cfg. I open with notepad all the time with no problems. Unfortunately I stopped using that great utility for the very same reason.

[UncleTgt]

Guys, thanks for the suggestions

Simonu,

No CTD, no failed to initialise... it just never loads the flight or QC. A quick look at Task Manager shows the processor beavering away at something ...

Fibber,

Already went through the thinned down a/c list & checked the cfg status, no rogues there. And I can select a/c in the selcetion screen, just can't fly them...

So my suspects are:

bad gsl file - now at 8600kb, I think others have larger gsl file sizes without issue
bad scenery cfg - this would stop the flight from loading without a CTD?
bad dll - I have FSconnect, FSUIPC 2.something, cfoweather, otherwise all as std
bad hardware (graphics card) - not likely, as my vanilla install is fine
overprotective AVP - I use McAfee Total Protection 2013 (I know, its a resource hog) - no events in the history that tie in with my recent trouble though
windows XP or .net service stopped - not likely, auto updates enabled & manual check for criticals says OK (i'm assuming some of the utilities like Mortens makes use of .net services here)

I'm focusing on the scenery cfg & the gsl file for now.

[Shessi]

Hi UT,
Sorry to hear of such a bugge*ance, trouble is we all get lulled into a false sense of security....

With that in mind, it won't be your operating system (CFS2 basically designed for XP anyway), it does not need the dot net facility (really only if you're doing on-line stuff). FSUIPC can cause probs, so I would just rename it/remove it for the time being.

Hardware will not cause this (as a vanilla copy runs fine).

Now the hard stuff, yes agree that scenery can cause this, but I can't see it's this as you're flying missions, which I take it is done with your full install scenery?

Yes, to McAffee, could cause this. To try this out I would disconnect from the internet, disable the AV and see if this does it. If it doesn't then it's not the AV.

As you know ships, bad DP's/airfiles can cause probs. I would remove all the ships to start with, then add the vanilla ships and build up from there to test. After that I would gradually remove blocks of ac form the ac list. You should have about 85-95 in total before the know glitch, move 10 at a time out, and see what happens. If it's a number of then you'll reach it, or if it's one with a bad DP/airfile etc then again you should finally reach it.

I take it you've also done this procedure with gradually removing scenery?

It could also be a a spurious panel or a sound that is associated with a panel (Ted's Do217 series, panel with the 'ungueiltig' switch click comes to mind, that caused a few headaches)

Going back to this file association, it's just possible that a file extension has been changed that you have not spotted. Search the affected install for recently changed files, also for odd file extensions, hopefully that may throw up the spurious file(s) that spoiling the party.

I run my CFS2 on an XP SP3 machine (all it really needs TBH!), and runs very well.
The other thing with XP is sometimes, if you're not aware, it has a glitch with Data Execution Prevention (to do with Windows choosing stuff for better performance). Now to make sure it's not this, go into Control Panel/System/System Properties/Advanced(tab)/Performance Settings/Data Execution Performance(tab). Make sure the second button down is selected (Turn on DEP for all programmes and services except those I select:-).
Then in the pane below select Add and search and select the CFS2.exe file of your install (DEP is only for .exe's) also clokspl.exe. Then Apply and OK. This will make sure the CFS2.exe and clokspl.exe doesn't trigger the DEP, which will stop CFS2 running. You could also do it with any other .exe that you may have which may have links to CFS2.

I think/know you know most of this, so sorry if it's a bit of teaching-suck-eggs etc, but may help or give a lead?

On another note, I always thought your avatar was one of the northern comedians staues..until I read the 'Fighting Captain'. I've been really getting into the Atlantic Campaign, some great stories. Johnnie Walker, what a hero a real UBoat nemisis, and I'm so glad that all the 'boys' concerned have finally being officially recognised. Must come up to Liverpool and see the Atlantic/Uboat museum. In fact I've just looked at the book, and I'm going to read it again!

Good luck with it all.

Cheers

Shessi

[Fibber]

This may sound like it's redundant but did you happen to check if the sound files are still aliased right or have their own sounds? Also check to make sure nothing has changed with the model references.

[UncleTgt]

Shessi & Fibber,

Thanks for some more ideas on what to look for.

I didn't add any a/c that haven't flown in the sim before (recently). Each a/c has it's own sounds, so no aliasing to check.

I have been adding to the gsl, & I think that or the scenery cfg must be the real culprit.

I had limited success trying missions - I tried to launch some of DD73s Operation Meridian missions & never could get them to load, but some older ones I created for CV take-offs(only 10-14 days ago) will load. The stock missions will also load. That said, none of these were based around New Ireland. It's probably a combination of things.

I'll start again with a vanilla stock install & go softly, step-wise - it may take a while, but I'll get there.

[simonu]

Check the dp's of the objects you added to GSL.
Thats my hunch.

[UncleTgt]

Shessi,

Thanks for the Windows DEP tip - I hadn't used that before.

SITREP - I have an install with stock a/c & Rabaul looks like Rabaul once more (I used a back up gsl)

NO FSUIPC or CFO Weather, so no FSMetars, but at least I'm flying - will try MB tonight.

Simonu

Thanks for the tip - I follow your train of thought with the object dp. I'll go back through my New Ireland gsl gobs one by one before I start adding them to the gsl again, but I try to use the same "well established" object libraries, especially for the eye candy gsl. If I come across anything I'll holler.