Stealth .DLL

[SSI01]

Somewhere in the recent past I made an addition to my sim that has caused some unusual situations. I was getting background ATC chatter between the normal FS9 ATC calls, faint chatter. I never installed anything like that. Not long after I began noting that, the sim would quit after being on about 2.5 to 3 hours - an instantaneous CTD with no explanation. Today, here on SSI, we had violent thunderstorms - the worst I've seen since moving here in 2010. I shut the computer down normally to compensate. During the shutdown process, I got an FS9 dialog box reporting an error and that FS9 was shutting down. The error cited was "ATC.dll." The box also reported the content of the FS9 config file would be reported, as well as FS9\Scenery.cfg.

I'm planning on removing this .dll using the "search" function available through the operating system, but before I do, is there anything I should know about it?:ques:

[pfflyers]

My ATC.dll is in my "modules" folder. I think it's part of the basic FS9 install. Mine is file version 9.1.0.40901, created 6/12/2003.

Your problem may be that yours is missing or corrupt.

[SSI01]

Thanks for the hint. I checked mine, it's version 9.0.0.30612 created June 12 2003. Avast and MalWareBytes scans show the file to be benign. Somehow my FS9 installation got the older ATC .dll. I've installed a lot of effects lately, I'm wondering if somehow one of them is conflicting with the current ATC.dll. It's possible the newer .dll will fix this problem.

I checked all installations (4) plus the FS9 base files on the external drive, they all have that .dll version. Any idea where I can pick up a newer one?

EDIT: I have the update, 9.1, and the updated .dll may be in there - however, my machine is not letting me install the update - it comes up with an error 34 whenever I try to install it.

[alastairmonk]

Hi,

Re the FS2004 Update: after running the update you will have an extra folder in your parent FS2004 folder called "Update" (or similar) containing the older replaced files. If this folder is present when you try and re-run the Update it will stall, so if you want to run it again either delete or move this folder first.

Alastair

[kikas]

Thanks for the hint. I checked mine, it's version 9.0.0.30612 created June 12 2003. Avast and MalWareBytes scans show the file to be benign. Somehow my FS9 installation got the older ATC .dll. I've installed a lot of effects lately, I'm wondering if somehow one of them is conflicting with the current ATC.dll. It's possible the newer .dll will fix this problem.

I checked all installations (4) plus the FS9 base files on the external drive, they all have that .dll version. Any idea where I can pick up a newer one?

EDIT: I have the update, 9.1, and the updated .dll may be in there - however, my machine is not letting me install the update - it comes up with an error 34 whenever I try to install it.
I had same "error 34" problem yesterday, when after brain fart i accidentally deleted 9.1 update, only way to update i found was to do new temporary install, update and copy all files from fresh updated install to old one.

[SSI01]

Hi,

Re the FS2004 Update: after running the update you will have an extra folder in your parent FS2004 folder called "Update" (or similar) containing the older replaced files. If this folder is present when you try and re-run the Update it will stall, so if you want to run it again either delete or move this folder first.

Alastair

I checked the folder, there's nothing in there I can see with "Update" or similar wording. Here's a screenshot:

65459

[SSI01]

I had same "error 34" problem yesterday, when after brain fart i accidentally deleted 9.1 update, only way to update i found was to do new temporary install, update and copy all files from fresh updated install to old one.


I wish I could follow your lead; I insert disk 1 and am told the application will start. For some reason the machine won't go through the normal procedure for running the "install" program; it just tells me to insert disk 4 and get started.

[kikas]

I wish I could follow your lead; I insert disk 1 and am told the application will start. For some reason the machine won't go through the normal procedure for running the "install" program; it just tells me to insert disk 4 and get started.
Write which files do you need and i will try to upload them

[SSI01]

Many thanks for your gracious offer!

I can't install any of the update at all. I hate to ask you, but I will - can you upload or otherwise send the entire update? I know I installed it in the past, but whatever messed up the one file may have played havoc with the others as well; it's better to be safe than sorry. Besides, with a manual install I can check what's current, discard what I don't need, and manually install the rest.

I wonder if moving the update .exe into the FS9 main folder and opening it from there would make any difference?

[kikas]

Here, i hope i done everything right
http://i.minus.com/1337172846/DgOCgV1RtEWYuB7earVaIQ/dbkTXjnlQOpn76.7z

[Dangerousdave26]

The 9.1 update will fail if you have a non standard fs9.exe file or language.dll file installed.

The update folder Bill was talking about should have actually been the BACKUP folder. Since you do not have one in your FS9 directory I would say you did not have the 9.1 update installed.

Problems like these are why you should keep a backup the default FS9 (fully updated to 9.1) on a separate drive for future reference.

[hurricane3]

Just a FYE, my update folder doesnt look like a folder , it looks like a bridge and if you click it ,it comes up with a message that says "do you want to remove update 9.1, yes or cancel". It's in the root FS9 folder. The ATC .dll is in the modules folder.

[hurricane3]

When you click "help" after the aircraft loads (after hitting alt) at the top it says version 9.1

[SSI01]

Yeah, I had it at 9.1, now it's reading at 9.0. Reckon that's because I had that crash some time ago and had to reinstall everything from scratch. The initial installation of FS9 is right out of the book, so I can't figure out why it's not taking except that the sim is on the F: drive, not C: drive, which is the default.

I'm first going to try cut and pasting the update into the FS9 folder; if that doesn't work, I'll see about transplanting the individual 9.1 files into the FS9 folder.

[SSI01]

Here, i hope i done everything right
http://i.minus.com/1337172846/DgOCgV1RtEWYuB7earVaIQ/dbkTXjnlQOpn76.7z

I've been to the Minus site, but I get a sign saying the file is not available or doesn't exist.

[SSI01]

I'm curious about why I can not open the FS9 installation program from disk 1, pointing it toward a drive that does not have FS9 on it, like E: drive, which is the main drive. It will only allow me to open the sim.


Is there a way for me to open disk 1, and point the installation program toward E: drive, where a plain unchanged version of FS9 can be kept, using the "Start - run" option?

[SSI01]

[QUOTE=Problems like these are why you should keep a backup the default FS9 (fully updated to 9.1) on a separate drive for future reference.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, if I'd known that I would have done it.

I've heard in the past nothing in an effects file can hurt your sim, but I've installed a bunch of them lately I removed after the last crash, and I've noted since I did that I've had this problem. The ATC.DLL I've got in the sim is the original ATC.DLL that's on the disk, so it can't be that. The .exe file for the sim is in the sim folder itself, I have a shortcut on the desktop but don't see how that could be causing this problem. Consequently, it's got to be something I just installed within the past two weeks, and that's the effects files.

Looks like I'll have to be limiting my flights to about 2.5 hours duration!

[Tom Clayton]

Error 34 is caused by a registry error. The file path to the fs9.exe in the registry doesn't match where yours is located. You can either fix this manually in RegEdit, or use the Flight1 repair tool.

The file with the bridge icon in your main FS9(.1) folder is the uninstaller for the 9.1 update. It's the same icon used by the installer. In order to use the installer, you need to have a factory original fs9.exe for sure - I've never replaced my language.dll so I can't speak from experience whether that one needs to be original or not. If you have a non-original fs9.exe, don't discuss it here - it's a sure-fire way to get this thread shut down. But if you do have one, you'll need to rename it and drop in a fresh copy from the GAME folder on CD1. The language.dll file is there too. Insert the CD and then exit the installer. Open My Computer and right-click the drive's icon, then choose Explore. (Depending on your autoplay settings, you might get a choice to either run the setup or open the files when you first insert the CD.) With fresh copies of those files in your installation and correct registry info, put CD4 into your drive and then try running the 9.1 update.

Note that if you did have a "non-standard" fs9.exe, you shouldn't try to re-use it, unless it happens to have the same 9.1.0.40901 version # mentioned earlier. If the version is 9.0.x, it's based on the original, which is part of why MS issued the 9.1 update in the first place. If you want another "non-standard" exe, it's up to you to find one on your own. Don't try to use the PM system here either.

Links:
Error info: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/894732
FS9.1 Update: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=9727
Flight1 Repair Tool (and other freeware): http://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=library

[Tom Clayton]

I'm curious about why I can not open the FS9 installation program from disk 1, pointing it toward a drive that does not have FS9 on it, like E: drive, which is the main drive. It will only allow me to open the sim.


Is there a way for me to open disk 1, and point the installation program toward E: drive, where a plain unchanged version of FS9 can be kept, using the "Start - run" option?

I'm guessing that if you already have fs9 installed, the installer won't let you install another one. Check with the Golden Wings crowd as to how they do their multiple installs. My guess is that they have a bone-stock install that they copy to another location before modifying. If you need any files from any of the CD's, you can open the CD like I mentioned above (only #1 will make you exit the installer). If you have an aftermarket archive program like WinRar or 7zip, you can use that to open the cab files and still retain the folder views. If you just double-click a cab in Windows, you'll just get a list of all the files, which can be a royal pain to navigate.

[SSI01]

Tom - no sweat, my FS9 is street legal. What I did is set up an original FS9, rename the file, then install FS9 again with a new name (i.e., FSGW3 for Golden Wings 3), then FSSW (Silver Wings) 50 for 50s-era stuff - mostly from your site, BTW - and the same for FSSW 60 - again, quite a bit from your site. After that it was just a matter of changing the registry paths/names for the successive versions, but they're still off the disks, with the original .exe file. I then changed the name of the original download back to FS9, and we were good to go. The differences between them are scenery and aircraft. Otherwise, they're the same. AFAIK there's nothing illegal about the procedure.:redf:

I fingered out how to install FS9 to my E: drive, so it's now there in unadalterated state, sans 9.1 update. I wanted to check here before I did the update. Obviously I want to install it into my "working" FS9 (the one used all the time), so I plan on checking the data on the download about what it changes, installing it into the "saved" FS9, then looking in the "saved" FS9 to see what's changed - then transferring that to the working FS9. I'm wondering if I want to xfer everything that's in the download to the Silver Wings 50 and 60 sims, since the scenery from the download might not match what was really there in the 50s and 60s. If on the other hand there are still some things in the download (i.e, ATC.DLL update and some other utilities) it might be beneficial to move over I would like to do that. I've got every vintage airport from the 50s and 60s in both of those sims, and don't want to bring anything in from the update that would conflict with them (especially, for example, around Idylwyld Airport in NY).

[SSI01]

I may have hit on something related to this problem - if you're running FS9, you've had this happen - when you land, if you remain on the runway too long to suit ATC's liking, it will start advising you to "exit runway when able" or "turn next taxiway," but since installing something in the very recent past, I now get ATC giving me wind and landing permission, but once I'm on the ground they stay respectfully (or malevolently) quiet until I'm off the runway. Also - I step-climb my propliners in 2,000 ft intervals to save the engines. In the past ATC has nagged me to "expedite (my) climb to xxxthousand;" I no longer hear this, either. This has to be a change to the ATC.DLL, which could be pointing to what I need to change back.

Also - this happened today at Chengdu, in China:

65506

A quick pan around the aircraft fixed it. This was on landing rollout, and I suspect it has to do with the aircraft rapidly covering scenery/ground the video card can't keep up with.

[Tom Clayton]

As far as what the 9.1 update changes, there were initially some complaints (if I can remember back almost a decade) about memory leaks and other performance issues. There were also also several bridges that were quite conspicuously missing from the scenery library. The performance issues were addressed and the bridges added. After you run the update, you can see exactly what was replaced by peeking into the Backup folder. There's copies of the original exe, 32 dll's, the generic.bgl from Scenery\Generic\Scenery, and the display.cfg from the main folder. There's also an "unpatch.bak" which you can open with Notepad. It's actually a batch file that will restore the Sim back to its original state if you change the .bak to .bat and then run it.

[SSI01]

Thanks for the info! I'll put your info in a .txt document, then include it in the FS9 folder for reference.:salute:

[hurricane3]

I checked my backup file and it only has the unpatch bak in it, no other files. I also have the bridge shaped uninstaller and in the help file it says version 9.1 ,and also on the properties of the exe it says 9.1 I have bridges where I didn't before and the sim runs ok apart from the occasional usual glitch.
Enough said about this as I don't want to go as to way I don't have the other files in the backup file.