DLL conflict with FSInsider

[Bernard Ducret 6]

I have been experiencing a very severe challenge lately with what appears to be conflicting DLLs between AES Vista Mare Core dll and FSInsider.dll (Multi Crew Experience). Originally, FSX would give me an error message regarding FSInsider not being recommended to be run, when ignoring this warning and starting a flight situation, immediately after AES announces "Chokes are in place", FSX would suddenly quit. The CTD timing was systematic on all occurrences showing that AES was triggering the CTD.

 

When going through the review of my FSX DLL:XML, I checked what DLL would conflict one by one and this several times. The result is that if I disable the Vista Mare Core dll of AES, I can run FSX and MCE and all my other software with no problem at all, I made several flights tp back this up. But since I happened to have spent more money on AESs credits than on any other FSX software, I need to fix this problem. 

 

These two dll worked together for years, this is a new issue that I cannot explain and seek your help to troubleshoot it. FYI, among the other DLLs I have in this XML: PMDG, FSLabs, ASN, CaptainSim, LSHLeonardo. I tried to reorder the DLL in different order, no no avail, I then disabled all of them and reinstate them one by one, starting FSX each time for the flight situation with Aerosoft Airbus at Aerosoft EDDM, ASN and MCE. The only positive result was when I kept VMC.dll disabled, hence there is little doubt that it is causing the conflict. If you need me to check any particular item, please let me know.

 

Software used: Windows 10, DX10 Fixer, FSX Gold and acceleration.

 

Thank you.

 

 

[OPabst 2091]

Hi,

 

you wrote, that you when you disable the vimacore.dll, all is fine. What happens, when you disable the fsinsider.dll?

 

You wrote, that you spend a lot into AES credits, that mean it works for a long time, but now it don't. The vimacore.dll has not changed since years, so what is new in your installation?

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Thank you for your fast reply Oliver.

 

Yes, I used both AES and MCE together for years with no issue (I started using both with FS9...). It is only recently that I started to get the FSInsider.dll being rejected by FSX upon start and asking whether I want to run it or not. When I confirm that I wish to run it, FSX works normally (I can select, plane, airport, flight plan and time and start the situation) until AES loads, and abruptly quits upon the last word of the AES ground staff...

 

If I disable FSInsider, I still get the CTD under exactly the same conditions at the same time (after AES loads).

 

Among the changes made to my system in the last six months, I switched to Windows 10 (from Windows 7), I bought DX10 Fixer, I updated ASN twice, I also updated REX and MCE twice, and FSLabs Concorde 1.3, all work fine. It is after this month's SP update of REX, ASN and MCE that I started to get FSX CTD. In all cases, before I worked on the FSX DLL.XML, FSX would display the same error message regarding FSInsider.dll and a mention in a key in the registry would show FSE.exe with $IgnoreFreeLibrary.FSInsider.dll. When I deleted that key, the same would happen over and over again. Until I disable Vimacore.dll in FSX DLL.XML, then no more registry FSX key and no more FSX CTD. MCE and all other add ons work normally.

 

This evening I made a short flight EDDM LOWW (after disabling Vimacore.dll) and everything worked perfectly including MCE.

 

The likely hint of all this is that there is a probable conflict between these two dll (FSInsider and Vimacore), I tried to change the sequencing of the DLLs in the FSX XML but to no avail, some would require a specific placement such as as-connect for ASN that is and must be at the end of the list on the XML file (if it is not, when starting ASN, it will automatically go there). As I indicated above, I checked ALL DLL one by one, and the only workable condition for FSX is by disabling Vimacore... Hence my query for assistance.

 

Thank you and best regards,

[OPabst 2091]

Can you try to keep ViMaCore active in the DLL.XML and uncheck the AES Basepack Entry in the scenery Library or set it to "Active=FALSE" in the scenery.cfg

Is it EDDM from GAP? If so, then check if ja see the AESLite traffic. When it is there, we have no general conflict with the ViMa DLL, then maybe something with the internal timeing has check on the side of MCE, which generate a CTD when AES will allocate Memory or so.

 

As you update MCE, ViMaCore not (as is since years unchanged), did you ask the MCE developers about that issue, special the regkey's?

Did you run the FSX in Adminmode?

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Many thanks Oliver. I did as suggested and could start FSX without any problem and did see the AES Lite on the EDDM Aerosoft airport with buses, luggage carts etc. No CTD with MCE on as usual.

 

Incidentally, I did report the problem also to MCE and they were extremely helpful and willing to help, but with no joy on their side since their dll did not change recently, they sent me a number of older dll and the problem remained the same. Then they suggested I troubleshoot my DLL.XML which I did with this known result. The registry key is automatically written - it seems - anytime we have a CTD with a different entry after FSX.exe.

 

Of course my FSX is run as admin.

 

Can you think of anything else that could trigger this phenomenon? Thank you for your kind help.

[OPabst 2091]

Ok,

 

that makes it easier, as the issue is maybe in my code, not in the dll.

But, as I could not reproduce it, it is a search of the needle in the darkness.

Can you please check, if there are Log Files under Vistamare and Vistamare/bin.

Maybe you can also increase the Logging setting to 5 in the cfg files you find there for the vimacore and vimaiscenx

 

maybe so I can check, what happens before the ctd. Ok, you must reactivate the basepack before

 

And maybe you can try, if The ctd only happens, when you start at a gate, or also at the runway.

[Bernard Ducret 6]

I have done the following:

• Increased logging settings in both VistaMare CFG. files to 5
• Reactivated AES Basepack
• Started Aerosoft EDDM situation with Aerosoft A320 on runway and got a CTD (both log files attached)
• Started EDDM situation with same plane and same scenery but at a gate and got a CTD (both log files attached)

To avoid any potential conflict, I did not launch ASN and MCE in these two cases.

 

I hope this helps. Let me know if you need further tests.

 

Thank you.

ViMaIScnXLog.txt at gate EDDM.txt

ViMaCoreLog.txt Runway start at EDDM Aerosoft.txt

ViMaIScnXLog.txt Runway start at EDDM Aerosoft.txt

ViMaCoreLog.txt At gate EDDM.txt

[OPabst 2091]

Can you please first update to AES 2.41

I don't expect that this fix it, but then we are on the last and same level.

 

I don't think, that AES or ViMa Modules generate the CTD, as the ViMaCore is unloading normal, as you see in the log. So it is still runing, when the FS Crashes and the Simconnect is stopping.

But we will see, maybe we find a workaround, but therefore we need the latest Version first.

 

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Updated to 2.41. same processes, same results.

Four files attached.

Thank you.

ViMaIScnXLog.txt EDDM gate.txt

ViMaIScnXLog.txt EDDM runway start.txt

ViMaCoreLog.txt EDDM gate.txt

ViMaCoreLog.txt EDDM runway start.txt

[OPabst 2091]

Can you make one test please:

 

- Disable AES in the Scenery.cfg, restart the FSX

- Go to the Runway and set the Mode to SLEW, then lift the aircraft some meter up, so that he is not on ground.

- Save the flight (if you don't use the startup screen, save it as default)

- Enable AES and restart the FSX (by loading the saved fight)

 

Check if the CTD is happen direct on loading, or just when you place the Aircraft down to the runway.

 

AND: Please use the default B737 for this tests

 

more tomorrow, happy eastern.

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Thank you Oliver Happy Easter Monday to you too!

 

I tried what you asked for and the results are:

• No CTD when loading the saved situation above the runway with the stock B737
• No CTD when slewing down onto the runway

Best regards.

[OPabst 2091]

Ok, that mean it is not a general code issue. Can you repeat the test at the gate with a Default B737, as you wrote before you always have used a complex airplane here.

Did it only happen, when you load the flight in EDDM or also in less complex airports, for example when you activate the Default EDDN Airport and start the flight at a gate there.

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Good morning Oliver,

 

So as to make this as useful as I could I did the following tests:

• Default stock FSX Cessna for all situations
• No MCE
• No ASN
• AES library activated in the scenery folder
  • FSX Stock scenery with NO AES credits:
    • VGSY (Bangladesh) NO CTD
    • TNCA (Aruba) NO CTD
  • Commercial Add-on sceneries with NO AES credits:
    • YSSY FlyTampa NO CTD
    • VRMM Mahé Aerosoft NO CTD
    • KLAX FSDreamteam NO CTD
    • LSZH FSDreamteam NO CTD
  • Commercial Add-on sceneries with AES credits
    • EHAM Aerosoft CTD
    • EDDT Aerosoft CTD
    • EDDM Aerosoft CTD

I hope the above tests can help you, it seems that anywhere AES is activated a CTD will happen regardless of the complexity of the aircraft and/or of the scenery.

 

Best regards,

 

[OPabst 2091]

Ok,

 

what did you mean with "NO AES credits"? You set the airport in AESHelp to FSX in DEMO Mode, because you have no credits assigned?

In this case, AES is runing normal at the start, but stops after 5 minutes. When the CTD comes at the start before the Demotime is over, AES is in the same mode as when it is FULL assigned with credits.

So I see only the difference that some Airports have a CTD, other not.

 

Or did I missunderstand the "No AES Credits"?

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Good morning Oliver,

 

By NO AES credits, I mean that this specific airport either is not existing in your available airports (like VGSY and TNCA this is the stock FSX airport not the commercial add-on), or that no credits were assigned to that airport therefore are left on "OFF" not activated in the AESHelp tool (like all those listed in that category).

 

For example all FSDreamteam and FlyTampa sceneries and airports without jetways (like Mahé, Madeira, Azores, etc) are on OFF in the AESHelp tool. Demo is not activated either. To summarise only those airports with AES activated in AESHelp would generate this problem, all others do not have CTD on FSX start of the situation.

 

As an additional information and coming back to my initial post, after the CTD, when I check the REG entries, the FSX.exe $IgnoreFreeLibrary>FSInsider.dll key is there again (I delete it each time after a CTD), so these two phenomenons are linked, the REG entry seems to be a consequence of the previous AES CTD, hence my topic title.

 

With sincere thanks for your help and best regards.

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Hi Oliver,

 

I made another try this evening to restart AES and activated it in my scenery library, the result was that I had a CTD before reaching FSX opening UI. After deactivating AES, I restarted FSX and could use it with no problem.

 

I would like to uninstall AES but am concerned about my credits if I do that, I bought all of them from Simmarket, can I uninstall AES completely, then after a Windows restart, reinstall AES and one credit first to try and see if FSX would be usable as it was before, if so reinsert all my credits. Is that technically feasible or would I loose all my credits?

Thanks to please clarify.

 

Last point, did you have anyone reporting CTD with AES after installing DX10 Fixer? This was the last software I installed last month.

 

Best regards,

 

 

[OPabst 2091]

Delete the AES Basepack from the scenery library, delete the complete AES folder below fsx/aerosoft and the Vistamare folder below the FSX mainfolder.

Then all codeparts are removed, your credit assigns are not effected.

reboot the PC and then try to install AES again.

I don't expect that this help, but give it a try. 

I will check the ACC Pack Version tomorrow and will check if there is maybe a delay in the AES load helpful.

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Thank you Oliver, I did as you suggested and as - you said -, nothing changed.

 

All my airports in the AESHelp are now on OFF except Munich Aerosoft which I activated for the purpose of testing, when I start this situation at EDDM, I get the CTD, when I started a situation at Lisbon Aerosoft (which is OFF in the AESHelp), everything works normally.

 

Best regards,

[OPabst 2091]

Ok, have now make some test's with my FSX Acc-Pack Test-PC, first with AES 2.41 without MCE and all run's fine, no issues at all.

Then I installed the demo of MCE. Now I can crash my PC in all variants. But AES is still working, but MCE is crashing multi times and if so, when I stop the FSX, the FSX.cfg is damaged.

This all looks like an issue generated by MCE, maybe with there last update, which seams to be done in March 2016.

The crashes of the MCE.EXE was related to memory write errors.

It is possible, that it only happens when ViMaCore is loaded, maybe it is only one possible combination. As AES is runing well, even when the MCE is crashed, I don't source of the issue in the Vistamare codeparts.

As sad before, this DLL has not changed since years, but the MCE parts are fresh updated but works before.

I can't help here, maybe FS++ can try to reproduce the issue by installing the demo of AES too. They have the possiblity to debug there code or to find the leak.

That the FSX.cfg is damaged later is maybe only a second result, as the FS normally writes the FSX.cfg when he will stop. When there is a damaged memory, this is written too.

 

When I set MCE not to autostart with FSX, I have no crashes, but, when I have Vistamare and FSInsider.dll active in the DLL.XML, the FSX.cfg is killed when I exit the FSX, even when no crash or CTD happens. When I deactivate the FSInsider.DLL in the DLL.XML and have only the Vimacore.dll activ, the FSX.CFG is written normal.

 

It's possible, that the last Version of the FSInsider.dll has a bug with memory allocation and writing into it. Then the allocate a block and then writing more date at the address, then the block is long, maybe they write into memory areas of other modules. In my case, this is memory used by the FS itself. In your case maybe it is the AES memory, so that the FS crash at this moment, because AES has wrong data in it's memory.

 

So please address the issue to FS++, the my can have a look to the FSinsider.dll code.

 

 

 

 

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Thank you Oliver for your investigations, I shall communicate with FS++

 

You are indeed getting results similar to mine so we are on the same track here and it is a very difficult problem to deal with.

 

With reiterated thanks for your great support and kind regards,

[OPabst 2091]

I will doublecheck my code too, because the issues only starts, when I allocate the memory via Vistamare, when I stop the FS before, FSX.cfg is not damaged.

But as this not happens, when Fsinsider.dll is not running, it must have side effects between. And main key is, that I not changed the code here. But we will see, sometimes issues pop up very late, even when they was there for many years.

[OPabst 2091]

Ok, I have now step by step enabled the complete loading process, we can maybe forget the memory, it looks like the Transparent window API is involved here, because as long as I don't activate the window, nothing goes wrong. So I must first check this part of code first, then we see if it is a problem in the AES code or in the FS API in combi with FSinsider.dll.

Process ongoing ...

[OPabst 2091]

Ok, last for today: I can isolate the issue to the call of a vistamare function to display the Transparent Window via the FS API. All code I have access to, is not the reason.

I don't know what FSinsider is doing in this direction, but it must be a side effect between this API and FSInsider, because with FSinsider disabled no issue here.

I try to find a workaround, because in FSX ACC-Pack the window has anyway the issue with the flip to the headline, when the window has more then 4 selections.

The SP2 has fix it, maybe also there the issue with FSinsider is not happen, I will check that too.

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Thanks Oliver, Ben from FS++ is following up on his side too, I sent him a link to this thread.

 

This corruption of the FSX.cfg file is surprising, it would affect the graphics putting all values to the minimum and suppressing the FSX starting UI window sending you to a default situation that I could not identify (glad I always keep a FSX.cfg backup...!), I had it several times too, it seems to be progressive. During a flight with PMDG 738 NGX from UUEE to LIRF, it started with graphics being degraded on the ground with interference between the FSX stock scenery and the commercial add-on, I decided to go on with the flight to experiment, when landing in Rome, graphics were reduced to the minimum, Aerosoft scenery was barely visible with overlaps of the FSX stock scenery and flashing textures, and suddenly my ATC window only had non legible funny characters instead of letters, this happened only after landing, it was OK during the entire flight. When checking the FSX.cfg file, a number of non legible characters were there instead of values and all graphics were down to 0!

 

On my next flight with Leonardo MD80 from LIRF (Aerosoft) to LTBA (Taxi2gate) with MCE but no AES, I had absolutely no problem at all.

 

Do you run DX10 Fixer on your system by any chance?

 

Have a great day!

 

Jean-Claude

[Bernard Ducret 6]

Hi Oliver,

 

I just received a patch from MCE and tested it, no more CTDs and of course full usage of my AES airports. I thank you for your patience and cooperation with MCE to resolve this issue.

 

With best regards,

 

Jean-Claude