Post by Dutch Owen on Oct 27, 2012 18:10:08 GMT -5
The Problem:
You install the ACARS device (either one) in an airplane but you don't see it, just a black square or rectangle.
The Solution:
First, if you are using the FCDU (the vertical one that looks like an FMC) then before we go any further, have you turned it on? The ON button is the big white knob on the left side. If you don't see any knobs, keep reading. If you do see this knob click on it.
Still here? There are several possibilities but two likely ones.
Eight times out of ten it has turned out to be a security-related problem on Windows Vista or Seven. When you install FSCaptain you should run the installer as Administrator. When you run the ACARS Auto-Installer you should run it as administrator. And of course you should run FS9/FSX itself as administrator. Details (for Windows 7) are further down in this message.
On any Windows version above XP you should never install Flight Simulator in the default location in the Program Files folder. Install it instead in the root of your C drive, or better yet, on another drive all to itself if you have it. Thus, D:\FSX would be your root. This will clear up lots of mysteries not just in FSCaptain but all add-ons.
One time out of ten, it's usually that FSCaptain was installed in the wrong place. The Installation program looks for where FSX is installed and defaults to that (in 1.4, in prior releases it looked for FS9.) FSCaptain must always be installed in the same folder as your Flight Simulator - we call that the home folder. If you try to put it somewhere else it won't work. Don't change D:\FSX to D:\FSX\FSCAPTAIN or anything else. The Flight Simulator folder home folder is where the Flight Simulator executable lives. Thus, it's where FS9.EXE or FSX.EXE is located.
The other possibility is a error that's causing the gauge to crash. The problem is that there's no error message, it just goes away. But most of the time, we can find out the problem by trying the external FCDU, which will give a readable error message. Try running that. If it runs fine, you'll need to contact us for help. But if it crashes, chances are we can coax more information out of Windows to find the problem.
Dealing with "Side by Side" Problems.
Many times you will receive an error message "Side by Side Configuration Error." This incredibly obscure message is Windows geek-speak for "some software component that your program needs to run is missing or corrupt from your Windows installation."
Here's how to find out what's missing. These detailed instructions apply to Windows 7. The idea applies to Vista and Windows 8 also.
We need to provoke the crash, then immediately look at the Windows Event Viewer. Right after the error appears and you dismiss it, go to Control panel, click on "Administrative Tools", then double-click on "Event Viewer". A window will appear titled "Event Viewer". On the left side, open up the item "Windows Logs" by clicking on the caret to the left of it. On the list that appears under it, click on "Application". In the middle will now appear a list of events. The one we want is the top one that has a red circle with an exclamation point (!) in it. Double click on that and you will see another window named "Event Properties - [some other stuff here]". What we need is in the text box at the top. If you can't see all of it, make the window a little larger until you can. It will tell you the missing component. IF you can't make any sense of it (no shame there) copy the text (all of it) in the box and send it to us and we'll tell you what to do.
If it's not one of these issues, post here in the forum and we'll figure it out for you.
Getting Around Windows 7 Security Issues
I do not have Vista or Windows 8 installed, so these instructions are for Windows 7. However, the methods are very similar and the Internet will have the answers for you if you have another version than Windows 7. The principle is the same: Turn off UAC and run everything as Administrator.
The first step is to turn off UAC (User Account Control). Here is how to do this:
1. Open User Account Control Settings by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type uac, and then click Change User Account Control settings.
2. Move the slider to the Never notify position, and then click OK. Administrator permission required: if you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. You will need to restart your computer for UAC to be turned off.
The second step is to be sure you are running FSX and FSCaptain as Administrator. Here’s how:
1. Find the FSX Icon where you launch FSX (this could be on your desktop or in the start menu, whatever you normally use.) Right click on that icon, and then select “Properties” from the pop-up menu. You should see a menu with tabs on the top. Click on the one named “Compatibility”. Then towards the bottom of the settings you see, click on “Run this program as Administrator”. Then click Ok to save it and exit.
2. Find the FSCaptain Administrator icon. Either the one on the Desktop or in the Start Menu. Right click on it and do exactly the same thing you did with the FSX properties – “Run as Administrator.” Click Ok to save it.
This should do as much as we can do to disable the security issues, short of moving the FS folder out of its protected "Program Files" default location, which is another and more complex topic.
You install the ACARS device (either one) in an airplane but you don't see it, just a black square or rectangle.
The Solution:
First, if you are using the FCDU (the vertical one that looks like an FMC) then before we go any further, have you turned it on? The ON button is the big white knob on the left side. If you don't see any knobs, keep reading. If you do see this knob click on it.
Still here? There are several possibilities but two likely ones.
Eight times out of ten it has turned out to be a security-related problem on Windows Vista or Seven. When you install FSCaptain you should run the installer as Administrator. When you run the ACARS Auto-Installer you should run it as administrator. And of course you should run FS9/FSX itself as administrator. Details (for Windows 7) are further down in this message.
On any Windows version above XP you should never install Flight Simulator in the default location in the Program Files folder. Install it instead in the root of your C drive, or better yet, on another drive all to itself if you have it. Thus, D:\FSX would be your root. This will clear up lots of mysteries not just in FSCaptain but all add-ons.
One time out of ten, it's usually that FSCaptain was installed in the wrong place. The Installation program looks for where FSX is installed and defaults to that (in 1.4, in prior releases it looked for FS9.) FSCaptain must always be installed in the same folder as your Flight Simulator - we call that the home folder. If you try to put it somewhere else it won't work. Don't change D:\FSX to D:\FSX\FSCAPTAIN or anything else. The Flight Simulator folder home folder is where the Flight Simulator executable lives. Thus, it's where FS9.EXE or FSX.EXE is located.
The other possibility is a error that's causing the gauge to crash. The problem is that there's no error message, it just goes away. But most of the time, we can find out the problem by trying the external FCDU, which will give a readable error message. Try running that. If it runs fine, you'll need to contact us for help. But if it crashes, chances are we can coax more information out of Windows to find the problem.
Dealing with "Side by Side" Problems.
Many times you will receive an error message "Side by Side Configuration Error." This incredibly obscure message is Windows geek-speak for "some software component that your program needs to run is missing or corrupt from your Windows installation."
Here's how to find out what's missing. These detailed instructions apply to Windows 7. The idea applies to Vista and Windows 8 also.
We need to provoke the crash, then immediately look at the Windows Event Viewer. Right after the error appears and you dismiss it, go to Control panel, click on "Administrative Tools", then double-click on "Event Viewer". A window will appear titled "Event Viewer". On the left side, open up the item "Windows Logs" by clicking on the caret to the left of it. On the list that appears under it, click on "Application". In the middle will now appear a list of events. The one we want is the top one that has a red circle with an exclamation point (!) in it. Double click on that and you will see another window named "Event Properties - [some other stuff here]". What we need is in the text box at the top. If you can't see all of it, make the window a little larger until you can. It will tell you the missing component. IF you can't make any sense of it (no shame there) copy the text (all of it) in the box and send it to us and we'll tell you what to do.
If it's not one of these issues, post here in the forum and we'll figure it out for you.
Getting Around Windows 7 Security Issues
I do not have Vista or Windows 8 installed, so these instructions are for Windows 7. However, the methods are very similar and the Internet will have the answers for you if you have another version than Windows 7. The principle is the same: Turn off UAC and run everything as Administrator.
The first step is to turn off UAC (User Account Control). Here is how to do this:
1. Open User Account Control Settings by clicking the Start button, and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type uac, and then click Change User Account Control settings.
2. Move the slider to the Never notify position, and then click OK. Administrator permission required: if you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation. You will need to restart your computer for UAC to be turned off.
The second step is to be sure you are running FSX and FSCaptain as Administrator. Here’s how:
1. Find the FSX Icon where you launch FSX (this could be on your desktop or in the start menu, whatever you normally use.) Right click on that icon, and then select “Properties” from the pop-up menu. You should see a menu with tabs on the top. Click on the one named “Compatibility”. Then towards the bottom of the settings you see, click on “Run this program as Administrator”. Then click Ok to save it and exit.
2. Find the FSCaptain Administrator icon. Either the one on the Desktop or in the Start Menu. Right click on it and do exactly the same thing you did with the FSX properties – “Run as Administrator.” Click Ok to save it.
This should do as much as we can do to disable the security issues, short of moving the FS folder out of its protected "Program Files" default location, which is another and more complex topic.