Simviation Forum - FS2004 loss of textures

May 29^th, 2011 at 6:19am

cbc Offline
Lieutenant Colonel
Fly FS

Posts: 8

I run FS2004
Just lately, loosing aircraft textures when in use, all controls etc ok
PC is new about 6 months old and system tools report no problems, am running on 32 bit

Also, when changing aircraft in use, system goes blank and requires a restart

I wonder if disc 4 is getting to be knackered and if a) a reload would help of FS2004 and if so, what is best way to re load downloaded aircraft which are in a file on C drive?

Many thanks

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Reply #1 - May 29^th, 2011 at 10:54am

Strategic Retreat Offline
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Ensure your PC is properly ventilated. Summer is coming with a vengeance (at least here in Italy) and the only time you have too much ventilation is when the wind threaten to blow everything away. Grin

What you're having, with no further informations than what you're giving, seems to me an overheating problem. Try keeping the PC open while you fly, and if you observe improvements... then you better buy a pressurized air spray can and prepare a vacuum cleaner, using the first to clean the heat sinkers on the CPU and graphic card and the second to totally remove the blown dust.

As about the use of Disk 4... I have a question to the mods or admins. Is it legal to talk about the no-CD patch here? Huh

There is no such a thing as overkill. Only unworthy targets.

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Reply #2 - May 29^th, 2011 at 12:40pm

cbc Offline
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Fly FS

Posts: 8

Thanks for that, will do a clean up but UK is not as hot as Italy today

Programme is a genuine FS set, and when I start a flight the aircraft is in full livery, it seems to go to a "blank texture" after after a while

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Reply #3 - May 29^th, 2011 at 1:46pm

SSI01 Offline
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Greetings CBC - I have had the identical problem with FS2K4, and in fact am still battling it right now. Mine started when I downloaded and installed the latest driver for my NVIDIA video card. I can get absolutely superb textures from my aircraft, inside and out, when they are at rest and no engine(s) started - the moment an engine is started, the outside and inside textures (with the exception of the panel) go blank - the aircraft is still there, just blank. I've tried everything including uninstall/reinstall, running this problem through several community websites, multiple clean-ups of the drives, and going to two websites dedicated to detailed examination of the computer and removal of any malware/spyware/virus. The sim still does this anyway. My conclusion is the sim, due to the very good texture display, is now maxed out when sounds are thrown into the mix - like both are fighting for limited resources. Here's my setup:

MS Windows XP 2002 SP3
AMD Athlon 64 processor 3000+
1.81GHz, 2.00GB RAM

If all goes well this will change shortly with the addition of 2GB of additional RAM. A new sound card will help as well.

If you open your side panel and blow your machine out, and it works any better, please msg back to the forum and let us having similar problems know because that's a darn sight cheaper than the new memory and sound card!

I am with you, or whoever it is, who wrote about the crack. Technically illegal - but what if you have the four-disc set and your disk 4 really is messed up? I've had my disk set for seven years with virtual daily use - surely sometime it's got to get screwed up.

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Reply #4 - May 29^th, 2011 at 2:36pm

Hagar Offline
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My Spitfire Girl
Costa Geriatrica

Posts: 33159

Quote:

I wonder if disc 4 is getting to be knackered and if a) a reload would help of FS2004

I can't help with your problem but I doubt that CD-4 is the cause of it. If you did a full install of FS9 the files are all on your HDD. The CD is only read on start-up to validate it as a legal copy.

Quote:

I have had the identical problem with FS2K4, and in fact am still battling it right now. Mine started when I downloaded and installed the latest driver for my NVIDIA video card.

My immediate thought is to revert to an earlier video card driver. Latest is not always best, especially for running older software like FS9.

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Reply #5 - May 29^th, 2011 at 2:47pm

Strategic Retreat Offline
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It's VERY difficult to max-out FS9 on your system, SSI01. Before the PC in the signature I had an Athlon XP 2400 with only 1 GB ram and a Gefo 6600GT 128MB and never had texture problems. The sim slowed down only when too many AI planes loitered around... only.

What kind of Nvidia video card do you have exactly (you didn't say)? If the problems started after an update of the video drivers, have you tried rolling back to the previous version? Have you tried to simply press the "Q" button to see if the absence of sounds at engines running stopped the problem? And for last, have you tried to borrow another similar video card to see if it's an HW problem?

Try one or more of the above suggestions and see if things go better. It may be a whole range of things... Undecided

PS
For last try and strip from the livery of the plane(s) that gave you this problem the MipMaps with DXTbmp. Sometime it's all the MipMaps' fault that inexplicable problems with textures happen. Tongue

PPS
Two recommendations. First one: never, and I say NEVER update perfectly working drivers only because you're bored. It's the main source of all kind of problems. Update only if strictly needed (example: if the drivers you are using aren't able to work with a new software/game you want to use). Second: those with an older and less powerful CPU may profit installing a good add-on sound card and disabling the on-board audio system. On-board audio uses the CPU to work, while good quality add-on sound cards (those above 20€, to be precise) have a DSP that processes audio data all by itself without bothering the CPU, thing this that results in a boost in performances in all games and software that needs audio, and sometimes even solution of strange problems. Wink

There is no such a thing as overkill. Only unworthy targets.

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Reply #6 - May 29^th, 2011 at 3:11pm

SSI01 Offline
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Given that it might be mipmapping as the issue, what do you recommend as the setting within the FS for mipmapping - or should it be enabled at all?

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Reply #7 - May 29^th, 2011 at 3:20pm

SSI01 Offline
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Also - video card is an NVIDIA GeForce GT 240. The driver I installed was 270.61, the latest available. I was getting flickering on the display and thought a new driver might help.

I think you're right re: rolling the driver back. However, due to a third party's largesse I''m getting some more advanced hardward through UPS - including more RAM, a new mobo and a four-core processor vice the single core I've got now. It's already on the way so I might as well take advantage of it.

Just for fun will hit "Q" when the problem starts and see if that works.

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Reply #8 - May 29^th, 2011 at 3:52pm

Strategic Retreat Offline
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The MipMaps I spoke of are not a setting in the sim, but a particularity of the textures. Sometimes... make that most of the times, the textures WITH MipMaps give more problems than advantages.

Just download DXTbmp at: http://www.softpedia.com/get/Multimedia/Graphic/Graphic-Editors/DXTBmp.shtml install it, load the texture in it and after having deselected the option to save the MipMaps (on the right of the window) save said texture again possibly in DXT 3 compressed mode, to make them faster and smaller to download and try using the plane again.

Note please that DXTbmp can process only one pic at time, so if you have a lot of planes and a lot of textures to de-MipMap-ize and compress... it'll be a little annoying having to load and save and load and save... but in the end your FS experience will be better.

As I said, update the drivers only when is necessary. I still am going with the 182.5 and have no intention to update further unless necessary as they work magnificently. Of course I cannot suggest them to you as I do not believe they support your card.

If your card tends to flicker and new drivers do nothing you either bought a cheap ass video card (been there myself with a 5600LE, years ago) that only deserves upgrade ASAP, or have a problem with a undersized power supply (this last is a ninja-stealth source of problems for PC. ALWAYS be sure you're using a good and adequately sized one).

Let us know about the "Q" attempt.

Ciao.

There is no such a thing as overkill. Only unworthy targets.

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Reply #9 - May 29^th, 2011 at 5:38pm

SSI01 Offline
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Well, I've uninstalled (using Add/Remove Programs) 270.61 and tried 266.58 and 260.99 - I get the greying out every time. Tried using the Q key, and when 270.61 was installed I went to external view, hit Q, used the keyboard to start the aircraft and the textures stayed with the engine running. Hit Q again and the textures went away. I haven't tried it with the other drivers installed, however, 260.99 was the installed driver when I upgraded to 270.61. Now it's worse, textures grey out even with the original driver. I've read FS9 is unstable when compared with FSX and am considering upgrading to FSX if the opp presents itself and the aircraft can be transferred from FS9 to FSX. I have the side cover off the machine to help w/cooling, that doesn't seem to have made a difference.

Next step is to visit the site you recommended and try changing the textures. We'll see.

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Reply #10 - May 29^th, 2011 at 5:55pm

Hagar Offline
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SSI01. I don't think you're telling us the whole story. I found this while searching for an answer to your problem.
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/315663-15-fpda_gear_wind

SSI01 wrote on May 29^th, 2011 at 5:38pm:

Well, I've uninstalled (using Add/Remove Programs) 270.61 and tried 266.58 and 260.99 - I get the greying out every time.

I think there's more to uninstalling video card drivers than that. This was covered in your topic from the above link.

Quote:

I've read FS9 is unstable when compared with FSX and am considering upgrading to FSX if the opp presents itself and the aircraft can be transferred from FS9 to FSX.

Not sure where you got that idea from. Most FS9 aircraft are not fully compatible with FSX.

Quote:

Next step is to visit the site you recommended and try changing the textures. We'll see.

I wouldn't mess around with DXTBmp unless you know what you're doing. I doubt the textures are the cause of your problem & you could make things worse.

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Reply #11 - May 29^th, 2011 at 6:19pm

SSI01 Offline
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Well, I'll tell you, Hagar, I'm not trying to put anything over on anyone - I'm just bloody tired of going over and over this thing and getting a zillion different answers, all well-meant but none that is authoritative - re installing/uninstalling, the driver scrubber caused problems on my system and I had to remove it, it was corrupted (don't know how that it happened but it did). I do not know if FS9 aircraft can be moved to FSX or vice versa. I may find out. Agree w/you wholeheartedly re: DXT BMP, very confusing program and not something you can pick up in a few minutes and while nursing the flu as well. Maybe it's just time to call this for today and try again tomorrow.

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Reply #12 - May 29^th, 2011 at 6:28pm

Hagar Offline
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I wasn't accusing you of hiding anything. However, I suspect your problems were caused by something on your system, possibly the malware you mentioned on the other forum. I'm not qualified to suggest how you fix it. If you're having problems running FS9 on your system I very much doubt that FSX would run at all.

I've spent a lot of time porting FS9 freeware aircraft into my own FSX. I've had a lot of fun doing it but, as I said, most of them are not fully compatible.

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Reply #13 - May 29^th, 2011 at 7:40pm

Strategic Retreat Offline
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Posts: 603

If you think that going to FSX your problems will be solved... by all means do it, but I caution you, you're being delusional. FSX will only add a further layer of insanity composed of pure lack of any kind of performances, especially with your system as it is.

As I can glean from what you wrote, I'm with Hagar that you have an undesired passenger on board, but in addition you have some pretty bad coded audio drivers too. I just hope that after uninstalling a video driver version and trying another you used Diver Cleaner or some similar uninstalled driver sanitizer before trying the new, and cleaned the registry with CCleaner (or equivalent), or you're only adding to the chaos with installations and disinstallations one after another. Windows (any version) can be pretty bitchy with those who want to make use of their right of installing and disinstalling programs, and precautions MUST be used to keep the system tuned up while doing it, or you'll only slow down your system.

First order of things though, I suggest you do a thorough research and complete annihilation of whatever viral is surely bogging your system down, once your system is sanitized install the driver that gave you less problems before this madness started. Should you want to try again what video driver is the best, use the system cleaner programs already cited above (Driver Cleaner and CCleaner) in between attempts, and as soon as you have put everything in marching order and can, gift yourself with a better audio driver (hard to come by) or an efficient and not cheap external sound card (easier, though somewhat more expensive).

These are my suggestions. Wink

There is no such a thing as overkill. Only unworthy targets.

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