Splash Screen Hang! HELP!

My guess, you need DirectX 9.0c or the small flight simulator folder isn't in "My Documents".
If you loaded to any other drive but your "C" drive it's probably the Documents folder.
let us know what happens.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;837195

I also had problem with DirectX 9.0, but i downloaded XP service pack so thats updated it, got past that hurdle. I've tried to change my documents folder etc i.e. settin it to default. I'm at a total loss

Derek

Anyone else able to help? Quite Urgent 😳

Ta

Are you saying that you tried all of the steps that MS listed and it didn't help?
Did you also load SP2, that could be a problem
Do you have DirectX 9.0c.
Is the folder with contents in "My Documents".
Please list your full computer system specs.

Yeah, tried all MS options.
Got DirectX 9.0c
Is which folder in ''my documents''?
How do i list my system data?

Go into the My Documents folder. There needs to be a Flight simulator folder in there for it to run.

By system specs we mean what type of processor do you have, ram, video card, hard drive, etc.

I created the folder in My Documents myself from the advice given on the MS website. Is that the file you mean?

Version: 5.1.2600 Service Pack 2 Build 2600

System Manufacturer Packard Bell NEC

System Type X86-based PC

Processor x86 Family 15 Model 2 Stepping 4 GenuineIntel ~2523 Mhz

Total Physical Memory 768.00 MB

Available Physical Memory 161.89 MB

Total Virtual Memory 2.00 GB

Available Virtual Memory 1.96 GB

That any use to you?

Memory: 512 MB RAM

You have a nice computer but my guess is that you have an "onboard" video card. They aren't very "strong" but that wouldn't cause the problem unless you don't have the latest drivers for it.
If you had to create the folder in my documents, no insult intended, it's probably not going to work.
I would do a complete uninstall, search for any parts of the sim that's left over from the uninstall and reinstall it again and hope that the folder appears in my documents by itself.
It should if you are installing it on your "C" drive, the main drive that has the OS on it.
Try that and let us know how you do.
Good luck with it.

I've uninstalled it before and still it didn't work, but i shall go give it another try, thanks

Well, i uninstalled it, deleted the left over files. Reinstalled it, had a good feelin' about it, but nope, still back at square one! i'm really not best pleased with it

😕 Total Physical Memory 768.00 MB

Available Physical Memory 161.89 MB

Memory: 512 MB RAM

Physical mem seems low
Have you tried the clean boot as discribed on the link?

Where about in the Link does it say that?

Would it help if i uninstalled FS2002?

It had a roundabout link to clean boot, very easy to miss.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=303032

If you uninstalled it and cleaned out everything, how do you know if some of the files that you left for 2002 weren't for 2004. If it's not to much lost, dump every bit of information about flight sims from your computer.
If you could do a clean install of XP and reinstall the sim that would be ideal.

I've tried the clean boot. still no use! What files for FS2002? would it be worth uninstalling?

😕 2004 loads to its own folder and should not interact with 2002,so it should make no difference How much space do you have on your hard drive?

Too bad the clean boot gives you much more memory than usual.
You mentioned that you had 2002 and 2004 on the same machine.
If you deleted all of 2004 so you could give it a clean install how do you know that some of what you think belongs to 2002 isn't a leftover from 2004. Follow me?
I would delete both, clean all sign of flight of your computer.
Make certain you delete the cfg,.
Here are the directions for it
*********
For Windows XP users the fs9.cfg file is now located in Drive_Letter:\Documents and Settings\User_Name\Application Data\Microsoft\FS9. This is a hidden folder by default so you need to modify the folder options via the control panel: go to the view tab and check the "Show hidden files and folders" option
*********
Afterthought, you do have the #4 disk in your CD caddy when you try to launch the sim and do you get any error message at all.

Sorry TTT beat me while I was typing.

Do you have a Voyetra Turtle Beach Santa Cruz sound card? If so disable it in your control panel, that can be the problem.

i've deleted the cfg. Still not working 😞 I don't have that type of sound card either 😞 No error message 😞 Suppose i'll have to cut my loses and take the game back 😞 😞

The last resort is up to you, If you haven't done a clean install of Windows in a long time and think it might be overdue now would be the perfect time.
I wish you didn't have to give it up.

Well i just installed The Windows XP Service Pack 2 the other day, so it's been updated recently and got the neccissary files. I wish i didn't have to give it up either, i couldn't wait to get this game!

😞 Try one last thing,try the nocd crack,we have it on this site but as you are a guest you will have to go here ➡

http://spacetarget.com/games/pc_flight_simulator_2004.shtml

Just place the d/loaded crack in the fs2004 folder and click yes to overwrite

Let us know,we dont want to loose you

Is that illegal? I'm sure i read it sumwhere it was...

😳 Illegal
If you have paid for FS9 then the answer is no
All you are doing is protecting your cd #4 as you no longer have to keep putting into the cd drive

Ok, thanx, just wanted to make sure before i acted.
I bought it from GAME so yep, paid.

I'll go try it, let you know the result!

Nope! That didn't work either i'm afraid! I'm getting reeeeeaaaaallllllllllly frustrated with this game! thats been a week now!

When was the last time you updated you video drivers ❓

Did it work before you installed SP2.

Hi scottish_sim,

have you tried lowering the directX settings - as some vdo card (mainly the on-board ones) are not completly compatible with directX - also some are tempermental.

Goto Start Menu -> Run -> Type in DXDiag and click run

you should be able to check initial compliance of the card here. I would suggest disabling the directx Features (found in display) - the reboot the pc. If you try to run FS now, it will run in Software rendering mode (not as fast as Hardware mode) - if this works, we can safely assume its something to do with directX. You can also try lowering the Hardware acceleration (found in display properties)

if so, back to diag, and start enabling the features one at a time (on my NVidia FS5600, I get DirectDraw acceleration, Direct3D acceleration, and AGP Texture acceleration.

There is also a directX CPL (Control Panel extension) that you can download from the net - it gives even more control over directx

Regards
Rana

Author of Freeware FlightSim Manager

I haven't updated my video drivers i don't think, I wouldn't know what to install, what to copy over etc.

No, it didn't work before i got SP2 becuase i couldn't obtain DirectX 9.0 without the SP2.

Just tried the DirectX thing regarding Rana's post. That had no impact on it. Still the same NOT RESPONDING Thanks for the help though!

We still don't know what video card you have.
Download Belarc and run it. Then you should be able to tell what card you have so we can find new drivers for it.

http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

You can also go here http://www.pcpitstop.com run a full scan (free) and see if it tells you if your computer is having any problems.
Let us know what you find out and we'll go from there.

Hi Scottish_sim,

couple of more things - you have mentioned

Total Physical Memory 768.00 MB
Memory: 512 MB RAM

are you sure of this setting? or is it that, you have 768MB Ram installed, and the rest is used as video ram? also look at the memory usage - on my 512MB - I normally have 350MB free. http://www.analogx.com/ has some really cool freeware tools, including one that optimizes RAM.

Recently I came across a problem with old Director player - where if the Virtual RAM is set quite high, it would fail... I don't think FS9 has the same problem, but I would still try lowering the Virtual RAM to be twice the RAM size - it can't hurt trying.

Did you try disabling Hardware acceleration?

Regards
Rana

Author of Freeware FlightSim Manager

NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 440 [Display adapter]

Is that the Video Card?

I'm not very technical with my computer, so i'm not too sure of all the RAM settings etc. The disabling of the hardware acceleration also did not work 😞

It should run with that card,but most of the effects will need to be turned down 😞 I know as I have used one
A few things to try from Radar and Rana

Keep us posted and we will keep trying to get you in the air

Pick out your new driver and download it.

http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp

If they don't tell you how to clean out your old driver go to:

http://www.driverheaven.net/cleaner/

After you clean out your old drivers load the new ones that you downloaded. Download them to your desktop so they are easy to find and use.

Then check to see if you have the new drivers and how they work where Rana told you to go using dxdiag ("start" then to "run") and running the "tests".

Let is know how you do and how did you do with pcpitstop.

Again still not working! Grr! I'm going into town tomorrow, i'de be aswell taking the game back. Might just trade it for an addon to FS2002. 😞

Thanks for all your suggestion's people, you were great 😀

That's a shame, it's has to be just one very small item that is causing the problem and we just cant get at it.
I'm still willing to bet that it's the folder in my documents or at the outside DirectX 9.0c.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do and have fun flying!

There isn't a flight sim folder in My Documents. I added it myself once as instructed on another forum and that wasn't the cause

Delete it and the sim and reload the sim.
The folder has to be put in "My Documents " by the reload.
Are you loading the sim on your main "C" drive, if not that could be the problem.

After you delete and reinstall the sim,it should put a Flight Simulator Files folder in your My Documents folder
It is in here that it stores all your made up flights etc,but most importantly the default start flight

So you are firing up the sim and it cannot find the default flight and thats why you have the crash

was one of the 1st to spot the importance of this folder,IT MUST BE THERE

I have a good feeling you might be in the air tonight 😀

Everytime i have reinstalled, the folder has never ever gone in there, not any other place either, it's like it doesn't exist on my computer 😞

Are you loading onto your "C" drive.
Did you clean out all files. folders from the sim on your computer.
When you go to "Search" to delete leftovers you have to make certain that you have "checked 'hidden folder's" for the search also.
Everything has to be cleaned off.
I asked if you could reinstall windows that would be ideal.
Use this to clean out your registry, use only the NOVICE mode.

http://www.superwin.com/regvac.htm Regvac.

Use this to clean the "garbage" from your computer.

http://www.ccleaner.com/

It has to be entirely devoid of all remnants of the sim or it won't load properly and as TTT said it can't run without that folder in my documents.
I don't care what they at MS said the sim has to put in not you.

😳 Do you have more 1 hard drive?
If you only have 1 drive,have you partitioned it?

Open My Computer......you should see "Hard Disk Drives" If you only have 1 it should be called "Local Disk C" Right click the C drive and select properties......... That will tell you if its partitioned or not

Are you running Win XP ?

Unfortunatly that did not work RadarMan.

I only have 1 hard drive, TTT, i can not see the word 'partitioned' anywhere when i select propetires on my 'Local Disk C'

Yes, currently running Win XP

So you deleted the sim,then reinstalled and............
is the flight sim folder in the my documents folder?

Yup, every FS9/FS2004 file deleted. No, flight sim folder did not appear in My Documents 😕

😕 OK Try click Start/ Search and select All files and folders and type Flight Simulator Files in the top search box then click search

'Search is complete. There are no results to display'

Did you check off the "hidden files" so the search will look there.

yup yup

😕 OK Open My Documents,right click mouse select New /folder and name it Flight Simulator Files (exactly as it is there)

Start fs9 and click select a flight and pick the 1st one the Wright Flyer,and tick the box to make it your default flight(this will also test the save to the newly made folder) Now see if it loads

Reinstall it and then look for what TTT wanted, a folder named "Flight Simulator Files". When you find it, drag and drop it into your "My Documents" folder on the desktop.
It should have the default flight in it and the sim should work.

TTT, thats just the problem, i can't get past the splash screen to even create a flight etc. 😞

I did reinstall it and look for the folder. It was not on my computer at all

You reinstalled it so fast?

I'm not telling you to create a flight.
The simulator has a flight in that folder that is called the default flight.
Do you know how to look for hidden folders?

TTT told me to create a flight.

Yes, i know how to check hidden folders.

Cnt sum1 send me the default flight?

Open my computer/local disk/program files.
In there should be a folder called Microsoft Games and in there should be a folder for Flight Simulator9 and fs2002(if you left it on)and any other MS games.
Open the fs9 folder and Double click Kiosk and use your joystick to select a flight(instructions on screen,if it works)
If not press Esc

Kiosk cums up, but when u select, flight sim loads up but stalls as per usual

It doesn't exist after you take the first flight or I would send it.
All I have is the last flight I took and you don't have that aircraft.
All I can tell you is to uninstall and reinstall until you find that folder.

While we are all doing this do you still have disk #4 in the CD caddy?

There is never a message a window of any kind?
Humor me, reinstall DirectX 9.0c, reboot, put the #4 disk in and try it.

Seeing that fs9 is not building the Flight Simulator Files folder and not finding it if you make one yourself,could mean that one of the cds is faulty(They are clean and scratch free?)or the cd drive is skipping (try a cd cleaner disk in the cd drive if you have one)...or if you have two cd drives ie a cd player/burner and a dvd drive try loading the sim from the other drive

I realy did have a good feeling for tonight

Scottish_sim. I feel for you..
I found this on the net. This person seems to be having the same problem..

"Just installed FS2004 on a maiden WXP SP2 (b 2180 - DX9.c), but FS does not
show up except the splash screen and then quitting - goes also for safe mode.
config: CPU P4ht 3 GhZ, 2 GB DDRAM, 80 GB sata hd, NVIDIA GeForce 5600-TD256
- driver v 61.21

What the heck is wrong?"

"Hi km,

Update your Video drivers using the instructions at:
http://mvps.org/nibblesnbits/Video.html#drivers
even if you've updated them before, and if the problem
is not solved, please try the troubleshooting steps on
that page, they seem endless, but they usually work.