FSX - Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of computer do I need to run FSX?
- Minimum: 1.0 Ghz Processor, 256Mb RAM (Windows XP SP2) - 512Mb (Windows Vista), 14Gb free hard drive space, 32Mb graphics card DirectX 9 compatible
- Comfortable: 3.0+ GHz dual core, 4 Gb RAM, 512 Mb graphics card, joystick

What is the difference between the standard and deluxe version of FSX?
- The difference between the standard and deluxe version are features and objects. The standard version lacks 6 aircraft, 5 high-detail airports, 10 high-detail cities, 20 missions, the Glass panel (G1000) cockpit and the tower controller mode in the multiplayer mode.

I've FS2004 installed, but I want to install FSX too. Is it possible to have both?
- That is certainly possible, if you have enough free space on your hard drive. FSX will be installed in a different folder inside \Program Files\Microsoft Games\ . There shouldn't be any problems, just don't run both versions at the same time :)

Are FS2004 aircraft compatible with FSX?
- Yes, you should be able to fly FS2004 aircraft in FSX. However, some add-on aircraft may cause problems with certain gauges, modules or other additional software. Some payware developers released or will release updates in order to make their products compatible with FSX. Freeware developers may do the same if nessecery, but since it is their hobby and not their job, some might choose to move on with the development of new aircraft for FSX only and keep their current products for FS2004 only. Check the aircraft reviews for information about the compatibility of various aircraft.

How can I add FS2004 aircraft to FSX?
- Please go to this tutorial that describes how it works. For 3rd party developed aircraft, check the aircraft reviews page

Where is the config file?
- If Windows XP is installed on your C: drive, it is located here: C:\Documents and Settings\<your logon name>\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\
There you'll find a file called fsx.cfg

Where are my flight files and recorded flights stored?
- If Windows is installed on your C: drive, it is located here: C:\Documents and Settings\<your logon name>\My Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\

I messed up the FSX.cfg file, can it be repaired?
- Yes, delete it and FS will create a new one when you start FS.

How can I make screenshots?
- Press the <V> key.

Where can I find the captured screenshots?
- In FSX, go to Pilot Records -> Photos. If Windows XP is installed on your C: drive, the files are saved to C:\Documents and Settings\<your logon name>\My Documents\My Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files\

The menu on the top of the screen ruins my screenshots. Is there a way to make it disappair?
- Yes, press and hold the <ALT> key for 2 seconds.

Where did the kneeboard go?
- Press and hold <SHIFT>, then press <F10>.

What are frame rates?
- Frame rate is the number of frames or images that are projected or displayed per second. The frame rate directly relates to the perceived smoothness of the virtual experience. 25 - 30 frames per second are about the same as you see a movie on TV. It all depends on your system specs and the add-ons you've installed and the performance settings of FSX. There are two important hardware parts that are responsible for the frame rate: CPU speed (and also type CPU) and your graphics card. While you are flying, in the background your pc is working to process all the data. Higher processing speed means better frame rates, so in general, the more GHz, the better. Also, the more cpu's, the better. Dual core and Quad core cpu's can process more data. A graphics card with a lot memory and own CPU works great, because it makes the job of the main CPU of your pc a lot easier. The RAM in your pc (not video RAM) doesn't have much to do with the frame rates. On the other hand, a lot RAM is capable of loading more of your scenery at once. That way there is no need to load data from your hard disk all the time, decreasing the stutters while flying.

There is however another important reason for low frame rates: Background tasks of your pc. Try to disable as many programs as possible. Software like instant messengers, firewalls, anti virus programs are running in the background and need CPU power and memory. For max. performance in FS, try to disable as many background tasks as possible. Remember, if you disable the firewall, disable your internet connection as well, you don't want to open the door for any attacks.

How do I know my current frame rate?
- Press <SHIFT> + <Z> twice. Press twice again to get rid of it.

What is the target frame rate in the hardware display settings?
- With that, you can lock the frame rate.

It is said that: for example, you lock it at 25 fps, then the framerate will not exceed 25 frames per second. Why would anyone do that? Well, when you have locked the framerate, the computer will have more processing power for other processes, like the weather, AI traffic, etc. This will make FSX run more efficient, so you the overall flight sim expirience will be better. Ofcourse, this is only relevant if your pc is capable of generating more frames per second than you've set the limit to.

However, many people doens't seem to experience any positive effect of the frame rate lock and use the 'unlimited' setting instead. It's up to you.

Is it possible to add a virtual cockpit to an aircraft?
- No, not the way you can add a 2d cockpit. The virtual cockpit is part of the 3dmodel. If you want to add a virtual cockpit, you need to know how to design aircraft models, which is a very complicated process.

Is it possible to disable the flying tips?
- Yes, uncheck them in the realism settings.

Some planes in my SimObjects/Airplanes folder are not in the aircraft selection menu, why?
- It are most likely the AI planes you miss in the aircraft selection menu. They simply don't belong in the aircraft menu, because they don't have a panel or sound. If you want to fly AI planes, you need to add a panel and sound folder to their folders.

Other SimObjects like Boats and GroundVehicles are not in the aircraft selection menu. Is it possible to make them visible in the aicraft selection menu?
- Yes it is certainly possible, please read the SimObjects Tutorial.

Is it possible to see damage on an aircraft when I hit something?
- Visual damage is not modelled anymore on the default aircraft in FSX. However, if you import FS2004 default aircraft into FSX or install FS2004 add-on aircraft into FSX, you'll still be able to see those effects. Make sure that the crash detection is on in the realism settings and check if this line "visual_damage = 1" is in the aircraft.cfg of every aircraft.

How do I remove the annoying brake message from the screen?
- Open the fsx.cfg file and search for "InfoBrakesEnable". Directly below this line is another setting called "InfoParkingBrakesEnable". You can change both of them to:
InfoBrakesEnable=False
InfoParkingBrakesEnable=False
The fist one enables/disables the brake message when the autobrakes are still in RTO position after the takeoff. The other one enables/disables the parkingbrake message. Below these 2 settings, there are another 4 settings about text messages: InfoPauseEnable, InfoSlewEnable, InfoStallEnable, InfoOverspeedEnable. You may disable these text messages as well if you like to see no text messages at all.

When I start FSX or select an aircraft to fly, I get a security warning message telling me the publisher could not be verified. What does it mean and what do I have to do?
- Third-party developed gauges and modules are verified when you start FSX or select an aircraft in the aircraft selection menu. When you install freeware or payware add-ons or even add old FS2004 default aircraft, you might encounter this security message. It's nothing to worry about, if you're sure you want to use the new module or aircraft and you're sure that the publisher/developer can be trusted, you should click "run". After that, another small screen will show, asking you if you want to designate this module as 'trusted' software. Click yes if you don't want being asked again, or click no if you want to use this software for this session only. Beware, some gauges are too old and will not work in FSX.

NOTE: This is only an advise, you're doing this on your own risk.

When I approach, the runway is hard to see cause it is hidden by the panel. I tried <SHIFT><BACKSPACE> and <SHIFT><ENTER>, but it doesn't work. Is there still a way to adjust the viewpoint in the 2d cockpit?
- The old key combinations that worked in FS2004 are changed in FSX. Use this keys instead:
To move the viewpoint down: Hold <CTRL> and press the <Q> key to adjust.
To move the viewpoint up: Hold <CTRL> and <SHIFT> and press the <Q> key to adjust.

The wings of the default Boeing 747-400 look really strange when I takeoff, it looks like a second wing appears on both sides. What is it and how can it be corrected?
- Common problem with old videocards. If your videocard doesn't support shader 2.0 and the advanced animations are on, the wingflex is not working correctly and it will look very strange. Just uncheck the advanced animations in the display settings until you have a videocard that supports shader 2.0.

I don't see the jetways, but I've seen them on screenshots from other people. Is there a way to make them visible?
- Yes, go to settings > display > scenery and change the "Scenery Complexity" slider to Very Dense or Extremly Dense. NOTE: The jetways are only available on medium to large default airports.

The jetways don't attach to my aircraft when I hold <SHIFT> and press <J>, why?
- Make sure you're at the right parking spot and if you have "advanced animations" checked in the display settings. Otherwise your videocard doesn't support shader 2.0. Videocards like the NVIDIA 5200 (FX) and ATI 9200 series do not support this kind of animations. Another possible cause is a problem with add-on aircraft. The developer might not include the code that is needed to make the jetways attach to the aircraft. Also, aircraft developed for FS2004 or older versions can't be connected to the jetways.

The color of the taxiway and parking space is grey or white, what's wrong?
- Go to your display settings -> scenery and make sure "Land detail textures" is checked on.

What do the codes like KSEA or VHHH mean?
- It are ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) 4-letter airport indentifier codes, that uniquely identify individual airports worldwide. They are used in flight plans to indicate departure, destination and alternate airfields, as well as in other professional aviation publications. The first letter usually identifies the country or region (e.g. for EHAM Europe Holland Amsterdam or ENGM for Europe Norway Gardermoen), although not all codes are that obvious. The last 2 letters are not always directly related to the airport name or town. Airports in the USA start with "K", followed by the airport's 3-letter IATA (International Air Transport Association) code. For FS, the ICAO code is the standard.

Some add-on aircraft I've tried are not working in my FSX, all I see is a white screen. What can I do about that?
- This problem is related to FSX Acceleration and Service Pack 2. Disable "light bloom" in the display settings.

Questions related to moving traffic

Is there a way to watch the AI traffic fly like I view my plane?
- Yes, click with your right mouse button somewere in the screen, then a menu will show and select "AIR TRAFFIC". FSX will show you a list of AI planes that are airborne as well as AI planes that are still on the ground. Press <A> or <SHIFT> + <A> to cicle between the AI aircraft. Press <S> to change back to your own plane.

How much AI traffic can FSX handle? Is there a limit?
- No, it may depend on your system specs of course, but there is not built-in limitation. The only limitation is that you won't be able to see AI planes that are 10 nm or more from your location.

AI planes suddenly disappear, how can that be?
- FSX will remove any AI plane from the simulation if it is waiting too long. This sometimes occurs while the AI plane is holding at a runway that is used for incoming traffic as well, or airport vehicles obstruct it's path.

I've installed a lot new AI traffic and I want the default traffic of FS to be removed. How?
- Go to Program Files\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Scenery\World\Scenery\ and rename the file "trafficAircraft.bgl" to "trafficAircraft.bak". If you want to enable it again, just change the file extension from .bak to bgl. You can do the same for the other traffic files (trafficBoats.bgl and trafficCarriers.bgl).

Multiplayer related questions

When I try to register a GameSpy account, I get this error message: "Invalid player name format. Player names must be at least 3 characters in alphanumeric format".
- You either entered a player name which is less than 3 characters long or you have entered spaces or other forbidden characters. Remember that alphanumeric means that you can use characters from a to z and numbers 0 to 9 only. Just choose a player name between 3 and 20 characters with no forbidden characters.

When I try to register a GameSpy account, I get this error message: "Your password must be less than 16 characters in alphanumeric format".
- Possible cause: 1. You entered a password with forbidden characters 2. You entered a password with more than 16 characters 3. The email address you've entered is already in use by another player or perhaps you already created an account before with that email address.

When I try to login to GameSpy, I get this error message: "You have been disconnected from GameSpy. You may have logged in on another computer".
- This is a default message that doesn't mean what it says most of the time. For 99% of the time, this happens because the lobby is full. Since FSX will drop you in the Free Flight lobby by default, you might have trouble logging in at busy times of the day. But there is a trick: When you're logged in, select another lobby than the Free Flight lobby and then disconnect. Next time you login, FSX will drop you in that lobby and not in the Free Flight lobby. Since there aren't that many players in the other lobbies, it is unlikely that GameSpy will disconnect you. Make sure you logout in a non-Free Flight lobby. Remember that this trick is only valid if you don't care about the Free Flight lobby, cause when you select the Free Flight lobby after you logged in via another lobby, you will be disconnected anyway if the Free Flight lobby is full.

When I try to join a session, this message shows for some time: "Attempting network negotiation with the host".
- The connection with the host can not be made. This is due to either a bad connection of the host or you tried to login to a password protected session and you have entered the wrong password. Press the ESCAPE key and try another session.

When I host a session, it sometimes happens that my FSX freezes for a few minutes. After that I hear all the voices in fast forward and one or more players are gone. I have a fast pc which runs FSX very well and my internet connection is fast, how is this possible?
- Most players exit the session via the escape key and then end their flight. But some just close FSX via the "X" in the upper right corner of the screen (or they choose exit in the menu or use the key stroke <CONTROL> <BREAK>) which will cause a disturbance in the datastream of the session. So this is clearly a nasty problem and the only thing you can do is ask your players to exit the session via the "end flight" method. If they don't comply, there is still little you can do, because it is not easy to check who left the session after your session un-freezes. The player that caused the problem is gone, but in the mean time there may be more players that disconnected from your session, so how can you be sure which one caused the problem? Even if you know, you can't ban the player while you are in a session, so you have to wait until you see that player online in the lobby. Another option is to host password protected session and only your friend the password. That way you can control who can access your session.

Aircraft & flying related questions

Every time when I try to land, the plane doesn't slow down, or I decent too fast.
- Decrease the amount of fuel, your plane is most likely too heavy to land. Press and hold <CTRL> and press <D> to dump fuel, or Press <ALT>, select Aircraft > Fuel and Payload and decrease the % of fuel to about 20-30%, (with jets, decrease the fuel in the center tank(s) first) depending on the type of aircraft. You also need to set flaps. Flaps will increase lift and you'll be able to fly slower without losing too much altitude. You can use the spoilers to decent and slow down if you're flying to high or too fast. Use the spoilers only briefly.

Is it possible to be pushed back form the gate?
- Yes, press < SHIFT>+<P> to start going backwards. If you want to turn: <SHIFT>+<P> then <1> to push back and turn left, <SHIFT>+<P> then 2 to push back and turn right. Press <SHIFT>+<P> again to stop moving.

Can I open the doors of an aircraft?
- Yes, hold <SHIFT> and press <E> and do the same to close them. Some aircraft have more moving parts like cargo doors. Usually, when you hold <SHIFT> and press <E> and a number (1,2 or 3 on your keyboard), other doors will open. But the movement of a door may be assigned to other keys like the tailhook. See the readme file when you download add-on aircrafts for information about opening doors.

How do I disable airspace alert messages in the GPS 500?
- Press and hold the MSG button for two seconds. Press the MSG button again to enable it again.

When I replay a landing, I would like to see it from another direction. Can I change the location of the tower view mode?
- Unlike FS2004, you can not edit the tower view position anymore. Instead, you can switch between towers near your aircraft. Press <A> or <SWIFT> + <A> to cicle between towers.

I would like to replay my whole flight, but I only see the first few minutes. What is the solution?
- For a more advanced replay, you need a freeware module: FS Recorder. With this module, you can record unlimited time (depening on free space on your harddrive) and much more.

ATC related questions

What does it mean when the ATC is talking about Flightlevels like FL340 or FL190?
- They are talking about altitude. FL340 is 34,000 feet, so just add "00" at the end. The ATC start talking in Flight Levels when you are above the Transition Altitude, which is a safe altitude above any obstacles within some distance of the operation area. The TA varies from country to country and sometimes even in a country. For north america, it is 18,000 feet.

It is very annoying to close the popup window of the ATC every time when there is a transmission between the ATC and AI aircraft, is there any way to change that?
- Yes, go to options -> settings -> general and un-check "Show ATC text" and be sure to check "Auto-open ATC Window", that way you only get the ATC popup when a reply from you is required.

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