Trouble Shooting Installation Problems

At Simlog, we work hard to make our products easy to install and use. However, although we carefully test them on many different PCs, customers may sometimes encounter problems with product installation.

So here is a (short) list of common installation problems with some hints and suggestions.

I have connected and calibrated my simulator controls, but there is an error when I launch my Simlog software.

If you have connected many simulator controls to the same PC to use with different simulation software, then it sometimes happens that when you launch, the simulation software will be "confused". That is because the Windows operating system always lists your simulator controls in alphabetical order and the simulation software starts with the first item on that list. To resolve the problem, connect just the simulator controls that you need for the simulation software that you are launching, and disconnect all the others.

I have connected my simulator controls, but they do not appear in the Windows "Game Controllers" list.

First, try connecting the simulator controls using different USB port(s) on your PC. If the problem persists, try using a USB "hub" to connect them to your PC instead.

If the problem is still present, then check that the simulator controls themselves are functional by connecting them to a different PC. If the simulators controls appear in the Windows "Game Controllers" list on that Different PC, then there may be a hardware problem with the USB controller on your original PC.

My simulation results have the wrong date/time.

When simulation results are saved, your Personal Simulator relies on the internal clock built into your PC for the date and time. So if that date/time is wrong, it will also be wrong in your simulation results. To resolve the problem, just correct the date/time for your PC clock, using the Windows utility. (At one customer, people thought that no simulation results were being saved because the year was wrong.)

Using Windows 7, when my PC "wakes up" after "sleeping", a joystick no longer works.

Unlike previous versions of Windows such as XP, Windows 7 will by default disable USB ports when your PC "sleeps". (Microsoft calls this "USB Selective Suspend".) As a result, when your PC "wakes up", a joystick may appear in the Windows "Game Controllers" list but it is no longer active, i.e. moving it makes nothing happen. To resolve the problem, just disconnect and then reconnect the joystick.

Using Windows 7 or Vista, my Simlog software becomes unlicensed when my computer is not connected to the Internet or to a local area network.

Unlike previous versions of Windows such as XP, Windows 7 and Vista disable (deactivate) networking if your computer is not connected to the Internet or to a local area network. With networking disabled, your Simlog software will become unlicensed (and return to the unlicensed Evaluation Mode). To resolve the problem, just change the Windows setting to enable (activate) networking, even if your computer is not connected to the Internet or to a local area network.

Using Windows 7 or Vista, I get an error when I launch my Simlog software, even though my PC is working properly and my simulator controls are connected and calibrated.

Unlike previous versions of Windows such as XP, Windows 7 and Vista disable sound playback if you do not have speakers connected to your PC. As a result, your Simlog software cannot execute properly because the sound playback that accompanies the graphical simulation is blocked (deactivated). To resolve the problem, just connect speakers to your PC, and then Windows will re-enable sound playback.

There are no sounds and the screen is blank (or white) when I launch a simulation module from the User Interface window.

There may be a problem related to your sound card. To resolve the problem, just download a new "driver" from the sound card manufacturer's Web site (there will be no charge).

I hear sounds but the screen is blank (or white) when I launch a simulation module from the User Interface window, and I see the execution time counter at the bottom.

There may be a problem related to your graphics card. Your PC just is not providing enough graphics horsepower so try alternative settings for the "Display" and "Graphics" options of your Personal Simulator (accessible via the "Options" main menu).

Alternatively, you might need to download the new (current) version of the "driver" from the graphics card manufacturer's Web site (there will be no charge).

Finally, if the problem persists, then you will need to upgrade your graphics card. With a desktop PC, this means buying a new card and installing its driver. But with a laptop PC, there is nothing to be done except use a different (and better) PC.

There is a problem when I quit a Simulation Module, i.e. when I end a simulator-based "session".

Your Personal Simulator is having trouble displaying your simulation results. Since Simlog looks to Microsoft's Internet Explorer to display those results, you must have Internet Explorer installed on your PC. This problem was encountered by one customer because IT staff at his company had uninstalled Internet Explorer (on all PCs) to limit Internet access. To resolve the problem, the customer simply re-installed Internet Explorer.