First of all, I would like to say that I have flown 150 hours with the flight simulator without any problems.
Then about 5 days ago the problems started.
I had pretty much all the problems described here and in other forums: Black Sreen when I start MSFS 2020, CTD when I press the button “fly now”. Sometimes I could even fly 2 flights in a row without anything happening, etc…
I have checked everything, both the software and the hardware but found nothing that could be it. Replaced the ram, installed the old graphics card, took out the sound card and everything else you can imagine.
The sneaky thing was that the computer worked perfectly fine in normal operation.
Now you might think that this can only be due to MSFS 2020.
Far from it, it was the: “cable from the power supply unit to the graphics card!!!”
It obviously had a small loose contact which then caused all the problems described by many people here!
I hope that this little true story will help one or the other to solve their problems with the MSFS 2020.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)PC specs for those who want to assist (if not entered in your profile)
So don’t forget to check the cables too!
Good luck, Hannes
Thanks for posting this!!!
For the last month I’ve been going through the “troubleshooting horrors” with the blinking displays and odd MSFS behaviors. Never thought to check the cable connections.
I reseated all the cables coming from PSU at both ends and bingo, MSFS2020 is working like a dream.
There wasn’t anything obvious like a loose cable, but I have seen some corrosion in connectors over the years. Seems like reseating connectors, like dusting out the computer box is necessary.
yeah this topic is pure nonsense. A lose gpu cable will give problems for almost everything on your pc. It’s not that msfs is the only piece of software that requires that last connector you stick in your gpu.
There’s probably something else explaining why you don’t get ctd’s no more. But this is definately not a solution.
Feel bad for everyone opening up their cases to re attach every cable they can find in their case😅
So now we got:
stable overclocks are causing ctd’s but ONLY in msfs
lose gpu cables cause ctd’s but ONLY in msfs.
Please get realistic here guys…
Ps. I get that you’re only trying to help and that’s a good thing. But just before anyone starts fiddeling with cables, don’t expect anything to happen.
if anything is a joke here, it’s your answer.
I was just sharing my experience, and as you can see, it has already helped “piperweese”!
If you have CTDs and are not willing to check your cables, that’s your problem. But I think you’re also the kind of person who always looks for faults in others instead of properly sweeping your own house.
they have really serious problems with themselves.
What is wrong with passing on an experience that has eliminated a big problem?
Since replacing the power cable to the graphics card, MSFS 2020 runs without any problem.
Asobo is doing a great job, and it is normal that such a comprehensive simulator has teething problems, and these will certainly be eliminated in small steps.
Whining all day, but when someone wants to share their experience to help, they get dragged through the mud.
OF COURSE it’s possible for a connector problem to cause CTD’s with MSFS only!
Some of us don’t use other high-power usage games. This means the high wattage, stressful load that MSFS puts on the system (especially the GPU) can expose problems that otherwise remain hidden. Power supply connectors are at the top of the list in this category.
You can call me a troll if you like, because after all I have only 45 years of experience with microcomputers…
Thats exactly what I said in the upper answer. A PC that is not built correctly can cause problems - but thats not “a” or “the” solution to the CTD´s. End of story.
Connector pins have inherent contact resistance, and it gets higher with time because of oxidation. Even worse, every time a connector is removed and reinstalled it loosens the contacts slightly, increasing the resistance even more. If they weren’t very tight to begin with (very common, even with correctly built PCs), then only a few insertions later and you have a connector that is running hot, which causes very unpredictable problems.
“The” solution to CTDs? No.
“A” solution to CTDs? You bet!
As said above, this may be one reason for ctd. But not THE ONE.
I have ctd since SU 4 and rebuild my PC between this and SU 5 completely. Unfortunately the ctd stay with me, even worse, after SU5 my PC started to crash to reboot once or twice a week. Of course only in msfs. I can play other resource consuming games like cyberpunk or metro exodus for hours by the way.
Inbetween everything seems to be fine. After the last Windows update last week as well as updating all C++ runtimes this hard crashes seems to be history.
And more better, I have had a crash for one week! Until today
But I will give your method a chance and will check the connectors. Let’s see.
Excuse me, I am playing games since 1985 and I have NEVER seen a post like this (and I am still assuming he is trolling).
When your pc has problems - then you have several tools to put it under stress, you don´t need MSFS for it. If MSFS is the only game you are playing, yes - there is a very small theoretical chance that a faulty cable is causing the problems. My best guess is that the OP dusted his fans off or whatever he has done to his PC but when it comes to cables I say: Its working or not. But its not half working, and especially its not causing problems with one special software.
Asobo/MS has a big underlying problem in the sim actually causing new hardware/pcs not working properly, especially the CTDs out of nowhere ARE a problem. But they are not cable-related.
I play RDO occasionally which is more demanding on the hardware, also other games that stress the system to its limits - I dont see them crashing. The only thing that crashes pretty often is MSFS and this is first and foremost bad programming, a bad QS or simply no idea what they are doing, especially when we realize that the release was 13 months go and all of us paid 100$ or more for a faulty software that has never worked properly.
“but when it comes to cables I say: Its working or not”
That is an absolutely, completely false statement. It’s no different than the outlet on your wall. When it is new and tight, it powers everything just fine. After you have plugged and unplugged things numerous times, it gets loose. Then it becomes “half working”. Plug in a lamp, no problem. Plug in a hair dryer or a space heater, big problem.
The connectors on your computer’s power supply are no different.
You have a good point about using stress testing software to help locate such problems, but most regular users don’t use such software. On the other hand, there are lots of MSFS users who are not gamers, and don’t consider MSFS a game. It is a serious simulator, and the only software they run which seriously stresses their hardware. That makes connector problems that show up only when using MSFS more likely than a “small theoretical chance”, in the same way dust clogged fans might show up as CTDs only when using MSFS.
It is not this trolling stuff, it is about someones experience and share this with other, to bring it to attent to others, if you are playing games since 1985, your old enough to respect others in their opinions and their briliance of mind to look in a place where not many would think off and share this with the community
Offcourse you are entitled by your opinion as well, but at offcourse please stay oncourse
