Finally.....Solved CTD issues... for those of us with < 32 GB ram

[Vinman1776]

I was just about to give up on MSFS. Constant CTDs, sometimes random but most often at the start of a flight just as or just before hitting the “Fly” button. I had 60 hours on the game according to steam and 90% of that was downloading, re-downloading, changing settings and looking for the right configuration so I could play for more than 15 minutes. Updated drivers, removed all overclocks (actually underclocked CPU/GPU), put settings on low detail, nothing helped.

Finally I found my silver bullet: virtual memory aka pagefile.

My virtual memory was originally set appropriately at about 16 GB (I have 16 GB physical mem). I increased it by quite a bit (there are a lot of recommendations on what your virtual memory should be and I encourage you to read several opinions). IN ADDITION, I also turned on page file for my D: drive where MSFS is installed (windows on C:). Ever since I did that, not one CTD!!! I’ve even returned to my overclock on CPU/GPU and I’m playing for hours at a time and now shutdown MSFS when I want to ;).

I want to share this because it is not one of the solutions that I see emphasized much. I hope this helps someone.

My setup:
Ryzen 1700x --now able to overclock to 3.7 GHz
Radeon 580 --now able to overclock to ~1450 Mhz
16 GB (2933 MGhz)-- now able to overclock to 3200 Mhz
Samsung 970 EVO C:/ 256 GB M.2
Samsung Pro 850 D:/ 500 GB (game install)
Honeycomb Flight Yoke
Logitech Flight Rudder Pedals

Playing MSFS on HIGH settings @ 1080P (25-35 fps) successfully for about 1 week. Thinking about moving to HIGH setting at 1440p.

[GIEI]

Pagefile is a myth.
You solved CTD by doing something else.

[Vinman1776]

Not sure why you need to say that. I know what happened to my own situation. No Pagefile = CTD. Pagefile = playing for hours. I realize that it won’t work for everyone but it did for me.

[MSFSRonS]

Don’t be discouraged - Vinmann1776.

I also made a statement like you did (but a different situation) and
also received a lot of responses that basically did not, even the least bit, think that what I was saying was true.

I argued just like you that I did see it.

It is good for FS2020 to have users contribute with their experiences.
ASOB need that. ASOBO can’t do it on their own.

Well, if they had unlimited staff and developers, they could.

But, that is not real world.

@GIEI

Pagefile is a myth.
You solved CTD by doing something else.

You really hit a person hard.
Not even a little bit of consideration for this person and his experience.

He may be right. Maybe not.

You will not know if he just quits responding.

Maybe you can then provide the solution that he does not know.

[alvaross]

This is a good move! In my case I opened the windows task manager and every time a CTD occurred, I noticed that the ram was at 100% (I have 16gb). I increased the size of the paging file and cleaned the cache and the problem is gone!

I also think bing data and photogrammetry affect ram memory bloat, but it’s my personal idea.

[MSFSRonS]

Thanks for your input.

From reading other responses, they seem to indicate more memory is always better.

Just ordered additional 32GB to an existing 32GB memory (3400 plus 3600 Mhz).
Want to see if it makes any difference. Should help with the
“Page File”, etc…

[moxiejeff]

You must be a Microsoft developer? Lol

[MSFSRonS]

No, just a simmer…

Edit
Sorry, did not notice your response was to GIEI.

[EddieSimes]

Glad you finally found your solution! Looks like it took you a while to find, so I bet that’s a good feeling

[noxbox4methx]

Isn’t Page File just another word for Cache?

[GIEI]

I was it for 15 years

[SpeedbirdTen392]

@Vinman1776

out 16 GB (I have 16 GB physical mem). I increased it by quite a bit (there are a lot of recommendations on what your virtual memory should be and I encourage you to read several opinions). IN ADDITION, I also turned on page file for my D: drive where MSFS is installed (windows on C:).

So on your C drive is paging file set to “system managed” or set to 16 GB ?
On your D drive is paging file set to “system managed” or set to 16 GB ?

[BubblyDruid56]

Nope.

At high settings this sim is incapable of keeping stability with 16GB of committable memory or less. If you add another 16GB of virtual memory on top of your 16GB of physical for a total of 32GB committable, the crashes become temporary freezes or stutters instead. While less than idea, at least the application is able to run indefinitely. Alternatively you could lower settings until the memory requirement for prolonged use falls below the 16GB limit but that takes a bit more testing than setting a page file. You also get much less eye candy. Is that worth the stutters caused by swapping? Dunno.

The devs said that the upcoming updates will bring “2x the memory optimisation”. What exactly that will translate to in terms of memory footprint I have no idea.

[noxbox4methx]

I wanna see more spread of the Main Thread across the other cores!

Wouldn’t that even out the Sim / Not Game Cores!

[DaftPunked3136]

Be interested to see the results of this!?

[MSFSRonS]

Additional 32GB arrives next Tuesday (2-2-2021).

I’ll post the result on going from 32GB to 64GB.

[MSFSRonS]

@SpeedbirdTen392

So on your C drive is paging file set to “system managed” or set to 16 GB ?
On your D drive is paging file set to “system managed” or set to 16 GB ?

How do you determine this?

[MichaMMA]

@GIEI

You solved CTD by doing something else.

@Vinman1776 have done and mention the correct recommended solution.

The game needs overall 32Gig memory. You have to increase windows virtual memory ( pagefile ) if you own less than 32Gig RAM.

You can use forum search function and you will find so many post where exactly this was the solution.

Old Examples:

Constant CTD after update 1.12.13.0

yes… this is to much. For lot of users with less that 32Gig RAM it was helpfull to set a overall-memory by around 32 Gig… Therefore e.g. the recommentation with 16Gig RAM: virt. mem 4min/20max. With already 64Gig RAM, you can simple set 1Gig Min / 4 Gig Max and you will never see that more as 1Gig is used I read in meanwhile lot’s of threads and it comes more often on top what we already mentioned and what you also find out: the network related settings makes trouble. Some users hav…

( extended test )

Every time I start it it crashes

Hi Mike, Very thanks. This is what I want to have confirmed Thus, it is exactly as expected. Windows needs, if the game is running, over all around 32Gig RAM and with my recommendation of 20Gig the users are on safe side. Thanks

@MSFSRonS images in second link might helpfully for you )

[Terrylawdinn]

I installed 64GB of RAM almost right from the start and have had maybe 2/3 CTD’s since installation of the sim. I monitor the performance and see the CPU rarely goes anywhere near 100%, GPU is almost always at 100%, GRAM the same. Ordinary RAM hardly ever gets near 50% which would seem to rerinforce the idea that MSFS needs 32GB.

I don’t try to run at highest graphics settings, just prefer no stuttering etc.

(Yes, I know, could do with a better graphics card, currently GTX 1650)

[MichaMMA]

@Terrylawdinn

I installed 64GB of RAM almost right from the start and have had maybe 2/3 CTD’s since installation of the sim.

64GIG this is not the topic here… read the OP post , then you see that he own 16GIG RAM. Only then is an additional increasement necessary ( we recommend in this case 20Gig Max). See the links…

If you have CTD as for other reason, please join the existing threads in issue category ( e.g the big CTD thread). We are ready to help

@Vinman1776 possible you can made the heading more clear ( users with less than 32 Gig RAM are affected )