Possible SSD issue?

User Support Hub Hardware & Peripherals
1

A little over a year ago, I purchased a 480GB SSD (Crucial BX500) to use MSFS exclusively. I had no problems with MSFS until the beginning of this month.

The first sign of trouble appeared when I tried to delete an addon by simply deleting its folder in the Community folder. I couldn’t delete it. Opening the addon folder, I saw that most of the files had already been deleted, with the exception of some files in the textures folder, which Windows didn’t let me see, saying the folder was corrupted or unreadable. I tried some tricks to delete corrupted folders and none worked. As apparently my MSFS was still working normally, I simply renamed the folder and left it there.

Two weeks later, without doing anything with MSFS, I opened the simulator and noticed that the textures of all aircraft had pink checkered parts. Looking to know about the problem, I saw that this is related to addons. I emptied the Community folder, except for the folder that I couldn’t delete. It didn’t solve the problem. I soon suspected that maybe that folder was causing the problem. As the only way to get rid of it is to format the whole disk, so I did. I formatted and started installing again.

Then another problem appeared: Installation loop. The installation always ran normally until reaching 49%, when it was time to decompress the packages related to fs-base after downloading all the parts of the package, the installation simply deleted all the downloaded parts and re-downloaded them, staying in this loop. I’ve installed MSFS twice on this SSD before and never had a problem. I spent 3 days trying to download, I used different tricks, VPN, etc. The only thing that fixed it was downloading it to my HDD, where the installation ran normally without a loop. Once installed, I transferred the files to my SSD.

MSFS worked normally for a week, when again the problem with pink textures appeared. This time, only the texture of objects of some airports like TNCM. This time, there was no addon folder in the Community folder that I couldn’t delete. I emptied the Community folder, tried to reinstall the affected airports in Content Manager and it didn’t work.

Suspecting a SSD-related issue, I decided to install MSFS on my HDD and leave it there. I can handle an extra minute of loading time to avoid all this hassle.

So, should I assume there is a issue with my SSD? I transferred some games and files to this SSD and everything seems to be working perfectly, what makes me more puzzled as to what the issue could be that only MSFS is having trouble with it.

2

A couple things you may want to try, deleting the rolling cache in the sim (and manual cache if it has files in it).
You also can try deleting your PC’s video card shader cache.

3

Cannot remember what command is, but windows has memory checker-built in it’s very good, so if the memory bad will or could show up.

Additionally, at admin command prompt, change to X:\SSD Drive with issues and run:

  1. DISM.exe /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth
  2. After success on 1, SFC /Scannow
  3. After Success on 2, Chkdsk /F/R - this one will take a long time, may need to reboot so drive is not active, it will tell you what to do, regardless say yes when asked to run program and reboot.
  4. Try another drive inlu of the one having issues, but keep files loaded on problem one, just to be safe.
    Let us Know.
4

I have rolling cache disabled on my MSFS.

I followed those instructions. After executing one of them, a message appeared saying that Windows found errors on the disk (corrupted files) and fixed it, which I found strange because I formatted the disk after uninstalling MSFS and it only had game files that I transferred later.

If that was the issue that was causing all these problems with my MSFS, I’ll test now. I’m now installing MSFS from scratch on my SSD. If I have the 49% install loop problem again, I’ll know that the mystery problem hasn’t been fixed and I’ll basically give up installing on it altogether. I’m already tired of it.

I’ll let you know if it’s resolved or not.

5

Yes, I got through a sorta like and hate relationship with this sim almost daily. Mostly sometimes it’s my fault, and I just wear out my brain trying to fix my mistakes. But tonight, sim seemed to work fine, and I fat fingered in my destination, by time figured it out, was too tired to continue, quit. Maybe tomorrow, route can be updated. Let us know if that fixes it.

Oh on install loop, find the file its hung on in the directory, delete it, and it will download it again, and maybe work the next time. I experienced this around SU5-09 and had to do that several times. Once did that the next time it worked fine. But I hate that so much of this sim is download, the internet is full, and data packets get messed up. Wish we had option to buy DVD’s, then only SU’s would cause some downloading on only the files changed.

FWIW-X-plane 12 public beta-initially downloaded the necessary files and the sections of the world I wanted to fly in, that took half day. Now, every update I expand what world files I have to get and although it might take hour, I will have the whole world soon. The update (weekly) takes 30-90 minutes to get all the “fixed stuff”, much faster than MSFS, which took me all day, plus two more days tweaking controls. I can get controls setup in XP in less than 20 minutes tops, much more straight forward than MSFS, plus helps if you write down each button/control and how it’s used. I try to make controls as “same as possible” between sims so my configuration does not conflict when flying in either one or the other.

6

If not resolved, some SSD manufacturers have utility programs that will check their products for issues. You can always check Crucial’s web site if this might exist for your ssd.

7

Another thing you can try, when the sim hangs up, shut it down and delete the folder that the sim is hung up on. Restart the sim.
In this case you mention “fs-base” as being the culprit.
There are quite a few posts in here that this has helped, but with almost all issues, there are definitely cases in here where it didn’t work.

8

So, I installed it on my SSD and this time, the install went smoothly with no loops. I installed everything in Content Manager and checked different airports and aircraft for pink textures. Then I installed my addons, again I looked for pink textures and I didn’t find them.

So, I believe the issue is finally fixed after following your steps. I don’t know if the pink textures will appear in a week like before, but I don’t think so.

Thank you very much.

9

Excellent, glad things worked. We are all in this lifeboat together, so we got to take care of each other. Happy Flying.