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Appendix B
Troubleshooting X-Plane
This chapter is designed as a reference for when you encounter common problems in X-Plane. Each
of the following sections describes a common problem and its solution.
B.1 The X-Plane Installer Fails to Extract a File
If the X-Plane installer gives an error about a failed file extraction, it is almost always because your
DVD drive cannot read the disc. X-Plane is distributed on dual-layer DVDs, which are sometimes
more difficult to read in older DVD drives. Take note of the file reported in the error message and
try to copy it from the DVD (using the Finder in Mac OS or Windows Explorer on Windows). If
possible, try copying the file into a different folder. If multiple DVDs cannot be read, it is likely
that your DVD drive is to blame. If, however, only a single DVD is causing problems, it is more
likely the DVD is defective. Defective discs will be replaced by Laminar Research free of charge;
simply email our tech support at info@x-plane.com.
B.2 X-Plane Gives Errors about Missing DLLs, or There Are
Strange Graphical Anomolies
Most graphics- and DLL-related issues in X-Plane are due to a lack of video drivers. Make sure your
graphics drivers are up to date by following the instructions in the X-Plane Wiki article entitled
Updating the Computer’s Graphics Drivers in Windows.
B.3 X-Plane Crashed
A hard crash in X-Plane 10 is most likely caused by the system running out of usable system memory
(RAM). Symptoms of this include (1) segmentation faults, which occur when a request for memory
failed and wasn’t properly detected, and (2) X-Plane’s uncaught exception: std::bad alloc
error.
This may occur (rarely) when your computer is has truly used up all available RAM. More
commonly, however, it occurs when X-Plane runs out of virtual address space. Because X-Plane
is a 32-bit application, it can only access 2–4 GB of virtual memory (address space) at a time,
regardless of how much RAM is installed in your computer. The specific limits are as follows:
• In 32-bit Windows (including Windows XP and some installations of Windows Vista and
Windows 7): 2 or 3 GB, depending on the operating system’s settings
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