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AS_Omar avatar image
AS_Omar asked virtuali answered

exe.xml fails to launch my SimConnect external application

Hi,

I'm trying to get MSFS to automatically launch an external SimConnect application (.exe) whenever the game is launched by placing an entry in the exe.xml file (at %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\exe.xml). My exe.xml file looks like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<SimBase.Document version="1,0" Type="SimConnect">
    <Descr>Auto launch external applications on MSFS start</Descr>
    <Filename>exe.xml</Filename>
    <Disabled>False</Disabled>
    <Launch.Addon>
        <Name>My Company MSFS Utilities EXE</Name>
        <Disabled>False</Disabled>
        <Path>C:\MSFS Online Content\Community\my-company-msfs-utilities\utilities\EXE_Application.exe</Path>
    </Launch.Addon>
</SimBase.Document>

However, I've had mixed success. The launch seems to randomly fail at times. It only launches successfully about half of the time. I've enabled SimConnect logging (using the SimConnect.ini file) and the following error is logged whenever the launch fails:

Exe Launch Failed:  GetLastError=0xC0EA0001  Path="C:\MSFS Online Content\Community\my-company-msfs-utilities\utilities\EXE_Application.exe"  CommandLine=""

Does anyone have an idea what could be causing this seemingly random launch failure? I couldn't find details on this error code anywhere. Any help would be appreciated.

Kind regards,

Omar

simconnect
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5 Answers

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virtuali avatar image
virtuali answered

This happened to me as well today and, checking your error code, it means ERROR_NO_APPLICABLE_APP_LICENSES_FOUND, so it has something to do having an issue with the MSFS license.

I enabled Simconnect logging, and as soon as MSFS started, it displayed a Simconnect error message, also saying "no applicable license found".

I think this happened because I moved to my vacation home, which uses a completely different kind of internet connection and on a different country too, (Starlink satellite, in Italy, instead of Cable I have at home in Switzerland), and this must have freaked out the MSFS licensing system for some reason.

It was weird, because the sim *itself* worked perfectly fine, showing logged to my normal MS Store account, so I didn't realized something was wrong, until I noticed apps couldn't start from the EXE.XML anymore. They could be started manually, and they did connect with the sim using Simconnect just fine.

It seems that for some reason, when something is "wrong" with the license ( not entirely wrong, otherwise the sim wouldn't even start ), you lose the ability to start .EXE automatically from the EXE.XML.

I fixed it by logging out of the account from MSFS, then logging in again.

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virtuali avatar image
virtuali answered

It seems I spoke too soon: on a subsequent session, I still got the same error as before, see the attached screenshot:

simconnect-error.jpg


As before, the rest of the simulator seems to work normally, just apps don't start anymore from the EXE.XML file.


simconnect-error.jpg (12.6 KiB)
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FlyingRaccoon avatar image
FlyingRaccoon answered virtuali commented

Hello @AS_Omar and @virtuali

That's an issue we're already tracking.
It's related to MS Store checking the app (MSFS) has a correct licence but also checking for child apps and failing in this cas.

We will come back to you when we know more about this.

Regards,
Sylvain

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FlyingRaccoon avatar image FlyingRaccoon ♦♦ commented ·
@AS_Omar and @virtuali

Could you tell us which version of Windows and of the MS Store you have when you experience this problem. We are unable to reproduce this behaviour at the moment.

Regards,
Sylvain

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AS_Omar avatar image AS_Omar FlyingRaccoon ♦♦ commented ·

Hi Sylvain,

I was able to reproduce the same error today (Exe Launch Failed: GetLastError=0xC0EA0001). My Windows version is:

Edition    Windows 11 Pro
Version    21H2
Installiert am    ‎04-‎Sep-‎21
Betriebssystembuild    22000.652
Leistung    Windows Feature Experience Pack 1000.22000.652.0

and my Microsoft Store version is 22205.1401.13.0

Best regards

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virtuali avatar image virtuali FlyingRaccoon ♦♦ commented ·

I'm using Windows 10, and the MS Store app version is 22205.1401.13.0

The simulator itself works normally, with all features, so it seems to not have any licensing issues. It's just the automatic startup of .EXEs from the EXE.XML file which is affected, the same apps works normally and connect to Simconnect normally when started manually.

Enabling Simconnect diagnostic log it's enough to trigger the problem, and I get the same error code as @AS_Omar , 0xC0EA0001 , which seems to mean ERROR_NO_APPLICABLE_APP_LICENSES_FOUND


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virtuali avatar image
virtuali answered

I'm bumping this to report the problem is still happening on the latest build released today.

I''ve enabled Simconnect logging, and I've noticed the first time the sim is started, I don't get the error from the Windows MessageBox, but the same error code 0xC0EA0001 is logged in the Simconnect console, saying the child .EXE failed to start because of it.

Existing and restarting the sim a 2nd time, instead, result in the MessageBox with the error, but no Simconnect console opened, as if even the console itself failed to get a license to start.

One thing might be useful to note, is that I have two separate copies of MSFS with two separate license, one from the MS Store , which is the current SU10 Beta, and another one on Steam, which is the latest official version from SU9.

A strange quirk of this configuration is that, if I start the Steam version, exit from it, and restart the MS Store version after, it says I'm "logged on another device", so it suggests to force a logoff from the other "device", as if the Steam version was seen as a different device, because both will login with the same MS Account.

Perhaps this might help you finding the problem, which might be specific to my dual installation ?

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virtuali avatar image
virtuali answered

From what I can see, this problem has been fixed in SU11 Beta, would be nice to add it to the Release Notes.

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