Stuck on initializing vfs on both sl viewer and firestorm?

[MrJokerrrr]

Hi I can't seem to get past initializing vfs on both SL viewer and firestorm. I have restarted my laptop. 

[Matteo Gorham]

What version of Windows are you running?

[Carolyn Zapedzki]

I have the same problem with Firestorm and Alchemy, i can only use SL viewers right now, so i would appreciate help with this too. I am running Win 10. I have cleanly reinstalled both of those viewers to no avail. It just started a week or so ago, i am pretty sure there wasn't any windows updates prior to this starting.

[Whirly Fizzle]

I suspect it's this problem: https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/BUG-100524

If you have  Intel 4000 graphics or Intel HD graphics & you could previously run 64bit viewers before a recent Windows 10 update the that bug is the likely suspect.
The viewer hangs during benchmarking & never recovers. This affects all 64bit viewers.
We have a fix for this ready for the next release of Firestorm.  If you want to try a test build of Firestorm with the fix, shoot me a PM on the forum & I'll give you the download link & instructions.
Alternatively you should be able to run the 32bit versions of Firestorm & Alchemy for now.

 

 

 

[Carolyn Zapedzki]

18 hours ago, Whirly Fizzle said:

I installed the 32 bit versions and they work fine, thank you Whirly! :-)

 

 

 

[Gianni Lupindo]

I'm suffering from the same problem with both 64 bit viewers: Firestorm 5.1.7 (55786) and Linden Lab 5.1.8 (518593) into a laptop running the operating system Windows 10 Pro. The message "Initializing VFS..." hangs for several minutes before to load the login screen of the viewer. I apparently fixed the problem adding the --noprobe parameter to the Firestorm shortcut; this solution doesn't work with the LL viewer shortcut though. Another apparent solution has been using the NVIDIA GeForce GT750M GPU instead of the integrated one Intel HD Graphics 4000: the NVIDIA GPU is surely more powerful and efficient but the CPU gets too hot now, until over 80 °C, and even just keeping the login screen opened. That's why now I'm trying to use the Intel GPU, even though the temperature still slowly gets too hot (close to 80 °C) and the LL viewer takes a lot of time to load. I unfortunately think I'm having some serious issues with my GPUs and that's the reason why the viewers take so long to open up too. I included some technical informations taken from my two viewers, one of which using the Intel GPU and the other one the NVIDIA GPU.

Firestorm viewer

Linden Lab viewer

Firestorm 5.1.7 (55786) Jul 13 2018 22:34:51 (64bit) (Firestorm-Releasex64) with OpenSimulator support CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40GHz (2394.56 MHz) Memory: 8078 MB OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit (Build 17134) Graphics Card Vendor: Intel Graphics Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000 Windows Graphics Driver Version: 10.18.10.4885 OpenGL Version: 4.0.0 - Build 10.18.10.4885 RestrainedLove API: (disabled) libcurl Version: libcurl/7.54.1 OpenSSL/1.0.2l zlib/1.2.8 nghttp2/1.25.0 J2C Decoder Version: KDU v7.10.4 Audio Driver Version: FMOD Studio 1.10.05 Dullahan: 1.1.1080 / CEF: 3.3325.1750.gaabe4c4 / Chromium: 65.0.3325.146 LibVLC Version: 2.2.8 Voice Server Version: Not Connected Settings mode: Firestorm Viewer Skin: Vintage (Classic) Window size: 1920x1013 px Font Used: Deja Vu (96 dpi) Font Size Adjustment: 0 pt UI Scaling: 1.25 Draw distance: 128 m Bandwidth: 1000 kbit/s LOD factor: 2 Render quality: High (5/7) Advanced Lighting Model: No Texture memory: 512 MB (1) VFS (cache) creation time (UTC): 2018-8-20T13:42:35  Built with MSVC version 1800 August 24 2018 08:22:25 SLT

Second Life Release 5.1.8.518593 (64bit) CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40GHz (2394.56 MHz) Memory: 8078 MB OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit (Build 17134) Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation Graphics Card: GeForce GT 750M/PCIe/SSE2 Windows Graphics Driver Version: 10.18.10.4885 OpenGL Version: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 398.82 Window size: 1920x1013 Font Size Adjustment: 96pt UI Scaling: 1.25 Draw distance: 128m Bandwidth: 3000kbit/s LOD factor: 1.125 Render quality: 4 / 7 Advanced Lighting Model: Enabled Texture memory: 512MB VFS (cache) creation time: August 24 2018 08:25:49 J2C Decoder Version: KDU v7.10.4 Audio Driver Version: FMOD Ex 4.44.64 Dullahan: 1.1.1080 / CEF: 3.3325.1750.gaabe4c4 / Chromium: 65.0.3325.146 LibVLC Version: 2.2.8 Voice Server Version: Not Connected August 24 2018 08:26:09

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by Gianni Lupindo
I'm using a laptop

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, Gianni Lupindo said:

I'm suffering from the same problem with both 64 bit viewers: Firestorm 5.1.7 (55786) and Linden Lab 5.1.8 (518593) into a laptop running the operating system Windows 10 Pro. The message "Initializing VFS..." hangs for several minutes before to load the login screen of the viewer. I apparently fixed the problem adding the --noprobe parameter to the Firestorm shortcut; this solution doesn't work with the LL viewer shortcut though. Another apparent solution has been using the NVIDIA GeForce GT750M GPU instead of the integrated one Intel HD Graphics 4000: the NVIDIA GPU is surely more powerful and efficient but the CPU gets too hot now, until over 80 °C, and even just keeping the login screen opened. That's why now I'm trying to use the Intel GPU, even though the temperature still slowly gets too hot (close to 80 °C) and the LL viewer takes a lot of time to load. I unfortunately think I'm having some serious issues with my GPUs and that's the reason why the viewers take so long to open up too. I included some technical informations taken from my two viewers, one of which using the Intel GPU and the other one the NVIDIA GPU.

Firestorm viewer

Linden Lab viewer

Firestorm 5.1.7 (55786) Jul 13 2018 22:34:51 (64bit) (Firestorm-Releasex64) with OpenSimulator support CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40GHz (2394.56 MHz) Memory: 8078 MB OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit (Build 17134) Graphics Card Vendor: Intel Graphics Card: Intel(R) HD Graphics 4000 Windows Graphics Driver Version: 10.18.10.4885 OpenGL Version: 4.0.0 - Build 10.18.10.4885 RestrainedLove API: (disabled) libcurl Version: libcurl/7.54.1 OpenSSL/1.0.2l zlib/1.2.8 nghttp2/1.25.0 J2C Decoder Version: KDU v7.10.4 Audio Driver Version: FMOD Studio 1.10.05 Dullahan: 1.1.1080 / CEF: 3.3325.1750.gaabe4c4 / Chromium: 65.0.3325.146 LibVLC Version: 2.2.8 Voice Server Version: Not Connected Settings mode: Firestorm Viewer Skin: Vintage (Classic) Window size: 1920x1013 px Font Used: Deja Vu (96 dpi) Font Size Adjustment: 0 pt UI Scaling: 1.25 Draw distance: 128 m Bandwidth: 1000 kbit/s LOD factor: 2 Render quality: High (5/7) Advanced Lighting Model: No Texture memory: 512 MB (1) VFS (cache) creation time (UTC): 2018-8-20T13:42:35  Built with MSVC version 1800 August 24 2018 08:22:25 SLT

Second Life Release 5.1.8.518593 (64bit) CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-3630QM CPU @ 2.40GHz (2394.56 MHz) Memory: 8078 MB OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit (Build 17134) Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation Graphics Card: GeForce GT 750M/PCIe/SSE2 Windows Graphics Driver Version: 10.18.10.4885 OpenGL Version: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 398.82 Window size: 1920x1013 Font Size Adjustment: 96pt UI Scaling: 1.25 Draw distance: 128m Bandwidth: 3000kbit/s LOD factor: 1.125 Render quality: 4 / 7 Advanced Lighting Model: Enabled Texture memory: 512MB VFS (cache) creation time: August 24 2018 08:25:49 J2C Decoder Version: KDU v7.10.4 Audio Driver Version: FMOD Ex 4.44.64 Dullahan: 1.1.1080 / CEF: 3.3325.1750.gaabe4c4 / Chromium: 65.0.3325.146 LibVLC Version: 2.2.8 Voice Server Version: Not Connected August 24 2018 08:26:09

 

Using the integrated graphics will give you horrid graphics inworld.  Maybe go buy a cooling pad to sit your laptop on so that it doesn't overheat with the Nvidia card usage. 

Also, to reduce the graphics strain on your laptop - especially if you are going to stick with the integrated graphics - reduce your draw distance to 64m.  Also, take the overall graphics quality slider and shift it to medium or medium-low.  

Also, on the SL Viewer, drop that Bandwidth setting down to 1000-1200 and disable the Advanced Lighting, similar to your Firestorm setting.

Edited August 24, 2018 by LittleMe Jewell

[LittleMe Jewell]

Also, see this link:  http://wiki.phoenixviewer.com/intel_vfs

nevermind - you said you did that

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by LittleMe Jewell

[Ethan Paslong]

53 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Using the integrated graphics will give you horrid graphics inworld.

reduce your draw distance to 64m.

take the overall graphics quality slider and shift it to medium or medium-low.  

Also, on the SL Viewer, drop that Bandwidth setting down to 1000-1200 

disable the Advanced Lighting, similar to your Firestorm setting.

we need a sticky post with this info ... it's posted several times a day lately....

oh and add "go wired"

[Gianni Lupindo]

48 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Using the integrated graphics will give you horrid graphics inworld.  Maybe go buy a cooling pad to sit your laptop on so that it doesn't overheat with the Nvidia card usage. 

Some time ago I always used the integrated graphics with no problem, even though the inworld wasn't excellent. A cooling pad wouldn't really fix the overheat with both GPUs because I think the CPU socket needs a new thermal compound and the fan being cleaned. My laptop worked with SL viewers 4 years and a half but it has never been disassembled. I will have to seriously evaluate the purchase of a new desktop PC as soon as possible.

Quote

Also, to reduce the graphics strain on your laptop - especially if you are going to stick with the integrated graphics - reduce your draw distance to 64m.  Also, take the overall graphics quality slider and shift it to medium or medium-low.  

I already reduced graphic settings to the lowest values or, at most, medium-low with no appreciable results. I used to set these values to medium and in few cases to medium-high.

Quote

Also, on the SL Viewer, drop that Bandwidth setting down to 1000-1200 and disable the Advanced Lighting, similar to your Firestorm setting.

The bandwidth is irrelevant for my problem but it's already set to 1000 kbps. The advanced lighting is already disabled with minimum settings. The problem is presumably of another nature. Thanks for your advices.

 

[Whirly Fizzle]

3 hours ago, Gianni Lupindo said:

I apparently fixed the problem adding the --noprobe parameter to the Firestorm shortcut; this solution doesn't work with the LL viewer shortcut though.

This likely worked on Firestorm because running with noprobe also disables benchmarking.
https://hg.phoenixviewer.com/phoenix-firestorm-lgpl/rev/8551133b1d7b

Some Intel card & driver combos don't work well with the GPU benchmark that the viewer uses.

[Gianni Lupindo]

9 minutes ago, Whirly Fizzle said:

This likely worked on Firestorm because running with noprobe also disables benchmarking.
https://hg.phoenixviewer.com/phoenix-firestorm-lgpl/rev/8551133b1d7b

Some Intel card & driver combos don't work well with the GPU benchmark that the viewer uses.

I never said the --noprobe parameter doesn't work on Firestorm but I said the laptop with this viewer overheats the same even using it by the Intel integrated GPU. The parameter surely doesn't work on Linden Lab viewer in my case.

Edited August 24, 2018 by Gianni Lupindo
what overheats

[LittleMe Jewell]

57 minutes ago, Gianni Lupindo said:

2 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Also, on the SL Viewer, drop that Bandwidth setting down to 1000-1200 and disable the Advanced Lighting, similar to your Firestorm setting.

 The bandwidth is irrelevant for my problem but it's already set to 1000 kbps. The advanced lighting is already disabled with minimum settings.

If you'll notice, my comment was specific to your SL Viewer settings, which the picture shows as below:

 

57 minutes ago, Gianni Lupindo said:

I think the CPU socket needs a new thermal compound and the fan being cleaned. My laptop worked with SL viewers 4 years and a half but it has never been disassembled. I will have to seriously evaluate the purchase of a new desktop PC as soon as possible.

You might be right - it might be time to make a purchase.  

 

Edited August 24, 2018 by LittleMe Jewell

[Gianni Lupindo]

41 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

If you'll notice, my comment was specific to your SL Viewer settings, which the picture shows as below:

The SL viewer has been just installed for testing; why didn't you make a snapshot of my Firestorm technical information too that is the viewer I almost always used in the last years?

Quote

You might be right - it might be time to make a purchase.  

I'm hesitant about a new PC purchase because Second Life is the only trouble; for the rest my laptop is simply perfect!

Edited August 24, 2018 by Gianni Lupindo
It's a laptop. I forgot that again!

[LittleMe Jewell]

20 minutes ago, Gianni Lupindo said:

I'm hesitant about a new PC purchase because Second Life is the only trouble; for the rest my PC is simply perfect!

I understand the sentiment, but SL can require much more from a computer than any other computer usage, including any other games - and laptops are notorious for having heat issues under heavy graphics usage simply because they just can't have as much cooling as a desktop.  

[Gianni Lupindo]

24 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

I understand the sentiment, but SL can require much more from a computer than any other computer usage, including any other games - and laptops are notorious for having heat issues under heavy graphics usage simply because they just can't have as much cooling as a desktop.  

I would leave SL for a while. My first life would be worthy a lot of more attention and I really hope to be able in my intent. This one could be the right occasion.