Have any of you guys every done this

[hey_moe]

I was wondering if any of you guys have ever done a full format and figured out a way to just do a copy and paste of FSX without having to reinstall all the payware and add-ons. If you have figured out how, please post for this old fart...Mike

[falcon409]

Yea, I'd like to know how too Moe. Since a lot, actually almost all of the payware is also written into the registry, I would think you'd have to make a backup of that as well and everything would have to go back to the same drive so drive letters were still correct. The only problem with that obviously is that FSX/FS9 isn't the only thing held in the registry, so unless after the formatting was complete, the entire system was going to replicated as it was, saving the registry wouldn't help much. Unless you wanted to go line by line editing in the registry to put everything for FSX/FS9 back in by hand. lol.:isadizzy:

[SirBenn21]

I was wondering if any of you guys have ever done a full format and figured out a way to just do a copy and paste of FSX without having to reinstall all the payware and add-ons. If you have figured out how, please post for this old fart...Mike

Mike I just went though the whole episode and unfortunately this is not possible, but what I did do this time round is go and buy myself a nice external HDD. It was only about $140AU for 1 TB.
I did the "perfect" install of all my little apps and FSX with all my favorite addons and then I made a backup of the whole lot, so next time is just the case of installing WIN7 and then hit restore and then bob's our uncle.

Ben

[Bjoern]

Zip FSX-folder and any external folders containing scenery or add-ons, move it to a safe location (DVD; another disc) and done?

Make sure to get the folders with the fsx.cfg and scenery.cfg as well.

Then format, reinstall Windows, unzip FSX and add-ons to their old locations, "patch out" the activation, install SimConnect if needed, run FSX registry path setup tool, done.

The only things lost are any start menu entries for add-ons and FSX, so creating a shortcut to FSX and any setup tools or manuals is mandatory.

Other than that, no other dangers I know of.


- Edit: Excepzt if you're using Radar Contact. It requires a full, "clean" reinstallation for some reason.

[rvn817j]

I moved my entire FSX file (C:\Program File (x86)\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\...) from my C:\ drive to an installed and formatted solid state drive. It copied over with only one issue - the Plum Island scenery location in the scenery.cfg file corrupted and I had to edit that location. As pointed out above, you will have to create a new 'short cut' or just load FSX from your new FSX location. Good luck.

[dswo]

I've found a lot of things worked this way, but some things needed to be reinstalled. I did NOT copy over scenery.cfg -- this seemed a little too risky. I already had most of my freeware scenery organized in folders under Addon Scenery, so I just copied those over, made screenshots of my working Scenery Library so that I would get the order right, and added each folder manually. Would not try something like this for OZx though.

[UnknownGuest12]

Done this more than once, copy fsx to my external backup hd (always up to date and copy again to my pc hard drive. Sometimes got a problem with a different (asked) version of direct x, copy it from installation dvd. A new shorcut and that's it.
best of luck

[Xilence]

When installing a new aircraft, I always copy the new files to an external harddrive. I rip it. It's not a fun job though, because I have to figure out what the new effect files are, for example. What I do is rename the effects, sounds and gauges folder, and then copy the folders the installer (usually makes) along with the folder of the actual aircraft. Same could be done with scenery, only you'll need to activate the scenery manually if it's a ripped version.