FSX reinstall issue, help please !! [Archive]

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Seaking055

January 10th, 2011, 14:06

Have to hdd's on my system, the one with all my fsx on it gave out the other day and was replaced by a new one. I have cleaned out all remnants of fsx from my system, cleaned out all reg entries to the old drive and fsx, searched through the registry several times, there is nothing in there for fsx any longer.

When I go to install it keeps taking me to the repair or uninstall option, there is nothing to repair or uninstall. I have tried clicking on both, just tells it's only for installed game ???
I've been at it for a few hours now, for some reason it won't even install from my installed dvd drive and it's all working, it will only show from my external dual layer dvd drive.
I can't think what it's still seeing on my system or where to look, if anyone has any ideas I would appreciate it. All windows 7 running fine that drive is almost new.

Thanks

Hurricane91

January 10th, 2011, 14:18

Hello Seaking,
Which version are you trying to install? If you have the "Gold Edition", you may need to run disc 3 to remove the "Acceleration" expansion pack.

Seaking055

January 10th, 2011, 14:20

Hello Seaking,
Which version are you trying to install? If you have the "Gold Edition", you may need to run disc 3 to remove the "Acceleration" expansion pack.

AHa, I was just thinking about the addons that were on the now duff drive, I didn't know about running disc 3 though so thanks for that, I'll do that right now.
Just checked,no I have two copies of the deluxe edition so only 2 disks, I will though do a search in the registry now for accel.

Update, nothing in the registry for accel anywhere nor for the sim, there has to be a file someone buried deep that the install don't like I wonder.

ananda

January 11th, 2011, 00:49

I've been at it for a few hours now, for some reason it won't even install from my installed dvd drive and it's all working, it will only show from my external dual layer dvd drive.

Can you use explorer to browse the DVD? I had a problem with two of the W7 updates which caused a problem with explorer on the FSX DVDs, KB979309 and KB979309. I could browse the disk over the network with XP, but could not browse locally on W7. Uninstalling the updates cured the problem.

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7files/thread/c9be3050-061b-4664-9adb-df941d5d2d7f

Seaking055

January 11th, 2011, 03:16

Can you use explorer to browse the DVD? I had a problem with two of the W7 updates which caused a problem with explorer on the FSX DVDs, KB979309 and KB979309. I could browse the disk over the network with XP, but could not browse locally on W7. Uninstalling the updates cured the problem.

http://social.answers.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/w7files/thread/c9be3050-061b-4664-9adb-df941d5d2d7f

Yes I can browse the dvd no problem, this has just about got me stumped. I've read all I can, done all the tips from Microsoft, read through lots of forums, searched my entire system for flight simulator and nothing is there. Each time I try to install it always comes to repair and uninstall page, as there's no sim to do either I have no options. The only thing I haven't tried yet is copying all the files onto my hdd and try installing from there, dont' think that will work though. There's something somewhere on the system that won't let it install.
Tried clean boot, disabled antivirus, always the same thing.
If anyone has any other info I would appreciate it, I'll keep reading, surely I don't have to reformat the entire system just to load the sim ?

Z-AZ1USN

January 11th, 2011, 16:14

Yes I can browse the dvd no problem, this has just about got me stumped. I've read all I can, done all the tips from Microsoft, read through lots of forums, searched my entire system for flight simulator and nothing is there. Each time I try to install it always comes to repair and uninstall page, as there's no sim to do either I have no options. The only thing I haven't tried yet is copying all the files onto my hdd and try installing from there, dont' think that will work though. There's something somewhere on the system that won't let it install.
Tried clean boot, disabled antivirus, always the same thing.
If anyone has any other info I would appreciate it, I'll keep reading, surely I don't have to reformat the entire system just to load the sim ?

I don't know if my input will help...
I have FSX/Accel on WIN 7 64 bit OS.
When I have issues with FSX and want to repair it I have to unload
(remove) Accel which is on top of FSX. Then you can repair FSX. At least that was my recent experience. FSX will then ask if you want to keep any file associations, I recommend
Yes to that. I backed up FSX (image) to external HD but I would need the registry keys
from my C drive to make the restore complete (Not have to reinstall the addons). (My FSX is on a different sector).
:wavey:

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 01:02

I don't know if my input will help...
I have FSX/Accel on WIN 7 64 bit OS.
When I have issues with FSX and want to repair it I have to unload
(remove) Accel which is on top of FSX. Then you can repair FSX. At least that was my recent experience. FSX will then ask if you want to keep any file associations, I recommend
Yes to that. I backed up FSX (image) to external HD but I would need the registry keys
from my C drive to make the restore complete (Not have to reinstall the addons). (My FSX is on a different sector).
:wavey:

I'm on 7 32 bit, had accel installed as well, that also went with the defunct drive. I did try to have the files saved by a techy but he was unable to get anything. First thing I did on my system then was do a registry clean, of course there were thousands of entried to the damaged drive that I removed. I've searched the registry and my C drive for anything to do with Microsoft games, accel, fsx, flight simulator, there is nothing. Removed any entries to do with any addons I had as well.
I just can't figure out what the install is "seeing" that is telling it the sim is still installed.

dougal

January 12th, 2011, 03:04

i'd love to know what causes this, as it happend to me also.

i have win7 64bit.

I spent about a month trying to figure what causes it, but eventually had to admit defeat.

Yup, ended up having to reinstall windows!

JayKae

January 12th, 2011, 03:12

Try deleting C:\ProgramFiles\InstallShield Installation Information. Look at the appropriate date to pick the right folder.

Should hopefully get you going

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 04:48

Try deleting C:\ProgramFiles\InstallShield Installation Information. Look at the appropriate date to pick the right folder.

Should hopefully get you going

Found 3 folders with setups in them, sent all 3 to the bin, tried again, same thing, repair or uninstall.........thanks for the info anyway, learn something new every day

stiz

January 12th, 2011, 04:49

i've had this before one more than one accasion, stand by whilst i try to rember how i fixed it ... it was either the registry fix over at flightsim.com or an uninstall tool from MSs site.

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 04:55

i've had this before one more than one accasion, stand by whilst i try to rember how i fixed it ... it was either the registry fix over at flightsim.com or an uninstall tool from MSs site.

Thanks Stiz, I'm almost at the point of giving up after two days of scouring the internet, I bet it's some reg entry somewhere with a stupid name that you can't even find, or there's file somewhere buried deep in windows that again you can never find. I've used all the fsx utilitiy tools, the fsx reg fix tool, the windows installer tool, nothing has helped so far.

stiz

January 12th, 2011, 04:57

found it, search for fsxregut.zip (http://www.flightsim.com/kdl.php?fid=118731) over at flightsim.com, should set ya straight :)

EDIT - also if that fails, try useing this http://majorgeeks.com/Windows_Installer_CleanUp_Utility_d4459.html MS no longers supports it as it was found to remove some bits of the OS in some cases, but i never had any problems with it.

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 05:14

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 05:18

Ok On me way...........to FS, already tried the installed utility, fsx was not in the options to clean up.

LOL, just my luck, it's not there anymore, doing a google now on it. Looking at the version info I think I've already tried this one where it sets the exe path
up, same issue, when running the tool it can't find any entries to correct as they are all gone. You have to point to the fsx.exe, again I can't do that as it's
not installed.............ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hh.

Even put back a fsx.exe where it was installed, what this tool does is rewrite the 2 reg entries for the sim back to the registry. One of the forums I found on
this, a guy had contacted microsoft on this same issue, he pasted up the live chat, he was advised to remove those same entries before trying to reinstall again
and yep tried that too. Well for now I'll leave them there for now as I just don 't know what else to do at this point, I'm gonna see if there's anyone I know that knows some microsoft guru.

stiz

January 12th, 2011, 10:43

well i'm well an truely stumped ... may i recomend a hammer? :bump:

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 11:00

well i'm well an truely stumped ... may i recomend a hammer? :bump:

If I had hair there wouldn't be any left now as I would have pulled it out, formatting is on the horizon me thinks and I just know it's something small and stupid. Thanks for the help

JayKae

January 12th, 2011, 14:47

Did you try this ?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314481

This thread looks promising:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?179708-Fsx-Uninstall

Seaking055

January 12th, 2011, 17:42

Did you try this ?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314481

This thread looks promising:

http://forums.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?179708-Fsx-Uninstall

Thanks JK, went through the entire list of installed apps, nothing with fsx in there, there was a guy who stated go into the fsx dvd and install the sdk first, that went in with no issues at all and is still there. I can find nothing on my system since the bad drive went kaput on fsx, just nothing relating to the prog. Man what a PITA..............

JayKae

January 13th, 2011, 11:29

Seaking055

January 13th, 2011, 14:16

Ok, this might help you:

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/65997-having-problems-reinstalling-fsx/page__view__findpost__p__468784

(He did not reply after that anymore so one assumes that he fixed his issue)

Thanks for that JK, yes tried that as well, for me there was no fsx folders at all as I had already removed them and the rest were on the now crapped out hdd. Did go ahead and remove those reg entries, rebooted and just got the same thing again.
I'm slowly getting to the point of saying "sod it" and just format my C drive with 64 bit 7 then reinstalling everything from scratch, still searching for any other answer for another day or so. Tried every utility out there to no avail, as I said before I just don't know what file or "something" it's seeing to think there is a sim installed.

Seaking055

January 14th, 2011, 04:44

CRACKED IT !!!!!!!!!

I had read about the installshield installation folder, I was in there two days ago and removed 3 files leaving two. In the remaining two folders
were set up files but seemed nothing to do with FSX. Reading an old newsgroup this morning someone actually posted the name of the file
which is FSX, in case anyone comes across this issue, remove this folder 9527A496-5DF9-412A-ADC7-168BA5379CA

I'm happy to see I'm now installing FSX, luckily I had my fsx.cfg file and many others backed up. Thanks for all the help and input.