Install CFS2 - for the last time & put your disks away.

[Dirtman]

G'day All;

After reading about Rami's missing CFS2 disks recently, I'd like to share with yous an easier & faster way to create new CFS2 installs, without the disks, in a fraction of the time.
I'm sure many of you do this already; but if "Prince Rami of MB" doesn't do it; then it's time to start!

I have been doing it this way for 10+ years:

Simple & easy:
1) install a fresh copy of CFS2 using the disks - do not open the sim, just complete the installation.
2) replace the cfs2.exe with the .... um ... "special" one. Allow it to overwrite the original.
3) rename the new folder: "CFS2_basic"
4) MOVE the complete new CFS2 folder to an external harddrive where you keep your backups.
optional:
5) rent a "Safety Deposit" box at your local bank & put your CFS2 disks in it!

Now the next time you wish to create a new theatre sim ... simply copy that complete folder to where ever you wish, rename it & you're ready to build.
Find a need to look at the stock CFS2 files? Just look in that folder!

Simple & easy, right?

Have you now "seen the light" Mr. Talbot???

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Thank you and welcome back Dirtman!

[stuart277]

Hi Dirtman,

Thank you for the tip.

I was interested in the reasoning behind 'do not open the sim.'

I have always checked the 'new install' to make sure it worked.

Cheers,

Stuart

[Dirtman]

I was interested in the reasoning behind 'do not open the sim'
I have always checked the 'new install' to make sure it worked.

G'day Mate;

Good question Stu!

When the sim is 1st initialized, it immediately generates a number of "operational" files.
I find this just makes the "CFS2_basic" larger than it needs to be.
- uses more h/d space
- more files to defrag
- more files for your A/V to scan

"Make sure it works" is an excellent reason to open the sim; although I've loaded CFS2 a "bra-zillion" times without any problems; so I guess it's just a personal preference/CFS2 experience thing.

I started doing this type of install a long time ago. I have about 22 installs of various theatres for various uses:
WW1 string-bags
WW2 Pacific x4
WW2 Europe x3
WW2 Eastern Front x2
WW2 Med
WW2 CBI
Korea x2
Vietnam x3
Naval x2 (drive-able ship to ship only)
On Land (drive-able land vehicles only - tank, Hummer, jeep)
Multiplayer only (for flying with my Bro's) YES .. Multiplayer still works!
Test Sim - where all new components are tested.

So you can see my method of installation has saved me countless hours.

Wanna go farther down the rabbit-hole?

As installed from disk - not initialized =
842MB
777 Folders
4731 Files

As installed from disk - initialized, special .exe installed, Opening movie removed =
822MB
778 Folders
4771 Files

Now if I'm going to build a non WW2 sim, like Korea or Vietnam; there is a ton of WW2 stuff that can be removed:
Opening movie & orig. segment videos
All "training" missions & training URIES screens (I remove these on ALL installs)
All orig. mission & campaign files (I remove these on ALL installs)
All orig. a/c (I remove these on MOST installs)
All orig.ships
All orig. in mission radio "voice" clips (I remove these on ALL installs)
All Multiplayer URIES and support files (I remove these on ALL installs)

After all this is removed the sim becomes MUCH smaller:
584MB
278 Folders
3931 Files

In 2006 I burned this to a CD & copied it back to the h/d each time I needed, but now I have over 11 TB of external h/d space so I store it there now with all my sim & data backups.

For comparison: My "Pacific: Carrier War USN" install =
2.18 GB
1104 folders
10,579 files

At present I'm building "The Vietnam Air War Project". It's not nearly complete yet, but here are the current stats:
1.55 GB
291 folders
7556 files

.... My name is Dirtman .... I am a CFS2 addict ....

[No Dice]

Great stuff Dirt,

And after the last two weeks that I just went through having to reload everything, I might just add " place the entire working CFS2 installation into a zip file every Friday, so when one gets buggered up, you only have to replace a weeks worth of work and not the entire project "

[Dirtman]

Great stuff Dirt,

And after the last two weeks that I just went through having to reload everything, I might just add " *** place the entire working CFS2 installation into a zip file every Friday, so when one gets buggered up, you only have to replace a weeks worth of work and not the entire project "

*** year/month/day would be better & more accurate


Amen Brother ... Bin there - dun that .... almost as much fun as getting a colonoscopy from yer ex wife or a Dr. with "hooks for hands" eh?

Dunno about the "zip"thing ... prolly gonna take an hour or two just to zip it (2+ GB?) ... why not just put a weekly copy on an external h/d?
I highly recommend Western Digital ... rock solid hardware ... have never had one fail in 12+ years ... I have 4 dead Seagates, a couple toasted Hitachi's & a mangled Maxtor (I dropped it .. oops!)
I prefer WD "My Book" (3.5") USB 3.0 ... will work on USB 2.0 .. just slower.
Also many external h/d's come with "auto backup" software, should you wish to use it.

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Yessir! I have a WD 2tb hard drive and do my backups every 2 weeks (once a week when I was working on my USS Essex campaign). It has come in handy a few times. I still run my game off my computer though.

[p14u2nv]

Thank you for the initial installation info Dirtman. I'm glad you have returned as I have have learned a great deal from you over many years of your informational posts just like this one. Welcome back

[Rami]

Good morning,

Hey Dirt...mea culpa on the CFS2 discs...but now I have a virgin install of CFS2 on my backup drive for testing as well as another compressed copy as a backup to that.

I currently have eight installs of CFS2 on my desktop and laptop, as well as a full backup for my laptop installs on one backup drive, and one for my desktop installs on another. (They are always both just a little different, so this prevents me from accidentally wiping something out I am working on at the time)

I back up both versions on a bi-weekly basis offset by one week, so each weekend, either my desktop or laptop version is being backed up.

The installs are...

Asia 9,964 files/767 folders/1.78 GB
Eastern Front 11,934 files/1,003 folders/2.27 GB
ETO Early 11,634 files/1,178 folders/2.24 GB
ETO Late 12,867 files/1,093 folders/2.42 GB
Francophone 10,576 files/1,072 folders/2.17 GB
MTO Early 11,179 files/1,116 folders/2.07 GB
MTO Lare 10,372 files/1,076 folders/1.96 GB
Pacific 14,378 files/1,196 folders/2.64 GB

I also have a central folder so that I don't have to have the same files in every install, and this cuts down CFS2's overall footprint...

CFS2 Engines 3,249 files/97 folders/747 MB
CFS2 Models 306 files/297 folders/437 MB
CFS2 Scenery 11,378 files/157 folders/4.33 GB

[fani]

Sorry , Dirtman .
Could you give me the ardress of : the .... um ... "special" one file ???

Thanks in advance .

[Shadow Wolf 07]

Sorry , Dirtman .
Could you give me the ardress of : the .... um ... "special" one file ???

Thanks in advance .

Send me a PM with your email address and I'll send it to you.