Installing the SWS F-4B Phantom will over-write your dll.xml

[GypsyBaron]

As the title says, when you install the free SWS F-4B Phantom your dll.xml file will be over-written. Users of FSUIPC4/5 will lose their drop-down menu.

My FSX dll.xml also had a slew of OrbX entries. Fortunately I had a recent copy of my dll.xml and
was able to restore the lost functionality.

P3DV4 users may also have their dll.xml file over-written as well. I didn't install the P3Dv$
version of the aircraft so can't say for sure. Back it up in any case

Paul

[stovall]

Appreciate the heads up. Off to make a copy of my dll.xml if it isn't already there.

[stearmandriver]

This exact thing happened to me, and yes I luckily had a copy of the file as well. The freeware gesture is extremely nice, but I'd still be really annoyed right now if I hadn't had that back up! I've always felt that any installer that is going to touch your xml.dll should make a backup of it first. Some devs' products do that... and some don't.

[stretch1365]

Hi,

Yes I had exactly this happen yesterday, wasn't sure at the time if it was a mistake of mine, as I installed some scenery at the same time and didn't do each seperately, like I know you should. I found a backup dll file, but it was in a notepad text document. After spending a whole day trying to change this file to an xml file, I found out about Notepad++ invaluable as a program to enable this and the very helpfull assistance of my wife who fixed it in minutes. Thank you Tracey.

So all is well again now, but yes, be warned. It is a great aircraft once installed, but a risky pain to install.

[gray eagle]

I installed it in P3D V3.4 and so far, no drop down menu issues. Where is your dll.xml file located? I'm guessing in the root of you sim or in your users folder.

I have one of these in C:\users\xxx\Lockheed Martin folder and also in root of my P3D folder.

[MrZippy]

I installed it in P3D V3.4 and so far, no drop down menu issues. Where is your dll.xml file located? I'm guessing in the root of you sim or in your users folder.

It's in the same spot as the FSX.cfg.

[falcon409]

It's in the same spot as the FSX.cfg.

I posted this as well in the release thread. I installed the F-4 and when I found out via another post that it overwrites that file I went and checked. . .it doesn't overwrite it, it makes a new one with the carrier info in it. . .the original is backed up automatically.

[gray eagle]

It's in the same spot as the FSX.cfg.

I realize this is for FSX but was curious to find this overwritten dll.xml, I found three locations in P3D V3 for the dll.xml file

Info I have learned for location of dll and exe config files:

The priority for how add-on library (DLL) and application (EXE) configuration files differs from content and is initialized as follows:


ProgramData: Configuration files named dll.xml or exe.xml found at: %PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
Roaming: Configuration files named dll.xml or exe.xml found at: %APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3
Local: Configuration files found at: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3

I don't know which one SWS uses or changes, or where they put the backup.

[lliaghll]

When I look in the FSX directory I have 13 different backups for dll.xml by A2A, Razbam, Flight1, several by Aerosoft, etc. Why is this a problem? I'm just curious, since it seems to happen so often.

[William Njurmi]

How did you solve the rest of the problem? Did you add manually the F-4B info to dll. xml after returning the functionality of earlier addons via backup? Can we have both?

[stretch1365]

Hi all,

Your dll files refered to here are located in "appdata/roaming/microsoft/fsx" if memory serves me correctly. When you install something new quite often the new install will create a backup of the existing file while at the same time merging the old file with the new product dll file. When you look through the folder you will see other dll files with names such as, for example "before airbus install" etc. I think the issue with the SWS F4 is that the files doesn't merge the two files mearly overwrites the old one.

Also I too can not find any manuals for this aircraft as none are provided in the package, that I can find, and like someone else said the website keeps coming up with "under construction" or gives you a reference for the real aircraft not the simulation.

That's a little disappointing too. For after getting into this mess I decided I wanted to uninstall the product and get FSX tidied up before maybe trying again one day but could find no way to uninstall the F4 either. Is it simply a case of deleting the files in "simobjects", which seems odd for a payware product.

Anyway I kept it as I got everything sorted, except the manuals.

[falcon409]

Hi all,

Your dll files refered to here are located in "appdata/roaming/microsoft/fsx" if memory serves me correctly. When you install something new quite often the new install will create a backup of the existing file while at the same time merging the old file with the new product dll file. When you look through the folder you will see other dll files with names such as, for example "before airbus install" etc. I think the issue with the SWS F4 is that the files doesn't merge the two files merely overwrites the old one.

I mentioned this in two places concerning the F4 and apparently no read it, or simply ignored it. The F-4 install does not "overwrite" the original dll.xml. . .it saves it as a backup and simply writes a new dll.xml with the Carrier information only. Now if the installer is supposed to merge the two together (which makes more sense) then that's where it fails, but again, it doesn't overwrite your original dll.xml file, it's there sandwiched in with all the others, just renamed.

[William Njurmi]

If you are referring to my question, my point was that what do you do after you have returned to status quo - when the backup is in its place. After this the F-4B remains naturally devoid of its functionality...

[stearmandriver]

The F-4 install does not "overwrite" the original dll.xml. . .it saves it as a backup and simply writes a new dll.xml with the Carrier information only. Now if the installer is supposed to merge the two together (which makes more sense) then that's where it fails, but again, it doesn't overwrite your original dll.xml file, it's there sandwiched in with all the others, just renamed.

No sir, not on my computer. You are correct that it creates a new dll.xml, but the old one is NOT there. No backup was created. The backup I had to restore from was a year old.

Obviously you're describing how it's supposed to work... but equally obviously it is not, for many of us.

[RKinkor]

Decided to check to see if mine got overwritten with no back up and I have a back up dated the same time that I installed it. I also have a FSX cfg back up made at the same time. Lucky I guess.

[falcon409]

No sir, not on my computer. You are correct that it creates a new dll.xml, but the old one is NOT there. No backup was created. The backup I had to restore from was a year old.

Obviously you're describing how it's supposed to work... but equally obviously it is not, for many of us.

That's odd, as you would expect that an installer would perform the exact same installation regardless of what computer it's being installed to. Others have mentioned that they indeed have a backup dated the same day as the installation.

[mercure]

Just to mention that I get the dll copy, exactly like Falcon said.
However not having any manual is rather disturbing, not sure it will stay for long on my rig.

[Priller]

That's odd, as you would expect that an installer would perform the exact same installation regardless of what computer it's being installed to. Others have mentioned that they indeed have a backup dated the same day as the installation.

It all depends on running the installer as an administrator. You don't just double click on it.

Priller

[gribouil]

Hello,
I have tried to get the SWS Phantom from Simmarket but without any success...
The process went fine on their website (received the email order) but I can't find any download link... Has anybody already encountered this problem?
Cheers,

Stéph.

[MrZippy]

Once you get the email, you then go to the Simmarket site, log into your account, and choose "Your Downloads".

[awstub]

Alex (SIR_RIPPER) is unable to respond to the forum today, so I am relaying the following message for him.

Alex is asking for everyone having an issue with the Phantom ....or any other SWS product.... to please go to the SWS Support page. He also asks that if you don't see information regarding your specific issue(s) then to please click on "Contact Support" and give a detailed description of what you are experiencing.

[stearmandriver]

I mentioned this in two places concerning the F4 and apparently no read it, or simply ignored it. The F-4 install does not "overwrite" the original dll.xml. . .it saves it as a backup and simply writes a new dll.xml with the Carrier information only. Now if the installer is supposed to merge the two together (which makes more sense) then that's where it fails, but again, it doesn't overwrite your original dll.xml file, it's there sandwiched in with all the others, just renamed.

It all depends on running the installer as an administrator. You don't just double click on it.

Priller

Installed as admin here, with AV off. Dll.xml overwritten with no backup created. Win 7 x64, FSX-A here, if that's relevant.

Not meaning to disparage SWS, the freebie was very nice and looks to be of good quality. Just want to caution others to be careful, there seems to be an install bug for at least a few of us.

This certainly isn't the first time I've seen this happen, and you'd think I'd know to make my own dll.xml backup before installing a complex add on. I tell myself I will, "next time"... and then I drift away from simming for a bit, come back and forget. 😆

[SiR_RiPPER]

Hello gents,

First of all, I'd like to direct you to our Support page for any questions you might have, as it is impossible to monitor all the different communities. While some users are knowledgeable enough to help, it is likely that they don't know the add-on as well as the developer does, resulting in breaking something else that could show up later.

Regarding overwriting dll.xml, I will write a long-winded explanation here as this is an issue that deserves some analysis. *sips coffee*

The facts:
1) P3Dv4 users report dll.xml not being updated
2) Some users report dll.xml being overwritten without a backup
3) Other users report having a backup and a dll.xml that has been correctly updated

Regarding #1: In P3Dv4 we're using the new add-on installation method provided by LM. That methodology does not require us to update dll.xml, so we don't and the add-ons work.

Regading #2/3:
Both facts are true. The reason is technical.

As it comes from a clean installation, dll.xml is encoded in Windows-1252 and that is true for FSX through P3Dv3. This can be seen by opening it with Notepad++ and looking at its header (underlined in 1st pic) and its encoding (2nd pic).




Encoding is important because that's the "language" the file is written in. While our brains can understand the difference between the latin alphabet, chinese and hieroglyphics, the computer needs to be told what it's reading.

When the installer does see a correctly encoded file, our installer will back it up, then append the required stuff to do our job.

Therefore, if a user has manually edited the file, it is likely that the editor changed the encoding to UTF-8. Similarly, many installers will edit dll.xml while changing its encoding to UTF-8, because that's what they understand.

Our installer expects the file to be encoded in what MS provided, Windows-1252. If it sees anything else, it will not be able to understand it, as it can only "speak" Windows-1252 and as far as the parser is concerned, that file is empty. Therefore, it will generate a correctly encoded dll.xml and overwrite whatever is "corrupt" in there.


Seemingly innocent, daily operations that users perform are breaking core files of the simulator, as the users weren't expected to tinker with these files, alas!

A worse case of such an operation, encountered often in our tech support, is when users manually edit their add-ons.cfg file in Prepar3Dv3/v4. This also results in a change of encoding that will cause P3D to be unable to update the file when an add-on is detected, because it cannot understand its own cfg file. The method to update this file is prescribed in the SDK and it is stressed that these files should never be manually edited, something that users don't know -and even some developers.

To cut a very long story short: while FSX and P3D are capable of "reading" both UTF-8 and Windows-1252 while working, they cannot "write" into them unless the encoding is what they expect. Installers and editors, however, have specific preferences and making an installer that will be able to cover all potential outcomes of a developer's or user's intervention is impossible. Our installer goes "by the manufacturer's standard" and while we are still looking into this matter, truth is that there is no fail-proof method that we know of to make this work.

[William Njurmi]

Thank you for clarification but it does not help a lot. Could you rather give us the required lines so we can add them manually to the dll. xml in order to use this generous gift. I must add though that luckily this was a gift otherwise you would have had a customer support nightmare in your hands.

[Txmmy83]

Thank you for clarification but it does not help a lot. Could you rather give us the required lines so we can add them manually to the dll. xml in order to use this generous gift. I must add though that luckily this was a gift otherwise you would have had a customer support nightmare in your hands.

<Launch.Addon>
<Name>CarrierExtensions</Name>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>Modules\CarrierExtensions.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>
<Launch.Addon>
<Name>SWS_ShipPlacer</Name>
<Disabled>False</Disabled>
<ManualLoad>False</ManualLoad>
<Path>Modules\SWS_ShipPlacer.dll</Path>
</Launch.Addon>