FS9 back-up on external disk

[airtj]

Just wondering if I back up my entire FS9 to external hard drive, do I need to worry about the registry files that are associated with my add-ons? And is their a special way to copy the back up to the hard drive if my original fs9 goes belly up.

thanks

[Milton Shupe]

Two methods will work with what you have now:

1) Click Start, type regedit in the run window, press Enter; then select Export and save to your external drive. Do this when you make your FS backup; or

2) Use the Windows Backup utility (under System Tools, or Start/Run/ntbackup) then select System State backup. Browse to your external drive to save it. YOu can restore the system state backup selectively by file or just the registry.

[beana51]

Great question!!...I have tried some ways...not to successful, I do have two hard drive now,yet if the computer gets hit by lightning?..well think it would cook all.

What I do is use the externial Hard drive called "MAXTOR ONE TOUCH4".. ( Does Lock box Ring a bell?)on occasion I used it to recpover files .Planes Scenery Ect Ect...can be set up to up date weekly for new additions..I do not think however, it keeps it in in a ready to fly condituion..But with freash install,of FS9,you can transfer and Yes have your Sim back..Now this works for me, I'm just experimenting for my self I'm sure there are better and more effictive ways to do this.The Lads out there will enlighten us..Should we both find out it would be great......Thanks again..Vin

[OBIO]

I really don't have much payware stuff...and most of what I have does not have registry entries...thank you TopFlightSimulations for keeping things simple!

The way I back up my sim installs. Once a week or so (depending on how much work I have done on planes and how much new stuff I have added), I select the entire install folder and copy it to my external HD. I do this for each of my three installs. I also make a back up copy of the hidden config files associated with each install and my saved flights.

OBIO

[Sunny9850]

Or you can simply back up the whole kit and caboodle with a dedicated utility. If things do go belly up it's a almost painless process to restore everything to day-x.

I use this one both personally and at work because it can run from within Windows unlike some other ones and is very easy to use.

http://www.drivesnapshot.de/en/

In case of a HD crash I use a disk manufacturers utility to prepare the drive and then simply run Snapshot .... takes about 15-20 minutes to restore a 2.4G installation. Of course the large it is the longer it takes....but since it runs completely autonomous you can start the process go to sleep and even the largest restore is finished by the time you make coffee
:ernae:
Stefan

[Dangerousdave26]

Stefan and Milton

Those are good ideas but they work only if you are restoring to the same hardware with the same other software installed.

If you intend to save FS to an external drive to move it to a new pc in the event of a total failure and complete system rebuild with all new hardware you need to do it more piece meal.

Back up the FS9 folder (copy to the external drive)
Back up the Applications data folder for FS9

In XP C:\Documents and Settings\{your user name}\Application Data\Microsoft\FS9
In W7/Vista C:\users\{your user name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FS9
The two basic registry locations you will want to export are

Key Name: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator\9.0

Key Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator\9.0Key Name: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator\9.0

If you don't know how to work in the registry read up on it before you go into it. A simple mistake here in the wrong place can render your PC unbootable.

This will not work for some of the more technical payware that needs to see its registry entries to work. Those you will need to do a reinstall on.

Remember when if you back up these registry locations when you restore them on the new PC you must make sure that the FS folder is in the same path or some of the registry entries will be broken.