Need advise on installing aircraft.

[XLR8]

I usually just install the addon aircraft with the installers that come with the addon . This installs a ton of programs all over the hard drive . This really would not be a problem, but this time after installing a addon (won't say which one) it got tangled up with other addon programs, and after it was all said and done FSX was a wreck . So I tried to fix FSX and in the process another addon (won't say which one) made a mess of windows . So I reinstalled a fresh OS . This makes the second time in a year .

So this is my question . How do some of you go about other ways of installing these addons with self installers .

[Daube]

It's really hard for any program to "make a mess of Windows". Usually, and unless the hardrive gets physically damaged, a simple system restore is enough to get the OS back on the rails.

For FSX, the rule is extremely simple and is the same for everybody: unless the addon comes from a very serious payware addon maker, do not, DO NEVER install anything automatically directly in FSX. Always point it to a dummy temporary folder, then move the files manually to the correct places.

The only addons that I allowed to install automatically were the A2A planes, the VRS Hornet, and the OrbX sceneries if I remember correctly, because they all rely on complex external programs and "moving" their files could end in catastrophic results. All the freeware addons that have auto-installers are installed into a dummy folder, then moved to the correct folders by hand.

[Meshman]

Always point it to a dummy temporary folder, then move the files manually to the correct places.


I'll do much the same as this advice, but I tend to copy the files to their new locations. Then I go back and run the uninstaller for the add on, if there is one? This serves to tidy up the Windows menu and Control Panel's Uninstall, which would otherwise have an uninstall entry sitting there with nothing to uninstall, because the files have been moved.

Hope that makes sense?

[XLR8]

Thank yo for the help . I have tried to install some of the addons (with installer) to a file on desktop as specified, them manually moving them to FSX . Afterwords I change the name on the addon aircraft so the installer don't remove it . But some of these addons like the aerosoft F-16, flight developers P-38 YF-23, sky crane to name a couple . But after uninstalling I have missing files (texture, gauges etc ) and some time aircraft just wont work . What do I do in these cases .