Windows 7 to Windows 10 migration

[delta_lima]

Hi all,

I've held out for a while, but I think I need to take the plunge on W10. I didn't have my ID and keys - but I used some software to get these.

My questions are around Windows 10 around "how to" - Am curious if

1) a fresh install to W10 will make the sim run smoother
2) there's a way to "copy" the P3D install, esp WRT to all the xmls and cfgs floating about in various app data folders
3) if there's any other general guidelines for this transition you'd recommend.

There's a couple of threads on Avsim, but I don't know if there's more recent issues that I should be aware of.

Many thanks in advance.

dl

[Brytskiva]

Hi , i think it´s better / safest to uninstall P3D from "Control-Panel /installed programs" but not deactivate , then install Windows 10 run it for a while , and then install P3D again from Prepar3D.

~ more here
https://prepar3d.com/forum/viewforum...420dcc3b327269 48d55ae

[expat]

Don't do it DL !!!

[RobM]

Apparently it is possible to run P3Dv5 in Windows 7, or at least one person on AVSim reported they've been able to do it:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/5...omment-4211949

Apparently there's a sub-folder in the P3Dv5 root folder called "D3D12onWin7". Or at least there was with P3Dv5's initial release.
I don't have V5 yet (it still seems in too much of a beta state for me), so I don't know if this sub-folder was still kept with the v5 hf1
update.

However, as noted by someone else in the above thread, LM is quite clear: there will be no support whatsoever for P3Dv5 in Windows 7.
Period.

-RobM

[delta_lima]

Hi all,

Thanks for the feedback. As to whether to or not, I'm finding numerous other (non FS) issues breaking from lack of support, so I think I've held out for as long as I can.

I should point out that at present, I'm running 4.5, but may upgrade to 5, so I post here in the hopes of not only getting help for my own situation, but also maybe help others.

So the LM thread was good to explain removal vs deactivation, but my real question was around backups. Is it feasible to back up all the various addon xmls and configs? I confess that I've forgotten where they all were, so that if I were to remove/do a clean wipe I could reload them?

In my case, I have everything other than the core install itself) living in My Documents/Prepar3D V4 Addons/, so that's an obvious backup item. But I'm looking for some clarity about which of the items in the various ProgramData folders should also be be backed up.

thanks,

dl

[RobM]

I'm in the same position, still kicking around on Windows 7, partly laziness (I dread having to re-install everything), and partly
because I really like Windows 7. But time moves on. So I've been recently looking at my options:

(1) Complete install of Win 10 over Win 7, and then re-install everything. If I do this, I would clone my C drive first.

(2) Microsoft free update to Windows 10. This is still available from MS. There's lots of tutorials. The clearest one (for me) I've found so far:

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/new...ree-heres-how/

This would keep my existing apps and installs on my C drive after updating, and has the advantage of being free. However, if any of these
apps or installs aren't happy with the upgrade, they could cause major instabilities with my Win 10 install until I could identify and uninstall
them. Again, I would clone my C drive before doing.

(3) Dual boot Win 7 and Win 10 on the same pc. Lots of tutorials available. The clearest one (for me) I've found so far:

https://www.howtogeek.com/214477/how...ns-of-windows/

This requires sufficient unallocated space on an existing drive or else a new physical drive be added. The reason I favour this set-up is
because it would allow me to continue to use Win 7 for usual day to day business while transferring items over to Win 10 at my own
speed. Eventually I would be able to wipe Win 7 off it's drive, re-use the drive for something else, and go solely with Win 10.

(4) Do nothing: just sit on Windows 7 until I get a new pc at some point in the near future. In the meantime, maybe buy a copy of P3Dv5
and see if or how it works in Windows 7. If it doesn't, that's fine, I would just leave it in my LM account until ready. I'm actually tempted to
try this just to see what happens. However, P3Dv5 seems in such a beta state at the present time, I don't know if it's worth the effort.

At any rate, these are the upgrade options I'm kicking around. Because I am planning to replace my pc at some point in the near future,
if I purchase Windows 10 for my current pc, I would consider spending the extra money for a non-OEM copy, so I could transfer the OS
from the old pc to the new one when available.

Sorry, I don't know if these ramblings are of any help.

-RobM