Uninstalled FSX, ooops. wt heck did I do?

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I was running out of room on my C drive with all the addons, and FSX was getting rather pokey so I decided to reorganize my drives and reinstall a shaved down version with less used addons uninstalled.

FSX and AirHauler were on C with the system, so I figured that might be bogging things down running out of room there. (I was down to 55Gigs remaining on a 256Gig SSD, which fluxuated depending on how many screenshots were piling up in the Pictures folder.

My plan is to put FSX and addon aircraft onto D: (256Gig SSD).

I plan to put Rex Direct, and FTX/ORBx Sceneries onto the E: drive (500Gig normal drive)...I can do that right?

 

 

So...I screwed up. I had EVERYTHING uninstalled except FSX...not sure why...I uninstalled Acceleration and forgot that it left FSX on the drive.

Anyhow I had backups of the aircraft folders saved on my external drive, and I deleted the FSX folder before reinstalling stuff to the new location...when It informed me that FSX was still installed...but I already deleted the folders, thus the control panel cant uninstall it.

 

I attempted a system restore, back a few days...but it didn't actually replace the entire folder contents, addons still had files missing, but they were back on the Programs List in Control Panel.

I tried to again uninstall as much as I could, but...the JF addons wont uninstall now, and FSX wont uninstall.

 

Am I completely screwed?

 

[mutley 4,498]

Hi Matt,

Can't help tonight (UK time) but happy to chip in tomorrow. my first thoughts are, if you have back ups of program's you cannot download again, wipe the disks and reinstall the OS and flight sim again.

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I'm sure I can survive a day or two with flying...I know I'm working with a time zone difference with many Mutley members...no worries.

 

I have backups and downloads/discs for everything on an external drive, or on discs, except the OS. I don't think my computer came with a recovery disc, but there might be something buried on the original 500Gig hard drive (now the E:drive)...but I'm not sure how to dig that stuff out if it is in there.

 

I am happy to wipe the C:drive if anyone knows how to do it without removing the OS.

Maybe I should buy a copy of Windows 7 and get rid of the Windows8? Would there be any benefit in going that route?

 

Open to suggestions.

 

[mutley 4,498]

Hmmm.. Windoze 8, I don't think at the moment anyone would recommend that if you had a choice for use with flight sim, on my new build last year I chose W7 over W8 and would do so today.

If you want to get the best out of FSX, get an up to date copy of W7, in the long run it will pay you back in spades.

[MyPC8MyBrain 273]

your fine Matt; don’t stress over this

you can manually delete fsx folder

than run ccleaner to clean up the registry and leftover files

or try to put your fsx cd back in your drive and run repair/reinstall; than uninstall it cleanly

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Thanks to the Hangar Crew's Chris Bell, Bill Gate's clever minions, and a PC's ability to survive Ham Fisted Knuckle Heads like your's truly...I seem to be back up and re-installing.

 

Between CCcleaner getting rid of some pesky entries, then still not being able to install/repair/or uninstall FSX, then reverting a previous system restore, then CCcleaner again to uninstall a few things that cooperated via CCclean...got me back to a point that I could repair my original FSX in C drive with the original FSX discs:, Open it up, take a brief R22 flight (really just cuz I was recovering from "no FS" panic and needed a flight fix...). Then I was able to use the Installer from the FSX original (not the Acceleration) discs to uninstall FSX properly...phew.

 

I have reinstalled it up to FSX Acceleration so far into D:...going slow this time, (resetting all my yoke buttons on the first test flight before proceeding any further) opening FSX after each addon, test flight.

I think Ill reboot after each "Rex/Scenery/type thing" and after every 2 or 3 aircraft...sticking to same manufacturer till they are all in before proceeding to the next.

 

Thanks Chris....the Don't Panic helped alot.

 

Slowly now on the right  flight path to progress.

 

Cheers.

Matt.

[MyPC8MyBrain 273]

very happy to hear that Matt

sounds like you’re on your back to flying in no time

well done is well deserve to you as well for prevailing on your own there

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

You gave me enough breadcrumbs for me to cut my way through the woods.

 

One nice benefit of the ordeal...I discovered a Maule stock plane that I never noticed before. I wasn't int the Acceleration update I installed some time ago...so perhaps from the newer FSX discs?...regardless...new to me and DAyUm it flies sweet. I used it for the "test flight" after installing Rex Direct...played around a bit with a 24knot crosswind takeoff and landing before the next install and reboot...wooot.

[stu7708 244]

Good that it looks like you're on track with your re-installation.

 

The one thing about your plan that looks like it may present a problem to me is the planned location of your FTX/ORBX stuff..

 

I don't recall being able to pick a location for those in their installers. I think they will automatically install to your FSX folder, so fingers crossed you have enough room on that D: drive for the ORBX stuff too...

[MyPC8MyBrain 273]

Mikael; i believe you’re right

they can still be placed elsewhere regardless

read on how to here

http://forum.avsim.net/tutorials/article/83-movingallocating-individual-folders-from-within-fsx/

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

I decided to not risk increased load times by putting the ORBx on the Normal Disc drive so I installed it in D: next to FSX...so D: is pretty much a dedicated FSX drive for the program, aircraft, and ORBx sceneries, and after most of the addons have been installed ( I have about 20 planes to go) I still have 169Gigs left in there. IF I reinstall some MSE stuff (might put Hawaii back till ORBx covers those pacific upwellings) they will go onto the E:/Disc drive...not optimal...an SSD would be better, but I don't have one to spare now. Besides one spends so little time over land in Hawaii relatively speaking...so it should be less of a concern than elsewhere on the globe.

[stu7708 244]

Chris..

 

Ah, yes.. that dynamic linking thingy.... I've never mustered enough courage to give that a try. I assume it can be a good path towards disaster if it's not done in the right way 

[MyPC8MyBrain 273]

not really Mikael

it’s a function that’s been used in FS (File Systems) for many years

remember XP desktop came with, My Computer, My Documents... right on your desktop

those weren’t really folders positioned at your desktop; these are dynamic links pointing to the folder location

they are used everywhere and don’t really pose any issue when done right

it’s done from the GUI, you will have a context menu entry for the option when you right click any folder

it’s very easy and simple to implement; if you’re not sure how or what it does

don’t commit the first folder to FSX, make a little trial until your comfy with it

if you did it wrong while testing; delete and recreate

don’t be scared to try it out

executing dynamic linking is not a tweak or a hack; it is the way the file system was designed

the function is simply hidden so you don’t hurt yourself; if you not sure what you’re doing

just like many other features they keep hidden for your own safety

[Captain Coffee 2,030]

Ya...that stuff is way outside my paygrade

 

And after only a day and a half, I am back up and fully running. I still have settings to retweak as I am not getting good framerates while RexTextures are filling the sky with clouds.

Airhauler has been purged of all the addons I'm not using anymore and ofc I sold off any fleet inventory needing deleting prior.

 

A few pics of a few of my favorite planes while taking short test flights...and a few from a Hawaiian multi-leg Airhaul to make sure that was all working well...phew...back In Business.

 

 

While dealing with the uninstall/re-install between disc/installer changes I was watching Wild Alaska to get my flying Jones satisfied. But it just irritated it instead, like an itch I couldn't scratch. So as soon as I got FSX and Acceleration installed the very first test flight was a 24 kt crosswind...prescenery installations... on a stock Pope Valley strip below my Angwin Home base. This is in the New to me Maule M7-260C that apparently is included with the new FSX discs I used this time for the install. What a sweet farking plane. Like a very roomy Uber Cub:

 

 

A quick dash down the coast in the Skymaster (after the first batch of Carenados were installed) to see if RexDirect and Orbx NCA/Orbx  libraries installed ok.

 

Then half a day of aircraft installing.

After the Carenados...Viratavia stuff went in

Hu-16 Albatros

Also from Virtavia: GeeBee racer, XB-70 Valkyrie, Chinook, Ka-26 Helix, AS365 Dauphin, C7 Caribou ( I have more of their copters..but they overlap cargo/speed wise so much I didn't reinstall a lot of them)

 

Aerosoft Beaver...must have some Beaver in my hangar.

 

Twotter of course stays in my hangar, here in company with other Hawaii fleet members BN-2 Islander and Carenado's PA-46T Malibu Turboprop.

 

Carenado's Malibu Turboprop, a high flying mile killer making sure Airhauler is working on a 3 leg 250 mile total trip this evening.

 

No screens for

Alabeo,

Staggerwing, and Robinson R66 helicopter

 

Nemeth designs:

EC-135

 

Flysimware,

Bell-47, Ercoupe 415C

 

ORBx:

Lancair

 

IRIS

BD-5 G and BD-5J, T6-A Texan

 

Just Flight's Medium to heavy airliners including:

DC3,6 and 10...CS130, Boeing 757, 747, 767. Airbus A319 and A321, BAE 146-300QT, MD-81

 

The only Flight Sim Developers addon I put back in was their p-38J...

 

Then a batch of favorite Freewares:

Just a couple I hopped into first to bomb around San Francisco area:

Hughes XB-11...such a fast fun plane with horrible brakes.

 

Heinkel He51. A very sweet and rugged feeling biplane...surprisingly easy to see around/over the dash on take offs.

Also added to the new hangar

 

Alpha t-28 Trojan

Enstrom 280 helicopter

CLS Piper 180rt Arrow

Beech D-18

Lockheed L-188 Electra

Nardi Fn-333 Riviera

Zenith STOL 701

FSDS2 DH Chipmunk (Rick Piper)

Ryan Navion 200d

Shorts S360 Cargo

Classic Wings Sopwith F.1 Camel

UKMIL C-17

 

and last and quite possibly least

Waterman Aerobile....my favorite flying shed

 

Happy to be back up slogging cargos around.

 

My job is done here.

 

[Corsaire31 419]

Nice fleet there ! Glad you're back to haulin' ...