SP1 & SP2 question

[Tim Totten 0]

Hi, I'm a 64 year old noob to FSX. I bought it about two years ago and have been simming ever since. I just realized that I don't have SP1 & SP2 installed. Problem. I have installed aircraft from Premier Aircraft Design. My DVD stopped working about two months ago. From what I've read I need to do a clean install of both service packs. I have my original program in the box but with no DVD player I can't reinstall. I did, however, backup all my programs (FSX without add-ons) to an external HD. Can I just copy and paste FSX from the external HD to my computer after I un-install it from computer? Then install SP1 & SP2 and reinstall my add on aircraft? Has anyone had to do this? I want to bring FSX up to date because I use it every day. It's the only enjoyment I have right now. By the way, this site is awesome! Thanks in advance.

Tim

[hurricanemk1c 195]

Hi Tim and welcome to the forums!

I'd say that copying and pasting the files from your external HD would work, however I'm not completely sure.

Thanks!

Kieran

[allardjd 1,853]

Usually copying works for data (and would work for most of the aircraft) but it's normally not recommended for programs. The problem is that the registry does not get properly updated when copying back in, or so I've heard.

 

With respect to FSX, as I understand it, if you get Acceleration (MS payware upgrade to FSX) SP2 is contained in that. Without that, I think you need to install both SP1 and SP2 separately. I don't think SP2 is cumulative.

 

I have FSX but don't use it much, being mainly an FS9 guy, so am no expert.

 

John

[stu7708 244]

Hi Tim.

I really don't think you need to do a clean install in order to apply SP1 and SP2 for FSX.

Can't see why applying a service pack should change anything related to you addon aircraft.

Not 100% sure though. Could you give some more specifics on where you found that the service packs should be applied to a clean install??

And regarding your question on the backup. Like John said you will lose important information from the Windows registry, such as the location of your FSX installation path. So most likely the installation of the service pack would fail if you take that route.

[ddavid 149]

Hi Tim

Here's my 10 cents:

1. Buy a CD/DVD drive, uninstall FSX, re-install FSX, install SP1 and then install SP2. Then re-install all your add-on scenery/aircraft. Or:

2. Install Sp1, then Sp2, onto your existing FSX set up.

Without the CD/DVD drive, I'm not sure that you can re-install FSX. Unless you made an exact copy of the installation files (.exe's etc) onto the HDD, you won't be able to re-install FSX. All you can do, I think, is copy in an old version of your FSX set up - the one that you saved to disk.

Maybe there are other options, but, for me, I'd shell out for a new CD/DVD drive - it's the least error prone approach to a clean set up - IMHO, anyway!

Cheers - Dai.

[allardjd 1,853]

If you have a home network (wireless or otherwise) connecting two or more PCs, you can map a drive on the wounded PC to the CD/DVD on another and install FSX by putting the disks in the good drive of the other PC. I did that to load FS9 on a netbook that has no CD/DVD drive and it worked fine. I installed the No-CD option for FS9 on the netbook so it doesn't need the CD to start and all's well.

 

In my case, the netbook saw the D: drive of the desktop machine as its Z:. It was a piece of cake.

 

John

[Tim Totten 0]

Thanks people, I've received a lot of good information and have a lot of work to do.

Tim

[SEATAC 400]

Follow the installation advice here: http://forum.mutleyshangar.com/index.php/topic/6214-os-upgrade-and-fsx-question/page__p__46492__fromsearch__1#entry46492