Uninstall & Reinstall Advice Needed.

[Opa 6]

I am considering uninstalling FS2004 and doing a clean reinstall.I have heard there may some issues with trying reinstall the update to Ver. 9.1 if it was not uninstalled prior to uninstalling the base FS2004 stuff.Has anyone had experience with this and can offer some insight?I do not want to end up with not being able to install the update.Any thoughts on the subject will be appreciated.

[deaconblues 0]

Opa, I've uninstalled FS many times without first uninstalling the 9.1 patch, and I've never had a problem.

[Opa 6]

Interesting -I have a good friend who tells me he he uninstalled FS2004 a few days ago and after reinstallation when he tries to run the update it keeps reporting that the update is already installed.He tells me that he finds nothing in the registry regarding version number so cannot figure out why the update thinks it is already installed.He did not realize there is an uninstall exe file in the main FS folder for the update or he probably would have run it first.Any other ideas?

[N60JBravo 27]

Opa,If in doubt uninstall the patch first, then uninstall fs.I do remember seeing a thread relating to this some time ago, can't be for certain it was on this forum or another.BTW, the 9.1 patch won't change the version number in the registry.I bought my FS9 rather late, post FSX release and it came with the patch installed and it shows version 9.0 in the registry.Hope this helps.

[Opa 6]

That is what I plan to do, but my friend seems to be in no man's land since he failed to uninstall the update first.As stated earlier, everytime he installs FS2004 now (it is an earlier version prior to the update) and then tries to run the update, it keeps telling hime the update is already installed.Seems like a "catch 22" situation as we cannot figure out where the update is looking to get that incorrect information.

[N60JBravo 27]

Hmmm.....maybe the patch survived the re-install and is, in effect, there? Don't know how to verify that.Can he try to uninstall the patch? And then reinstall the patch.

[kerosene31 349]

I went through the entire re-install process once again a few weeks back. I had no problems. I uninstalled all add-ons that would uninstall properly in the control panel, then eventually uninstalled fs2004. The fs2004 uninstall never fuly works, so you have to go in and manually delete all the files from the hard drive. I did a clean install of fs2004 then the patch and had no problems. The key is completely removing all the fs2004 folders from the hard drive prior. To be complete, you could go in and manually delete all registry entries as well, but I did not go that far. Defragmenting the hard drive also helps during the process.

[Opa 6]

Well problem solved -The key is to be sure the folder which is named BACKUP is removed also.That is the folder which is created when the update is installed - it contains some 36 files - the original ones which were replaced during the update.Apparently if the update program sees that folder still being present, it reports that the update has already been installed and will not proceed.My friend had simply not manually deleted (or moved) that folder after the normal FS2004 uninstall.He had checked to be sure everything else such as the FS9.cfg file etc was removed but missed the BACKUP folder.Edit added: That Backup folder resides in the main FS2004 folder along with Aircraft etc.Hope this esperience may benefit others who are contemplating a uninstall and reinstall.

[deaconblues 0]

You know, Dave... I feel like a jerk LOL I have so many addons and other things tied in with FS that I can't do an easy, proper uninstall of FS. I forgot to mention that when I do an uninstall, I have to go in and manually delete folders, such as the previously named "Backup." DUH.I'm very sorry that my first post wasn't helpful, but it's very cool to see other simmers jumping in to help!