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mikejr

Reliable gauge cleaner for FS9?

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Hey guys, Firstly, my apologies if a similar topic to this has been posted elsewhere, I did do some searching but I couldn't find it anywhere and I'm in a bit of a hurry, nevertheless I am sure someone can help me. I am just about to do a clean-up of my FS9 folder and over the months I have gained quite a few left over gauges from deleted aircraft which I no longer wanted for whatever reason. The gauges actually take up a significant amount of hard drive space on the rather small hard drive I have, so I want to get rid of all these unused gauges. I have tried a couple of cleaning programs before, but they all came back with different gauges that could be deleted safely - some of them I know were used in several panels! :( This was not helpful and so I did not pursue it anymore. Now the need has come round again and I seek a reliable piece of software that simply gets rid of all the gauges (including .CAB, .XML and shared files) that aren't used at all in ANY panel. I would absolutely love a program that does this (preferably for free), and I would love the person that suggests it to me! :( Hope there are some answers out there somewhere and once again apologies if this has been posted elsewhere.Cheers.


Mike 

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A quick search in the library here, under FS2004 Utilities and using gauge as the criteria, turns up several programs you may wish to try including the following:http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=70099 and http://library.avsim.net/esearch.php?DLID=34905 I would recommend backing up your gauge folder prior to using either progem.Tip for the future: When auditioning new aircraft, place any gauges which are included in the package into that aircraft's panel folder, rather than in the default gauges folder. FS will see and use them there and if you decide not to keep the aircraft, one delete will get it all - no stray gauges left over.In case you are wondering, this works as FS looks in the Panel folder first for any gauges which are required and if it does find them, it then looks in the default gauges folder.Hope this helps. :(

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OK, Opa, something very strange happened after that suggestion of Gauge explorer... I installed it and everything and I looked at all my gauges and almost all of them were 'dead'. When I went to move them so I could check all was OK with the one's left, the process seemed fairly normal and OK, until I checked the gauges folder, and they were all still there... in the backup folder which I had specified for the moving of the gauges, nothing! I tried it again, and nothing happened... although the application suggested so... Strange, I reinstalled, installed in a different place and the same result, nothing, I couldn't delete them either. Odd. :( I think this might be because I run FS9 on a 98 pc? I have no idea why this didn't work, so, I have another solution, if I- deleted the entire FS9 gauge file, backing up my personally modified gauges, and then - put back the default FS9 gauges from the CD, and then - found the gauges of all my old FS9 add-on aircraft (by partly 'reinstalling' them),- put the add-on a/c gauges in their panel folders, and - putting the shared gauges in the FS9 Gauges folderwould this be a reliable, if crude method? Thanks.


Mike 

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Too bad I didn't get here sooner to warn you about those problems. Every cleaner I used from here destroyed my FS and didn't do what they said. I think they should be taken off of the library. Have you flown yet to see if the gauges still work?

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OK, Opa, something very strange happened after that suggestion of Gauge explorer... I installed it and everything and I looked at all my gauges and almost all of them were 'dead'. When I went to move them so I could check all was OK with the one's left, the process seemed fairly normal and OK, until I checked the gauges folder, and they were all still there... in the backup folder which I had specified for the moving of the gauges, nothing! I tried it again, and nothing happened... although the application suggested so... Strange, I reinstalled, installed in a different place and the same result, nothing, I couldn't delete them either. Odd. :( I think this might be because I run FS9 on a 98 pc? I have no idea why this didn't work, so, I have another solution, if I- deleted the entire FS9 gauge file, backing up my personally modified gauges, and then - put back the default FS9 gauges from the CD, and then - found the gauges of all my old FS9 add-on aircraft (by partly 'reinstalling' them),- put the add-on a/c gauges in their panel folders, and - putting the shared gauges in the FS9 Gauges folderwould this be a reliable, if crude method? Thanks.
Wow - Please understand I that was not "recommending" any specific gauge cleaning program - only letting you knwof a couple I found in the library. Your experience will be of value to anyone who might consider using one of them.The plan you outlined seems reasonable to me.The one caution for anyone who places guages in the panel folders (something I have done now for a couple of years) is the potential of removing an aircraft which has had it's panel aliased from another aircraft. As long as you remember such alias situations, I think your plan would work well - time consuming to be sure but you will end up with a much "neater" default gauge folder.Thanks for sharing your findings. :(

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Cool, thanks Opa, It was very strange with Gauge Explorer, but anyway, I'll try that method I mentioned and do it within the next week or so and post back what happens in due course. Hopefully it won't be too laborious as I don't have that many add-on aircraft, as I can't really afford most of the payware ones (tight for money at the moment, being young and all) and I'm a bit of a perfectionist with freeware choices! :( See you soon.Cheers.

Too bad I didn't get here sooner to warn you about those problems. Every cleaner I used from here destroyed my FS and didn't do what they said. I think they should be taken off of the library. Have you flown yet to see if the gauges still work?
Christ! Are you serious?! I better go fly now and see what happens!

Mike 

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Guest Tingoose

I have to concur with cessnaflyer's comments. I haven't been able to find a reliable gauge cleaner. All the ones I've tried take out some that shoul be left in and vice versa. Opa's suggestion for the future about putting gauges in the panel folder in FS9 is one I use and works very well.

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OK, looks like I've got to spare a whole afternoon soon cleaning it all up and sorting it all out - at least I'll know it will actually work though! I'll keep you posted.


Mike 

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