Getting a new hard-drive

[PingPong 60]

Hi AllI am getting a new harddrive I want to dedicate to fsx, my current one is almost out of room and it keeps me from installing any more addonsI was wondering do I need to do a complete uninstall/re-install or can I just move the folder over and change some registry setting?is there a program that could do this for me?Thanks

[BMG50 9]

Hi AllI am getting a new harddrive I want to dedicate to fsx, my current one is almost out of room and it keeps me from installing any more addonsI was wondering do I need to do a complete uninstall/re-install or can I just move the folder over and change some registry setting?is there a program that could do this for me?Thanks

You do not need to un-install/install FSX on the new drive...Just simply copy/ paste the FSX folder from your main hd (with the os) to your new hd after installing and formatting ..Then you can go into the main FSX folder on the second drive and find the FSX.EXE file and make/copy an icon for your desktop or start FSX by double clicking the FSX.EXE ....you are still using the same OS drive to run FSX from drive 2.......No program required...

[PingPong 60]

That's great news, Thanks!Will I have to change some registry setting?

[BMG50 9]

That's great news, Thanks!Will I have to change some registry setting?

I am assuming that you are NOT going to install an O/S on the second drive...If not, then you will still be booting up and running off of your O/S on drive"c" (main drive)...so no changes need to be made...Lou

[Guest napamule]

PingPong,You are right to wonder about Registry, and BEFORE you install FSX on 2nd Drive (which should be 'D') you DO need to UNINSTALL FSX from the 'C' drive to clear the Registry entry for FSX.exe being in 'C' Drive. You DO NOT want duplicate entries for FSX.exe being in 'C' and 'D'. Not good. RE-BOOT before you HOOK UP 'D' drive. You FSX icon should be gone from desktop. What you can do to keep your installed programs, etc, is to rename the Folders you want to keep (simobjects to 'Xsimobjects', 'gauges' to 'xgauges', 'AddOn Scenery' to 'xAddOn Scenery', etc. Then those won't be eliminated by un-install. If you have room, move them instead of rename. Just don't move or remove anything under 'My Documents'. Include your saved flights. That gets retained and re-used by re-install on 'D' drive. Then, if you have mods to fsx.cfg, open it, and do 'Save As' , browse to 'My Documents' and save 'bckup.fsx.cfg' there for later copy/paste to new cfg.After you shut down (AND disconnect your POWER cable from back of PC-wait 30 sec's before doing anything inside case) get a can of air, and Q-Tips to clean any stray dust bunnies, rat poo? (haha), etc. Ck CPU heat sink (is it clogged?)-might need cleaning. Now is a good time. THEN hook up 'D' drive, which should be SET to 'Slave' (with jumpers), providing 'C' is SET to 'Master' (with jumpers) you clear your CMOS (hope you know how-read up on Google, or Tom's Hardware-for your particular CPU type). Fire it up, and when it's posting, press 'Del' key to get to BIOS and ck to see new Drive is recognized. Continue with post and let things settle.Dbl click on 'My Computer' and see if it's listed there. Yes? Then now go do a complete re-format ('factory' reformat is bunk). MAKE SURE YOU PICK WHAT FILE SYSTEM TYPE YOU HAVE FOR 'C' (Fat32 or NTFS). Hopefully it's NTFS. Takes 20 minutes or so. When that's done, do a complete DEFRAG. XP defrag is 'ok'. Found under system tools, or right click 'My Computer' icon and go 'Manage'. Defrag is VITAL. When done, reboot PC. Let things settle. Then go check to see 'D' is listed. Done.You then go make folders, 'Program Files\Microsoft Games' to facilitate install 'path' requirement. If it was 'C' then this would not be necessary (or optional). NOW you put the #1 DVD in your disk drive and install FSX, making sure you re-direct installer to 'D:\Program Files\Microsoft Games' and click Install. You WANT the name of folder to be 'Microsoft Flight Simulator X' and NOT 'Flight Simulator X'. Must use long name for future installs. That's it. Reduce destop to windowed mode, then mouse right drag FSX.exe to desktop, choose 'Make Shortcut Here', rename to remove the 'Shortcut to' part. Reboot your system. REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM. When it settles, dbl click the FSX Icon and check for it to START and fly default at Seattle for 5 or 10 minutes, touch and go, go buzz the ferrys (nothing personal). Exit. GO DO A DEFRAG (won't take long this time). Must do. Then reboot your system. Done. Go crazy with installs, but do remember to do DEFRAG with each and every intall, so as to be happy, with Sim, and with life. Hope this helped. Go Tom's Hardware for all kinds of PC info.Chuck BNapamule

[BMG50 9]

PingPong,You are right to wonder about Registry, and BEFORE you install FSX on 2nd Drive (which should be 'D') you DO need to UNINSTALL FSX from the 'C' drive to clear the Registry entry for FSX.exe being in 'C' Drive. You DO NOT want duplicate entries for FSX.exe being in 'C' and 'D'. Not good. RE-BOOT before you HOOK UP 'D' drive. You FSX icon should be gone from desktop. What you can do to keep your installed programs, etc, is to rename the Folders you want to keep (simobjects to 'Xsimobjects', 'gauges' to 'xgauges', 'AddOn Scenery' to 'xAddOn Scenery', etc. Then those won't be eliminated by un-install. If you have room, move them instead of rename. Just don't move or remove anything under 'My Documents'. Include your saved flights. That gets retained and re-used by re-install on 'D' drive. Then, if you have mods to fsx.cfg, open it, and do 'Save As' , browse to 'My Documents' and save 'bckup.fsx.cfg' there for later copy/paste to new cfg.After you shut down (AND disconnect your POWER cable from back of PC-wait 30 sec's before doing anything inside case) get a can of air, and Q-Tips to clean any stray dust bunnies, rat poo? (haha), etc. Ck CPU heat sink (is it clogged?)-might need cleaning. Now is a good time. THEN hook up 'D' drive, which should be SET to 'Slave' (with jumpers), providing 'C' is SET to 'Master' (with jumpers) you clear your CMOS (hope you know how-read up on Google, or Tom's Hardware-for your particular CPU type). Fire it up, and when it's posting, press 'Del' key to get to BIOS and ck to see new Drive is recognized. Continue with post and let things settle.Dbl click on 'My Computer' and see if it's listed there. Yes? Then now go do a complete re-format ('factory' reformat is bunk). MAKE SURE YOU PICK WHAT FILE SYSTEM TYPE YOU HAVE FOR 'C' (Fat32 or NTFS). Hopefully it's NTFS. Takes 20 minutes or so. When that's done, do a complete DEFRAG. XP defrag is 'ok'. Found under system tools, or right click 'My Computer' icon and go 'Manage'. Defrag is VITAL. When done, reboot PC. Let things settle. Then go check to see 'D' is listed. Done.You then go make folders, 'Program Files\Microsoft Games' to facilitate install 'path' requirement. If it was 'C' then this would not be necessary (or optional). NOW you put the #1 DVD in your disk drive and install FSX, making sure you re-direct installer to 'D:\Program Files\Microsoft Games' and click Install. You WANT the name of folder to be 'Microsoft Flight Simulator X' and NOT 'Flight Simulator X'. Must use long name for future installs. That's it. Reduce destop to windowed mode, then mouse right drag FSX.exe to desktop, choose 'Make Shortcut Here', rename to remove the 'Shortcut to' part. Reboot your system. REBOOT YOUR SYSTEM. When it settles, dbl click the FSX Icon and check for it to START and fly default at Seattle for 5 or 10 minutes, touch and go, go buzz the ferrys (nothing personal). Exit. GO DO A DEFRAG (won't take long this time). Must do. Then reboot your system. Done. Go crazy with installs, but do remember to do DEFRAG with each and every intall, so as to be happy, with Sim, and with life. Hope this helped. Go Tom's Hardware for all kinds of PC info.Chuck BNapamule

Did not read this entire post...BUT, I have been running FSX on two drives for alittle over 2 years now..Did it just as I posted...This is running FSX on a second drive from the main drive .Do as you please...Hard or easy.....Lou

[Guest napamule]

BMG50,What advice? That he is not going to istall OS to 2nd drive? (That is a GIVEN). No one installs OS in BOTH C and D drive. You kidding? And if you did not read, then why post quote and then not say anything related to it, except 'do it my way'? You say there is not need to 'make any changes'. To what? And to just copy the files from FSX that is in C to 2nd drive, without un-install off of C is asking for trouble. You having one FSX installed in C and another in D is not what I call 'safe computing' technique, and you should NOT be giving advice to others to do that as it's just not right. I have been fixing and installing computers since the 1960's, DOS to XP and know what I am talking about. So, I wanted to point out what is involved in adding a new HDrive to your PC, as it's not just plug, power up, and MOVE files to previous NON-EXISTING (IE: NEW) HDrive. You have to be specific sometimes. Other things are involved. Just ran down the list of 'chores' necessary. I am sorry if you OBJECT to my effort to provide pertinent info to help this guy out. And perhaps if you DID read the entire post you would see that it did not mention you, or YOUR advice, at all. I think it points out a few 'minor' details he might of missed. Things that are not always covered elswhere in 'other' forum posts, or even WIKI. So, too bad, so sad, 'we have a problem Houston' (which 'someone' is trying to make personal). It's not. It's just information. Take it or leave it.Chuck BNapamule

[BMG50 9]

BMG50,What advice? That he is not going to istall OS to 2nd drive? (That is a GIVEN). No one installs OS in BOTH C and D drive. You kidding? And if you did not read, then why post quote and then not say anything related to it, except 'do it my way'? You say there is not need to 'make any changes'. To what? And to just copy the files from FSX that is in C to 2nd drive, without un-install off of C is asking for trouble. You having one FSX installed in C and another in D is not what I call 'safe computing' technique, and you should NOT be giving advice to others to do that as it's just not right. I have been fixing and installing computers since the 1960's, DOS to XP and know what I am talking about. So, I wanted to point out what is involved in adding a new HDrive to your PC, as it's not just plug, power up, and MOVE files to previous NON-EXISTING (IE: NEW) HDrive. You have to be specific sometimes. Other things are involved. Just ran down the list of 'chores' necessary. I am sorry if you OBJECT to my effort to provide pertinent info to help this guy out. And perhaps if you DID read the entire post you would see that it did not mention you, or YOUR advice, at all. I think it points out a few 'minor' details he might of missed. Things that are not always covered elswhere in 'other' forum posts, or even WIKI. So, too bad, so sad, 'we have a problem Houston' (which 'someone' is trying to make personal). It's not. It's just information. Take it or leave it.Chuck BNapamule

Hello ,Chuck Sorry if I made you think it was personal....And I respect your many years of computer experiance...I, on the other hand, have almost none...However,in my computer ignorance,I did not know you could not copy and paste the FSX folder to a second drive,so 2 years ago I did...Actually,I,m running 5 drives, 2 with O/S (Vista) and have FSX on 4 of the 5 ..Yes,I have an O/S on C: and D: drives ..This is my QUAD OC rig...On my Dual core OC rig,I have 3 drives...So ,yes,I know how to install drives..And never thought the OP did not know how...Sorry if I offended you as I was only stating that yes you can copy and paste FSX to a second drive,as I have done with no problems...And ,Yes,there are many ways to do certain things,and I lean toward K.I.S.S.......Again,my apologizes...Lou

[Guest napamule]

And I guess you have ACTIVATED all 3 (or was it 5) FSX installs? (Look Ma No Hands...?). Now I tend to not believe ANYTHING you said. I'm out.Chuck BNapamule

[Guest Aviator4life]

BMG50,What advice? That he is not going to istall OS to 2nd drive? (That is a GIVEN). No one installs OS in BOTH C and D drive. You kidding? . . .. . . It's not. It's just information. Take it or leave it.Chuck BNapamule

They are commonly called dual boot rigs my man. My 'puter has XP Home 32 bit w/FS9 on drive 'C' and Vista Ultimate 64 bit on drive 'D' w/FSX. When I boot my system I get a prompt that asks me if I want to boot to my Vista OS or my XP OS (". . . an earlier version of Windows.").No offense but dual/multiple boot rigs are not as uncommon as you think is my guess. No worries, but now you know for certain why at least one of your statements was questioned. You are quite right, "It's just information. Take it or leave it.". Just don't be surprised if someone questions the information you are sharing when at least some of it is incorrect. No need to get defensive, just get "it right". And for what it's worth, I think it was good of you to try and help someone else out with your reply. :( Best regards.

[Guest napamule]

I am familiar with 'dual boot' (I figured that out). What gets me is the (brag) line: '..I,m running 5 drives, 2 with O/S (Vista) and have FSX on 4 of the 5 ..Yes,I have an O/S on C: and D: drives ..'. Was I supposed to guess he meant dual boot? Are the 4 FSX installs activated? If not is he running some 'crack' on them? If he is, he can't say so, as that is a serious 'no-no'. And what info did he provide. None that I can see. Counter productive dribble, from type that trys to get away with things, at every opportunity, so he can't be trusted, and is proud of it, yet trys to pass himself as an upright simmer (or, citizen). I don't think so.Chuck BNapamule

[Guest Phantoms]

When I moved my FSX to a second drive a couple years ago, I simply copied my entire FSX installation over to the second drive from the first. Same FSX path names, only D: drive instead of C:. Next, I ran Regedit and searched using "edit/find" for the first part of the path to my installation (I had mine named C:\games\FSX\....) and changed them all to the new location (D:\FSX\.....) Took a few minutes, but it's worked fine every since.

[PingPong 60]

Did all the addons go over as well? Like the level d and pmdg stuff?

[Guest Aviator4life]

"MY CARMA RAN OVER MY DOGMA" :( Very fitting signature. I, for one, completely believe the above statement is applicable, probably more than you realize, sigh . . . :( Thank you for schooling me in the error of my ways and protecting us all from the unrighteous. :(

[BMG50 9]

"MY CARMA RAN OVER MY DOGMA" :( Very fitting signature. I, for one, completely believe the above statement is applicable, probably more than you realize, sigh . . . :( Thank you for schooling me in the error of my ways and protecting us all from the unrighteous. :(

Thank you..I couldn,t have said it any better!! "The unrighteous one" (my new name?)