duplicate files

[yankeegolf3 51]

hi,I have noticed that within my FSX directory, I have duplicate files. For example in the simobject/airplanes file I have 2 Extra 300, one libeled Extra 300 and the other Extra 300 (2). They don't have the same size. Similarly I have 2 scenery files in the FSX directory. I have not noticed any adverse effect but I am wondering if it is normal or not . I don't know how it happenned. What should I do with those duplicate files? Thanks.

[woodhick 504]

Disclaimer: I am one of those people who likes to take the path of least resistance.Are you suffering any adverse effects when running flight sim? No? Leave things alone. If things are running well, don't tamper with it. In other words, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Are you possibly (probably not) confusing Addon Scenery and Scenery as duplicates? They are two totally different things.

[yankeegolf3 51]

hi,Yes I believe in the"if it is not broken, don't fix it" principle but I wanted to remove useless files. I will not change anything. I don't understand why it happened. Any idea?I remember when I installed FSX along time ago, I had to uninstall it right after for a reason I have forgotten, maybe it caused this problem.

[woodhick 504]

I can offer no insights whatsoever as to why the files are there. I may be many things, but computer geek is definitely not one of them. I don't think doing re-installs is the cause of them being there. I've done more than one (like ten) re-installs, no extra files here.

[FalconAF 213]

I remember when I installed FSX along time ago, I had to uninstall it right after for a reason I have forgotten, maybe it caused this problem.

One possible thing that happened is that when you use the FSX "uninstaller", it WON'T necessarily uninstall something that was added to FSX after the initial FSX install. This happens if you manually add things to different FSX folders. FSX doesn't "know" they are there, and simply won't uninstall them. It will leave an "FSX" folder on your hard drive with some subfolders under it yet, and those items still in those subfolders. Then, if you re-install FSX back to a same overall FSX folder name, those things can still "be there" in the new FSX installation.Whenever you uninstall FSX to do a re-install of it, after the automatic uninstall is done, you should always go check (use Windows Explorer) to make sure the entire FSX folder was totally removed too. If not, you should manually delete whatever is still there, then do the re-install. Makes sure you are re-installing ONLY the original version of FSX without any extra stuff that may have got left over from the uninstall.

[yankeegolf3 51]

hi Falcon,I thought about your explanation but most duplicate files are FSX native and I did not modify them in anyway...I will put it on a mistake of my own: I am so intelligent that I do things that even myself can't understand... :( cheers

[snave 0]

FSX installs NO files with a numerical suffix in parenthesese - (2) - so they should be safe to delete. However, it is equally possible some other addon may have created those files - for example VFR Airfields Germany creates copies of the default aircraft folders with a prefix `CR` to populate the AI, so unless you know what DID create them, I wouldn't delete them, but you move them to a temporary folder outside of FSX (I have a `Hangar` folder where I store the aircraft I want to leave installed but not immediately available for use so I get quicker startup and GUI access in the sim). If no problems occur, then you have fixed it. If they do, return the files to the initial folder and all will be well.

[scott967 62]

Mainly I would be concerned about two identical aircraft folders. If you compare the aircraft.cfg files in each, and both have the same title= entries (such as title=Extra 300S Paint1 in both files) that I think can cause problems.scott s..