A wee plea to developers using autoinstallers ...

[Dark Moment 0]

If you let the NAMC installer run its course adding their new base pack to your FS9 today, you may have overwritten files in your main texture directory. Only two, PILOT.BMP and SEAT1.BMP, but they are quite different to what is already there by default.Please, please, please, developers: there is a nice big box in the Clickteam installer setup wizard that lets you tell downloaders WHAT is going to go WHERE on their system. That gives them the opportunity to change the install path to a temp directory if they wish (which I personally always do). Surely this is not too much to ask?Another autoinstaller I found today would have overwritten newer gauges with old; this is a common happening. So Rule No. 1 must always be to use that temporary directory; but developers, you could help us along a bit by just taking the trouble to explain where things are going to end up.Thank you in anticipation. If anyone wants to see what I mean about being able to warn punters what they're in for, download my own autoinstaller (yes, despite my known hatred of the little buzzards I have made one or two, LOL) for the FS2004 and FS2002 DC-3 Airways DC-3s at: http://www.paxship.com/DCA_FS9.EXE (FS2004)http://www.paxship.com/DCA_FS8.EXE (FS2002)Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

[Guest B52Drivr]

Dear Mark,Boy, do I second that motion . . . great post!BestClay

[1mikel151 71]

I third that!! cannot stand autoinstallers, try to learn your way around your FS folder structure and install manually, will save you lots of headaches! Unless it is something like FSD or Eaglesoft, I unload the files into a temporary folder and install by hand!Regards, MichaelKDFWhttp://mysite.verizon.net/res052cd/mybannercva1.jpgCalVirAir International VAwww.calvirair.comCougar Mountain Helicopters & Aviationwww.cgrmtnhelos.com

[Guest tgabriel]

I always thought auto installers were meant to make it easier to get your folders into the temp folder for distribution by hand into the proper place in the sim.But what do I know, being a ol' jarhead grunt an' all:-lol Thanks for the post though. It's a keeper :-beerchug

[Guest Brent Hebert]

I'm not too keen about autoinstallers because they leave a link in my Programs directory and adds the entry to my Add/Remove Files in my Control Panel.Brent Hebert

[Guest OneTinSoldier]

I'm hip to your idea Mark. I got burned once in FS2002 by some newer gauges being overwritten by olders ones with an auto installer and so now I install into a temp dir too.Jim

[Dark Moment 0]

What's also really annoying, Brent, is that what you have just highlighted is completely unnecessary. If the compiler of the file takes the trouble to uncheck a couple of boxes (or check them, I can't remember, doesn't matter) in the process of compiling a Clickteam installer, he can avoid creating program icons, groups, uninstall files, etc.I'm all for making things as easy as possible for the newbie or non-techie; I take a lot of time over my own READMEs and instructions for installation for exactly that reason; but it's the guys who don't give us the options that are a bit of a nuisance.The more complex packages from pro developers are, sometimes, best installed automatically because of the way all the cross referencing of texture templates and so on is set up. But it would still be generous just to tell people FIRST what they're getting in to.I'll shut up now. I never get cross, just niggled, which is a particularly British thing usually easily countered with a cup of tea or four pints of Wadworths.Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumonthttp://www.swiremariners.com/newlogo.jpg

[Guest P3_Super_Bee]

Very good suggestion. I hate 'em. Really hate those cheap'o winzip installers(or what ever its called). Know your pain Brent, I have this bad habit of manually deleting add-ons(easier for me) then now I'm stuck a bunch of crap I can't get of out of the add/remove program files, without doing a whole bunch of time wasting messing with the registries.

:-outta

http://www.flightsimnetwork.com/dcforum/User_files/3e72a43942b48d2b.jpg

There is a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".- unknown

"My daddy gives me up, to fight for you"- a US Military Members Child

[Guest shanwick]

Whenever I install or re-install FS I always make a backup of the gauges and texture folders before doing anything else. Then, when something like an auto install screws things up, I have a fast track way to put the matter right.David

[Guest jason2112]

Amen to you oi! I got the biggest surprise when I finally wanted to uninstall FS2002: A payware installer program had overwritten FS2002's uninstall executable with it's own uninstall program. In the end I had to delete FS2002 manually, with lots of entries left in the registry ... I hate that!Just my 2c (EUR),VOlker :]

[Jure 36]

Mark et all,I agree with passion. :)There are a few autoinstallers that tell you a bit what's going on, but they are very rare. So I'll join in with you all; please, developers, give us a choice when it comes to installing stuff and writing things into the registry. Mine already looks like a flea market on a busy sunday morning. ;)Thanks for listening; now on with our programme.Regards,JureBush Flying Unlimited]"At home in the wild"[/i

[Guest allcott]

I agree, if the autoinstaller has to be `installed` to a temporary directory why have it in the first place?Some developers would argue that it simplifies the installation process for the `average` simmer, but if it results in a whole heap of problems that the average simmer cannot recognise and resolve for themselves, just why have it?Allcott

[MD83 1]

>Amen to you oi! I got the biggest surprise when I finally>wanted to uninstall FS2002: A payware installer program had>overwritten FS2002's uninstall executable with it's own>uninstall program. In the end I had to delete FS2002 manually,>with lots of entries left in the registry ... I hate that!>>Just my 2c (EUR),>>VOlker :]That happened to me as well :-cry. It messed my registry so badly that I decided to reinstall Win98! :(Please put ALL software in Zip files. Offer an alternative EXE installer, but always offer a ZIP version, for hands-on people like myself :D

[Guest CargoMun]

I - hmm what number is this - 10th' that motion and hate them too :DI too have had FS2002 not beeing able to be uninstalled becos some add on sprinkled its little uninstall love all over the folders :(I dont understand why say an addon (no name nescessary) needs to have every single livery as an uninstall line in the add/remove - I got about 15 of these now. "Funny" thing is, it didnt even update the aircraft.cfg properly so it was useless :-mad

[Guest Tom EverittAFG]

Hi guys, Mark, sorry the YS-11 installer overwrote your files. The duplication of the Pilot and seat textures was not discovered during testing of the installer. I will double check which files for the YS-11 VC are duplicated in the main texture folder and include them in the separate texture add-ons for future releases. Only the Virtual cockpit textures are installed into the main FS texture folder. This was done as including them in the texture packs each time would make the file sizes quite high, something we have been criticised for in the past.The YS-11 installer does allow you to change the destination of the files, so you can install into a temp folder if you wish. I will make this clearer in the next base packs we upload. It also dosn't create any un-installer or add the aircraft to the start menu, because I hate that too!TomAFG.