The dreaded FSX reinstall whether it is due to HD failure or an upgrade to a new PC shouldn't involve a week of reinstalling everything should it?I would like to see a utility that could create and use an image of FSX and all its associated addons and make it available for transfer to a new HD/PC? If we have addon managers that have the ability to list all addons associated to FSX then couldn't there be something that will simplify the task of installing everything all over again. This addon would have the ability to read through and store registry data and would have permission to store an image based on permissions that we grant it as it prompts the user to input ownership data such as serial number or keys, passwords etc.In the end all I want is something that would simplify the whole process so I could get back to flying. What do you think?

What if the installed image of FSX had hidden flaws in it?Peter Sydney Australia

The dreaded FSX reinstall whether it is due to HD failure or an upgrade to a new PC shouldn't involve a week of reinstalling everything should it?I would like to see a utility that could create and use an image of FSX and all its associated addons and make it available for transfer to a new HD/PC? If we have addon managers that have the ability to list all addons associated to FSX then couldn't there be something that will simplify the task of installing everything all over again. This addon would have the ability to read through and store registry data and would have permission to store an image based on permissions that we grant it as it prompts the user to input ownership data such as serial number or keys, passwords etc.In the end all I want is something that would simplify the whole process so I could get back to flying. What do you think?

That is quite impossible.Each installer and company usually have it's own protection scheme which takes place when installing addon.Thus it's impossible to make one program to install it all.But I do it very simply: I image my Windows+FSX drive onto another partition and wouldn't really care if all goes bonkers. I have it back with couple of clicks with Acronis True Image.It's of course a simple image but saves me days of complete reinstalling... and I can always make a new one after some time.

Imagine a Fltsim that needed no addons :(

You mean the holodeck on Star Trek Next Generation?

The dreaded FSX reinstall whether it is due to HD failure or an upgrade to a new PC shouldn't involve a week of reinstalling everything should it?I would like to see a utility that could create and use an image of FSX and all its associated addons and make it available for transfer to a new HD/PC? If we have addon managers that have the ability to list all addons associated to FSX then couldn't there be something that will simplify the task of installing everything all over again. This addon would have the ability to read through and store registry data and would have permission to store an image based on permissions that we grant it as it prompts the user to input ownership data such as serial number or keys, passwords etc.In the end all I want is something that would simplify the whole process so I could get back to flying. What do you think?

Answer : make an image of the drive using Acronis. If something goes wrong whack in the recovery disk, pick an image to restore and bingo! If you also get the 2011 Plus Pack, you have the ability to restore an image even after changing say a motherboard or HD.

Laplink PCMover application might work for you. I've used it at work a bit...Whole disk imaging is the only other answer and it's probably not what you want...Backup your fsx.cfg file .... you can always go back then...

I totally agree.I (as is commonly advised) have FSX installed on another drive to the C: Drive and unfortunately a lot of FSX installs data onto the C: drive as does a lot of Add On's so if you do add on a lot of further stuff you have to take multiple copies or images from various ocassions, simply taking an image of the FSX drive is not enough you have to do the same for the C: drive at the same time period and these multiple images end up taking up a lot of Disk Space.I have filled up two Terrabytes with various images as I never know when something will affect my fsx installation and then installing an image I have to re-install the add ons not included at that time.All in all it is a rght pain, why fsx cannot install everything onto the same drive you put it on then when you re-installing windows it would not affect the sim, that would be ideal.I have tried backing up the cfg and scenery files anything with fsx in the title on a c: drive and then transferring them to a fresh windows install with no success.In the end I usually just bite the bullet and do a clean istall of system and fsx and all the add-ons which takes days!!!!!Then the backing up starts again!!!!

Thanks for the replies fellas. I was thinking as I was driving in to work this morning that perhaps with the advent of FS11 it may bring us closer to what I have imagined, but something even better. My basis for the initial post was to streamline installation, but what if we go a step further?Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad idea to log in to MS to fly and to purchase addons under the Windows Live system or something similar.We as the user would simply log in, select FS11 for which we have purchased our PMDG NGX or Level D 757, landclass, scenery, ActiveSky, Real Environment Extreme etc... and voila! We are off flying on our own PC's which aren't bogged down with gigabytes of installation's. 3rd party dev's would have to provide addons that work (as most already do) when ready for release the developer would update their own upload to MS and we would be solely responsible to upgrade our own hardware. You couldn't fly unless you had a license to access the server, 3rd party developers would receive their due share of the profits and sites that provide illegal torrents wouldn't be of any use because there isn't anything to download and store on an HD.MS is already set up with a magnitude of servers and based on potential returns wouldn't you think they would want to move to a more streamlined product and support system?Bottom line, we as the user would be provided with a better sim experience if something like this was introduced. What do you think?**EDIT**Hopefully someone from a 3PD will read this post, my question to them would be to ask if there is a risk of providing trade secrets if their product was used in the scheme I mentioned above? What are the risks if any?

Edited March 6, 201115 yr by BAW435