FSX Backup Weirdness

[fbass 1]

I'm not sure this belongs in this forum but it was an action performed before re-installing FSX so I put it here. If it's not the correct forum I apologize.I was backing up all of my AI aircraft folders from the installed disk to a backup disk. I was performing a straight copy operation - select all, copy, paste into new folder. I have more than 7,000 texture folders and in both the source and destination folders, every texture.cfg file disappeared. Not one folder has a cfg pointer file for the lightmap file in the main FSX texture folder - NOT ONE. That's more than 14,000 texture folders.Is this a Windows7 issue? If it is, it is a VERY BIG FUBAR!!!!!FrankPS - Does someone know of a utility that will accomplish a mass copy-paste action so that I can put all my texture.cfg files back into their respective texture folders? Thanks

[fbass 1]

I'm not sure this belongs in this forum but it was an action performed before re-installing FSX so I put it here. If it's not the correct forum I apologize.I was backing up all of my AI aircraft folders from the installed disk to a backup disk. I was performing a straight copy operation - select all, copy, paste into new folder. I have more than 7,000 texture folders and in both the source and destination folders, every texture.cfg file disappeared. Not one folder has a cfg pointer file for the lightmap file in the main FSX texture folder - NOT ONE. That's more than 14,000 texture folders.Is this a Windows7 issue? If it is, it is a VERY BIG FUBAR!!!!!FrankPS - Does someone know of a utility that will accomplish a mass copy-paste action so that I can put all my texture.cfg files back into their respective texture folders? Thanks

WARNING!!!! I've now found that not only were my texture.cfg files left out of the mass copy, but also all the aircraft.cfg files were removed. I don't know what is wrong with the Windows7 copy function but, I would not use it to copy to backup aircraft folders.I've found another problem. In each of my aircraft repaint texture folders I have a small utility that renumbers all the sections in the aircraft.txt file. These copies of this utility were also stripped out.

[Illegitimi non carborundum 4]

I would be inclined to use xcopy a dos based copy program (via cmd.exe) details here: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/289483 and http://commandwindows.com/xcopy.htm. This is accessed via the cmd.exe app in any windows OS.I believe that winzip will also copy and paste with the folder structure preserved, ie create a zip file and then extract with the folders option.Teracopy and fastcopy are also v good: http://www.techtin.com/software/copy-move-files-faster-in-windows-7/There is another very powerful copy (cmd.exe accessed) program built into Windows called robocopy but you just need to get the syntax absolutely spot on: http://ss64.com/nt/robocopy.html.RegardsPeterH

[lliaudais 2]

I've never has any such issues with Win7 so it isn't a 'design feature'.Is it possible that since you created new folders in the copy process that those folders do not yet have the viewing protection removed from them? cfg files would possibly be interpreted as 'system files' and hidden until you tell Windows to display them - maybe they are all really there... Loyd

[FlavioSSA 44]

Never had any problem with .cfg files x win7 here either. Must be something else, like an too protective antivirus.

[Paul J 349]

Peter is correct, fbass. Personally , xcopy will do it just fine, but WinZip will too. Where do you have FSX installed?

[fbass 1]

Peter is correct, fbass. Personally , xcopy will do it just fine, but WinZip will too. Where do you have FSX installed?

I've just discovered another problem with this copy issue. In every case, all of my custom aisound folders were deleted. This is at the folder level so I don't think this is a file extension visibility issue. I also checked the view option in the folder settings on all my drives. All of the settings are "show hidden" and were that way before the copy.FSX is installed in C:\FSX. This is where it has always been. The location makes the path statements very short.fb

[Paul J 349]

I've just discovered another problem with this copy issue. In every case, all of my custom aisound folders were deleted. This is at the folder level so I don't think this is a file extension visibility issue. I also checked the view option in the folder settings on all my drives. All of the settings are "show hidden" and were that way before the copy.FSX is installed in C:\FSX. This is where it has always been. The location makes the path statements very short.fb

No good answer for you, Frank: I've just copy/pasted the Airplanes folder (7,128 files, 720 folders, 7.5 GB), from my F:\Flight Simulator X over to my E:\AA_Sources\FSX\Airplanes and everything copied just fine. I have also been searching for any "copy" issues on Microsoft's Technet (and elsewhere), but have found nothing that will cause what you're describing. It's possible that a virus has replaced your original copy command with a hacked command. If that IS the case you could be in deep do-do, because other commands will be replaced, too. Win 7 has some good tools that you might look into.

[fbass 1]

No good answer for you, Frank: I've just copy/pasted the Airplanes folder (7,128 files, 720 folders, 7.5 GB), from my F:\Flight Simulator X over to my E:\AA_Sources\FSX\Airplanes and everything copied just fine. I have also been searching for any "copy" issues on Microsoft's Technet (and elsewhere), but have found nothing that will cause what you're describing. It's possible that a virus has replaced your original copy command with a hacked command. If that IS the case you could be in deep do-do, because other commands will be replaced, too. Win 7 has some good tools that you might look into.

The copy issue I have does not affect the "airplanes" folder. The only folder it affects is my AI folder. I have all my AI aircraft in a separate folder - c:\fsx\simobjects\ai. In other words, I tried to copy the c:\fsx\simobjects (all of it) to another disk drive. The only affected files were associated with the AI folder.fb

[Paul J 349]

The copy issue I have does not affect the "airplanes" folder. The only folder it affects is my AI folder. I have all my AI aircraft in a separate folder - c:\fsx\simobjects\ai. In other words, I tried to copy the c:\fsx\simobjects (all of it) to another disk drive. The only affected files were associated with the AI folder.fb

OK then: You need to check who is the owner of each of the folders - the old ai folder and the destination backup ai folder - and what the permissions are on each folder, and who the owner is. Go to Properties->Security. In the upper 'Security' window - make sure your login name is there - highlight it, then, in the lower window make sure that you have 'Full control'. If it's not there - put it there.Go to ->Advanced->Owner. Make absolutely sure that you, personally - your login name - is the owner - not 'Administrators' or anything else: if it says 'Administrators, click 'Edit' and highlight your name if it's there - if not - add it, and put a check mark in the 'Include inheritable permissions from this object's parent' box.Win 7 doesn't have issues like this. 'Copy' is one of the oldest programs in the OS series. It has to be a file permission issue. Even with UAC turned off I still sometimes have to take absolute ownership of a file or folder when deleting unused apps. The most recent being the deletion of ASUS AI Suite and TurboV.

[fbass 1]

OK then: You need to check who is the owner of each of the folders - the old ai folder and the destination backup ai folder - and what the permissions are on each folder, and who the owner is. Go to Properties->Security. In the upper 'Security' window - make sure your login name is there - highlight it, then, in the lower window make sure that you have 'Full control'. If it's not there - put it there.Go to ->Advanced->Owner. Make absolutely sure that you, personally - your login name - is the owner - not 'Administrators' or anything else: if it says 'Administrators, click 'Edit' and highlight your name if it's there - if not - add it, and put a check mark in the 'Include inheritable permissions from this object's parent' box.Win 7 doesn't have issues like this. 'Copy' is one of the oldest programs in the OS series. It has to be a file permission issue. Even with UAC turned off I still sometimes have to take absolute ownership of a file or folder when deleting unused apps. The most recent being the deletion of ASUS AI Suite and TurboV.

OK, I'll check that out. However, I don't really see why "ownership" would affect a certain type of file - the aircraft.cfg and the texture.cfg files. It also affected the renum utililty - it was deleted from each aircraft folder. No other files (texture) were left out. Wouldn't ownership affect all the files in a folder or even at the folder level.fbPS I understand how old the "copy" function is. However, at the rate MS is changing Windows7 almost on a daily basis...........

[Paul J 349]

It may well be changing, Frank - but if Win7 or 7.1 has a 'copy' problem - it would not be an issue unique only to you - it would be affecting millions of other users too.

[JSkorna 137]

I think you have a virus.

[Paul J 349]

I think you have a virus.

I think so, too, Jim.

[fbass 1]

I think so, too, Jim.

My virus protection software does not report a virus on the system. My profiles are up-to-date. Anyway, I retrieved all my aircraft.cfg files and put them back where they belong - miracles will happen. Now, I need to repopulate all my texture folders with a texture.cfg file.I've tried 6 programs thus far and not one of them worked. I tried every possible combination I could think of. If someone could help I would really appreciate it. The folder structure is as follows:c:\fsx\simobjects\ai\(developer designation folders like AIA)\aircraft type folders like Boeing B717-200\all the repaint texture folders. For examplec:\fsx\simobjects\ai\AIA\Boeing B737-300LogoLight V2 AIA\Texture.AEW-Aerosvit Airlines (etc).I want to populate (in some batch fashion) each repaint texture folder with the texture.cfg file. NOTE: I have more than 7,000 repaint texture folders so I need some kind of "project" to get all these folders repopulated.ThanksFrank