Aerosoft Anchorage for FS9 Released!

[Swoop 0]

Thanks guys...So let me get this straight then. By installing the Launcher you're somehow being forced to supersede any in place license agreements? Then, you're also agreeing to let aerosoft catalog your system as well?But wait...hang on...I only purchased one scenery under the launcher! How could that be... Bonkster...I thought you said that it simply registered the scenery and then went away? (or am I mistaken)Mark

[Swoop 0]

OK...the more I read into this the more I'm convinced...and probably no one cares but here goes anyway...The aerosoft launcher is another type of Windows update which acts nearly the same when it's not being run automatically. By simply installing the launcher, I'm starting to believe that you supersede all of your existing license agreements with aerosoft and provide aerosoft with a new license to completely catalog your system and send that information back to aerosoft.The launcher's behavior is clearly being glossed over as to lessen the impact of what it actually does. So that begs to question what it does to your system when it discovers something it doesn't like? It's a free for all on that...In my opinion, ounce for ounce, this has got to be one of the most invasive pieces of spyware around...and you agreed to install it!For what it's worth, I still like aerosoft scenery but I'm beginning to not like their company anymore.Mark"The bottom line is that as these companies effort their own flavor of corporate domination via the internet, your system is going to be literally consumed with software that is essentially useless for you and only fulfills someone else’s agenda...and at both your time and expense.."

[ErnstB 13]

Hello kiwiflyer,Your observations and experiences are really worriyng me!I am about to purchase Anchorage as the first launcher enriched aerosoft product but I hate to risk my perfectly running FS9 will be messed up!aerosoft is clearly stating that their launcher is only scanning their registry entries in "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | Software | Aerosoft | "Produkt Name" | Version", nothing else and this since the its introduction.Your experiences show a different picture.Do you have by accident any such entries of your corrupted items in your registry directory ?I wish to have this sorted out before my purchase since I am e.g. also enjoying Rick Piper's great HS748!Ernst

[altstiff 71]

Ernst, I have several AS launcher products installed and have had zero issues with it. Not saying that others do not have a legit beef with it but I do not and have not.

[Bonkster 1]

Thanks guys...So let me get this straight then. By installing the Launcher you're somehow being forced to supersede any in place license agreements? Then, you're also agreeing to let aerosoft catalog your system as well?But wait...hang on...I only purchased one scenery under the launcher! How could that be...Bonkster...I thought you said that it simply registered the scenery and then went away? (or am I mistaken)Mark

Mark...Here's the easiest way to allay your fears....Just don't buy any Aerosoft products... then you don't have to worry about it.Simple! :-)

[sluggy 3]

The Aerosoft Launcher ONLY looks at Aerosoft products (Kiwiflyer's problems notwithstanding), not all addon sceneries you have bought. Maybe I'm a nieve person, but I kinda trust Aerosoft on this one. BTW, I also have every FSDT scenery for FS9, and they have all survived unscathed the installation of Anchorage (which is a bloody great scenery, BTW).Cheers, SLuggy

[Swoop 0]

Sluggy, you're not nieve...you're a nice guy and so is bonkster. I have a pet peeve with people who install things on my system. It's very personal to me as it is my office as well as my fun. So when someone comes along and just tells me that it's going to be this way on my computer, I have a tendency to ask why.The reaction, depending upon what's at stake, can very from passive to downright nasty. I'm a pain in the rear but I still ask some hard questions anyway. You should hope to have someone argue for you one day that is that much of a pain.I want to buy Anchorage, I really do but it's getting close to being against my principals. What to do? Bonkster tells me to not buy aerosoft products anymore so I'm not afraid of the big bad wolf. The thing of it is, I'm not afraid, i just think that we're really starting to push some privacy boundaries here and have an issue with it.Mark

[Bonkster 1]

Mark...Do you have FSDT sceneries? PMDG add-ons? Orbx scenery? Airsimmer? Their software probes your registry just the same as Aerosoft's does.... there's no difference!I don't know any way that you could be convinced to trust that this is not some evil tool that's piping info back to Aerosoft about your system and what's on it.It's simply a helpful tool that looks for Aerosoft products on your system and catalogs them so that it can help you keep track of what needs updating and what doesn't.I just feel you're being way too sensitive about this to realize the advantage it brings...Would showing you screenshots of the interface do anything to put your mind at ease?

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Hello kiwiflyer,Your observations and experiences are really worriyng me!I am about to purchase Anchorage as the first launcher enriched aerosoft product but I hate to risk my perfectly running FS9 will be messed up!aerosoft is clearly stating that their launcher is only scanning their registry entries in "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE | Software | Aerosoft | "Produkt Name" | Version", nothing else and this since the its introduction.Your experiences show a different picture.Do you have by accident any such entries of your corrupted items in your registry directory ?I wish to have this sorted out before my purchase since I am e.g. also enjoying Rick Piper's great HS748!Ernst

Hi ErnstDon't hesitate to buy the scenery and install it. If you are unsure, back up your scenery.cfg files. What took me hours and hours was trying to find out what was happening and why. Now I know what is being affected, even if you have problems, I can talk you through it to fix everything in a matter of minutes rather than hours... Just make sure that you make a backup of your scenery.cfg file...But I have the feeling that if you use the stand alone launcher from the Aerosoft web site you will not have any problems. Just ignore the offer to install it when you install your PANC scenery and then use the one from their web site to activate your scenery. PANC is an awesome scenery as are virtually all Aerosoft products so the last thing I want is for someone to be reluctant to buy them based on my experience, which is clearly a minority one. So go for it....CheersIan

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Mark...Do you have FSDT sceneries? PMDG add-ons? Orbx scenery? Airsimmer? Their software probes your registry just the same as Aerosoft's does.... there's no difference!I don't know any way that you could be convinced to trust that this is not some evil tool that's piping info back to Aerosoft about your system and what's on it.It's simply a helpful tool that looks for Aerosoft products on your system and catalogs them so that it can help you keep track of what needs updating and what doesn't.I just feel you're being way too sensitive about this to realize the advantage it brings...Would showing you screenshots of the interface do anything to put your mind at ease?

Mark and BonksterI agree with you - Aerosoft are a reputable company and I trust them also. I have no problem with the idea of the Launcher and if the later versions of it work and don't cause me any problems the next time I purchase an Aerosoft product, I will continue to use it.But I also can sympathize with Swoop's concerns. I resent it when I find out that an installer has done things to my system that it did not warn me it would do and which I did not agree to. And I do think there's a bit of a "slppery slope" argument that can be made that if people don't uphold their right to determine what is and is not allowed to happen to their system, even a reputable company can begin to erode its own principles over time. It's just human nature to push the limits and try to "improve" things and make things more "efficient" and profitable. Every now and then consumers need to say "no" and draw the line.I'm not suggesting that anyone has crossed any line in this case - just that it is a legitimate concern that at some point even a trusted and reputable developer might violate somebody's right to control what information is extracted from their system and what can and cannot be done to modify their system, even though they have no ill intent.In this case Swoop, I hope you will reconsider. Otherwise you will be cutting yourself off from many of the limited number of new products we can hope to see for FS9. But I do think you've raised an issue for simmers to think about and debate

[ErnstB 13]

Hi Ian,Well, after your encouraging words I purchased, downloaded and installed Anchorage and activated it using the launcher for the 1st time.It all worked well except for the scenery.cfg file which was corrupted after the activation (scenery entries ended whithin the area.658 with a real total of 702).But your recommendation of backing up the scenery.cfg file solved this problem.My first impression of this scenery is really very positive, perhaps a bit sterile. The inclusion of Lake Hood in combination with AI traffic from Roger Wensley makes this part quite living!Anchorage is a clear recommendation!Thanks for your help and best regardsErnst

[kiwiflyer45 123]

Hi Ian,Well, after your encouraging words I purchased, downloaded and installed Anchorage and activated it using the launcher for the 1st time.It all worked well except for the scenery.cfg file which was corrupted after the activation (scenery entries ended whithin the area.658 with a real total of 702).But your recommendation of backing up the scenery.cfg file solved this problem.My first impression of this scenery is really very positive, perhaps a bit sterile. The inclusion of Lake Hood in combination with AI traffic from Roger Wensley makes this part quite living!Anchorage is a clear recommendation!Thanks for your help and best regardsErnst

Hi ErnstI'm very glad I could be of some help. That's what AVSIM is all about.Best regards to you tooIan

[Raphael_Chacon 42]

Hello guys,

 

I know this is kind of old topic, but  I just bought the Anchorage in SImmarket, installed it and i got the ultra famous messages of:  Area 004 / 081/083/102-10x   not found.

If i try to delete the numbers and go on inside the Scenery CFG file, surprise, the folders in the FSX/SCENERY   are gone(Not all but, NAMC/ and such like that exactly corresponding to the errors shown 004/.081/etc....)  So, even if i try to open FSX, i dont have the folders.....just gone!!!  My god!.....

 

Also,  the Default flight Save file is also gone, and after getting all those errors, and the end shows the  "Default Flight not found, FSX Will close!!!"

 

 

Geeeeeeee

 

 

Whats going on here?

 

 

Im pretty sure i did not install any other thing before, in fact.......i was using thje simulator through a long flight as i use to do, this one was a 12hrs flight....   so..... definitelly the sim was ok....

 

I Downloaded and isntalled the  2GB PANC/Launcher(Cause for some reason, couldnt download the updated to version 12 using the old one......    Of course, its installed now but not working at all......the files are gone!

 

My god..:!

 

 

Any clues?   Is this launcher doing this?  May be a protection something in it?     Im very ###### off about it.......    2gb download,  the sim is just gone, and probabbly will have to deal with it again if i try Aerosoft Sceneries, because of course, there are not guaranties....

 

Thanks for support...

[WingZ 547]

You know, webestereo, I do believe your problem might be better addressed by Aerosoft support.

In the FSX department... as this is an FS2004 forum! 

 

See how restrained I am, not using these stupid "ratings" buttons instead?

 

But Alaska is a whole region missing from my sim.

Maybe this is the time, finally,to rejuvenate the sim with something completely different.

 

What's the final experience of this FS9 scenery, I am wondering (I thought Aerosoft had ditched the Launcher thing. And yes, it did eat a whole lot of my sim before I starting avoiding it )

[edetroit 933]

 

What's the final experience of this FS9 scenery

 

As a very keen B742F virtual pilot PANC is a must have. I like the Aerosoft scenery very much indeed!