I am well aware that by default, the Flight Simulator X programme is installed in C:\Program files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator X. The same for \Addon Scenery; \SimObjects; \Effects; \Gauges;\Scenery; \Sound; \Texture; \Autogen and \Missions. New aircraft, sceneries, etc. , downloaded and/or bought, are installed in these directories. As operating system crashes often result in loss of data from the C: drive I'd like to keep files generated by myself (flightplans etc.) on a separate (hard)disk. Which files (eg .flt, wsx, .pln) can be stored on a separate disk and what is the recommended location/file structure? Is by any chance the (in)famous "My Documents" folder the best option? It can easily be moved from the C:drive to a separate drive.

You can install FSX anywhere, and it's actually reccommended to NOT install it in the Program Files folder.

 

But also, I think your worries are unfounded. An operating system crash can't kill your FSX installation. I've worked with PCs for years and have never seen an operating system crash resulting in a loss of data from any drive, other than occasionally the odd system file or files that were being written to at the time of the crash etc.

 

The harddrive FSX is on won't have any bearing on this. I keep my FSX on a separate partition just for convenience.

The files you need to look after are:-

 

C:\Users\(your username)

\Application Data\Microsoft\FSX\*.*

\Application Data\EZCA\ <-- if you have..

\AppData\

\Documents\EZCA Profiles\ <-- if you have..

\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files\*.* <--- Saved flights, Flight Plans, and the LogBook.bin

 

Also useful to remember:-

 

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X SDK\ <-- the SDK

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX\ <-- Scenery data

C:\Program Files (x86)\NaturalPoint\ <-- if you have TrackIR

 

HiFi (ASE) and MyTraffic also have files in C:, too, so don't forget them: do a thorough folder-by folder before you commit, if you are blowing away a Win7 installation.

Make sure you get your product purchase and license documentation and all email and email backups.

At the end of a new installation go to Flight1 and download their FSX registration tool: once you run this your FSX will be registered properly.

 

Yes, you can put your docs on a different drive, but, as BFG said - you're not going to lose that data from a crash - you're going to lose it because you deleted it, and then emptied the recycle bin. NEVER do this after you have deleted any file - OR - they will get deleted because they were forgotten in the heated atmoshere which always surrounds an OS re-install. (Ask me about my logbook.bin some day. Much better to simply run a backup of those files, via a script every day, (if it's that important to you) or the whole flight sim plus those folders, or perhaps the complete drive, using a proper utility - like these examples:- FBackup or Macrium Reflect (both free and 64 bit). All of this can be done quite quickly and easily..

 

Cheers,

 

pj

BGF and Paul, thanks for your swift feedback!

 

I am about to install FSX on a dual boot (W7 64) system with 1 (number 1 C:) HDD drive for the "normal" duty programmes (Office, Audio/Photo/Video software) and 1 (second C:) SDD for FSX sec. A copy of FSX is already running on number 1 HDD.

 

Datastorage is available on at least 2 separate HDD's. The My Documents folder of number 1 HDD has been redirected to one of these separate drives. I run very regular backups to a NAS (Netgear Duo) of all datafiles (including the redirected My Documents) and the C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X folder files. Programme in use: Goodsync

 

Reason for this set up? If there is a system crash and W7 needs to be reinstalled and requires a reformat I loose user data that are by MS default often stored on the C: drive. I apply the same policy to my laptop, which holds 2 (real) HDD's.

 

Since the imminent installation of the SDD is obviously the result of an unstoppable "need for speed", which I do not want to loose due to "digital ping pong" between drives when having programme and userfiles on separate drives, I wonder if a one drive approach together with a stringent back-up policy is a better approach than my current 2 drive set up..

 

TS

Userfiles are so sparingly read that I doubt you'll notice any difference at all from them being on SSD or not. It's the scenery and textures that are the bottleneck, and they are either in the FSX core folder, or in a user specified folder.

 

So I wouldn't worry about the 3 user files location.

 

Btw, you can't have 2 'C:' drives, so your SSD will be D: or E:

Re two C: drives.. Yes you can have two bootable drives if you have a dual boot system....

 

Re your comment that the datafiles will be sparingly read and the fact that one can install FSX on it's own drive, this brings me to the idea of sticking to a single boot and install my FSX and userfiles, etc.on the "clean" SSD. However what's the traffic that will go on between my videocard/drivers on the C; drive and FSX on the SSD? In a dual boot system I would have FSX and the videocard drivers snugly together on one (SSD) drive..