The strangest thing...

[Pe11e 812]

The strangest thing happened today to my installation of FSX.

Started FSX with Shade, and Shade reported "FSX registry path is unreadable...". I instantly checked FS registry repair tool, no luck. The I started FSX with default icon, with few missing scenery messages greetings, then opening screen appeared with NO aircraft model visible, and after few seconds FSX crashes. I was totally confused with the situation... went to FSX folder to search for clues. I was in awe when I saw that Addon Scenery and Texture folders are missing! And God knows what else is missing from FSX?!

I checked today some regular fixes in FlusiFix 2006 V5.0, like AI Taxi Speed, Contrails Duration, and installed Radar Gauge. So, if FlusiFix screwed the FSX, I would tell you to stay away from that app, but since I'm not sure what caused this mess, I'll be reserved.

Can't remember if I unistalled some rarely used aircraft last night, and if I did, that was surely a payware plane, so I can't blame uninstallers neither.

 

So, tomorrow is a judgment day, my 86gb FSX installation will go to heaven. Most brutal thing about reinstalling is that I must backup all the files that I customised (aircraft.cfg files, sounds, and again God know what else), and it i's time consuming just to search for all these files. Second part is installation of FSX, third part is a loop = run FSX, install addon, run FSX. Much worse than rainstalling OS, if you ask me.

 

Anyway, did anyone had similiar experience, or nightmare in my case?

 

To protect myself, I'm a computer EXPERT, so I didn't deleted these folders by mistake or something.

[aalawand 3]

try reinstalling 400 gb of applications AND windows 7

[cmpbellsjc 2,963]

I was in awe when I saw that Addon Scenery and Texture folders are missing!

 

Not that it will help your situation but I had a similar thing happen to me recently on my non-FSX computer. I have this folder that I use to keep screen shots of when I pay my bills and get a conformation. I have literally years worth of screen shots in that folder that I keep just in case I ever get notice that a payment was not made on something. Anyway, a few weeks ago I went to access that folder and for whatever reason 90% of the hundreds of screen shots I had taken had suddenly vanished. Like you, I knew there was no way that I deleted them. I checked my recycle bin and other mics places on my HD to see if I accidentally moved them knowing that it was a slim shot as I couldn't just move hundred of jpegs without knowing it.

 

After messing around for hours trying to figure out what happened and many google searches on the subject of missing files, I found a thread somewhere that recommened I run the built in checkdisk utility. After I ran it and it fixed a few errors, I rebooted and then when to that folder where I was missing all those screen shots and to my amazement, they had all returned. Frankly I am still not sure what had happened from one day to the next to make all those files go missing, but running chkdisk seemed to fix the problem.

 

Not saying the same thing happened to you or that will fix it, but it could be worth a try before you go reinstalling the whole thing again. BTW, if it doesn't work and your going to do a reinstall you could always try running a repair, although that wont fix any overwritten texture files from any addons like GEX or other addons which might have over written files in either of those two folders your missing.

[Pe11e 812]

Oh hell, I already copied a backup of default texture folder into FSX installation folder, I'm not sure what to do now, or just simply to run chkdisk...? It's worth trying.

 

Sent from my U8815 using Tapatalk 2

[CoolP 283]

I recall that there was an Orbx installer once causing trouble when people aborted it. Only few were affected and they've exchanged the installer very quickly, but, for some.. :( . That's just to give an example that there may be cases of really good payware which, on some systems, causes trouble of that kind. On the Orbx case, they even offered individual compensation measures.

 

Good luck getting the installation back to work though. :Peace:

[RCITGuy 35]

What about restoring from a daily/weekly backup?

[Damien 4]

Any chance that your hard drive is going bad? I had something like this happen where I ended up losing all of my pictures from my 8 years in the Navy in Japan on an external drive.. First started with data corruption of some of the pictures... grey lines.. garbled text on the picture.. eventually it had taken all the pictures with no recovery available by a computer recovery expert and it happened quick.. maybe over the course of a few days.

 

FSX reinstalls are a pain in the rear as well.. I decided that the $40 win8 upgrade looked tempting.. unfortunately, hated the GUI and tried to roll back to Win7. That failed and I had to pretty much start over.. including all the registry links to FSX on a separate drive. Acronis was no help with the recovery and I was forced to start over completely..

 

Good luck!

 

-Damien

[Pe11e 812]

CHKDISK didn't help, so I'm one step closer to full reinstall.

 

I recall that there was an Orbx installer once causing trouble when people aborted it. Only few were affected and they've exchanged the installer very quickly, but, for some.. :( . That's just to give an example that there may be cases of really good payware which, on some systems, causes trouble of that kind. On the Orbx case, they even offered individual compensation measures.

 

Good luck getting the installation back to work though. :Peace:

 

Hmmm, 2 days ago I bought ORBX England, and tested it in FSX right away, no problems detected.

 

Any chance that your hard drive is going bad? I had something like this happen where I ended up losing all of my pictures from my 8 years in the Navy in Japan on an external drive.. First started with data corruption of some of the pictures... grey lines.. garbled text on the picture.. eventually it had taken all the pictures with no recovery available by a computer recovery expert and it happened quick.. maybe over the course of a few days.

 

FSX reinstalls are a pain in the rear as well.. I decided that the $40 win8 upgrade looked tempting.. unfortunately, hated the GUI and tried to roll back to Win7. That failed and I had to pretty much start over.. including all the registry links to FSX on a separate drive. Acronis was no help with the recovery and I was forced to start over completely..

 

Good luck!

 

-Damien

 

Don't push bad luck mate. Last thing I need now is corrupted HD. But anyway I'll run scan disk with surface scan to search for bad sectors. Wish me luck.

 

Cheers all for advices!

[Damien 4]

Any luck?

 

-Damien

[Pe11e 812]

Reinstalled, everything is fine.

Currently testing Word Not Allowed's FTFF=0 with internal lock at 30fps, and no blurries even at 1260 knots in slew mode, nice! Next step, installing PMDG MD-11 (just bought it, lol) and see how the FTFF=0 will keep with detailed plane.

 

After that I'll start installing addons, one by one.

 

cheers

[Damien 4]

good to hear...

 

-Damien

[Pe11e 812]

Ok, here is the truth about this mess. And I'm really pi**ed off...

 

I have a brother, he also is a flight simmer, but he rarely use FSX cause he's busy. Two or three nights ago after midnight he had a free time for FSX when I was sleeping. He downloaded a pirated copy of PMDG MD-11, installed it and tested it during that late night. He went to the work that day, and he phoned me from work to tell me how awesome MD-11 is. That's the main reason I checked MD-11 thread and bought it today! Few minutes ago he admited that he brought on external drive a pirated copy of MD-11, and (important) he also downloaded an official update from PMDG site. And that update ruined my FSX installation (cause pirated key was recognised), deleting various folders and files! He installed the update, and right after he saw that FSX is kaput, he knew the update caused that!

 

Anyway I googled and found this:

 

I call it "malware" because for all intents and purposes, the PMDG MD-11 update will cause enough damage to your FS9 that you will have to reinstall key components should you try to use a "black balled" license key. I have spoken to a few individuals who (through lack of better judgment) chose to use an illegal copy of the MD-11. Based on their feedback, I have composed these steps as a recovery option.

Symptoms after attempting to upgrade the MD-11:

1. Default Microsoft textures are missing

- This is because the PMDG update application deleted this folder.

2. Default Microsoft TERRAIN.DLL file missing.

- This is because the PMDG update application deleted this file.

3. Default Microsoft Weather.DLL file missing.

- This is because the PMDG update application deleted this file.

4. Default Microsoft Africa scenery missing.

- This is because the PMDG update application deleted this file.

5. Default Microsoft weather directory (clouds/themes) corrupted to the point that at 77% flight load (where weather is called in), FS9 crashes.

- Since PMDG removes the Weather.DLL file and a replacement from the fs9update.exe supplied by Microsoft does not replace the Weather folder, one could only assume the two are related.

 

-----------------

 

Exactly that stuff is missing from my FSX.

 

First, I'm furious at my brother! While I'm buying FSX stuff supporting the developers, he downloaded pirated stuff behind my back!

Second, how on earth PMDG has a right to mess up FSX installation? Logical thing to do is to delete PMDG MD-11 files from FSX, cause that is pirated, not entire FSX!

 

I'm still in awe.

[LHookins 3,113]

I remember when software would try to format your disk when it detected a problem. This was back in the days of floppies; dunno if it happened to anyone's hard drive.

 

So... ever had a valid serial number that wasn't recognized by a company? Never happens, right? They're justified in not allowing the update, nothing more.

 

Hook

[Damien 4]

Wow.. that sucks but I'm glad to hear you got the problem figured out. I'd be ready to kill the brother.

 

-Damien

[LHookins 3,113]

Here's the rest of the post quoted above:

 

One might say that PMDG is protected by the EULA which as a consumer, you must agree to before installing. I would like to point out that destruction of a legally acquired copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator is not included in this EULA. A copy of the MD-11 EULA was sent to me by a licensed operator who pointed out the following lines:

 

"n. You further agree that if you are found to be using an unlicensed, stolen, pirated or otherwise illegal version of this software that PMDG may uninstall our intellectual property from your computer and that you assume all risk for possible damage that may occur during this process. "

 

As it's written, "uninstall our intellectual property from your computer" actually goes well above the legal limits of this agreement by removing Microsoft specific files required for game play. These actions taken by the PMDG application should be considered before installing any products they currently distribute.

 

Following this is the recovery procedure.

 

Hook