Double Install Required During Manual Activation

[RKillins 1]

Am I the only one having problems installing this software?

 

Despite having all the proper registration information, I am unable to activate online. I am constantly being told I need to connect to the internet. Whatever.

So my only other option is to do the manual activation.

 

I run the wrapper as administrator, choose manual validation and proceeding with the generation of the offline validation export file. This .fsc file is successfully created and kept in the folder with the downloaded executable.

 

The wrapper then proceeds to successfully install the application, and to repair Microsoft Visual C++ 2010 x86 Redistributable to it's original state. There is NO user interaction at this point, resulting in the application being downloaded to c:\Program Files (x86). I run the DX10 controller application, select the FSX Path, press to install the libraries and am introduced to the DX10 Controller License Validation window. It states that by seeing this screen after using the FlightSim Store wrapper, that it has "failed to install properly. Uninstall and install a second time."

 

OK ... I missed a step in the manual activation. The export of the .fsc file to get the key file. But then again ... I didn't have an opportunity to do this! It proceeded to install without providing me an opportunity to select the .fsk downloaded from the FlightSim Store.

 

So I uninstall. I proceed to the FlightSim Store's Manual Wrapper Validation page, and export my previously created .fsc file. An .fsk file is generated, and I save it with the executable.

 

I launch the DX10SceneryFixer as administrator, once again choosing the manual validation method. This time, I choose to import the key file generated and downloaded from FSS. Browse to the file, hit next ...

 

 

What the  .... ?

 

So I fool around for hours, going through the whole process repeatedly.

 

This is what I found!

 

If I don't uninstall like advised (in red above), and simply rerun the installation executable, selecting manual activiation, and applying the .fsk file at that point, the activation is successful and the installation process starts ... AGAIN. It has already been installed once, but needs to be installed a second time, I guess to overwrite the internal activation code. So, that is fine (complicated, misleading, easily misunderstood), but it works as long as the user installes a second time to the defaulted installation folder. The problem is, it's installed to c:\Program Files (x86) (from the first installation prior to activation). During the second installation option, the user is actually prompted as to where to install the application ... something not provided initially. This is good ... because honestly, I don't want to install it in c:\Program Files (x86) ... I'd rather keep the installation with my other FSX apps on it's dedicated drive.

 

But what happens if change the destination at this point?! Will I have two installations, one in c:\Program Files (x86) and one it the preferred location? As it stands now, I am forced to keep the installation in the c:\Program Files (x86) folder. If I unistall it from there, I can't validate.

 

The issues:

1) If the application is going to install before being validated with the .fsk file, why is the user not being offered an opportunity to change the destination directory at that time?

2) After the initial install, DX10Fixer runs as normal leading the user to believe that everything has been installed OK. Only when they try to install the sceneries are they prompted to enter validation information, which subsequently results in an error. The user is advised to unistall! No!? They should be told to re-install (in this manual activation scenario anyway) which will give them the opportunity to process the fsk file. That s the only way DX10Fixer will be validated.

3) Having the application go through the installation process ... once to install it (without destination option) and the second to activate it (and then allowing destination directory option) is super confusing and I anticipate can open up a can of worms. BUT ... who really knows where they are supposed to install anyway? Even that isn't very cut and dry ... is it better installed where the initial install is?

 

Rob

 

 

 

 

[SteveFx 258]

Hi Rob,

 

I will pass this on to the FSS store.   From what I can tell/guess perhaps 1% of installs have some sort of issue like this.  There is nothing that I believe that I can do in the code I control to fix this - other than (as I have done) adding the error text to the non FSS license prompt.

 

One reason for the FSS online installation failing is pasting a space along with the license into the license validation box - this causes it to produce a misleading error ( cannot contact store).   From what you describe the manual process can sometimes skip some steps which means that DX10SF has not been installed properly and so (correctly) it asks for the non FSS key.

 

Steve

[FSS_Adrian 0]

Hi Rob,

 

The behavior of installing after generating the .fsc file is definitely not intended and has now been corrected so it will now only install once you've imported the .fsk file.

 

As for the error "failed to install properly. Uninstall and install a second time." message at the end of the installer, this has been a common thing for many different installers since Windows Vista. You can ignore this message and rest assured that if you made it to the finish screen and the application runs that it installed correctly. What the installer does isn't rocket science so there very little chance of something fundamentally going wrong.

 

Not sure why you're getting the "key filed entered is invalid" message. Can you tell me the name of the .fsk file that the FSS website asked you to download, and that you are subsequently selecting when importing this file?

[RKillins 1]

Hi Steve ... thanks for chiming in and continuing to support your awesome product. I appreciate the prompt reply and the effort to address my issues.

 

Adrian ... I think the biggest contributing issue was the double installation. If that has been resolved, and the user is now given the option to install to a destination directory once activation is complete, it should all be good.

 

The error  "failed to install properly. Uninstall and install a second time." wasn't from the wrapper installation. This came from within the DX10SceneryFixer itself (likely part of Steve's independent validation process which is bypassed through FSS validation). After the the .fsc file was created, the wrapper automatically launched the application install to the c:\Program Files (X86) folder. Once "initially installed", the user could run the application only so far before the internal activation (not FSS wrapper) window kicked in. Obviously, one cannot activate with this. The solution in that window was to uninstall annd install a second time.

 

So, if you followed these instructions, uninstalling, and went to reinstall, you select "manual validation" from the FSS wrapper, then, using the .fsc file to upload to the FSS website, the .fsk file is successfully generated and downloaded to the user's system. However, it is at this point when you access the generated .fsk file one would get the "key filed entered is invalid" message. I think it's relying on the installation to work ... but the installation has been uninstalled.

 

This onlyhappens if you install (as suggested by the application's built in validator) the application after the first install and try to install the second time. If you don't uninstall, and follow the above steps, the .fsk file works no problem, and the application installer carries on, essentially installing a second time. This is OK providing you want to install it to the default location installed initially, but durting the second installation, the user is NOW given an opportunity to install in a unique destination directory, which could be different than the initial install location of c:\Program FIles (X86). If the user does that ... essentially there will be two installs of the application. One in c:\Program FIles (X86) - the default from the initial install - and a second in the custom destination directory selected by the user if different than c:\Program FIles (X86). I did not try to see what would happen in this scenario ... but I can't imagine having two instances of the same application installed in two different places would be a good thing.

 

My installation is fine because I learned a) don't uninstall the initial installation (as suggested), and then B) don't validate the installation to a directory other than the original installation location. Therefore, my DX10SceneryFixer resides where it was initially installed ... c:\Program FIles (X86) ... which I do not prefer.

 

Now that the initial install has been removed, the user will be able to proceed with installing, after validation, to the destination path he/she desires. The initial installation was limiting where the user could install unless wanting to face uncertian problems. The only way to validate the installation, was to keep the initial installation in c:\Program FIles (X86).

 

Adrian ... can I assume you represent FSS?