I'm doing a complete uninstall and resinstall of FSX (complete with a brand new user account on my PC) - i.e. totally starting from scratch.

 

Is there a right and wrong way to uninstall?

 

For example, I have FSX itself, plus countless add on programs.

 

My plan was to leave any addons installed that are OUTSIDE of the main FSX directory (FSGlobal Mesh, FSBuild, REX etc) and just uninstall FSX itself from the add/remove programs menu, then just manually remove any leftover files in my root FSX directory.

 

However, I have about 50 entries in my "Add/Remove programs" for payware airports, to just uninstall that one particular airport. Do I need to go through and manually uninstall every single airport in addition to FSX itself? Or will uninstalling FSX itself do this for me?

 

Thanks

http://support.precisionmanuals.com/kb/a87/how-to-uninstall-and-reinstall-fsx

 

You will probably need to reinstall all addons.

If you want to start completely CLEAN, consider formatting the whole PC and installing your OS again. That's what I would do anyway.

 

If you don't want to undergo that struggle, uninstall every FSX-related program from the "Add/remove programs" tool. One by one, and always reboot when asked for it. Then uninstall FSX. After uninstalling everything, reboot even if not requested. Uninstall EVERYTHING that's related to FSX, even REX, FSGlobal etc...

 

Don't go manually deleting folders. Just run the uninstallers. After uninstalling I would use CCleaner to check for registry errors and fix those, then reboot.

 

Don't do anything else with your PC other than running the uninstallers (one by one, never more than one at a time!), no background applications running!

If you want to start completely CLEAN, consider formatting the whole PC and installing your OS again. That's what I would do anyway.

 

If you don't want to undergo that struggle, uninstall every FSX-related program from the "Add/remove programs" tool. One by one, and always reboot when asked for it. Then uninstall FSX. After uninstalling everything, reboot even if not requested. Uninstall EVERYTHING that's related to FSX, even REX, FSGlobal etc...

 

Don't go manually deleting folders. Just run the uninstallers. After uninstalling I would use CCleaner to check for registry errors and fix those, then reboot.

 

Don't do anything else with your PC other than running the uninstallers (one by one, never more than one at a time!), no background applications running!

Thanks. Since this post I've actually talked myself into replacing my single HDD with two SSDs, one for FSX and one for everything else. So a totally clean start with a new OS installation is definitely on the horizon!

Thanks. Since this post I've actually talked myself into replacing my single HDD with two SSDs, one for FSX and one for everything else. So a totally clean start with a new OS installation is definitely on the horizon!

 

That's what I did too. 

 

Sometimes it's better to start from scratch than trying to amend a PC that has been used for years. 

 

Once you start fresh, you have to educate yourself into installing only what's STRICTLY necessary for you and your sim. I once was the "drunken sailor" guy who'd install hundreds of addons, it's kind of an addiction, a drug really.

Yep you sound like me. A much more measured and methodical approach are in order this time around!

 

Did you also replace HDD with an SSD? Was the benefit great?

Did you also replace HDD with an SSD? Was the benefit great?

 

Oh yes! Booting times have improved A LOT. From the desktop, restarting until back at the desktop takes 1 minute.

 

I've discussed many more changes on this thread, maybe you'd like to see it: http://forum.avsim.net/topic/439111-newbie-questions/

Thanks Jaime

 

Funnily enough it was actually Nick's "bible" that I stumbled across which made me want to "start again" with my FSX and OS and get things bang on from the beginning.

 

So, £300 later, I have a 500GB SSD coming for my OS and all non-FSX programs and a 250GB SSD coming for FSX and all it's addons.

 

A question - I see some people saying it's just FSX itself (and any addons that must be installed in the FSX directory) that you want on one drive, and some people saying that ALL FSX related stuff (even things that don't strictly need to be in the FSX directory, such as flight planning/charts utilities etc) should be on the one drive - what is your thought on that?

 

My initial plan was to have ALL FSX software on one drive (even if it doesn't require installation into the FSX directory), and ALL NON FSX software on another - is that the best approach? Or would I be best off installing everything that I can on the non FSX drive?

I would use the 250GB for OS and programs and the 500GB for flight simming, or 120GB for the OS (my C: drive has filled 50GB with Windows 7 and programs, there's still a 70GB clearence, plenty for installing further programs) and 1TB for the sims, but that's me. I say "flight simming" cause I'm not running FSX only, but also X-Plane 9, X-Plane 10, FS9 and in the future I might try P3D and DCS, all in the same drive. Plus, you want to have some overhead and not fill the drive more than 80% or so.

 

Maybe the optimal solution would be one drive per flight simulator. Or should I say, the optimal solution is one PC per flight simulator, lol... But I'm not that rich.

 

Every FSX-related "program", I'd want it installed in the same dedicated drive. By FS related I mean REX, Active Sky, FSGlobal and so on, all programs that actually "interact" with FSX. But charts, documents and things like that don't interact with FSX, hence I don't consider them FSX-related. . I'd say It makes no real difference where you put that, might as well have everything "aviation" related on the same drive for organization purposes. I'm no computer expert and I honestly don't know what's strictly best. But I bet there isn't an appreciable difference in FPS anyhow.

 

If you have a flight planning tool that does never interact with FSX, then you can install that where you want, in fact, the best solution is to install that on a cheap laptop and have it nearby. I call this the "relief" laptop, which I use for everything that's not FSX related while flying (charts, manuals, looking up the weather, browsing etc) and for never having to change tasks while on FSX, which should be avoided.

 

Having a relief laptop is probably the single best thing one can do in order to keep your simming PC "clean" while flying.

I would use the 250GB for OS and programs and the 500GB for flight simming, or 120GB for the OS (my C: drive has filled 50GB with Windows 7 and programs, there's still a 70GB clearence, plenty for installing further programs) and 1TB for the sims, but that's me. I say "flight simming" cause I'm not running FSX only, but also X-Plane 9, X-Plane 10, FS9 and in the future I might try P3D and DCS, all in the same drive. Plus, you want to have some overhead and not fill the drive more than 80% or so.

 

Maybe the optimal solution would be one drive per flight simulator. Or should I say, the optimal solution is one PC per flight simulator, lol... But I'm not that rich.

 

Every FSX-related "program", I'd want it installed in the same dedicated drive. By FS related I mean REX, Active Sky, FSGlobal and so on, all programs that actually "interact" with FSX. But charts, documents and things like that don't interact with FSX, hence I don't consider them FSX-related. . I'd say It makes no real difference where you put that, might as well have everything "aviation" related on the same drive for organization purposes. I'm no computer expert and I honestly don't know what's strictly best. But I bet there isn't an appreciable difference in FPS anyhow.

 

If you have a flight planning tool that does never interact with FSX, then you can install that where you want, in fact, the best solution is to install that on a cheap laptop and have it nearby. I call this the "relief" laptop, which I use for everything that's not FSX related while flying (charts, manuals, looking up the weather, browsing etc) and for never having to change tasks while on FSX, which should be avoided.

 

Having a relief laptop is probably the single best thing one can do in order to keep your simming PC "clean" while flying.

 

Thanks, appreciate your advice and feedback!

 

I run FSX in "pseudo-full screen" via LINDA and a two monitor set up, so I have one monitor with FSX in windowed mode (but looking like full screen) and another monitor to the side with Navigraph Charts, Flight Planning software, etc.

 

I don't have a seperate laptop so I think I'll just put everything that I use at all for FSX purposes on the one SSD and my OS and other non-FSX related programs on the other.