Currently the dovetail version of fsx is selling on steam for only $5. Might pick it up at that price even if I don't install it. Just in case you know.

I did that Ant mainly so I can test installers... :ph34r:

Let me know how you go Bill. Will save me having to download the whole thing.

 

I just purchased it. At that price how can you not even if it is just to have a backup?

 

For the stuff I do I imagine it would just be a simple matter of pointing to the installer program to the proper new location for FSX steam (where ever that is). But for stuff that auto updates scenery.cfg or makes other changes to the inner workings (like ORBX stuff) this would be a problem I imagine. Or for the Flight1 installers, that may be a problem too.

Ant, for reasons presumably for compatibility, Dovetail are using the exact same Registry key used by 'regular' FSX, so installers should not need to be rewritten at all...

 

On the other hand, if one has both FSX:MS and FSX:SE on the same computer, I foresee a high probability of conflicts...

 

...moreso because both versions use the same path for the fsx.cfg, dll.xml, cameras.cfg files, etc. :blink:

 

P.S. I just installed the Milviz C310R with no problems at all. Of course, I only have FSX:SE version installed on my dev machine, so there was no problem with the Registry path information.

As per Ryan's reply to your earlier post in this thread about PMDG:

 

http://forum.avsim.net/topic/457475-pmdg-products-and-steam/page-2

 

I am wondering if FSX:SE is using the MS locations by default if there is no existing FSX:MS installation. But if there is an existing installation you get an option to do a side by side install which creates new FSX:SE locations.

 

Sounds like this could be a bit of a headache inducing setup.

 

Can't really check anything myself as I have only 4GB on my internet left for this month so will have to wait a few days before I can even download FSX:SE.

Yep, even knowing that, it's going to present a thorny problem for those of us who actually code installer packages for our products.
 
If the Registry Key for FSX:SE can be "different" depending on the user's choices, it will be difficult to create the logic for that situation! Currently I allow two install options:

        ${If} $RadioButton_State == 1
              ReadRegStr $INSTDIR HKLM "Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator\10.0" SetupPath
	${EndIf}

        ${If} $RadioButton2_State == 1
              ReadRegStr $INSTDIR HKLM "Software\LockheedMartin\Prepar3D" SetupPath
        ${EndIf}

If only FSX:MS or FSX:SE is installed, the first option will work for either one. However, if there is a different Registry Key created by a side-by-side installation, that is where the fox gets in the hen house!

Agreed. It's not an elegant implementation by dovetail if this is how there installer actually works.

Agreed. It's not an elegant implementation by dovetail if this is how there installer actually works.

Umberto (virtuali) has confirmed that this is precisely how it works. If FSX(MS) is already installed, then the user is asked if they want to do a side-by-side installation.

 

In such a case then there will be a new Registry entry for FSX_SE created with a different AppPath entry...

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator - Steam Edition

 

On the other hand, how many people will actually opt to have both installed on the same computer? There's no real advantage to doing so.

I see it as a huge advantage to have two installations of FSX at the same computer. That way I could tailor each FSX version for different uses. One for playing missions, another for developer work, or setup one with ORBX scenery and one with France VFR. Or even better. Have one version to test installs so you don't have to ruin your main sim with that buggy addon that ruins your whole setup. In the past I used a dual boot system with two separate FSX versions installed. One with Acceleration and one with SP2.

 

Today I use P3D v1.4 and FSX that way. Prepar3D v2.4 is my simulator, FSX is used to play missions and Prepar3D v1.4 for developer work.

Near us there is a chain of stores called Microcenter.  The one near us had a fairly decent catalog of Flight Simulator Add-ons and Flight Sims.  THe one near me doesn't have it in stock anymore but I have seen it on the shelf in the past.  If you live near one it may be worth looking to see if they have one in stock maybe in a bargain bin.

Free disk burning software that creates/burns ISO: BurnAware.

Excellent product, even does bluray if you so need it.

Finally got serious about backing up my discs and checked out all the suggested software. I'm sure they all have upsides, but I found BurnAware the most impressive. It always helps to hear from someone with personal experience in a preferred program instead of finding links from ad-driven webpages. Thank you for the guidance.  :smile: