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barrel_owl

FSX Steam Edition creates "FSX-SE" folders instead of "FSX"

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Hi,

after running both FSX boxed and FSX Steam Edition in parallel for some weeks for testing purposes, I finally decided to uninstall both of them and only reinstall a clean version of FSX Steam Edition (which is performing much better on my system, for the records), having care to remove all remaining folders, remove all FSX related addons and clean the registry, as explained here in several topics. I also used CCleaner to help me find any signs of obsolete paths and other remnants of previous installs and addons within the Registry. Despite this, FSX Steam creates folders named "FSX-SE" instead of "FSX", as expected when you run a single installation. No matter how many times I rename those folders "FSX" or change the name from "fsx_se.cfg" to "fsx.cfg" under "C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX" or rename the appropriate keys in the Registry, as soon as I launch FSX Steam, the program automatically regenerates the following four new folders:

 

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX-SE
C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\FSX-SE
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\FSX-SE
C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX-SE

 

with a new "fsx_se.cfg" file under ""C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX".

 

I found a guy on the Steam forum who had exactly the same issue as I and finally succeeded after removing all the previous addons. I followed his guideline, uninstalled FSX Steam, repeated the whole cleaning procedure, ran CCleaner again until no further signs of previous FSX installations were visible, then I reinstalled FSX Steam again. However, the problem persists. FSX Steam apparently detects some residual trace of the FSX boxed installation in some folder or registry key I am not aware of and installs the program as it were running in dual mode with an existing FSX boxed version.

 

After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to open this post. Maybe Pete, Craig or any other advanced user who is going through this procedure since late December have some actionable advice for me to solve this problem. Apparently, I only have two options at the moment: either I accept to use FSX Steam edition with "FSX-SE" folders (which is itself no big deal, but is also far from being what I aimed to achieve when I decided to uninstall the FSX boxed version) or I perform a complete reformat and clean install of my system, which at the moment I am not considering, since I am using my computer for mainly work and this would require several days and a lot of work to reconfigure all authentications, logins etc. besides reinstalling all the business software.

 

I would be very glad if someone could help me solve this issue without reformatting my system.

Thanks a lot in advance.

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Hi barrel_owl, sorry I hav'nt got an answer for you but I am very interested in what you have found so far. I have been looking at FSX:SE but the one critical factor for me is that I install my sim on a seperate (non system c:) SSD drive. And I have not seen anyone say (even in the great review in the new issue of PC Pilot issue 96) that this is possible. So I'm hoping that if someone answers you question they may clarify my query as well. Cheers Anton.


Anton von Sierakowski (YBDG) Rig: ASUS Gryphon Z87 TUF Micro-ATX; i7 4770K 4.3GHz 16Gb RAM, RTX2060 6Gb, 1Tb SSD boot, 2Tb SSD MFS2020, 250Gb SSD Spare. 4Gb HDD. Saitek X55/rudders. GA and light Jet flyer.

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did you remove the FSX registry key?

 

FSX registry key (64 bit o/s):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\microsoft games\flight simulator\10.0

 

FSX registry key (32 bit o/s):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\microsoft games\flight simulator\10.0

 

 

DTG\FSX:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\DovetailGames\FSX

 

Also before installing -SE you could try renaming:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\appmanifest_314160.acf


Steve Waite: Engineer at codelegend.com

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HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Microsoft\

 

Mmm... interesting. I thought I had removed that, actually I see now that it is still there, although the key is set to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\" instead of to the former FSX boxed. OK, I'll remove this and give another try.

 

 

FSX registry key (32 bit o/s):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\microsoft games\flight simulator\10.0

 

Removed.

 

 

DTG\FSX:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\DovetailGames\FSX

 

 

No such key in the Registry.

 

 

 

DTG\FSX:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\DovetailGames\FSX

No such key in the Registry.

 

 

 

Also before installing -SE you could try renaming:

C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps\appmanifest_314160.acf

Sorry, I can't find this file. Can't say whether I removed it after the last uninstall, but I performed a search on my system and there is currently no "appmanifest" file.

 

Thank you very much, I'm giving a new attempt. I will let you know.

 

 

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Mmm... interesting. I thought I had removed that, actually I see now that it is still there, although the key is set to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\" instead of to the former FSX boxed. OK, I'll remove this and give another try.

That's right, the steam installer will make that key so that regular FSX addons can find the new steam edition. If it finds that key the installer will elevate to the -SE install.


Steve Waite: Engineer at codelegend.com

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That's right, the steam installer will make that key so that regular FSX addons can find the new steam edition. If it finds that key the installer will elevate to the -SE install.

 

No luck, unfortunately. I removed that key from the registry, restarted my PC and redownloaded FSX Steam.

The program still creates FSX-SE folders as usual. 

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...I install my sim on a separate (non system c:) SSD drive. And I have not seen anyone say (even in the great review in the new issue of PC Pilot issue 96) that this is possible.

It is possible.

 

I had no previous Steam content so when I installed Steam I pointed it to a custom folder location.

 

When I then installed FSX:SE it went into the Steam folder.

 

If you already have Steam installed in the Program Files folder, there is a way to set up a "library" for FSX outside of the Steam folder.

 

regards,

Joe


The best gift you can give your children is your time.

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Hi barrel_owl, sorry I hav'nt got an answer for you but I am very interested in what you have found so far. I have been looking at FSX:SE but the one critical factor for me is that I install my sim on a seperate (non system c:) SSD drive. And I have not seen anyone say (even in the great review in the new issue of PC Pilot issue 96) that this is possible. So I'm hoping that if someone answers you question they may clarify my query as well. Cheers Anton.

 

To the best of my knowledge, you can install FSX-SE wherever you want, no matter whether on the disk you're running your OS or any other additional disk on your system. When you download the file from the Steam server, you're given the option to choose your preferred path. The default path is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX", but you can change it.

 

I can assure you that both versions can live together on the same SSD disk (primary disk on my system), therefore I see no reason why you should not succeed installing FSX-SE on a different unit than C. The only problem I am encountering is that after removing both versions I can't have FSX Steam installing in single mode. Despite all my efforts and my deep registry cleanup, it keeps on detecting some previous sign of simulator installation and installs itself in parallel mode, although no FSX-MS or addons are present anymore.

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Hi barrel,

Referring strictly to your original post:

To permit co-existence of both FSX versions the steam version requires the different names.  The names do not come out of thin air but are generated by the Steam FSX code.  If the files are not found they are created.  Anything else I could say would just be editorializing.

Jim F.

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Jim, while what you state is certainly true, it is incomplete. When installed on a virgin system, that is one that has never had FSX (disk version) installed...

 

...FSX:SE will install precisely the same as the FSX (disk version) using the same Registry Key. This means that all products for FSX will install without any drama or jumping through convoluted hoops. :Applause:

 

As far as the OP's problem, it is patently obvious that despite using CCleaner, some remnant of FSX-SE is remaining in the Registry...

 

The very fact that others have succeeded at the task shows that it can be done.


Fr. Bill    

AOPA Member: 07141481 AARP Member: 3209010556


     Avsim Board of Directors | Avsim Forums Moderator

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Hi barrel,

Referring strictly to your original post:

To permit co-existence of both FSX versions the steam version requires the different names.  The names do not come out of thin air but are generated by the Steam FSX code.  If the files are not found they are created.  Anything else I could say would just be editorializing.

Jim F.

 

Hi Jim, thank you for your post.

 

Yes, I am aware of this. The co-existence worked fine here for almost two months. It made perfect sense to me that FSX Steam created "FSX-SE" folders on my system as long as I had FSX boxed installed as well. The problem now is that I completely uninstalled FSX boxed and removed all critical and obsolete keys from the registry, still FSX Steam keeps on detecting some sign of previous installation and installs itself in "parallel mode", i.e. as FSX-MS were still there, while it is actually not there anymore.

 

It would be interesting to know at which elements on a system does the FSX Steam actually look at in order to determine whether there is another simulator installed or not. So far I removed all cricial keys as suggested by many posters here, however with no luck.

 

Needless to say, this is something most of simmers will never go through. Obviously the ideal situation when you switch from one version to the other is to reformat the disk and perform a fresh new clean install, which unfortunately is not my case.

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Hi barrel,

My belief is that the Steam version is not detecting a previous version but is simply installing the needed files (specifically, those you cited in your OP) to where it's coding specifies.  To be absolutely certain of this the Steam version would have to be installed to a virgin system but I would be willing to bet quite a bit that this is the case.

Jim F.

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Hi barrel,

My belief is that the Steam version is not detecting a previous version but is simply installing the needed files (specifically, those you cited in your OP) to where it's coding specifies.  To be absolutely certain of this the Steam version would have to be installed to a virgin system but I would be willing to bet quite a bit that this is the case.

Jim F.

 

Hi Jim,

while I never had the pleasure to use FSX Steam alone so far (only in parallel mode with FSX-MS boxed), it is undisputable that FSX Steam uses exactly the same folder names as the classic FSX, only exception being that the default path changes to "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX". All folders within the root are the same. All folders outside the root directory, specifically under C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\... , C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\..., C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\..., C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\... are exactly the same as in FSX-MS, i.e. "FSX".

 

Things change whenever the FSX Steam installer detects a previous installation on the disk or something that it considers as the sign of an existing Microsoft Flight Simulation X installation. In this case and only in this case it automatically generates new folders named "FSX-SE" to avoid any confusion with the classic version. 

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Hi barrel,

Just to be clear I'm only referring to the files you cited in your OP.  If I understand correctly you're saying that if no previous version of FSX was ever installed on the system those files you initially referenced will not have the "-SE" appended to the names.  I own the Steam version and a netbook which (obviously) has never had FSX installed.  I could install the Steam version to verify that the "-SE" would be part of the filenames but I feel so certain of this that it seems preposterous.  If you have personally seen a Steam installation where the "-SE" was not added, let me know and I will install the Steam version on the netbook and we'll go from there.

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Hi barrel,

Just to be clear I'm only referring to the files you cited in your OP.  If I understand correctly you're saying that if no previous version of FSX was ever installed on the system those files you initially referenced will not have the "-SE" appended to the names.  I own the Steam version and a netbook which (obviously) has never had FSX installed.  I could install the Steam version to verify that the "-SE" would be part of the filenames but I feel so certain of this that it seems preposterous.  If you have personally seen a Steam installation where the "-SE" was not added, let me know and I will install the Steam version on the netbook and we'll go from there.

 

Hi Jim,

please refer to this post. The whole thread is full of important information.

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