I intend to run a dual installation (at least for now) of FSX and FSX Steam on my gaming machine. I've bought the Steam version at the last sale but I'm still doing my homework before installing.

 

Pete Dowson has suggested that a fairly painless means of running a parallel installation without duplicating a lot of add-on scenery and aircraft files is to go into FSX and edit scenery.cfg, fsx.cfg, dll.xml and exe.xml to use full paths to all files referenced in them, then copy and paste these into the equivalent FSX:SE folders. (I'll also copy and paste terrain.cfg and cameras.cfg since I've done some customizations to both of these files). He also suggests doing a copy and paste of the gauges, effects, sounds and modules folders (maybe scenery also). Although it means duplicating a few GB, this approach seems safer than using symbolic links to share resouces.

 

My question is, if I follow Pete's advice, will that impact how the V2.7 fixer is intended to operate to support a dual install? I basically understand the technique (effectively uninstall in one sim, alter the path, then resistall in the other sim). Aside from processing Effects files and flipping a few settings in the FSX.CFG,  where does the fixer do it's magic? Will follow Pete's advice undermine the way fixer is supposed to work or if I've already done effects and fsx.cfg, can I copy shader files (or whatever) to FSX:SE and be done?

Leave the shader files completely alone. The fixer should sort all that out.

 

On Pete's linkage I think it will be ok the only thing to watch is that the fixer state matches the directories and files.

 

So uninstall the fixer libraries before you start the copy and paste of directories such as effects and similarly for fsx.cfg.

 

Be aware that if you ever uninstall fsx leaving just fsx-se then 2.7 will not be happy, 2.8 will address that case.

Thanks Steve - understood!

 

 

 

Be aware that if you ever uninstall fsx leaving just fsx-se then 2.7 will not be happy, 2.8 will address that case.

 

That would be my ultimate intent, but I think there will be bigger issues then Fixer if/when I delete the FSX install. Yet another adventure I look forward to!. :-)

I recently switched to FSX SE installed on its own drive, with a copy of FSX boxed on the C:\ drive.  I have changed fsx.exe to fsx.sav to "deactivate" boxed version.  However, when I now load SE with DX10 preview selected, I get a completely black screen, both in aircraft preview window in Startup and when trying to load a flight.

 

I installed Steve's Fixer for the boxed version.  I downloaded the latest Fixer version and tried to install it over the Fixer files (in c:\Program Files x86 )in the boxed FSX, but it still shows the "old" fsx.exe file in the Controller window.  I cannot seem to be able to change this to the new location in the Controller window.

 

I have just posted this problem in the AVSIM FSX forum without realizing this is the appropriate forum.

 

Any thoughts ?

 

Dave Hinson

Dave, you need to uninstall the libraries then you will be able to change the path to the SE path and then install the libraries

That did it.  Thanks.