Hi, would like to know if you can have fsx loaded on a SSD, let's say in drive C and the same fsx in drive f, as a back up and as an alternative game for testing, etc. One shouldn't interfere with the other? !

 

thanks

john

No.

 

FSX has a unique footprint in the Windows registry, in AppData and ProgramData. In other words, on every machine there is only one path to FSX, one FSX.CFG, DLL.XML, EXE.XML, scenery.cfg etc. and those are the files that really count. You would have to switch those too, if you want to switch the sim. You can make a copy of your FSX and all necessary files (there are tools for this) but this copy can't run.

 

You could try setting up the second FSX like FSX:SE does, everything in it's own folder, but AFAIK you need to switch the registry keys every time you want to use on sim or the other.

 

To really keep them separate, I recommend setting up a second Windows installation exclusively for FSX on the SSD. One can get Win7 licenses relatively cheap. This has the added advantage that nothing runs in your FSX environment that you didn't consciously install there. And you keep your normal system with another FSX install for testing. I use the BIOS boot option to switch between the two.

Create a 2nd User Account. That will have its own registry entries, etc. as long as you have FSX set up for a 'single user' in each account.  I've done that to 'isolate' my FSX install from an fsx_se install and a P3D install.

 

Another option, if you just want a different configuration for testing if make a COPY of fsx.exe and rename it fsx_test.exe or whatever.

 

The make a copy of your fsx,cfg file and rename it fsx_test.cfg (if you just run the 'new' fsx_test.exe it will create a defaulr fsx_test.cfg file.

 

You can tailor the scenery.cfg file for each fsx and simply swap them when you change from your regular fsx to the test fsx and back.

 

Likewise, if you have FSUIPC4 you can have an INI file that is unique to each fsx exe.

 

I have several renamed fsx.exe files...one for flying on the DTP "A" server, and other for the "B" server. The only difference is the IP of the server. This way I don't have to remember the IP's and re-enter them. I have a exe for Propliners, another for testing, etc, etc.

 

   Paul

Thanks Paul and 'Nuitkati for your informed feedback.

Thanks Paul for the info, didn't know that.

 

So the rename-exe-and-the-rest-follows- mechanism has always been there, it is not a new feature of FSX:SE.

Create a 2nd User Account. That will have its own registry entries, etc. as long as you have FSX set up for a 'single user' in each account.  I've done that to 'isolate' my FSX install from an fsx_se install and a P3D install.

 

Paul, I'm not quite sure how this works for you but it doesn't for me. When I installed FSX, I wasn't given any option to install it just for one user - it was either install or cancel. How do you force FSX to install into just one account?  I have a separate user account on my system just for games. When I search the registry in my games account, all of the FSX entries are there, even though I installed it into my main account. Also, the FSX icon appears on my games account desktop and I can run the program from there.