I'm pretty new to P3D.  I started with v3.1.  I understand we can update only components of P3D such as client, scenery, etc.  I was wondering how this plays in to the upgrade procedure and reinstalling of add-ons.  I am heavily installed with add-ons, primarily Orbx (regions, airports, plus FTXG), FSDT, PMDG, and FS2Crew.  A full reinstall is quite a process.  Can anyone enlighten me as to what components of P3D I can reinstall without any need for reinstall?  Or limited reinstall?  And what about the AppData folders with the dll.xml and exe.xml files?  Do I need to save any of these files, or are they not overwritten.  I appreciate any help.

Good news for you then , you can uninstall the individual components even the scenery and reinstall them from the .msi's Do them one at a time and start the sim after each replacement.

 

Your airports and add ons will be intact except stuff like Global that overwrites default P3D files ( Rex also ) With rex you will just have to rerun the configurator since you'll be back at default textures.

 

For FSDT just go to their website and download the stand alone addon manager.

 

For Orbx when you run P3D it will ask to upgrade one of the components, just let it.

 

Warning , don't just try to run the main installer and overwrite everything, use the upgrade procedures outlined at LM website and on here. IE : replaceing the scenery, content and client as individual components.

Just download the client-msi and the cont1.cab and to be safe also the small content_msi file, and make sure they are all in the same download folder.

 

Then un-install just the client app of P3d V3 in windows programs and features. Then run the client msi making sure that installer points to your current P3d location. You don't have to download the large content or scenery files as those are for new customers

 

Reboot PC

 

Run P3D

There were some fixes to the autogen trees and and KATL too I believe.Not sure if the trees fall under content or scenery.

Thanks for the input all.  To help me clarify, this is how I understand the procedure.  I can update any individual component by uninstalling and installing the new, restarting the simulator between.  The individual components:

 

Client: The "meat" of the sim engine.  Most of the changes probably come in this and this package is the critical component for the update.  This probably adds most of the new features (i.e. waves), tweaks (lighting, etc), and optimizations (VAS, etc).  Installing this should not change my add-ons and the exe.xml and dll.xml files should be unchanged.  I might have a small chance of having to reinstall FSDT GSX.

 

Scenery: Heavily new textures and .bgl files.  I will have to reinstall any package that overwrites textures (Orbx FTG, REX), but should not have to reinstall add-on airports.

 

Content: Less clear on the extent of this.  Probably changes to default a/c, maybe autogen, etc.  Like the client, should not have to reinstall much, if anything.

 

Is this fairly correct?  It sounds like just the client probably gets most of the fixes?  Thanks for any help again.

...  It sounds like just the client probably gets most of the fixes?

 

It not only sounds like it - directly from the source here:

http://prepar3d.com/SDKv3/LearningCenter/what_is_new/new_v32.html