How can I keep from having to reinstall P3DV3 after clean install of windows

[z06z33 763]

I had to do a clean install of windows,but my P3Dv3 folder is on another drive, is there a way to keep the folder intact as I don't want to have to reinstall the 100 or so add-ons I have for it?

[Poppet 706]

Regarding only your Main Prepar3D core folder.

 

Regarding only this specific type of situation.  

 

You will Need your Original Prepar3D Download Or download it again.

 

If its a clean Install of windows you wont have any Prepar3D Registry Keys,  So you will have to point the following Installers to your Prepar3D folder.  This process will rebuild you Registry keys anyway 

 

Install Client First,  Content and Scenery  and Point it to your Prepar3D folder.  

 

Basically your going to Run a Repair which will give you your Register keys back but more Importantly it will Install your 3 Installers back into Programs and Features   

 

Don't worry about the other folders  AppData\Local\Roaming and ProgramData,  Prepar3D.exe will rebuild them 

 

You Need to Install all 3 for Prepar3D to operate.  Normally when doing a normal Update you don't have to but in this case You Do

 

Come back to me if that works and Prepar3D starts successfully there is one or two things you have to do after that   

[WarpD 824]

I don't think this will work.  I suspect Prepar3D will treat it as not being installed at all and thus the license will be locked down.

 

The only way the repair function shows up is if the installer detects that the application is already installed.  That's a function of registry entries as well as physical files on the drive.

 

Wiping the OS drive will wipe the info.

[mdata 46]

Worse, David. If you did not backup all config files (scenery.cfg, dll.xml, etc.), i.e. all the stuff that normally is stored in C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\... and in C:\ProgramData\LockheedMartin\... , you will need to reinstall the add-ons anyway.

 

Regards

Frank

[Poppet 706]

Worse, David. If you did not backup all config files (scenery.cfg, dll.xml, etc.), i.e. all the stuff that normally is stored in C:\Users\yourname\AppData\Roaming\... and in C:\ProgramData\LockheedMartin\... , you will need to reinstall the add-ons anyway.

 

Regards

Frank

 

Anything that Installs into the Main Prepar3D Core folder can be easily manipulated and hooked back up again to the various .cfg files.  The problems might start if different 3rd Party Software requires there own Register entries for Updates and so on  

 

 

I don't think this will work.  I suspect Prepar3D will treat it as not being installed at all and thus the license will be locked down.

 

The only way the repair function shows up is if the installer detects that the application is already installed.  That's a function of registry entries as well as physical files on the drive.

 

Wiping the OS drive will wipe the info.

 

 

 

I could be wrong, so I'm open to criticism and i will take it as constructive 

 

=============

 

The whole objective is to get the The Client, Content and Scenery back into your Programs and Features

 

Just as an experiment i tried this this morning 

 

I have 2 prepar3D licence and 2 different computers, I tried this on both of them this morning

 

I Copied my Main Core Prepar3D folder and Pasted to a different location.

 

I then Uninstalled Prepar3D completely removing all 5 folders Including the Main Prepar3D folder and all 6 Registry Keys.

 

I then Moved my Copied Prepar3D folder back to its original location "old location" 

 

I Installed Client first and Then started Prepar3D,  I had to activate my licence again  

 

Prepar3D wouldn't start as it was telling there was No "Content" or "Scenery" 

 

I Installed Content and Scenery and Prepar3D then started no problem 

 

The Registry Keys are Installed along with each Installer,  Client, Content and Scenery. 

 

The 4 folders are Re-built when you start Prepar3D.

 

The Problems will arrive if David didn't Uninstall Prepar3D first,  Which would mean he would of have to Copied his Prepar3D folder elsewhere before he Uninstall Prepar3D

 

*EDIT*        

Yes,  So basically David would have to of Copied his Prepar3D folder Before Uninstalling it,  If you didn't you will run into Licence problems.

Even at that you can get the Licence reset  

[WarpD 824]

His Prepar3D is on another drive, so copying it makes no sense.  It's not getting deleted.

 

You also indicated you did a complete uninstall, which at that point... doing a complete reinstall really isn't a big deal and probably a better idea.

 

I don't think you can trick the system into thinking Prepar3D is still installed after you've uninstalled it.

[Poppet 706]

 

You also indicated you did a complete uninstall, which at that point... doing a complete reinstall really isn't a big deal and probably a better idea.

 

Yes, it would make more sense and overall safer for David to do a complete Uninstall\Reinstall 

 

 

I don't think you can trick the system into thinking Prepar3D is still installed after you've uninstalled it.

 

That's the thing your Not Tricking anything,  If you point the Client Installer to your main Prepar3D folder you will be Installing your Licence again and your Registry keys 

 

EDIT 

Ah Ok,  i think your picking me up wrong ED,  I only Uninstalled my Prepar3D to Simulate Davids situation,  That's why i Copied and Pasted my Prepar3D folder elsewhere and then moved it back to the old location and then Ran the Client Installer   

[z06z33 763]

Thanks yal,Ill do a clean install of p3d at some point, it takes about 12 hours to get everything installed,thanks to slow Orbx installers

[vgbaron 3,612]

Well. you're both right!  

 

If he did not uninstall P3d - he will need to reset his license.

 

He is probably better off reinstalling everything to be sure the proper links, etc are set up.

 

Don't forget, nowadays, in addition to the location of install, you stiull have the registry which needs to be updated and MANY add-ons now create folders in Appdata, Programdata, etc which would have been wiped out with a system reinstall.

 

My opinion is that you will do it in less time the hard way - complete reinstall - than trying it the easy way and having to fix little issues, one by one, as they crop up.

 

Besides, everytime I do a reinstall I wind up cleaning house and removing a lot of stuff that I don't use any longer.

 

Vic

[hesynergy 67]

I hate it...I loath the notion of reinstalling P3d...I absolutely abhore it...and I reallllly really hate to admit that while Our Poppet ...has a Kludge....I gotta go with VIc's Armageddon Total clean reinstall...to MINIMIZE getting butt bitten down the road......

 

 

....grrrrrrrrr...hateithateithateit...

 

... It does keep me off the streets though .

 

Chas

[Poppet 706]

 

 

He is probably better off reinstalling everything to be sure the proper links, etc are set up.

 

Very true Vic,  A clean Uninstall\Reinstall is the way to go.  

 

 

I just love to Tinker though,  Gaaawd i love tinkering,  I'm a tinkerer :smile:  

[henry 19]

hi guys, i do have a question about that. i run windows 7 64 and p3d v 3.1 .  i feel like taking the plunge and upgrade to windows 10 and after that install the latest version of p3d version 3.3.... now could someone tell me the best way to do it. i have p3d 3.1 installed on drive c.  should i backup something or just go and reinstall everything from scratch? i was hesitant for a long time didnt want to go for w10 but i think iam ready this time. 

 

henry

[vgbaron 3,612]

A new OS deserves a clean reinstall - you will thank yourself later.

 

Vic

[mdata 46]

When I went from P3Dv2.1 to v2.5 I had to reinstall everything; when I went from 2.5 to 3.1 I had to reinstall everything ... each time it took more than a week because of life that goes in parallel :smile:

In autumn (hopefully) I will get new hardware (finally after 6 years ) and I am thinking, no puzzling would be the better term, over the best way to do the new setup since I took the decision to say goodbye to my old machine (and Win7)

 

I like to tinker too, like Poppet says, but I hate to spend too much time with it, like Chas - it keeps me from what I really want to do with the Sim.... but the closer the summer break (and the inevitable autumn after) comes ... I am convinced that a clean reinstall of P3D and (selected) add-ons in principle is the best and most trouble free way to eventually make me sitting behind my controls again.

I am getting a headache thinking of that reinstall debauch ...

 

Cheers

Frank

[ideoplastic 86]

Whenever there is a new version of P3D out I do a clean install of the Operating System with the relevant Windows updates, and any other software that I need. Then I install P3D and activate it.

When you are done and assuming you have P3D installed in your C:\ drive, create a system image.

If P3D is installed on a separete drive then create a System Image and a separate image to include all your P3D folders. - If for any reason you have problems and need to rebuild the system at a later stage all you have to do is load the System Image followed by the P3D image (if the sim is on a second drive). Reinstalling the OS and P3D via images is a very quick process and will avoid the long and tedious standard reinstall.

 

Regards