Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
wdomke

Broken .AIR Installer

Recommended Posts

Okay, I am absolutely stumped on this one.  I have been downloading and installing new aircraft almost as long as I have been doing flight sims, and have had few problems and none that couldn't be resolved, until now.  They have worked through last year, but my first attempts to download new aircraft this year failed because of a failure of the .air files to install.  I get an error message saying the installer is broken and I should download a new one from the source.

The source is Adobe and the installer is the Adobe .AIR Installer.  I have downloaded, unzipped and loaded this program and still cannot get new aircraft to install and still get the same message.  I considered the possibility that the installer might need to be installed, and I think I did that, but still no relief in view.  

I am running Windows 10 and have been with FS9 since my Windows 98 days, many moons and border crossings ago.  I am fairly computer savvy, but this one has got me buffaloed.  If anyone has encountered and resolved this problem I need your advice and counsel.  Step by step.  If I need to update the installer file, how do I get it to work?  I have researched this baby like crazy with no solution yet.

Thanks in advance.  Happy landings!!   (By the way all installed aircraft still work just fine.)

Warren

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Uhmmm, Adobe Air has NOTHING to do with FS or flight simming at all. You don't even EVER need to install .air files (the type used in FS), they are used of course but simply included in whatever aircraft you are adding to the sim.

  • Upvote 1

i7-13700KF, 32gb DDR4 3200,  RTX 4080, Win 11, MSFS

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You need AirEd by Ed Truthan, available in the library here and elsewhere. It's a standalone program which doesn't need to be installed, you can move it to wherever you want it. When you've done that, right-click on any aircraft .air file and select 'Open with', then navigate to your AirEd program and select 'Always open programs of this type with this program'.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Adobe Air is a program that uses the .air extension. It has nothing to do with flight simulation, and if you dont use the program I suggest you uninstall it completely.

 

As far as "installing" aircraft to FS9 is concerned you simply place the aircraft folder in the FS9 folder called "aircraft".


Peter Schluter

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Okay, I've gotten AirEd, but when I use it to try to install the aircraft all it does is open the .air file and show the contents without taking any action.  In response to some of the other answers, I have placed the aircraft folder in my FS9 "aircraft" folder, but it still doesn't load.  How can I get the .air file to load?  So far I have not been able to get it to work.  Incidentally, my existing aircraft all work just as they did before.  

Also, for those who say we don't have to install aircraft, up until recently just about every aircraft I have acquired has had to be installed in order to work.  Apparently the Adobe program has been compatible with these files until recently.  It doesn't jump out and say so, but that's the way it has worked.  I have installed the B-29, B-47 and several other aircraft using this utility.  I am stuck now, though.  

Thanks for replies so far.  We still haven't hit the target, but I know more.

Warren

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello Warren,


I have not flown FS9 or installed any software / Aircraft or Scenery to FS9 for a very very long time. I am only mildly more modern with my FSX installation.  I'm baffled by your use of AdobeAir to install third party aircraft to your copy of FS9. There are only two methods for after-market Payware or Freeware aircraft installation into your FS9 Simulator, and this is the same for any of the latest Flightsims FSX / P3D. 

1.) a.) (Automated .EXE installer) the Vendor or Freeware developer uses an Installer ********.exe (Click installer) for the software installation, Sometimes requiring the package to be unzipped/ extracted to a temp folder first, then double clicking the .EXE to begin the process of installation. Either requiring you to type your purchase detail product Key/date through the automated process. 
1.) b.) Or if Freeware, this .exe installer method will take care of the automated installation process with no keys required.

The Zip package or .exe installer, once extracted from a Zip will normally include documentation / installation advice / readme docs. Many addon aircraft will later include this documentation into the Aircrafts install folder in the FS9 \Aircraft folder upon completion.

2.) (Manual - extraction of a .Zip file containing the Aircraft) (with all its associated component parts including the .air file) then moving the Folders or components to the correct folders as decribed in the package readme document. installation instructions are usually supplied in a readme.txt file explaining where each folder or folders content needs to be placed within your sim for the aircraft and all its components to display and operate as the developer intended.

I have not ever needed, or attempted to install using AdobeAir or AirEd.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 5/9/2017 at 7:42 PM, wdomke said:

Okay, I am absolutely stumped on this one.  I have been downloading and installing new aircraft almost as long as I have been doing flight sims, and have had few problems and none that couldn't be resolved, until now.  They have worked through last year, but my first attempts to download new aircraft this year failed because of a failure of the .air files to install.  I get an error message saying the installer is broken and I should download a new one from the source.

The source is Adobe and the installer is the Adobe .AIR Installer.  I have downloaded, unzipped and loaded this program and still cannot get new aircraft to install and still get the same message.  I considered the possibility that the installer might need to be installed, and I think I did that, but still no relief in view.  

If you are getting error messages from the Adobe Air program when you install an addon aircraft, then my guess is that Adobe Air is wrongly detecting the aircraft's .air file as having something to do with it, and possibly messing with it.  Disable AdobeAir or just don't let it run when you are installing an aircraft. 

21 hours ago, A32xx said:

You need AirEd by Ed Truthan, available in the library here and elsewhere. It's a standalone program which doesn't need to be installed, you can move it to wherever you want it. When you've done that, right-click on any aircraft .air file and select 'Open with', then navigate to your AirEd program and select 'Always open programs of this type with this program'.

AirEd is for editing .air files, not for installing them.  You don't need it to install an addon aircraft, an .air file or any other component of an addon aircraft.  I have installed many, many addons into FS 98, 2002, 9 and 10, and never did anything to specifically install the .air file other than to copy it from an installer package into the aircraft's folder.    If you have an installation .exe file, whether payware or freeware, it will do that for you.

Are you seeing the .air file in the folder of the aircraft you have installed?  There is a file called "aircraft.cfg" in the folder of every installed aircraft.  Here are the first few lines of a typical entry for a livery in the aircraft.cfg file.  The line "sim=" must have the correct name of the .air file that is also in that aircraft's folder.

[fltsim.0]
title=Beech Baron 58 Paint1
sim=Beech_Baron_58  //This line should have the name of the .air file for your aircraft (without the ".air" extension).
model=
panel=
sound=

Mike

 


 

                    bUmq4nJ.jpg?2

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Mike777 said:

AirEd is for editing .air files, not for installing them.

 

Correct, but associating your .air files with AirEd instead of Adobe Air will stop the erroneous error messages when installing new aircraft.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 hours ago, wdomke said:

Apparently the Adobe program has been compatible with these files until recently.  It doesn't jump out and say so, but that's the way it has worked.  

Thanks for replies so far.  We still haven't hit the target, but I know more.

Warren

From Adobe's FAQs:

"Adobe AIR is a cross-operating-system runtime that lets developers combine HTML, JavaScript, Adobe Flash® and Flex technologies,and ActionScript® to deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) on a broad range of devices including desktop computers, netbooks, tablets, smartphones, and TVs. AIR allows developers to use familiar tools such as Adobe Dreamweaver®, Flash Builder®, Flash Catalyst®, Flash Professional, or any text editor to build their applications and easily deliver a single application installer that works across operating systems."

Adobe's air program appears to you as thought it's compatible with FS2004 because the sim doesn't need or look for it.  As has been previously said remove Adobe Air from your system as you don't need it.  This won't solve whatever problem you are having but it will at least demonstrate that Adobe Air has absolutely no relevance to FS2004 and your problem.

Djivid

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
10 hours ago, A32xx said:

Correct, but associating your .air files with AirEd instead of Adobe Air will stop the erroneous error messages when installing new aircraft.

OK now I understand what you are trying to do.  It turns out I have Adobe Air on my system, but files ending in .air are associated with a program called Aircraft Airfile Manager, which is similar to AirEd.  However I think the O.P., Warren, could just associate .air files with any benign program such as notepad. AirEd or Aircraft Airfile Manager would allow him to view and even edit .air files I don't have a clear understanding of just what Adobe Air does, but if it's not associated with .air files it's probably harmless. 

On 5/9/2017 at 7:42 PM, wdomke said:

Thanks in advance.  Happy landings!!   (By the way all installed aircraft still work just fine.)


Warren, just to reiterate, you don't need an installer for the .air files that come with addon aircraft.  You just need Adobe Air to stop getting involved.  Think of it as something like an antivirus program that keeps finding non-existent viruses in legitimate FS installer programs or files.  Shut it off and ignore its warnings.  If necessary open Task Manager and kill its process.

If the .air file is there in the aircraft folder of a newly installed aircraft (found in FS9\Aircraft., with a name appropriate the installed aircraft such as B737-400), then just start FS9 and see if you can load the aircraft. 

Mike


 

                    bUmq4nJ.jpg?2

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The particular aircraft I am trying to install is a B-52.  The downloaded file looks good, but it does include the .air file which is labeled as such.  I have not been able to load the aircraft as of yet.  I have been able to adjust the .cfg files to do modifications or add paint schemes or liveries without any problems.  A number of my past downloads have included the .air files, and usually I have clicked on these to install the aircraft.  However, this is no longer working.  I suspect it is a compatibility issue with the adobe installer utility and the .air files, but I have not been able to find it.  To be fair, this issue has come up with other programs that use installers.  My most recent download that had to be installed was the Virtavia B-47E, which works beautifully, and it had to be installed.  However, that particular .air file would not work if I were trying to do it now.  Thus far I have not been able to work this out.  I am going to try deleting the files and downloading again and see if I can find another way to get them to run.  I may try to do it on my laptop, since it probably doesn't have the adobe updates that I think are causing the problem.  I don't know if it will work, but I think it's worth a try.  I will certainly post the results whether it works or not.  Anyway, I am grateful for all the responses.  They have helped me to know more about how this monster is supposed to work.  I will continue to try to find a way to fix this because I am too stubborn to quit.  Thanks again.  I am not giving up.

Warren

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 hours ago, wdomke said:

The particular aircraft I am trying to install is a B-52.  The downloaded file looks good, but it does include the .air file which is labeled as such.

Warren, can you tell us the filename of this B-52, and where you downloaded it from?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I have actually downloaded two B-52 simulations, one from Flyaway Simulations, called BOEING B-52 FULL PACKAGE.  The other, I believe, is from Virtavia.  I have had successful downloads from Virtavia before but this is my first experience with Flyaway Simulations.  Both of these use the .air files for installation of the simulation.  The BOEING B-52 FULL PACKAGE includes the D, G and H models, the other is only the G and H.  I have tested the files on aircraft I have already installed and used and the same error message pops up.  I suspect it is a compatibility problem between the downloaded aircraft files and the Adobe Installer file, but I don't know how to fix it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Warren, thanks for the file info. I've downloaded the Flyaway Simulations B52, the filename is: b52dgh_x.zip

The .zip part at the end of the filename means this type of file will open with the Windows built-in Compressed Folders program, not Adobe Air. It sounds like you need to re-set your file associations in Windows, the fix for .zip files is at the bottom of this page at sevenforums:

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/19449-default-file-type-associations-restore.html

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You're really confusing the process of installing an FS aircraft. Adobe has nothing to to do with FS in any way whatsoever nor the installation of an aircraft. Your file associations are likely messed up as pointed out by A32xx which make FS air files look like they belong to Adobe but they certainly do not. If your associations are messed up your Adobe program may try to open an FS air file and will fail because the file in FS is certainly not made for the Adobe program. Almost all FS aircraft files are self installers or zip files which you need to extract the contents of the zip to your FS folders.  


Mark Daniels

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Tom Allensworth,
    Founder of AVSIM Online


  • Flight Simulation's Premier Resource!

    AVSIM is a free service to the flight simulation community. AVSIM is staffed completely by volunteers and all funds donated to AVSIM go directly back to supporting the community. Your donation here helps to pay our bandwidth costs, emergency funding, and other general costs that crop up from time to time. Thank you for your support!

    Click here for more information and to see all donations year to date.
×
×
  • Create New...