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Dave Hands

FS9 Scenery Files

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I am running FS9 under Windows 10, after installing the patch.  The program launches and runs as expected.  However, the system will not recognize scenery files, whether add-on or original.  When attempting to open scenery files (c:\Program Files (X86)\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9\(Add-On Scenery) or (Scenery)) the folders show as empty.  Apparently FS9 is not recognizing the files, even though they are present.

What am I missing?

Thanks for your help.

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Interesting!  If the files are "present", then where might they be hiding?  Welcome to the AVSIM forums.  Do those addon scenery show while in the Sim flying?


Charlie Aron

Awaiting the new Microsoft Flight Sim and the purchase of a new system.  Running a Chromebook for now! :cool:

                                     

 

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I have to be honest, I don't remember the program and file structures for FS9.

I know that some prefer to stay with FS9, but if you're present system will handle it, have you considered moving to FSX Steam Edition (FSX:SE)?  You can often pick this up for only $5 USD.  Caveat:  FS9 Airport scenery will function in FSX, however one of the changes between FS9 and FSX was converting to a round world (it was flat in FS9) so you'll see some taxiway and runway lines as being off a little and possibly some double lines offset from one another.

Best wishes!

 


Dave Hodges

 

System Specs:  I9-13900KF, NVIDIA 4070TI, Quest 3, Multiple Displays, Lots of TERRIFIC friends, 3 cats, and a wonderfully stubborn wife.

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3 hours ago, Dave Hands said:

Apparently FS9 is not recognizing the files, even though they are present.

You might want to post a question in AVSIM's FS9 Forum.  This program is so old and there are only a few remaining who have knowledge of this app.  I do know you need to have the third CD kept in your DVD Drive for FS9 to work properly (there might be other means but those cannot be discussed here).  Addon Scenery is not necessarily placed in the Addon Scenery folder.  In fact, when I was using it back in 2006, I linked my scenery.cfg to the directory where the scenery was located.  I rarely had anything in the Addon Scenery folder.  The fact you have no files being shown in the FS9 Scenery folder means you do not have FS9 installed properly.  I think some try to move a backup of the game in the proper folder after upgrading to Windows 10 and that won't work.  You will have to insert the game CD's and reinstall.  Hopefully you still have enough activations left.

Dave has an excellent suggestion.  FSX-SE is only $25 and you get everything.  You can even use some of your old FS9 scenery but aircraft textures will likely not work as FSX has a different format for textures.

Hope this helps.  Welcome to AVSIM.


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I use Win 10 home to run FS9 As I understand from reading various forums Flight Simulator will not work properly if installed in C:\Program Files (x86).

You must change the installation path I put mine in; D:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9

That drive is 3 terabytes SSD, With scenery and other addons fs9 so far is over 89 GBs in size but takes only a fraction of the disc space available on that drive. It runs flawlessly, I much prefer this sim for flight I have FSX and I am considering getting X-Plane but still waiting and reading about user bugs etc.

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Dave,

A few things I feel I should mention.

The only advantage to moving to FSX-SE is financial. It is CHEAP (particularly right now as they have a sale on) it is ancient, and if you are remotely considering a platform change (something you did not mention) I would skip FSX and/or FSX-SE and go straight to a 64bit platform. The downside here is that none of your FS9 aircraft or scenery will work with 64 bit to my knowledge.

I cannot imagine why you cannot access your scenery files. however, I would sincerely recommend: 

1. a complete uninstall of your FS9, Check AppData/roaming/Microsoft folder to see if there are any remnants. Also check your Microsoft Games folder and manually delete any FS9 remnants. Also check your drive C for any Addons which may not have been deleted and delete any remnants.

2. reformat your FS9 partition (see below)

3. Go to your FS9 Drive and create a new folder .. rename it FS9 or FS2004. (I recommend at least a new 256GB SSD for this) If new you should not need to reformat. A side issue here is that I only fly in Australia using VOZ 1.8 complete available from VistaOZ  or aussiex I am not sure of those sites as it has been a long time since I visited them...Google VOZ 1.8 complete though and that will bring up the free download site. I do not think there is any Australian payware scenery available for FS9. I also fly in Indonesia and I have the payware and freeware BDOAviation sceneries. With all my other add-ons (aircraft etc) I find that 256GB is enough. If you fly elsewhere, and the chances of that are good, you may need a bigger SSD. If you cannot afford an SSD get at least a 7200 RPM HDD. This drive should preferably be a dedicated drive for Flightsim only.

4. Re-install FS9 and FS9.1 on that dedicated drive. Also, as a matter of principle, I always install FS9, reboot, install FS9.1, reboot and then test to see if all ok. As previously stated too, you need to keep Disk 4 in a CD/DVD drive but there is an unmentionable work around for this. (PM me if you do not know about this and want link details)

5. Re-install all your add-ons, rebooting and test flying after each one.  This is indeed a laborious process but it saves a lot of headaches trying to find a subsequent problem if you reinstall the lot in one hit. I would also recommend copying your FS9 folder to a backup folder after every two or three addon instalations. An alternative is to create a restore point regularly during your re-installation process. This can save you a lot of grief.

6. If you cannot afford a new drive, then I would recommend that you simply create a new folder in Drive C and rename it FS9 or FS2004 as you require. I cannot stress enough, the fact, that, despite much advice to the contrary, you DO NOT install to c/Program files/Microsoft Games/FS2004 In all my time with FS9 I do not think I have ever had a completely successful full reinstall using the program files route. 

If you follow this path, you will at least find where or what your problem may have been.

Please remember that this is MY method and you may get lots of contrary advice. Please consider all advice (including mine) very carefully. If you have any further problems or questions, dont hesit

I wish you luck and please let us all know what you decide and how you get on.

Regards

Tony

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Tony Chilcott.

 

My System. Motherboard. ASRock Taichi X570 CPU Ryzen 9 3900x (not yet overclocked). RAM 32gb Corsair Vengeance (2x16) 3200mhz. 1 x Gigabyte Aorus GTX1080ti Extreme and a 1200watt PSU.

1 x 1tb SSD 3 x 240BG SSD and 4 x 2TB HDD

OS Win 10 Pro 64bit. Simulators ... FS2004/P3Dv4.5/Xplane.DCS/Aeroflyfs2...MSFS to come for sure.

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Just to sum up the above... (with no uninstalling, reformatting, etc).

1.Copy the complete  Flight Simulator 9 folder from C:\Program Files (X86)\Microsoft Games\

2. Paste the complete Flight Simulator 9 folder  into C:\      (You will then have C:\Flight Simulator 9)

3. Rename the original  Flight Simulator 9 folder in C:\Program Files (X86)\Microsoft Games\   to Flight Simulator 91

4. Open the original  Flight Simulator 9 folder,  & rename  FS9.exe to FS91.exe

5. Go to https://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=library

6. Download & run the Registry Repair Tool (halfway down the page), & point it to the FS9.exe in C:\Flight Simulator 9

7. Right-click the FS9.exe & create Desktop shortcut.

8. Run it! You should have re-created your FS9 install & it should run perfectly, as will any Scenery add-ons.

9. If you have an error & the sim crashes, right-click the desktop shortcut or the FS9.exe, click Properties, click Compatibility, click Compatibility mode & select Windows XP, click 'Run this program as Administrator' (this takes longer to explain than it takes to do!)

You might have to re-install payware stuff.

If everything works, you can delete the complete  Flight Simulator 9 folder from C:\Program Files (X86)\Microsoft Games\

I have done this many times, & even have a backup of the complete folder on a portable drive, & have installed that on other computers.

P.S. If you have not done so already, the 'unmentionable' FS9 patch should be done.

Best of luck..

Robin

 

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Robin


"Onward & Upward" ...
To the Stars, & Beyond... 

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Hello Dave,

perhaps I know your problem / what you mean.

I’m having Fs9 installed on Windows 7. Under Windows 7 and Fs9 there seems to be a bug in showing and adding scenery files in the folder “Addon

Scenery”. Also on my system they don’t show up and can’t be added as originally meant (in Fs9 “scenery library”).

Have a look here, it’s quite simple (if you know how to…):

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?205432-Windows-7-Scenery-Addon-Installation-Bug-Fix

Hope that helps

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.....with some luck it'll also work under Windows 10. Just have a try

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I'm not sure I entirely understand, but if the folders are empty, then the scenery has not been installed and is not present. Why do you believe the sceneries are present?

You can always open the cab files on the FS9 original cds and find all the scenery folders to manually copy into the folders in your installation.

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