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cyyzrwy24

ADVICE NEEDED PLEASE - P3D AND WIN10 issue

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Hi Guys,

Need advice with windows 10 and P3D. Due to some issues with one particular add-on I need to reinstall WIN 10 (apparently due to W 10 corrupted files). I have contacted support and they tried to help me, however it boils down to this. I have about 180 GB of SIM "stuff", so I am really scared doing this. PC is used exclusively for Siming and nothing else and it is configured that way. Needles to say that I never had to do this nor I am "very" knowledgeable, but I can do "stuff", not beginner either. So far everything works and it still does perfectly until now (I can't delete or update one very important add-on, even after I deleted registries). So doing fresh W 10 re-installation is the last option.

I see many options how to do this however, before I make things worse, I have few questions:

1.Can I use - Fresh Start option under W 10? Would that remove EVERYTHING installed?

2. Win 10 is on C: drive, I guess all p3d add ons will be deleted and performing this task would only affect C: drive and everything on it. Correct?

3. My P3D (LM folder and everything related is on different, E:  drive. What happens with that drive?

4. Do I uninstall P3D (not de-activate) before I start doing this? Programs under LM folder and addons at the SIM root folder would stay there?  

5. Once done, where to start? I am guessing that I have to reinstall about 100 add-on's, sceneries and tools... LOL this is a bit confusing with 3 drives in PC.

If my questions don't make any sense, maybe should be better and less painful way.

I hope someone will jump to help.

Thanks


Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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27 minutes ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

1.Can I use - Fresh Start option under W 10? Would that remove EVERYTHING installed?

No. That option leaves your data alone. I am not sure how much of the registry would be affected but I think little.

28 minutes ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

2. Win 10 is on 😄 drive, I guess all p3d add ons will be deleted and performing this task would only affect 😄 drive and everything on it. Correct?

They shouldn't be but you can make a backup of the cfg file.

 

29 minutes ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

3. My P3D (LM folder and everything related is on different, E:  drive. What happens with that drive?

This should be fine.

 

30 minutes ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

4. Do I uninstall P3D (not de-activate) before I start doing this? Programs under LM folder and addons at the SIM root folder would stay there?  

Not sure about this one, perhaps Poppet can chime in, but IMHO, I would uninstall and

deactivate your install just to be safe with an OS change. The addons and other programs would not be touched UNLESS you manually delete them - do not do that

 

32 minutes ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

5. Once done, where to start? I am guessing that I have to reinstall about 100 add-on's, sceneries and tools... LOL this is a bit confusing with 3 drives in PC.

I've done the same - what I do after the OS change.

Reinstall and activate P3D

Run P3D and see which addons still work.

Work your way through the remaining installs - some may just require a repair. Most ORBX stuff can be handled through the FTX Central. You might be surprised at how many products will work with no reinstall.

Just take it slow and go 1 step at a time

Just by way of reference - although I didn't do an OS reinstall - on the last P3D update -  I did a complete reinstall of client,content and scenery - took me a half hour - and I have ORBX, Active Sky, Milviz, Envtex, PMDG, A2A , Flightbeam, etc etc etc....  just don't delete anything until you know where you stand.

Good luck - 

Vic

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7 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

No. That option leaves your data alone. I am not sure how much of the registry would be affected but I think little.

Thanks Vic for your quick respond, If not this way than which way is better? What else is in the arsenal to wipe and clean install of W10?

 

8 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

They shouldn't be but you can make a backup of the cfg file

Main .cfg file?

 

Thank you


Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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Any addon .cfg files located:

%PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

%APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

There is no easy way to do this. If you wipe the C drive you lose everything on it. The fresh start(or repair) option is a good bet. Hopefully that will solve your original issue. Give us some additional info on the original problem, perhaps we can have a better idea

Vic


 

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1 hour ago, diajohn said:

What is the software?  We may have a solution that works for you.

 

1 hour ago, vgbaron said:

Any addon .cfg files located:

%PROGRAMDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

%APPDATA%\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

There is no easy way to do this. If you wipe the C drive you lose everything on it. The fresh start(or repair) option is a good bet. Hopefully that will solve your original issue. Give us some additional info on the original problem, perhaps we can have a better idea

Vic

Well, everything still works...but. I suddenly have an issue with 748 pax version. I was initially unable to load 748 PAX in the sim. 748F and 744,  works OK. Fine? No...!!I initially requested help on their forum, lot's of people tried to help me but at the end they suggested to open a ticket. Which I did. And as always, guys are great there. Service was quick, respond professional but this time they were not able to solve the problem.

What was done: After initial attempts with small things, they've suggested to delete registries (744) and guided me nicely how to do it. I did it. We than removed entries for 748. Fresh installers again failed to start. Tried removing from Programs/Features without any success (744 still there). Basically nothing happened. Now, fun part is that I deleted registries, I managed to remove 748 from Programs - however -Both A/C are s under the vehicles and selectable, but 748 pax has no preview, I can fly 748F, 744 but still not with 748 pax. Every other product by them works as it should NGX and 777. Just for fun I tried deleting them as well but I am unable to. Their support basically, after a week going back and fort and many different attempts,  suggested that I have issue with W 10 and probably some corrupted files. I have not done anything on my SIM. With exception of update to 4.4 and added couple sceneries, nothing else was changed.

Obvious question by me was - when next update comes or new product, basically I will not be able to use it. At the end...in order to have everything working again I have to fix Windows. Or some of you have better idea...I am out of any.

 

Thanks

Edited by cyyzrwy24

Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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1 hour ago, vgbaron said:

The fresh start(or repair) option is a good bet

Vic...so I can use Fresh Start option....?


Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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(1) I always clone my drives for a back-up  (2) I always create a system restore point.   This eliminates any need to do a complete re-install of system and other software.

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1 hour ago, cyyzrwy24 said:

Vic...so I can use Fresh Start option....?

I haven't used it so I'm not positive if it just deletes the registry entries and wipes the OS drive or actually uninstalls the files. Typically they just wipe the drive and reinstall all the default apps.  You will have to reinstall apps that kept data in the registry and any apps that were located on the OS drive.


 

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1 minute ago, wwdavis said:

(1) I always clone my drives for a back-up  (2) I always create a system restore point.   This eliminates any need to do a complete re-install of system and other software.

Very good idea!


 

RIG#1 - 7700K 5.0g ROG X270F 3600 15-15-15 - EVGA RTX 3090 1000W PSU 1- 850G EVO SSD, 2-256G OCZ SSD, 1TB,HAF942-H100 Water W1064Pro
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14 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

Very good idea!

 

 

28 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

I haven't used it so I'm not positive if it just deletes the registry entries and wipes the OS drive or actually uninstalls the files. Typically they just wipe the drive and reinstall all the default apps.  You will have to reinstall apps that kept data in the registry and any apps that were located on the OS drive.

Creating restore points make sense...I agree. But in regards to cloning I am not sure - am I going to get same thing? After doing some research in regards to Fresh Start, it says that I am basically getting new windows with default apps but everything else is gone and list would be available with info what is deleted. But in regards to registries I wouldn't know. But...gets even more confusing, if I already manually deleted registries for that add on and still have the same issue.....(both A/C are present and usable), what that fresh start will do? New OS? Seems to me that I don't understand what is going to happen with files in P3D root folder on another drive after this procedure. 

Also, since WIN is on C; (and I am reinstalling that drive and wiping all add ons) I guess after everything is done, I should go and manually delete from LM folder add on in question. 😒

When I had one drive in old computer and FSX and issues - it was way easy......Looks like we ask for this "complication"

 


Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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Use the System File Checker to look for corrupt/missing files (AKA - SFC \scannow) If you are unfamiliar with the procedures to scan your system, please go to the following link for procedures depending on your Windows version. Basically, you will use the Windows Search and search for ‘Run’, look up in the menu and open up your ‘Run’ command in elevated mode (right click and open with Administrator Rights). You then enter SFC \scannow and the press the enter key. This program will then scan your system for corrupted or missing files and replace them if any are found.

You might try this to fix windows.  This is from the Avsim Crash to Desktop Guide.  When I ran it on my system it located a massive amount of files that needed to be corrected, etc.  It also freed up about 20 GB of space on my hard drive.  No new issues were encountered.  It replaces files from a "hidden" cache of original Windows files on your hard drive.  Good luck

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929833/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system

Edited by winged532

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23 minutes ago, winged532 said:

Use the System File Checker to look for corrupt/missing files (AKA - SFC \scannow) If you are unfamiliar with the procedures to scan your system, please go to the following link for procedures depending on your Windows version. Basically, you will use the Windows Search and search for ‘Run’, look up in the menu and open up your ‘Run’ command in elevated mode (right click and open with Administrator Rights). You then enter SFC \scannow and the press the enter key. This program will then scan your system for corrupted or missing files and replace them if any are found.

You might try this to fix windows.  This is from the Avsim Crash to Desktop Guide.  When I ran it on my system it located a massive amount of files that needed to be corrected, etc.  It also freed up about 20 GB of space on my hard drive.  No new issues were encountered.  It replaces files from a "hidden" cache of original Windows files on your hard drive.  Good luck

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/929833/use-the-system-file-checker-tool-to-repair-missing-or-corrupted-system

Thanks winged.....I guess first step should be this procedure, it is quickest and safest. Once I ran that and couldn't find any issues so I need it to re-do everything. Hopefully this will find and fix what is corrupted. Needles to say, that corrupted file/files only applies to that software which really bothers me. everything else is in order. I am totally discombobulated.🤔 

Perhaps, if everything else fails, would this work?

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-windows_install-winpc/how-to-perform-a-repair-upgrade-using-the-windows/35160fbe-9352-4e70-9887-f40096ec3085

Edited by cyyzrwy24

Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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ok, if you're just having trouble with that one addon - START by running SFC  /scannow . After running that, run the addon and see if it works. If not, delete and reinstall the addon - test again.

If that doesn't work, try the repair option - that will preserve your data as much as possible.

None of the methods will delete or move any files NOT on the C drive so your other drives are fine.

Vic


 

RIG#1 - 7700K 5.0g ROG X270F 3600 15-15-15 - EVGA RTX 3090 1000W PSU 1- 850G EVO SSD, 2-256G OCZ SSD, 1TB,HAF942-H100 Water W1064Pro
40" 4K Monitor 3840x2160 - AS16, ASCA, GEP3D, UTX, Toposim, ORBX Regions, TrackIR
RIG#2 - 3770K 4.7g Asus Z77 1600 7-8-7 GTX1080ti DH14 850W 2-1TB WD HDD,1tb VRap, Armor+ W10 Pro 2 - HannsG 28" Monitors
 

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21 minutes ago, vgbaron said:

If not, delete and reinstall the addon - test again.

Thanks Vic, I will start with SFC and see if I can fix corrupted files. Everything started with that, I couldn't delete and reinstall addon. That's where all this started. Apparently once you download fresh installer you should be able to repair, change and reinstall but that does't work either. If I am able to delete and remove current program (addon) I would be able to install and have everything "fresh". Hopefully this will help once I come from work this afternoon.

Edited by cyyzrwy24

Virtual Air Canada - Alex Luzajic

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