Interested in creating a "clean" copy of X-Plane on another disc for benchmarking purposes as I am planning on doing a number of system upgrades and some overclocking.

I tried to install just the demo but it wants to install the full version, but I don't have a activation number as I (unfortunately) purchased the Steam version.

Anyone know how I can install a second version of X-Plane via Steam?

Thanks. 

The first thing I'd try, is just making a copy of your current X-Plane folder in steamapps/common, move that to another location. In that copied folder, delete the /Output/resources/X-plane.prf file. Then delete any plugins you've added in Resources/plugins, and delete any extra custom scenery folders not needed for benchmarking. That should give you a more-or-less clean copy of the sim for testing. Swap it back and forth with your normal installation under /steamapps/common. I think Steam wouldn't have any trouble with this, but you'd have to test it.

Another more cumbersome workaround would be to set up the second drive with a new Windows login ID and a new Steam account there, and then use the Steam Family Sharing feature to log into Steam on that drive. That should allow a fresh installation of X-Plane as a shared game. Family Sharing works with most things, I assume it would work with X-Plane too.

Thanks Paraffin.  

It looks like the benchmark uses the KSEA scenery, but when I look at the log file, there are a number of issues with objects not being found.  Do you know where I can find the KSEA scenery that is used in the FPS benchmark?

 

Chuck

There is a folder under /Custom Scenery named "KSEA Demo Area" that should have all the object files for the default KSEA area. I'm not familiar with the benchmark you're using, but I think that area should be the same in the full installation as it is in the demo version of X-Plane.

Thanks again.  I was actually asking if you knew where I can download the files, as there seems to be objects missing from it.

 

Running the X-plane FPS benchmark test as seen here:https://forums.x-plane.org/index.php?/forums/topic/71725-x-plane-benchmark-charts-fps-tests/

On a Steam installation, right-click over the X-Plane name in your games library, select Properties - Local Files - Verify Integrity of Game Files.

That should find and replace anything missing.

If it doesn't, then the long way around is to make copies of any plugins, aircraft, and scenery you've added to the default sim. Then Uninstall in Steam, and re-Install for a fresh installation. 

I had another airport installed over the demo scenery.  When I deactivated via Xorganizer the test ran without any errors.

Copying the folder didn't help.  Even if I clicked the second xplane.exe, the first opened with all of the original settings.  

I'll just plan to deactivate plug-ins/scenery via Xorganizer when running the benchmark and call it a day.