I've been wondering if it would be possible to creat multiple installations of copies of FSX-SE.  They would be "frozen in time" of the date I make them and would not be subject to periodic steam updates of course.  There's a tutorial on flightsim about how to create multiple installs of FS2004 (and presumably FXS Classic) and it looks fairly easy.
  So I'm wondering can I copy my FSX-SE installation (in my case on my I: drive, not the default location) into a new folder on my drive and rename the FSX.exe to something like FSXww2.exe.  Will it create the necessary folders and files the first time I run it without conflicting with the base installation (e.g. Libraries-Documents-Microsoft Simulator X Files, ProgramData-Microsoft-FSX, AppData-Roaming-Microsoft-FSX, AppData-Local-Microsoft-FSX)?  Or would I need to create the folders and modify names to eliminate conflict?
  Since I won't be able to install DLC aircraft through the Steam process, should I load up my FSX-SE installation with all of them that I expect to use before I make my first copy, and then thin out the ones I don't want in a given copy (I plan to make more than one copy)?
  Along those lines, is there any utility that exists to list all the files and their locations that were added in a specified historical time period?  Say for example I download a DLC aircraft from Steam at 4pm and nothing else, and at 5pm could I query the new files added to my system between 3:58 and 4:58pm?  It would be instructive to know what was added to effects, gauges, sound, etc in addition to SimObjects.  Or is this not necessary because Steam puts everything added in the DLC folder?  For other addons I plan to install into a "dummy" FSX install with empty folders for Addon Scenery, effects, gauges, Scenery, SimObjects and sound.  Then transfer to my copied installation, leaving the dummy empty for the next use.  That is, assuming the installer gives me the option of specifying another path.
  My reason for wanting to do this (if possible) is that I would like one install that's all WW2 stuff, another for Vietnam era, and a modern era.
  Does this sound doable?  Am I overlooking something?  Has anyone already done this and can share their experience?

Ken  

Ken,

I honestly don't know, but if possible, I would bet that being in Steam would make it whole lot harder than with the standalone version of FSX.

A partial solution might be something like SIMstarter, which would allow you to set up different scenarios, such as scenery subsets,  etc.   

Hopefully someone else can provide guidance.

Ernie

 

14 hours ago, kenp51 said:

They would be "frozen in time" of the date I make them and would not be subject to periodic steam updates of course.

If you mean updates to FSX:SE, there haven't been any for a number of years and there are no plans to issue any more. The occasional update popup you get when starting FSX:SE is for updates to Steam, not FSX.

On topic, because of the way Steam works and registers the location of games, as far as I know you can only have one instance of FSX:SE installed on your system.