P3d 4.5 is out!

[mtr75 653]

On 4/13/2019 at 7:37 AM, Cruachan said:

Hi Steve,

I agree, by following your sequence of steps that hallowed ‘clean install’ will be achieved whilst ensuring the preservation of original data. However, this does beg the question: ‘Why?’ After all, LM have gone to great lengths to provide us with an alternative method which is sufficiently flexible as to satisfy most user needs. Do we not trust their installers/uninstallers? Do we have so little faith in our computers to accomplish tasks like this accurately and with a high degree of reliability? If so, then why should we be trusting our computers to handle anything at all for us? If we stand by this logic then there is no reason to believe that the main setup executable will prove to be any more successful in achieving an installation that is free from corruption.

Not trying to be provocative, and I can certainly understand why a clean installation would be a mandatory requirement for any Developer. Also, it can be a necessary step towards helping to resolve issues that have hitherto seemed intractable. 

My method is somewhat similar to yours, but relies more on confidence that LM’s uninstallers/installers will fulfil their intended tasks without errors:

  1. All Add-ons are disabled via the Prepar3D UI (also see 5.)

  2. Default shaders are restored (PTA or Tomato Shade users).

  3. Prepar3D.cfg, Scenery.cfg, terrain.cfg, add-ons.cfg, (AppData\Local) Calibration.xml are backed up and then original files deleted.

 

  5. (AppData) DLL.XML, dll.xml, (ProgramData) EXE.XML and exe.xml are backed up.

  6. Each of the above files is opened in Notepad++ and all Addons are rendered inactive by changing the ‘False’ entries to ‘True’.

  7. Backup any preferred legacy aircraft that have been restored in v4.4 and found to be working (Probably unnecessary as they are likely to be ignored by the v4.4 Client uninstaller). I’ve yet to test this step as I’m still on v4.4.

  8. Check accuracy of the Prepar3D v4.5 zip download by verifying the MD5 values match. Unpack the zip archive.

Now, I’m ready to:

  9. Uninstall P3D Client, System Restart, Install Client update and TEST.

10.  Uninstall P3D Content, System Restart, Install Content update and TEST.

11. Uninstall P3D Scenery, System Restart, Install Scenery update and TEST.

10. Then I run FTX Central 3 and allow it to do its stuff, which includes the addition of ORBX specific terrain.cfg entries. 

11. Reinstall FTX Global BASE pack and Global Trees HD.

12. Run a compare on the new Prepar3D.cfg with the backup from v4.4 and update the new file as appropriate.

13. Reinstate Scenery.cfg from v4.4 (keep a backup of the new default if you like).

14. Start the process of re-enabling the Add-ons (see steps 1. and 6.) and I would begin with FSUIPC. This can take a while as it is dependent on when each product is confirmed as being v4.5 compatible, either from the word go or via an update (which may or may not require a reinstallation of a product) from each Developer.

This method seems to have served me well throughout the 4.x point release updates.

Best regards,

Mike

Giving this a go... wish me luck.

Edited April 16, 2019 by charliearon
edited out word(s) not allowed otherwise post would be deleted.

[SteveW 1,792]

Should be OK!

 

While the subject is upgrade, the wise will take a note of the set of folders I posted earlier.

These are the set that can be used at any time to install a stock copy of P3D for perhaps testing an item in isolation. And then simply switched back-in by renaming to original. Very quick, simple, and flawless.

Those with a little time available can make a .BAT or shell script to switch in stock or custom copies of P3D.

[SteveW 1,792]

Simbol has some news for upgraders:

 

[mtr75 653]

12 hours ago, SteveW said:

Should be OK!

 

While the subject is upgrade, the wise will take a note of the set of folders I posted earlier.

These are the set that can be used at any time to install a stock copy of P3D for perhaps testing an item in isolation. And then simply switched back-in by renaming to original. Very quick, simple, and flawless.

Those with a little time available can make a .BAT or shell script to switch in stock or custom copies of P3D.

Saw that folder post. So basically just add two numbers for the version number to each folder (i.e. "44"). So far this update has worked just fine, about to install the scenery!

[SteveW 1,792]

57 minutes ago, mtr75 said:

Saw that folder post. So basically just add two numbers for the version number to each folder (i.e. "44"). So far this update has worked just fine, about to install the scenery!

So long as the original folder is renamed, I used 44 it's a v4.4 install, but it's up to you what you call them. The main thing is to adhere to the folders that count, the complete set,  or something will be picked up from the old installation.

[mtr75 653]

On 4/13/2019 at 7:37 AM, Cruachan said:

Hi Steve,

I agree, by following your sequence of steps that hallowed ‘clean install’ will be achieved whilst ensuring the preservation of original data. However, this does beg the question: ‘Why?’ After all, LM have gone to great lengths to provide us with an alternative method which is sufficiently flexible as to satisfy most user needs. Do we not trust their installers/uninstallers? Do we have so little faith in our computers to accomplish tasks like this accurately and with a high degree of reliability? If so, then why should we be trusting our computers to handle anything at all for us? If we stand by this logic then there is no reason to believe that the main setup executable will prove to be any more successful in achieving an installation that is free from corruption.

Not trying to be provocative, and I can certainly understand why a clean installation would be a mandatory requirement for any Developer. Also, it can be a necessary step towards helping to resolve issues that have hitherto seemed intractable. 

My method is somewhat similar to yours, but relies more on confidence that LM’s uninstallers/installers will fulfil their intended tasks without errors:

  1. All Add-ons are disabled via the Prepar3D UI (also see 5.)

  2. Default shaders are restored (PTA or Tomato Shade users).

  3. Prepar3D.cfg, Scenery.cfg, terrain.cfg, add-ons.cfg, (AppData\Local) Calibration.xml are backed up and then original files deleted.

 

  5. (AppData) DLL.XML, dll.xml, (ProgramData) EXE.XML and exe.xml are backed up.

  6. Each of the above files is opened in Notepad++ and all Addons are rendered inactive by changing the ‘False’ entries to ‘True’.

  7. Backup any preferred legacy aircraft that have been restored in v4.4 and found to be working (Probably unnecessary as they are likely to be ignored by the v4.4 Client uninstaller). I’ve yet to test this step as I’m still on v4.4.

  8. Check accuracy of the Prepar3D v4.5 zip download by verifying the MD5 values match. Unpack the zip archive.

Now, I’m ready to:

  9. Uninstall P3D Client, System Restart, Install Client update and TEST.

10.  Uninstall P3D Content, System Restart, Install Content update and TEST.

11. Uninstall P3D Scenery, System Restart, Install Scenery update and TEST.

10. Then I run FTX Central 3 and allow it to do its stuff, which includes the addition of ORBX specific terrain.cfg entries. 

11. Reinstall FTX Global BASE pack and Global Trees HD.

12. Run a compare on the new Prepar3D.cfg with the backup from v4.4 and update the new file as appropriate.

13. Reinstate Scenery.cfg from v4.4 (keep a backup of the new default if you like).

14. Start the process of re-enabling the Add-ons (see steps 1. and 6.) and I would begin with FSUIPC. This can take a while as it is dependent on when each product is confirmed as being v4.5 compatible, either from the word go or via an update (which may or may not require a reinstallation of a product) from each Developer.

This method seems to have served me well throughout the 4.x point release updates.

Best regards,

Mike

Praise *******, Hallalujah, happy hannukah, praise be to Allah, mudita - THIS WORKED! This post should be a sticky. I followed it step by step, and everything worked like a charm.

Many thanks to Cruachan and Steve!

Edited April 18, 2019 by charliearon
edited out word(s) not allowed otherwise post would be deleted.

[neil0311 366]

On 4/14/2019 at 8:24 PM, Bert Pieke said:

I went from 4.4. to 4.5. (Client only) by following Poppets instructions..

1. Uninstall 4.4. Client - do NOT deactivate the P3D install

2. Delete Shaders folder (or its contents)

3. Install the 4.5. Client, and be patient when starting up P3D.. it needs to rebuild the shaders.

That is it! 

 

 

Thanks Bert.  No mention of the "shaders" folder on LM's instructions. What's the reason for deleting/rebuilding? 

[Bert Pieke 7,584]

1 minute ago, neil0311 said:

Thanks Bert.  No mention of the "shaders" folder on LM's instructions. What's the reason for deleting/rebuilding? 

This is actually mentioned and allows P3D to rebuild these for the new release.

[DellyPilot 109]

On 4/14/2019 at 8:42 AM, mikeyjames said:

Process Explorer reported 99GB VAS usage on load.

I'm loading off a Samsung 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD and load times on v4.4 were around 5-6 minutes and it was doing my head in - I could go downstairs and make a cup of tea at 6%, come back and it still hadn't loaded.

In a nutshell, v4.5 has cut my load times by around 80%, breezing past 6% like it was any other number.

99VAS eh, how much RAM have you got?

Just goes to show anyway how an innocuous bug that was left for years by LM ended up costing millions of hours of.. well peoples lives. 

Not massively impressed though, looking at the changelog this was purely aimed at the professional customer base (understandably) so I won't be updating at least for a few months and probably not till 5, to solve the time bug I just bought a 970 EVO, down to less than a minute which I can survive. The stress and dissapointment of a P3D upgrade cannot be worth it! 

And SpeedTrees™ 🤦‍♂️ seriously? I thought it was an Aprils fools or someone just trolling us. Of all the massive things to address no one gives a hoot about SpeedTrees™ 😂

Edited May 2, 2019 by DellyPilot

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

1 hour ago, DellyPilot said:

And SpeedTrees™ 🤦‍♂️ seriously? I thought it was an Aprils fools or someone just trolling us. Of all the massive things to address no one gives a hoot about SpeedTrees™ 😂

Well,  just stick with those "stick figure theater trees" that look awful. Any recent and decent CPU/GPU combo will run 3D trees and they look great in both P3d4 and DCS. And when the new AMD CPU/GPU versions are released later this year, performance will be even better.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

On 4/23/2019 at 1:45 PM, neil0311 said:

Thanks Bert.  No mention of the "shaders" folder on LM's instructions. What's the reason for deleting/rebuilding? 

I did not have to do anything with the Shaders folder, I just removed client, content and scenery, then installed the update in the same order.  Fired up the new version and it works quite well, with the add-ons I have, just MSE and Alabeo, RealAir Dukes, a couple of Justflight aircraft, and my Carenado aircraft.  I had to remove some unrelated software that I do not use anymore to free up the space I needed.  Overall, things worked out as well as I could have hoped.  If a hotfix is coming I will install that, but I have run into no issues or odd behavior in the update so far, autogen looks good.

John

[jabloomf1230 2,445]

It just occurred to me that most people have never heard of Stick Figure Theater, which was a reoccurring item on the animated TV show Liquid Television (circa early 1990s US). Here's an example:

 

 

[Drumcode 1,893]

My TIR is having a heck of a time connecting to 4.5, not sure if my Simconnect is hosed, but I had some errors when I fired up Active Sky for the first time after update which I too quickly clicked out of, which I think were related to Simconnect. Any way to reinstall Simconnect?

[SteveW 1,792]

You can start by double-clicking the .msi files in \redist, that ensures the x86 SimConnect is organised correctly.

"SimConnect.msi"

C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\redist\Interface\ESPv1\

C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\redist\Interface\FSX-RTM\retail\

C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\redist\Interface\FSX-SP1\retail\

C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\redist\Interface\FSX-SP2-XPACK\retail\

Those are used by x86 32 bit exe apps, dlls and gauges.

After that, some addons include their own copy of a SimConnect file from the SDK. So if they don't work try reinstalling them. 

[xxd09 68]

WX Radar[Rex/Milviz] still not updated for P3D4.5 according to Rex website 

Another reason to hang back a bit

Has anybody tried this Addon in P3D4.5

xxd09