Problem on First Run

[Bob_Z 30]

I installed the latest version of the product.  When I start it all I get is a long list of invalid add-ons.  The list has them all in C:Users\Owner\Documents\Prepar3D v4 add-ons.  There is nothing else but that list, which I can only close by using task manager.    The add-on files aren't in the folders on the list, but in E:\Documents\Prepar3D v4 add-ons and E:\Documents\Prepar3D v5 add-ons.    Something is obviously wrong. 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

17 hours ago, Bob_Z said:

I installed the latest version of the product.  When I start it all I get is a long list of invalid add-ons.  The list has them all in C:Users\Owner\Documents\Prepar3D v4 add-ons.  There is nothing else but that list, which I can only close by using task manager.    The add-on files aren't in the folders on the list, but in E:\Documents\Prepar3D v4 add-ons and E:\Documents\Prepar3D v5 add-ons.    Something is obviously wrong. 

I assume that you are talking about P4AO? 

What that list is telling you is, that in one of the add-ons.cfg files that the simulator keeps there are references to packages in the C:\..Documents\.. folder - but there is nothing there (=no add-on.xml). Which seems to be the case, following your description. It is not really the tool that decides to see them like this, the incorrect references most likely actually exist in the simualtor config files.

You should have three buttons on that list, to Continue, Cancel, Ignore? If the list is so long that you can't see them, press the "Tab" key twice, then press "Enter".

But - this looks really bad. I think that you should fix that issue manually, before applying any tool. You need to go through the two add-ons.cfg files, and make sure that the "Path" parameters are pointing to where the corresponding add-on.xml files really are.
C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\add-ons.cfg
C:\Users\...\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4\add-ons.cfg

Best regards

Edited June 4, 2020 by Lorby_SI

[Bob_Z 30]

I found the problem, but for some reason access is being denied to the Program Data file. 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

15 minutes ago, Bob_Z said:

some reason

Probably Windows "User Account Control". "Program Data" is a restricted folder.

If you start P4AO, then, when the list comes up, press "tab" twice, then hit the "Enter" key. That will trigger the "Ignore" option on that error list. If you do this, P4AO will clean up the problem for you, all you have to do is to check the configuration and then "Save".

Best regards

Edited June 4, 2020 by Lorby_SI

[Bob_Z 30]

Sorted all that. 

[Bob_Z 30]

When I start PA4O I get a warning that three libraries used for ORBX product are listed as missing add-on.xml.  The three libraries are in the add-ons.cfg in AppData as Discovery Paths.   Is that correct?

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

19 minutes ago, Bob_Z said:

When I start PA4O I get a warning that three libraries used for ORBX product are listed as missing add-on.xml.  The three libraries are in the add-ons.cfg in AppData as Discovery Paths.   Is that correct?

What is the warning exactly that you get?

A Package and a Discovery Path are not the same thing. The Discovery Paths contain the packages, the default Discovery Path is C:\Users\...\Documents\Prepar3D V4 AddOns. The packages are the add-on.xml files in the subfolders of the Discovery Paths.

If by "Libraries" you are referring to Packages, then they are simply missing, like the others were in the long list that you got in the beginning. That has nothing to do with the Discovery Paths.

Best regards

[Bob_Z 30]

I think I added a screen shot of the warning and one of the add-on.cfg.  Or maybe not.  AVSIM as the dumbest method for adding one. 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

24 minutes ago, Bob_Z said:

I think I added a screen shot of the warning and one of the add-on.cfg.  Or maybe not.  AVSIM as the dumbest method for adding one. 

AFAIK Avsim doesn't have any method to attach media. There is nothing to see on my end.

[Bob_Z 30]

Makes these kind of questions harder without a way to show it like on most forums.   Anyway, the warning says

Invalid or broken packages (=add-on.xml) detected:

E:\TEGB Library\P3dv5: missing add-on.xml

G:\ORBX Library\P3dv5:missing add-on.xml

F:\Test Library\Pedv5: missing add-on.xml

It is strongly advised not to continue....

In the AppData add-ons.cfg, those three items are listed this way:

[DiscoveryPath.0]
PATH=E:\TEGB Library\p3dv5
TITLE=Orbx TEGB Library
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

[DiscoveryPath.1]
PATH=G:\Orbx Library\p3dv5
TITLE=Orbx My Library
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

[DiscoveryPath.2]
PATH=F:\Test LIbrary\p3dv5
TITLE=Orbx Test Library
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

 

The Test Library does not exist any more. I presume that ORBX set it up this way, I did not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

59 minutes ago, Bob_Z said:

Makes these kind of questions harder without a way to show it like on most forums.   Anyway, the warning says

Invalid or broken packages (=add-on.xml) detected:

E:\TEGB Library\P3dv5: missing add-on.xml

G:\ORBX Library\P3dv5:missing add-on.xml

F:\Test Library\Pedv5: missing add-on.xml

It is strongly advised not to continue....

In the AppData add-ons.cfg, those three items are listed this way:

[DiscoveryPath.0]
PATH=E:\TEGB Library\p3dv5
TITLE=Orbx TEGB Library
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

[DiscoveryPath.1]
PATH=G:\Orbx Library\p3dv5
TITLE=Orbx My Library
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

[DiscoveryPath.2]
PATH=F:\Test LIbrary\p3dv5
TITLE=Orbx Test Library
ACTIVE=true
REQUIRED=false

 

The Test Library does not exist any more. I presume that ORBX set it up this way, I did not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I wrote, those two items are not the same thing. The messaget does not relate to the discovery paths. Take another look, there are bound to be Packages in one of the add-ons.cfg files with those folders. Only a [Package] relates to an add-on.xml

But it is the same warning as you got before, just shorter. If you Ignore and then Save, P4AO will clear out these Packages. The Discovery Paths will remain, as they are not related

A [Discovery Path] points at a location where there are Packages to be dicovered (= subfolders with add-on.xml files in them). C:\Users\...\Documents\Prepar3D V4 Add-ons is the default Discovery Path. With the three entries above, P3D will search these locations automatically on startup and check if they contain packages. If there are, it will add them to the add-ons.cfg files. You usually have a multitude of addons in a discovery path.

Best regards

 

[Bob_Z 30]

There are a multitude in those Discovery Paths, none of them ORBX products.  ORBX stores its scenery and the add-on.xml file for each in those in  Libraries, not in the Documents\Prepar3D v5. Add-ons file.  I presume you know that.   It would follow then that the warning would have included the add-ons files in Documents.  

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

9 hours ago, Bob_Z said:

It would follow then that the warning would have included the add-ons files in Documents. 

No. "\Documents\Prepar3D Vx Add-Ons" is just the default Discovery Path.

Autodiscovery (= P3D searches for Packages on each startup) works like this:

1. First P3D will look through the default discovery path:
"\Documents\Prepar3D Vx Add-ons" doesn't need a discovery path entry, because it is the default. Packages that are located in this path will appear in \AppData\Local\..\add-ons.cfg

2. P3D will search through all additional discovery paths that are defined in ProgramData\...\add-ons.cfg:

[DiscoveryPath.1]    (D:\SomeAddons)
           [Package.1]  (D:\SomeAddons\Airport1\add-on.xml)
           [Package.2]  (D:\SomeAddons\Airport2\add-on.xml)
           [Package.3]  (D:\SomeAddons\Mesh1\add-on.xml)

 

[DiscoveryPath.2]    (F:\SomeOtherAddons)
           [Package.1]  (F:\SomeOtherAddons\Aircraft1\add-on.xml)
           [Package.2]  (F:\SomeOtherAddons\Aircraft2\add-on.xml)
           [Package.3]  (F:\SomeOtherAddons\REX_World_Airports\add-on.xml)

All those packages will automatically appear in C:\ProgramData\... \add-ons.cfg when P3D has been run at least once. In addition to that, this add-ons.cfg file will contain all addons that have been placed there by an installer using the CLI. Which means, you can' just delete the add-ons.cfg. P3D can only rebuild the autodiscovery entries, but not the CLI.

 

The message that you are getting from P4AO says, that in one of the two add-ons.cfg files there are [Package] entries that are pointing nowhere. This message has nothing whatsoever to do with the discovery paths!

Best regards

 

Edited June 5, 2020 by Lorby_SI

[Bob_Z 30]

I haven't deleted anything.  You haven't answered my question:  Why would the three Libraries (one that doesn't even exist) need add.on.xml files?  In any event, even though I selected abort, all of my add-ons were disabled and I had to spend several hours redoing everything. 

[Lorby_SI 2,038]

2 hours ago, Bob_Z said:

You haven't answered my question:  Why would the three Libraries (one that doesn't even exist) need add.on.xml files?

I cannot answer that. For one, because there is no such thing as a "Library" in the P3D addon configuration spec.

All I can tell you is, that when you got that message, there were three [Package] entries AND three [DiscoveryPath] entries pointing at the same locations. And the three Packages caused the message. 

2 hours ago, Bob_Z said:

In any event, even though I selected abort, all of my add-ons were disabled and I had to spend several hours redoing everything. 

? I'm sorry? Nobody ever had to do this.

I suggest that you stay away from the tool, there is clearly something non-standard about your setup that it can't deal with. But it is impossible to tell what that could be without looking at the actual files.

Best regards