Strange issue now happening to me...

Any add-on I install now fails to show up in the sim. My process is unchanged:

Download

Unzip

Copy contents to "Add-ons" folder (I use Add-ons Linker) 

Refresh Add-ons Linker and confirm add-on is green

Launch sim (usually through Add-ons Linker, but sometimes direct from sim's shortcut)

 

When I am in the sim, the newly installed add-on doesn't appear. That so far has happened with aircraft and liveries (yet to experiment with other add-n types but I expect the same results).  I have tried add-ons from flightsim.to and sim-outhouse.

Co-incidence or not, it happened after I installed the Asobo Junkers Ju-52 which I had to install in 2 parts after the sim suffered a CTD during the download. The Junkers appears unaffected.

 

I'm tempted to try the "Repair" option for MSFS in Windows Settings, but before I do, any other ideas?

Uninstall the JU-52 (from Content Manager, be patient) and see if the issue persists.

If it does, turn off all add-ons and then try installing the JU-52 again. If that looks good, then try one add-on (perhaps your favourite) and see what happens. Then try one of the new add-ons that is giving you a problem.

That's about as far as I'd go for now...

...jim

 

@JimBrown Sound advice, I'll give that a shot...

1. Uninstalled JU-52

2. Restarted sim with all add-ons disabled through Addons Linker.

3. Confirmed JU-52 absent

4. Exited sim

5. Activated  one of my post JU-52 add-on aircraft and restarted sim. Add-on not available

6. Repeated 4. and 5. with an older add-on aircraft. Same result

7. Repeated 6. Same result

8  Activated freeware Gatwick. Same result, only default Gatwick loads.

9. Restarted sim to find out if Orbx EGPH is active as Orbx products are installed rather than pasted into the Community (or Add-on) folder. It loads up just fine.

(#9 reminds me that I ended up using the "Verify" command in Orbx Central a day or two before purchasing the Ju-52 as I found more than one (possibly all of them) were not loading. That solved that particular issue at the time. The issue I had with the Ju-52 install may therefore be unconnected).

So, something appears corrupt regarding manually 'installed' add-ons being recognised and loaded in the sim. I could re-install Addons Linker first, in case that works, but I'm not sure it would since moving an add-on to the Community Folder still leaves it invisible to the sim.

Edited October 3, 20214 yr by 109Sqn
typo

Wild A Guess... Delete Content.xml and let it rebuild?

Oh, and is it MS Store or Steam?

...jim

 

40 minutes ago, JimBrown said:

Oh, and is it MS Store or Steam?

MS Store.

I wonder if repairing would maybe cause the Content.xml to be fixed? To (partially) answer that, it seems not (assuming a rebuild xml would fix things). I did gat a UAC prompt when I restarted the sim post-repair (so something had changed), but the problem remains - no add-ons visible.

Looks like I'll have to save a copy of the xml, delete the original and restart the sim.

Edited October 3, 20214 yr by 109Sqn

@JimBrown Is the file I'm looking for in C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache   ?

I had a thread regarding features of Addon Linker recently, but one hint from the developer I decided not to include was a way to have the linker automatically delete your content XML

Due to your situation, I will include the developers instructions, here.

Quote

 

There is a little 'hidden option' if you want to remove the content.xml file. If you edit the INI file (C:\ProgramData\MSFS Addons Linker\MSFS_Addons_Linker.ini) and locate and change to 'True' the entry below, the content.xml will be deleted automatically when you launch the sim via the little blue button at the top.

FlightSimulator_LaunchDeleteContentsXml=True

It's an 'hidden feature' because i'm not so sure if it's a good idea to delete it but it was requested several times so i added that (navigraph for example disables some entry in there so if you delete the file and let the sim rebuild it you will loose the change made by navigraph). But well if you delete it manually at least it should be a bit easier that way. I have had some request about some little changes regarding the content.xml file, hopefully i'll get around finishing that soon.

 

 

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try after backing the file up. That is the right location I posted above, yes?

1 minute ago, 109Sqn said:

Thanks for that, I'll give it a try after backing the file up. That is the right location I posted above, yes?

Yes

Excellent, thanks. Will try that after the Red Sox game finishes.👍

Just a thought ... but are you putting only the main addon folder into your addons location? It's possible that you've just unzipped them and they're nested. There are quite a few Addons Linker tutorials out there that will explain what I mean (!).

The Ju-52 should always show - regardless of the Addons Linker, as it installs directly into your core/root MSFS package.

Another thought - is your Addons Linker pointing correctly to your "Community" folder?

1 minute ago, Adamski_NZ said:

Just a thought ... but are you putting only the main addon folder into your addons location? It's possible that you've just unzipped them and they're nested. There are quite a few Addons Linker tutorials out there that will explain what I mean (!).

The Ju-52 should always show - regardless of the Addons Linker, as it installs directly into your core/root MSFS package.

Another thought - is your Addons Linker pointing correctly to your "Community" folder?

Yes to all of the above. Everything had been working fine as far as add-ons being visible ever since MSFS launched, and Addons Linker was working as it should. As I say, I don't see evidence that either Linker or the Ju-52 are to blame unless the need to resume downloading the latter borked things.

Any ideas how often the Content.xml should be rebuilt? After every launch of the sim? Once every significant event (whatever the criteria fior that would be)? The reason I ask is I notice that it's dated as being modified on September 28th. I'd have thought it would update each time the sim was started.

2 minutes ago, 109Sqn said:

Any ideas how often the Content.xml should be rebuilt? After every launch of the sim? Once every significant event (whatever the criteria fior that would be)? The reason I ask is I notice that it's dated as being modified on September 28th. I'd have thought it would update each time the sim was started.

I have not the foggiest clue 🤔

Some people think its a helpful thing to do, the developer was unsure, which is why he "hid" the option.