5 hours ago, Matt Webb said:

Except this is a beta version - expect issues with betas.

Except the issue is not with the beta software itself. It's with the installer not seeing a valid installation, wiping out the user's configurations and settings and only seems to apply to the MS Store version. Steam beta users are not complaining their installation is getting deleted by the "mandatory update."

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/new-update-in-the-microsoft-store-sim-deletes-itself/467048

  

4 hours ago, edpatino said:

Is “this” also happening to Steam users?.

it’s simply crazy.

It's only an issue with the MS Store version.

Steam users can't beta test.

Edited October 30, 20214 yr by Tuskin38

Those who participated in the Beta testing of SU 6 were warned (myself included), when signing up, that a complete reinstall would be required if your MSFS was installed in the default location. Only people who purchased from the Microsoft Store, could partake in the Beta testing, so, this should not affect Steam users.  

As it appears, only the Beta testers that had there MSFS installed in the default location, or failed to point the installation to their custom location for this update, are having to do a complete installation. 

I also got this update yesterday, as I participated in the Beta testing. I just pointed the update to my custom location as instructed when I signed up for the Beta testing,  and I did not have to re-download anything. I did not loose any of my settings. 

 

 

2 hours ago, Tuskin38 said:

  

It's only an issue with the MS Store version.

Steam users can't beta test.

Ah, ok, thanks.

Anyway, the whole sim is still in beta 🤣🤣🤣

Hello @ll,

this happened to me too, just yesterday. The issue that I have with the procedure is not that it happens, these things are to be expected when in a beta program. What I do mind though is the fact that MSFS simply deletes the entire Community folder, including files that don't belong to MSFS (=development work, addons, whatever). @Asobo: guys, I'm sorry, but this just cannot happen. An uninstaller is always supposed to only remove those files that it has installed - nothing else. 😒

Lucky for me this has happened to me before, and since then I keep my stuff elsewhere. But when this happened the first time, I lost a lot of extra-developer-mode work to this process.

Edit: And while we're at it - the "Community" folder belongs into a location where it is readily accessible to everyone. Like "\Documents" for example. Just MHO of course.

Edited October 30, 20214 yr by Lorby_SI

6 hours ago, Twenty6 said:

Except the issue is not with the beta software itself. It's with the installer not seeing a valid installation, wiping out the user's configurations and settings and only seems to apply to the MS Store version. Steam beta users are not complaining their installation is getting deleted by the "mandatory update."

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/new-update-in-the-microsoft-store-sim-deletes-itself/467048

An installer is part of the software.   If one gets a beta, that includes the installer, the updater, the uninstaller, etc.  Everything is part of the beta.

 

Installers are very complicated and can have lots of code itself written on top of the installer engine.

 

Cheers.

2 hours ago, Matt Webb said:

An installer is part of the software.   If one gets a beta, that includes the installer, the updater, the uninstaller, etc.  Everything is part of the beta.

 

Installers are very complicated and can have lots of code itself written on top of the installer engine.

 

Cheers.

Yeah but that doesn't excuse the uninstall side of an installer just deleting files that it has no connections to.

If it's not a file the installer created it shouldn't touch it and it shouldn't delete a directory that isn't empty.

Edited October 30, 20214 yr by Matchstick

47 minutes ago, Matchstick said:

and it shouldn't delete a directory that isn't empty.

not sure if it actually "deletes" the community folder, or instead simply creates a new one as it recreates a clean slate environment, thereby overwriting the existing one including all its content. the easiest way for a beta tester to avoid this is to temporarily rename or better still move their Community folder out of reach of MSFS before any updates/re-installs of any beta. this is all not new beta behavior and should be on any beta testers "check list". beta testing as real as it gets. you absolutely want to be a test pilot? you have been warned.

Edited October 30, 20214 yr by turbomax

8 hours ago, turbomax said:

beta testing as real as it gets. you absolutely want to be a test pilot? you have been warned.

This is not about beta testing, at least not for me. The same thing happens when you uninstall and reinstall regular MSFS, which at the time was very unexpected. The legacy sims never removed user content when uninstalled.

IMO at the root of this issue is XBox compatibility. When removed, the sim must probably clear out everything, because you have no other way to clean up the XBox file system otherwise. That being the case, it would have been really nice to add yet another addon folder in \Documents where PC users can safely add their addons and don't run the risk of losing them. Considering how much flak Lockheed took when they introduced a similar system in P3D (a rock-solid one at that, that was safe to use), I am amazed how casually we are treating this here.

So my warning is actually to all users - when you decide to reinstall the sim, make sure to create a backup of your personal sim content.

Edited October 31, 20214 yr by Lorby_SI

If I read some of the comments on the official forum I wonder why these folks are beta testing.

On 10/30/2021 at 6:41 AM, Tuskin38 said:

if you have your files installed somewhere other than default, rename the folder so they don't get deleted.

Let the sim update in the store, launch check it works, the rename the folder back and direct the sim to it on the installation screen.

I have done that and they still get deleted when are the meatheads that built this so called sim going to get it fixed when every time there is a update you loose everything

12 minutes ago, airservices said:

I have done that and they still get deleted when are the meatheads that built this so called sim going to get it fixed when every time there is a update you loose everything

It is not clear exactly where the "meatheads" are, given that the vast majority of MSFS users can update without incident.
One way to work around this apparently odd behaviour is to remove the Community folder from the MSFS folder altogether and replace it with a symbolic link.
Then, if the entire MSFS folder is deleted, all that is lost is the link.

The builders of MSFS are the meatheads

Of course they are, the mistake could not possibly be due to anything else.
Meatheads appear to be very capable people who have produced the most popular whole world simulation in decades which for the vast majority of its users works extremely well and has never so far deleted itself, either by magic or otherwise.
Beta testers may well experience a different reality, if the meatheads have set the installer to delete the entire MSFS folder when uninstalling but as I mentioned, there is a simple way to work around that.
Those who find that they must download the entire simulator at update time and then find that they have two installations have probably overlooked the check of the installation manager screen that stated that that was going to happen.

1 hour ago, airservices said:

The builders of MSFS are the meatheads

Don’t be a dick.

4 hours ago, Lorby_SI said:

This is not about beta testing, at least not for me. The same thing happens when you uninstall and reinstall regular MSFS, which at the time was very unexpected. The legacy sims never removed user content when uninstalled.

IMO at the root of this issue is XBox compatibility. When removed, the sim must probably clear out everything, because you have no other way to clean up the XBox file system otherwise. That being the case, it would have been really nice to add yet another addon folder in \Documents where PC users can safely add their addons and don't run the risk of losing them. Considering how much flak Lockheed took when they introduced a similar system in P3D (a rock-solid one at that, that was safe to use), I am amazed how casually we are treating this here.

So my warning is actually to all users - when you decide to reinstall the sim, make sure to create a backup of your personal sim content.

Except hasn’t this been happening before Xbox version was even released?