I was signed up to open beta prior new year. So yesterday when update came. I signed off beta restarted PC and updated MSFS. The update showed 150gigs. OK, well it did happened before! So I spent whole day reinstalling the whole sim. Not my first not my last time.LOL

However, I didn't back up my community folder and when fire MSFS again all my community content is gone! 🙄 I tried to search my sdd to find any trace of any add ons in some other location. I thought perhaps MSFS installation would back it up but no joy! MSFS installation wiped it out completely! LOL

Here is my fresh 2022 start! LOL On a good side there were a lot of add on they I'd rather got rid off anyway, but it completely caught me off guard. Any one experience anything like that?  

I really feel sorry for you. I make a bi-weekly  backup not only of my work-related data but also of all flightsim content (including config directories) to a 12 TB external HD. I do this using freeware FreeFileSync where it's a two-click process once setup.

FreeFileSync isn't a true backup program but a mirroring program with the disadvantage it can't backup a complete windows installation but with the advantage nothing is encrypted and you can see and search the folders the same way you can do on the HD/SSD.

Kind regards, Michael

13 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

The update showed 150gigs

you ar enot alone, first time the sim wanted a complete re-install plus all the GB from content manager though I am on non-default install folders/paths. When I realized this I renamed my existing MSFS data folder, deinstalled MSFS, rebooted, downloaded/installed the launcher again (now only possible via XBOX app), renamed the MSFS folder back to its original name, pointed MSFS to that folder and all fine, done in 5 mins since just the launcher was downloaded and nothing else

2 minutes ago, pmb said:

I do this using freeware FreeFileSync

Excellent suggestion, thanks for the info Michael.

Does anyone knows link for Aerosoft Honeycomb AFC bridge? Lost this one as well!

36 minutes ago, sd_flyer said:

Does anyone knows link for Aerosoft Honeycomb AFC bridge? Lost this one as well!

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0276/0848/1901/files/AS_HONEYCOMB_MSFS_5.zip?v=1628621655

1 minute ago, Mikeingreen said:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0276/0848/1901/files/AS_HONEYCOMB_MSFS_5.zip?v=1628621655

Thank you very much!

Sorry that sucks big time.

I ended up using Addon Linker - this way I place addons in a separate folder outside the MSFS Community folder.  I can just disable them all with a click of a box.  I also have them organized into categories.  It does add a step of checking what I want to load before each startup of the sim.  But it shortens the loading time about 20-30% as well depending on which area of the world I'm flying in.

There are a few payware addons that go right into the Community folder - but it wouldn't be too hard to reinstall them.

addonlinker by Ryan Butterworth, on Flickr

4 minutes ago, ryanbatcund said:

There are a few payware addons that go right into the Community folder - but it wouldn't be too hard to reinstall them.

You can even shift them to the addon folder using the linker.

Kind regards, Michael

1 hour ago, sd_flyer said:

I was signed up to open beta prior new year. So yesterday when update came. I signed off beta restarted PC and updated MSFS. The update showed 150gigs. OK, well it did happened before! So I spent whole day reinstalling the whole sim. Not my first not my last time.LOL

However, I didn't back up my community folder and when fire MSFS again all my community content is gone! 🙄 I tried to search my sdd to find any trace of any add ons in some other location. I thought perhaps MSFS installation would back it up but no joy! MSFS installation wiped it out completely! LOL

Here is my fresh 2022 start! LOL On a good side there were a lot of add on they I'd rather got rid off anyway, but it completely caught me off guard. Any one experience anything like that?  

Had identical experience sans restart. MS claimed they 'warned us carefully' to install in a new directory/path, or this could be potential consequence. This time completely un-installed and doing fresh install.

Currently waiting for the painful 3mbps from MS servers download to re-install in fresh directory/path. Left it downloading all night and still not done...

20 minutes ago, ryanbatcund said:

Sorry that sucks big time.

I ended up using Addon Linker - this way I place addons in a separate folder outside the MSFS Community folder.  I can just disable them all with a click of a box.  I also have them organized into categories.  It does add a step of checking what I want to load before each startup of the sim.  But it shortens the loading time about 20-30% as well depending on which area of the world I'm flying in.

There are a few payware addons that go right into the Community folder - but it wouldn't be too hard to reinstall them.

addonlinker by Ryan Butterworth, on Flickr

Yes thanks I probably should use something like that. On the other hand I wanted to go over my community and deleted unwanted add on. This hiccup presented an opportunity to do so LOL I used to backup community folder before each update but last few time I didn't. Gotta keep frosty with Asobo LOL

Sorry for that sd_flyer.
It happened to me as well today after leaving the Beta, launching MSFS, updating via the Store, re-launching and it asked for the 100+ GB download because by default the installer pointed to the default installation folder although I have my packages (official, community...) set to another SSD.

I figure out my mistake after it has started downloading 50% (hopefully, here in France I have 5Gb/s Internet download bandwith)... then I killed the download installer, re-launch it and point it to my extra SSD package and it starts immediately.

Package folder away from the default installation folder (as warn when joining the Beta) + Addons-Linkers which allows all community data to be on a third NVMe 😉

1 hour ago, sd_flyer said:

I was signed up to open beta prior new year. So yesterday when update came. I signed off beta restarted PC and updated MSFS. The update showed 150gigs. OK, well it did happened before! So I spent whole day reinstalling the whole sim. Not my first not my last time.LOL

However, I didn't back up my community folder and when fire MSFS again all my community content is gone! 🙄 I tried to search my sdd to find any trace of any add ons in some other location. I thought perhaps MSFS installation would back it up but no joy! MSFS installation wiped it out completely! LOL

Here is my fresh 2022 start! LOL On a good side there were a lot of add on they I'd rather got rid off anyway, but it completely caught me off guard. Any one experience anything like that?  

Oh crud. Same here. Got the 150GB update notice and figured, eh - it'll just overwrite my existing files. Just checked and my community folder is nuked too. No complaints on my end - I knew that was a possibility going into the beta. Had I known it was going to nuke everything, I'd have preferred to do a complete uninstall, reboot, reinstall, so I could jump into the fresh start with both feet. 

I do hope it carries over progress on activities, etc... I think these are stored via xbox live on a per user basis (fingers crossed). 

16 minutes ago, vbazillio said:

Sorry for that sd_flyer.
It happened to me as well today after leaving the Beta, launching MSFS, updating via the Store, re-launching and it asked for the 100+ GB download because by default the installer pointed to the default installation folder although I have my packages (official, community...) set to another SSD.

I figure out my mistake after it has started downloading 50% (hopefully, here in France I have 5Gb/s Internet download bandwith)... then I killed the download installer, re-launch it and point it to my extra SSD package and it starts immediately.

Package folder away from the default installation folder (as warn when joining the Beta) + Addons-Linkers which allows all community data to be on a third NVMe 😉

Exactly. Always check the directory that the installer is pointing to. I have saved some time today by making sure MSFS was actually checking my installation directory and not the default folder. 

2 hours ago, DAD said:

you ar enot alone, first time the sim wanted a complete re-install plus all the GB from content manager though I am on non-default install folders/paths. When I realized this I renamed my existing MSFS data folder, deinstalled MSFS, rebooted, downloaded/installed the launcher again (now only possible via XBOX app), renamed the MSFS folder back to its original name, pointed MSFS to that folder and all fine, done in 5 mins since just the launcher was downloaded and nothing else

Joined the start again club. Thanks just saved me days of getting things set back up. Worked a charm

Edited January 7, 20224 yr by garlicbread11