I have read the content.xml file can be deleted to help with unexplained issues, but what other files could be safely deleted as part of a maintenance routine?

4 hours ago, MrBitstFlyer said:

 what other files could be safely deleted as part of a maintenance routine?

None.

All of your scenery.dat files can be deleted with impunity.
Like the content.xml file, they will be replaced the next time that MSFS is run.
MS Store version, they are here:

\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\SceneryIndexes

If you use addons linker it can be set to run anything you want before launching the sim each time. I have a batch file to delete the content.xml file but don't bother with the scenery.dat files, and nowadays I also have it launch the Google Maps replacement launcher.

Seriously, please stop with this voodoo. There is absolutely no need to delete any core files of MSFS. Zero. None

Deleting files provides no more than a placebo effect.

In the hands of an inexperienced user, deleting files will probably lead to the sim becoming unusable.

So, if your sim is working, don't delete anything. It it's not, start by looking into the community folder.

You can safely remove the content.xml and The scenery indexes folder. The sim will automatically create new ones. This just puts everything in the right order and can help with slow load times. Its not Voodoo.

If your are using Add-on Linker and therefor changing what add-ons are loaded each FS start-Up, does this mean the MSFS content and scenery lists are updated and does this slow down the FS start-up ? 

Cheers

1 hour ago, SpaceMonkey said:

If your are using Add-on Linker and therefor changing what add-ons are loaded each FS start-Up, does this mean the MSFS content and scenery lists are updated and does this slow down the FS start-up ? 

Cheers

My experience is that by closely managing/limiting with Addons Linker what I load for a particular flight or series of flights significantly speeds MSFS startup as MSFS only indexes/sees what I have told it to see.

Edited July 20, 20223 yr by fppilot

Because of the aig issue with su10 beta i did some cleanup, incl deleting the content.xml.

I made a small test flight and then closed the sim to install the navigraph database but got an error because it could not find the content.xml. I manually renamed my content.old and everything went fine but… why didn’t msfs rebuild the file even though i did have all my add-ons working ? 

4 minutes ago, webstef68 said:

why didn’t msfs rebuild the file even though i did have all my add-ons working ?

Because the content.xml file is no longer used in SU10, and was not intended to be a public facing file suitable for editing.

Folks, don't just go delete stuff because "maintenance", it's just a bad idea all around. 🙂

4 hours ago, SpaceMonkey said:

If your are using Add-on Linker and therefor changing what add-ons are loaded each FS start-Up, does this mean the MSFS content and scenery lists are updated and does this slow down the FS start-up ? 

Cheers

As I understand it, each time a scenery is loaded it is indeed added to the Content.xml file and also scenery .dat files are created.
Unfortunately, it seems that if the scenery is then removed, the files are not.

1 hour ago, MattNischan said:

Because the content.xml file is no longer used in SU10, and was not intended to be a public facing file suitable for editing.
Folks, don't just go delete stuff because "maintenance", it's just a bad idea all around. 🙂

As things stand, deleting the Content.xml file and the .dat files is a tried and proven way to solve problems with newly installed add-ons.
If, as you suggest, that is to be rendered impossible, it could be foreseen that this method of problem solving will the denied to the user.
it already is denied to those who choose to run the simulator on an Xbox and this makes third party product support impossible.
It does not help when the Microsoft "help" desk passes the buck back to the third party developer who is powerless to remedy the issue.

I imagine that with your access to the beta and your advice not to apply this solution that you and your colleagues will be working hard with
Asobo to find a solution to this Catch 22.
Or perhaps doing nothing at all in that respect, beyond advising users not to do it, if the intention is to eventually transfer the Xbox version to PC and remove all opportunities to make repairs as necessary.

Edited July 20, 20223 yr by Reader

22 minutes ago, Reader said:

Or perhaps doing nothing at all in that respect, beyond advising users not to do it.

Content.xml no longer controls the order of loading of addons to which it would have applied. All deleting that file did was reset the order to defaults, which are now always enforced. The fact that it existed was a problem in the first place, as it could become stale or edited in a way that would make loading things broken, thus requiring this "fix". There is no control being removed from the user.

In fact, user control has been increased, as there is now a load order override option within the sim menu.

Quote

I imagine that with your access to the beta and your advice not to apply this solution that you and your colleagues will be working hard with
Asobo to find a solution to this Catch 22.
Or perhaps doing nothing at all in that respect, beyond advising users not to do it, if the intention is to eventually transfer the Xbox version to PC and remove all opportunities to make repairs as necessary.

Come on now. We're part of this community, and it's a real shame to encounter this level of snark when just trying to be as helpful as possible. The old system caused problems, this new system solves those problems. Isn't that the goal?

Edited July 20, 20223 yr by MattNischan

@MattNischan you're being so calm and patient, do you work for Asobo? 😄 Either way, thank you for the insight on this subject. And agree, this appears to be going in the right direction for efficiency sake.

6 hours ago, MattNischan said:

Content.xml no longer controls the order of loading of addons to which it would have applied. All deleting that file did was reset the order to defaults, which are now always enforced. The fact that it existed was a problem in the first place, as it could become stale or edited in a way that would make loading things broken, thus requiring this "fix". There is no control being removed from the user.

In fact, user control has been increased, as there is now a load order override option within the sim menu.

Come on now. We're part of this community, and it's a real shame to encounter this level of snark when just trying to be as helpful as possible. The old system caused problems, this new system solves those problems. Isn't that the goal?

Matt, those of us on the SU10 beta and still using the old content.xml file should delete it to get the new one?

Thanks.

Edited July 21, 20223 yr by Alvega