MSFS Reboot on uninstall?

[andy1252 3,752]

Just doing the update. "you must uninstall previous versions . . ." OK, bit of a pain but.

And then it insists on rebooting the PC to "perform last configuration steps" (nothing else running)

A bit 1980s, isn't it? Surely this can be avoided.

[Scorpio47 22]

I am pretty sure that it can, but I suspect that Pilot´s just wants to make sure that you need to register it again so as to avoid piracy as much as possible

I may be wrong, but it is always a good idea to reboot Windows from time to time (as we all know from painful experience) 😉

[PILOT'S 157]

Andy, the installer ties you into the customer database and provides serial key authorization without you needing to look for the serial key and typing it in. That's the way it was designed and the reboot popup is there from the days of when a rebbot was a requirement. We would have to create an entirely new installer mechanism that works with the existing infrastructure in place to remove that one reboot popup, it is safe for you to ignore it.

Jerome

[andy1252 3,752]

6 hours ago, PILOT'S said:

Andy, the installer ties you into the customer database and provides serial key authorization without you needing to look for the serial key and typing it in. That's the way it was designed and the reboot popup is there from the days of when a rebbot was a requirement. We would have to create an entirely new installer mechanism that works with the existing infrastructure in place to remove that one reboot popup, it is safe for you to ignore it.

Jerome

Hi Jerome,

I don't want to get in to any kind of perceived argument here, especially considering how things went in the thread in the main MSFS forum recently, so please don't take this as an attack, but "we would have to create an entirely new installer mechanism" is pretty much precisely what you should have done (and should still do). A modern installer/updater mechanism ought to be able to remove the previous version and at the same time note/remember the registration information of that product, and then simply go ahead an install the updated version. I have plenty of other aircraft products that do this.

To have an installer/updater that requires manual uninstallation of the previous version is pretty poor (if not entirely uncommon still), but then to issue a "reboot" popup, particularly when you know and acknowledge it is unnecessary, is just not good enough for a modern product designed for a flagship simulator.

Even if you can't be bothered to write a new installer/updater, how much time would it have taken to either suppress the popup box or amend the message within it?

I like the product, it is a very fine thing. But your approach to the customer interface is somewhat below what is expected these days.

regards,

Andy

[andy1252 3,752]

7 hours ago, Scorpio47 said:

it is always a good idea to reboot Windows from time to time

Hi Juergen,

this is really no excuse for this installer's behaviour though (and anyway, I only use my simpc for just that - the sim - so it gets booted up when I use the sim and shut down afterwards)

cheers,

Andy

[dragonflightdesign 98]

Hello Andy

Lockheed-Martin use the same procedure for Prepar3D (removing the registration on uninstall) and they are much, MUCH bigger than PILOT'S! 😁 So do Electronic Arts, Overhaul Games and Larian Studios, to name three others. Yes, asking for a reboot is a bit old-fashioned and it might by possible for PILOT'S to skip that screen (I've no idea what it would take) but removing the registration information on uninstalll is very much in vogue.

I cannot comment on the requirement for manual uninstall.

-Dai

[Scorpio47 22]

16 hours ago, andy1252 said:

Hi Juergen,

this is really no excuse for this installer's behaviour though (and anyway, I only use my simpc for just that - the sim - so it gets booted up when I use the sim and shut down afterwards)

cheers,

Andy

Funny, then this (even unnecessary( reboot would not even be extra work for you 😉
I am less strict I have to admit, only boot once or twice per week of if required for an update or something....

🛩️

[Scorpio47 22]

There are other much more important issues to be taken care of first with high priority I think...

[andy1252 3,752]

1 hour ago, Scorpio47 said:

There are other much more important issues to be taken care of first with high priority I think...

Wouldn't disagree with that at all Juergen. Re-registration is no biggie (even if not technically necessary), but I really do think that pop-up needs to be removed. Can't actually remember the last time I saw one of those before this and it makes the installer look like some amateur freeware package, but mostly because it is not correct (apparently).

Jerome's own response admits it's a holdover from ancient times, and that it is safe to ignore it. And yet this is a pop-up telling you to reboot your PC before continuing.

Like I say, I love the product and I'm not trying to make trouble here, but how difficult can it be to comment out one line of code that pushes that box out?

Unless they don't have the code anymore, of course.

[Scorpio47 22]

4 hours ago, andy1252 said:

......

Jerome's own response admits it's a holdover from ancient times, and that it is safe to ignore it. And yet this is a pop-up telling you to reboot your PC before continuing.

Like I say, I love the product and I'm not trying to make trouble here, but how difficult can it be to comment out one line of code that pushes that box out?

Unless they don't have the code anymore, of course.

Fully support your view on this, Andy! And it should not be an effort of more than 15 minutes to let that popup window disappear.
(I cannot imagine that they don´t have the code anymore, they just used it, so it has to be in the updated version somewhere I would think.....)

So, I am pretty sure it will be gone with the next update (to be published soon we all hope...)

Edited March 19, 2023 by Scorpio47

[andy1252 3,752]

So, I've just downloaded and installed the 1.15 version.

This is from the product's readme file, dated Sat 25/3 -

"ALL PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF "Boeing B-314 - The Clipper" MUST BE DEINSTALLED
BEFORE INSTALLING THIS VERSION.

And YES, a reboot in some cases is required after deinstalling. This is
not due to our Setup but due to the OS requiring it. Sometimes files or
folders are locked and can not be removed. So the OS marks them for removal
upon next reboot. We do recommend to reboot immediately and not reinstall,
otherwise a clean uninstall will never work again."

Sorry, but I simply don't buy this.

I have something approaching 800 payware addons for MSFS, both scenery and aircraft, and this product is the only one that has this requirement. That rather casts doubt on the statement that "this is not due to our Setup but due to the OS requiring it"

I ran the uninstall/install on a bare system, nothing else running, and I was still prompted to reboot after the uninstall.

The product is great. The installation process is a piece of ****

I also just bought and installed your 2NC0. I see the documentation for that says "Never remove the product manually, always use the UNINSTALL function to do this". Why? the whole idea of addons in MSFS is that things go into a self contained environment in the community folder. Once again, I have hundreds of other products that can be moved in and out of the MSFS environment perfectly happily.

If you're not prepared to work within the MSFS environment as designed, why are you releasing stuff for it?

Edited March 28, 2023 by andy1252
emphasis