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Cavemanhead

Why does Microsoft make it so hard to reinstall???

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Clearly shows up in my account but I need to download to my new rig and it wants me to buy it again???  What?  Anyone know how to figure out the MS account nonsense and get FS2020 downloaded again?  I'm only logged in on one machine.  What am I doing wrong?

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Thanks for your help.  I saw the link earlier and it's useless as it does not explain where to go to simply download again.  I keep getting caught in an endless labyrinth of MS store, MS Account, Xbox account but never able to see a simple link for "install again" or download here, etc...  Just a buy button on the same page where I've already clearly purchased.  MS is just so needlessly confusing a overcomplex.  Thanks for trying to help.

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Okay after hunting around some more in some totally illogical paths...  it looks like I had to download the Xbox installer to reinstall A PC GAME! to another PC.  Of course, that makes so much sense!!!  Leave it to MS for intuition... 

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Hi Cavemanhead

I had the same problem a  4 weeks ago as you are experiencing. Frustrating  is a mild term for what  I went through.

Mine was a fresh install of Windows 11 and a download of premium deluxe version of MSFS which I own (receipt as evidence)

Nothing I did solved the problem so after some research I deleted Xbox registration because after phone contact with Microsoft

the result was that I was not a registered purchaser of MSFS. To overcome this problem  I registered for a 1 month trial of MSFS Game Pass.

$10.95 was the charge and it allowed me to d/load the version I had originally purchased.

Everything tested out okay for a couple of weeks , went to Microsoft home page  and cancelled game pass.

Microsoft immediately refunded $10.95 into my bank account within a couple of hours (couldn't believe that as I live in Australia)

MSFS since continually works without any problems.

Apologies for such a long post but hopes this might help you

noels7

 


Noel Southam

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2 hours ago, Cavemanhead said:

Okay after hunting around some more in some totally illogical paths...  it looks like I had to download the Xbox installer to reinstall A PC GAME! to another PC.  Of course, that makes so much sense!!!  Leave it to MS for intuition... 

I just reinstalled on a new rig a few weeks ago, and as I recall all I did was log into my MS Store account and there it was.

I keep a text file with all my logins.

I'm not trying to undo what you said, as I agree MS are masters at inventing 50 different counterintuitive ways to do 1 task.  


Rhett

7800X3D ♣ 32 GB G.Skill TridentZ  Gigabyte 4090  Crucial P5 Plus 2TB 

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37 minutes ago, Mace said:

I just reinstalled on a new rig a few weeks ago, and as I recall all I did was log into my MS Store account and there it was.

I keep a text file with all my logins.

I'm not trying to undo what you said, as I agree MS are masters at inventing 50 different counterintuitive ways to do 1 task.  

In one of the earlier Sim Updates of MSFS, you needed to suddenly install the XBox app, just to get the SIm Updates. I think it was one or two years ago, I can't remember exactly.  Prior to that Sim Update, we never needed the XBox app to install MSFS. I surmise because MSFS was released for XBox, it had something to do with the new code and the XBox app.  That happened to me and others on Windows 10.

For Windows 11, I think the XBox app comes pre-installed on it.  It may explain why people with Windows 11 don't need to do anything, because they don't even realize the XBox app is already installed on Windows 11.

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i5-12400, RTX 3060 Ti, 32 GB RAM

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Zendesk have now been working with me for 10 days on this, with a new PC and with a boxed set since its launch and now the third PC - no issues before. What I am seeing is not new and Zendesk have had many MSINFO files created by me. They are still working on it. If you haven't contacted Zendesk, you should.

Martin


Martin Parr

Retired professional yacht skipper for vessels up to 46m

 

System: Omen 30L GT13-0054na Gaming PC; Windows 10 Home  64-bit OS; Intel Core i9-10900K CPU @ 3.7GHz; RAM 32GB; Samsung S34J55x Monitor 3440x1440 @75 Hz Resolution; NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. MSFS P/D; TM Pendular Rudder Pedals, TM Warthog Hortas Throttle/Joystick Combo.

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I'm probably one of the guys here with the best reinstall proficiency so, bare with me:

.) Whenever you're good with your base MFS install, preferably with no addons in the Community folder, make a backup of the Store and Community folders for future reinstall if required;

.) Create an ISO image of Disk 1 ( in my case this was required because I had originally purchased MFS Standard Edition on DVD). I always mount it whenever reinstalling MFS;

.) Start the install from the xBox client that comes with your default Win10 / Win11 install: Give it the same install folder you had it in when you made the backup. As the initial core utilities install ends ( around 2GB ), before starting the major install leave MFS and copy from the backup into the newly created folder you Community and Store folders. Proceed from there and you will see the install fetching only the eventually necessary updates.

It works beautifully.

Yesterday I offered myself the PREMIUM DELUXE version as a birthday gift ( since no one around figures what I really would like as a birthday gift 😜 ) and upgraded MFS to this new version 🙂

I really don't know if DVD 1 will be required from now on / checked by the cloud from time to time ?

Edited by jcomm
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I would only recommend to those who want to have a trouble-free MSFS to purchase the Steam version from the beginning!.

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Cheers, Ed

MSFS Steam - Win10 Home x64 // Rig: Corsair Graphite 760T Full Tower - ASUS MBoard Maximus XII Hero Z490 - CPU Intel i9-10900K - 64GB RAM - MSI RTX2080 Super 8GB - [1xNVMe M.2 1TB + 1xNVMe M.2 2TB (Samsung)] + [1xSSD 1TB + 1xSSD 2TB (Crucial)] + [1xSSD 1TB (Samsung)] + 1 HDD Seagate 2TB + 1 HDD Seagate External 4TB - Monitor LG 29UC97C UWHD Curved - PSU Corsair RM1000x - VR Oculus Rift // MSFS Steam - Win 10 Home x64 - Gaming Laptop CUK ASUS Strix - CPU Intel i7-8750H - 32GB RAM - RTX2070 8GB - SSD 2TB + HDD 2TB // Thrustmaster FCS & MS XBOX Controllers

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7 hours ago, Mace said:

I keep a text file with all my logins.

Text files are the most vunerable files to store logins.  Check out this free applicaton, Pkeeper/Psafe.  It is itself securely password protected, has mirroring apps for IOS and Android and allows where device-capable face and fingerprint recognition.  I store all of my logins in it and have for a number of years.  It is easy to organize your entries in folders and easy to cut and past ID's and PW's from it over to login boxes on websites.  Very secure, easy to backup.

https://www.pwsafe.org/

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Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
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Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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1 hour ago, edpatino said:

I would only recommend to those who want to have a trouble-free MSFS to purchase the Steam version from the beginning!.

Agree and have several times wished I had done so.

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Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
ASUS 
VG289 4K 27" Monitor; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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1 hour ago, fppilot said:

Text files are the most vunerable files to store logins.  Check out this free applicaton, Pkeeper/Psafe.  It is itself securely password protected, has mirroring apps for IOS and Android and allows where device-capable face and fingerprint recognition.  I store all of my logins in it and have for a number of years.  It is easy to organize your entries in folders and easy to cut and past ID's and PW's from it over to login boxes on websites.  Very secure, easy to backup.

https://www.pwsafe.org/

That's good info, thanks.  I'm not sure I trust any external program with my passwords.  I only trust myself and my 30-year-long storage track record and PC security practices.  But I will take Pkeeper into consideration.


Rhett

7800X3D ♣ 32 GB G.Skill TridentZ  Gigabyte 4090  Crucial P5 Plus 2TB 

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1 hour ago, Mace said:

I'm not sure I trust any external program with my passwords. 

Not sure what you mean by external.  I use it standalone.  I maintain the encrypted file and backups on my PC and email the most current encrypted file to my phone and tablet. It goes nowhere else.  It is not a Cloud type app.  i.e. you store it the same secure way you store your non-encrypted text file.  Only your text file is likely not encrypted.

Edited by fppilot

Frank Patton
MasterCase Pro H500M; MSI Z490 WiFi MOB; i7 10700k 3.8 Ghz; Gigabyte RTX 3080 12gb OC; H100i Pro liquid cooler; 32GB DDR4 3600;  Gold RMX850X PSU;
ASUS 
VG289 4K 27" Monitor; Honeycomb Alpha & Bravo, Crosswind 3's w/dampener.  
Former USAF meteorologist & ground weather school instructor. AOPA Member #07379126
                       
"I will never put my name on a product that does not have in it the best that is in me." - John Deere

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13 hours ago, Cavemanhead said:

I had to download the Xbox installer to reinstall A PC GAME!

You fell for the common misconception that the Xbox app is applies only to games on the Xbox console. in fact, what used to be called Games for Windows, was (admittedly confusingly) brought under the Xbox umbrella in 2013.


OS:     Win11 Home; Mobo: Asus TUF Gaming Z690-Plus WiFi D4; CPU: Intel i5-12400 (Alder Lake) 4.4 GHz
RAM: Corsair Vengeance DDR4 64Gb (4x16GB) 3600 MHz; GPU:  MSI Radeon RX 5700XT [8GB] 
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HDD:  Seagate 3TB (Data); Seagate 1TB (Programs), ASUS TUF Gaming VG32VQ1B Curved 31.5" monitor, 1440p, 38Mbs ethernet 

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