OK.  Help is needed, please.

I corrupted my Win10, while doing electrical work on some lighting in my house.  Nothing that I could do to fix my Win10, after trying about 20 web based solutions.

I gave up, did a Win10 reinstall.  Which wasn't too bad really, it cleaned up a lot of mess from over the years.  However, I'm left with reinstalling programs.

All my old data is saved in a fold called Windows.old...in it, I see all my MSFS base program and my links to Add-on Linker.

I copied this data to their exact locations as they should be.

But then I realized I had no means to launch the sim.  I went to the MS Store (which is in itself a nightmare from elm street). I located and tried to install the sim from there, where is says "you own this program"...the installation doesn't work, I tried several times...then I searched online for solutions to get the store to let me install the game.

Hopeless! To put it mildly.

Has anyone got experience with this?  Know how to get the program back on a system?

Bryan

3 hours ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

OK.  Help is needed, please.

I corrupted my Win10, while doing electrical work on some lighting in my house.  Nothing that I could do to fix my Win10, after trying about 20 web based solutions.

I gave up, did a Win10 reinstall.  Which wasn't too bad really, it cleaned up a lot of mess from over the years.  However, I'm left with reinstalling programs.

All my old data is saved in a fold called Windows.old...in it, I see all my MSFS base program and my links to Add-on Linker.

I copied this data to their exact locations as they should be.

But then I realized I had no means to launch the sim.  I went to the MS Store (which is in itself a nightmare from elm street). I located and tried to install the sim from there, where is says "you own this program"...the installation doesn't work, I tried several times...then I searched online for solutions to get the store to let me install the game.

Hopeless! To put it mildly.

Has anyone got experience with this?  Know how to get the program back on a system?

Bryan

Run the XBOX app and see if its installed in it. Run it and you'll see a directory string then click on it and point to where you had the original folder with the 2 sub folders community etc. in it. I'm sure someone else would have a better idea though.

Edited June 7, 20233 yr by 40track

Hello,

When you install a program, Windows adds many entries in the registry, and in many hidden folders ...
Restoring files is not enough, you must first reinstall FS 2020.

If you use Steam, it will be a very easy process. Just install Steam, login, locate Fs 2020, and click install !

7 hours ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

Know how to get the program back on a system?

that's why they "invented" zendesk for MSFS:

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405345181202-Basic-Troubleshooting-How-to-troubleshoot-games-and-apps-from-Microsoft-Store

What files were copied from the old Windows installation?   Only content?

13 hours ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

I copied this data to their exact locations as they should be.

Only the folder that contains the Official and Community folder, typically called Packages can be reused.

When reinstalling from the Store or XBox app, it will ask you where the content can be found (after installing the base program). At that point, you point it to the packages folder.

9 hours ago, turbomax said:

that's why they "invented" zendesk for MSFS:

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4405345181202-Basic-Troubleshooting-How-to-troubleshoot-games-and-apps-from-Microsoft-Store

OK I went to the FAQ, and don't exactly see me issue listed.  But know however that I did launch MS Store on my PC and after a bit of hocus pocus found my "game: and there it was saying I owned it and an installation button, which I clicked as I mentioned, it did not work. Tried 3 times.

14 hours ago, 40track said:

Run the XBOX app and see if its installed in it. Run it and you'll see a directory string then click on it and point to where you had the original folder with the 2 sub folders community etc. in it. I'm sure someone else would have a better idea though.

Last night I tried your advice.  I didn't know I had such a thing as XBOX app in Win10, why would I as I don't use XBOX, so confusing.  I did what you said, the first thing I got as XBOX CONSOLE which it said was a new app...OK, I have no idea what I'm doing here..and found my MSFS 2020 only by typing in the full name "Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020", but I digress, and there is said I owned the sim and there was an install button.

So I thought wow that's interesting.  I clicked the install button, it took me immediately to MS Store and I got the same old page I was at before...I clicked install...and there was a tiny, very tiny little circle with white outline showing progress…I watched and watch and though..."I think it's actually working" but can't be sure because the thing is so word not allowed small...then all of a sudden it clicked to PLAY GAME.  What, only after a couple of minutes.

Worried so I did two things.

I checked my User.....packages and community folders and cfg...they were all there. Although every shortcut to MY scenery had been changed to not a shortcut but full loaded scenery into community folder.  No worries I figured I could fix this later.

And went to C drive only to find an Xbox folder and under it two other MSFS folders which don't seem to do anything...so I don't know if I can delete these or not.  This process is not for the light at heart.

10 hours ago, ctdlg said:

Hello,

When you install a program, Windows adds many entries in the registry, and in many hidden folders ...
Restoring files is not enough, you must first reinstall FS 2020.

If you use Steam, it will be a very easy process. Just install Steam, login, locate Fs 2020, and click install !

Yes I am familiar with this. Thanks.  I am not a steam users, but I did use the XBOX thingee above and "seem" to have an install.  But not quite.

3 hours ago, Bert Pieke said:

Only the folder that contains the Official and Community folder, typically called Packages can be reused.

When reinstalling from the Store or XBox app, it will ask you where the content can be found (after installing the base program). At that point, you point it to the packages folder.

I got a box saying "where do you want to install" and knowing about the packages etc left it at the C drive root where it was in the first place.

MOST IMPORTANTLY

Using the MSFS icon on my desktop, it launched sim, I CHEER.  Then once loaded I go to my profile and see a hanger, empty no planes visable, but the planes are listed in my content.

I WILL DO A COLD REBOOT, i WILL DIG INTO THIS SOME MORE AND SEE IF I CAN GET IT ALL FUNCTIONING.

Sure glad MS has made this so easy for an old guy.

Much thanks for the help so far, perhaps I'm still missing something here let me keep checking.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

an Xbox folder and under it two other MSFS folders which don't seem to do anything...so I don't know if I can delete these or not. 

yeah, lets all delete some useless MSFS folders.🤣

reminds me of my experiments as a young radio amateur, when I de-soldered a few resistors and capacitors here and there "which didn't seem to do anything" and to my surprise the radio was still working just as before. 😊

or last year, when they launched a new MSFS beta and we all couldn't start MSFS anymore. turnes out the Microsoft Defender antivirus definition files had coincidently been updated a few minutes before the very same night and had erroneously identified the Microsoft gaming service, which is essential for any Microsoft game to even start, as a virus and would stop MSFS from loading. fortunately that was corrected in the early morning hours before most users had even run into this problem. 😊

Edited June 7, 20233 yr by turbomax

2 minutes ago, turbomax said:

yeah, lets all delete some useless MSFS folders.🤣

reminds me of my experiments as a young radio amateur, when I de-soldered a few resistors and capacitors here and there "which didn't seem to do anything" and to my surprise the radio was still working just as before. 😊

OK, jokes on me...what do they do?  Can you provide me with some "useful" info as to why these are there?

UPDATE.

The XBOX install appears to have worked...mostly.  I have some work to do as my paid planes are all gone my TDXi is gone, my Justflight analog planes are gone...but I did load up a default plane, and took to two departure points and they all loaded up OK.

My previous stuff is all stored in a folder called Windows.old and also now I have another complete set in:

C:\Users\Bryan & Patricia\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages

C:\Windows.old\Users\Bryan & Patricia\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages

So I will tread lightly and get things back to normal....interestingly the sim seems to have drawn upon my windows.old stuff to do the reinstall and I have my logbook and all my Saitek settings still in place...which is helpful.

MUCH THANKS FOLKS...AVSIM IS ALWAYS THE BEST PLACE TO GET HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT...THE FOLKS HERE ARE GREAT AND PATIENT.

48 minutes ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

Can you provide me with some "useful" info as to why these are there?

me, some "useful" info, are you kidding? I am just an earthling like you who likes to play MSFS and has learnt NOT to touch anything that even remotely looks like a Microsoft file or service, except for my own addons in the ADDONS folder where all 3rd party addons reside. MSFS seems even more delicate in this respect than Windows itself. What I do know is that if you loose the MS gaming services, it can be hard to impossible to reinstall them without a full Windows reinstall. But since we all do our regular image backups of drive C, that's a piece of cake.  😊

time permitting, I would still recommend to peruse the MSFS zendesk from time to time, it is a real treasure chest.

Edited June 7, 20233 yr by turbomax

4 minutes ago, turbomax said:

me, are you kidding? I am just an earthling like you who likes to play MSFS, but I have learnt NOT to touch anything that remotely looks like a Microsoft file, except for my own addons in the ADDONS folder where all 3rd party addons reside. MSFS is even more delicate in this aspect than Windows itself.

🤣🤣 OK...Oh, I know, Google is my friend...I'm darn curious now...will look into it.

Most importantly I appear to have reinstalled my sim, with most stuff still attached.

Edited June 7, 20233 yr by 1st fltsimguy

19 minutes ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

interestingly the sim seems to have drawn upon my windows.old stuff to do the reinstall and I have my logbook and all my Saitek settings still in place

Those are there because they are stored in the cloud, the sim didn't get them from your windows.old folder.

24 minutes ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

my paid planes are all gone my TDXi is gone, my Justflight analog planes are gone...

to avoid such mishaps, the connoisseurs all use the free MSFS addons linker, which creates only a symbolic link instead of the real addons in the ADDONS folder. My addons are all on a separate drive in a separate folder, like "D:\MSFS addons" so they would all still be there waiting for me even after a re-install of Windows. don't leave your hangar without it:

https://flightsim.to/file/1572/msfs-addons-linker

Edited June 7, 20233 yr by turbomax

26 minutes ago, 1st fltsimguy said:

and I have my logbook and all my Saitek settings still in place...

no you don't 😊 , Microsoft has them stored somewhere on their servers and your MSFS loads them back from the internet every time you load MSFS. Imagine how NOT amused we beta testers were when all our logbooks once got deleted and could not be recovered by a mistake in the beta, even all the regular non-beta flights were gone from our logbooks for good.