Strange install of MSFS

[Doug4907 2]

I need all the help available.  My PC is a Gen12 CPU with a 4060 video card.

MSFS was running fine, installed in C:\users\name\appdata\local etc as is normal with the MS Store version.

For non MSFS reasons I needed a reinstall of my C:\  PC.

I have always relied on Macrium to do system back up of C: , captured after the first basic install, plus needed programs.  Following instructions I reset my C: drive via the Macrium system backup.  That all went well, all my basic programs like MS Office, various Adobe stuff, etc worked as expected.   Now my PC has a SSD for C: with plenty of room for programs plus MSFS.  After this system reinstall, MSFS ran all OK, but when I looked at my C: drive MSFS wasn't there.  After a while I found it on my mechanical D: hard drive in a folder called D:\Wpsystem\S-1-5-21-77873212-1041756793-4258199602-1002  ???

Can any one help why this happened?  And in this directory, some folders seem to repeat.  This is what it looks like:

D:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-77873212-1041756793-4258199602-1002\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore

Of course I want MSFS on my fast C: SSD.  Why it ended up on D:\Wpsytem is a total mystery to me.

Can anyone help guide me though this mess?

[vgbaron 3,766]

Before you do anything, look at the last line in UserCfg,opt file - in my case it says

InstalledPackagesPath "F:\MSFS2020"

you can find the file here:

C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache

 

What does yours say?

[Doug4907 2]

Mine says 

InstalledPackagesPath "C:\Users\Doug\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages"

Despite this the size of C:\Users\Doug\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe is a mere 768KB

Does this make sense to you?

[Reader 2,056]

You appear to be saying that during the resetting of your C drive,
your D drive somehow had Microsoft Flight Simulator installed onto it?

[Doug4907 2]

Yep.  It has totally confused me.  If you know Macrium, it takes an image of the boot drive (C:), but Macrium allows us to look at this image, and I have just inspected that.  The image contains 

C:\Users\Doug\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe, with a size of 176GB.  But this image when restored, the same new folder on C: has been created but is < 1MB.  

The more I ponder this remarkable outcome, I wonder whether Macrium has a problem with the extremely long path lengths, like Microsoft, in their wisdom, has used for the "store" install.  If this is the cause, Macrium managed to copied the normal install folder containing MSFS, but upon restoring using this image it was unable to recreate the said long path.  Maybe?  Perhaps?

After I did the restore, there were many things that needed updating so I left my PC on to do the updates overnight, (eg Windows, Office, Adobe, etc) and for some reason that I can't yet explain, MSFS was at that time freshly installed to D:\Wpsystem\S-1-5-21-77873212-1041756793-4258199602-1002.  I can definitely say, I never would have chosen such an install location.  And why Wpsystem??

Reader, I have never encountered such a perplexing problem with my computer, and I have been a heavy PC user since 1985.  I realise that what I am describing sounds impossible, and upon reflection, the only reason I can think of is the huge path lengths that Microsoft have used.

Many thanks for your help. Regards,

Doug

[Bert Pieke 7,628]

Wpsystem is what MS uses when moving msfs onto a different drive.

 

[Bert Pieke 7,628]

Can you copy the Packages folder, the one in the LocalCache folder, manually to a new folder on your C drive, maybe from your backup, and change the line in the usercfg file to point to the new location?

If that works, you can delete the Packages folder on the D drive.

As for msfs itself, you can try the "Move app" routine to move it to the C drive, if indeed it currently is not there..

Edited April 2 by Bert Pieke

[Bert Pieke 7,628]

22 hours ago, Doug4907 said:

D:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-77873212-1041756793-4258199602-1002\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore

This may look strange, but is fact correct... Note the two uses of the Packages name which is confusing!

Edited April 2 by Bert Pieke

[Bert Pieke 7,628]

12 hours ago, Doug4907 said:

Mine says 

InstalledPackagesPath "C:\Users\Doug\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages"

Despite this the size of C:\Users\Doug\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe is a mere 768KB

Does this make sense to you?

If you look closely at the folders in the file explorer, is the LocalCache folder actually a link? If yes, it likely points to the D drive.

[Doug4907 2]

Hi Bert, and others,

Sorry for my "always late" reply.  Caused by 2 things.  First, my time zone is different, living in Australia, and secondly, I rest in bed for abt 18 hours a day because of my declining health.

Thank you for explaining Wpsystem.  When I first realised that all my MSFS was in D:\Wpsystem I became very confused.  "What the bloody hell is Wpsystem??"  And about that very time an unknown lady knocked on our door, at about 1am, very confused, not making much sense at all, shaking all over.  I am too weak to get to the front door and so my wife encountered this and became very scared herself.  I was left, barely in earshot, trying to shout instructions to help my wife, etc, etc.  Eventually two Police cars turned up, seemingly sorted things (?), and the Police drove off with her.

Yes, you are correct, the LocalCache folder on C: is a link to D:\Wpsystem.  I should not have needed you to alert me to that, but alas, I did need your help.  Several other issues to do with Macrium, mounted recovery drive, etc all piled on top of my rattled nature.

Microsoft, and its agents, seem to have gone out of their way to make the installation settings not only hidden, but counter intuitive.

Bert, after major help from you and others, I have nearly sorted out all that went wrong.  Thank you soooo much.

Take care,

Doug, Australia