multi instalations

[triggerhappykiwi]

G'day there all , been thinking about multi installs for all the different combat periods available, at presesnt have to shift various planes over from the hanger to use them ( about 370 last count ) ..  now what I'd like to know is
1) can I rename every install seperatly , i.e WW1,WW2 Europe , east , west ,atlantic etc , WW2 Med , WW2 pacific early/late , korea, Vietnam etc etc
2) do you have to keep the default aircraft in the installs

I have a new 40 GB h/d installed ready and waiting, but would like any feedback before embarking on this setup.
any help would be much appreciated.

p.s anyone come across any Avengers and Dauntless reskinned in RNZAF skins yet ?
cheers kiwi

[HawkerTempest5]

You can have as many installs of CFS2 as you have disc space for! Simply rename the root directory of your first install to whatever you like and install your new version as normal. You can not remove any stock aircraft. If you try it will give you some error message or crash to desktop when you try to run it.
I have two installs at the moment but as soon as I clean up a bit more space I will be adding a third just for the new Fox Four Korean campaigns.

[HeyChief]

Hi Guys,

It's true you can have more than one installation of

CFS2 on your computer, or HD. But you run into

problems if you want to play online with all the

installations.

Of course if it was possible, you could only use one of

the installations at a time.

I had two installs once & could not go online with the

first install. I had to use the second install.

It would be great if you could use one install for SOPAC

& the other for Europe, & possible a third & fourth, for

Korea, Vietnam, Desert wars, Afganistan, or whatever

theatre of war. However I haven't found a way to do it.

If anyone knows please let us know in the forums.

Thanks,

Chief

[kevib1]

Hi guys, It is possible to get around the problem of multiple installs and online play.

Unfortunatly, the fix involves changing settings in the registry (not necessarily for the feint hearted!). I gave a detailed explanation in a previous post a couple of months back.  Try searching posts with a subject of 'multiple install'

Basically, the last install will change the registry settings for the Zone to indicate that it is the install to use for multiplayer game starts on the Zone atleast. I don't play anywhere else so I don't know how they work.

Having changed the registry I would expect you to need to reboot the pc for this to take effect.

If there is a suitably techy person out there it should be possible to create a utility that could swap the install used for multiplayer easily enough.

It might however be easier to swap the names of the root folders of the install so that the correct one loaded on multiplayer launch.

I only use 1 install for online play as I always fly either 1% planes or stock if I have to.

If anyone is flying any of FoxFour's  Korean planes online that would be great too.

I hope this helps.

[HeyChief]

Thanks kev,

I'll try the idea you gave me as soon as I need to re-install cfs2:

"It might however be easier to swap the names of the root folders of the install so that the correct one loaded on multiplayer launch. "

I tried to find the previous post you mentioned, with no luck. Went back 100 days, still no luck.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, however you choose to look at it, I am feint-hearted when it comes to the registry. I have heard too many tales of woe & $ spent to repair ill-fated excursions into the registry.

Thanks again, kev,

Chief

[Hagar]

I remember that discussion although not the conclusions we arrived at. I've never played online so this is only theory. I've been using multiple installs of all the M$ sims since I found this was possible by accident back in the days of CFS1. From experience with the CFS2 Mission Builder I discovered that it's recognised by the directory folder name of the latest install, whatever that might be. No registry editing involved, simply renaming folders. I can only assume that it's the same for the Zone.

I've always been in the habit of installing to the default path under the default directory name. C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Combat Flight Simulator 2
In my case this is always the directory the latest install of CFS2 is in. My theory is that providing it's done systematically any folder renamed thus in this location will be recognised on the Zone. Maybe someone can try it & confirm it for me.

PS. The directory folder name is not important providing it's the latest install. For it to work & whatever names you use, all installs should be in the same location.

[kevib1]

Hi Hagar, All,

That is correct.
When you create a new install of CFS2 The name of the folder is stored (as it happens, in the registry) and used for  multiplay on The Zone.
For example, I shall assume we install to 'C:\CFS2' (not the default folder)
When launching a multiplayer session whatevr is in the folder 'C:\CFS2' will be launched.
Therefore, moving around your installs so that the one you wish to use for multiplay is in 'C:\CFS2' will be launched.

The alternative is to find the correct place in the registry and amend the file path to point to the folder you require.

As for Mission Builder.
There is a mission builder installed along with each install of CFS2 and that one will create/ edit missionss in that install. Unfortunately, each time you install CFS2 the start menu options are changed to the latest install.
You can find the correct mission builder within the folder of the install you want and launch it from there or add an icon  to the desktop or menu item.

I think I am confussing myself now!!!!

Kev

[Hagar]

Thanks for confirming that Kev. On re-reading my reply it's not as clear as it might be.

I think you're a tad off-course on the MB. It's integral with CFS2.exe & there's no separate EXE file in the directory folder. It's launched from the Start menu by default. I find it easier create a desktop shortcut from there.

[HeyChief]

Thanks, guys

Next time i'm feeling like messin around I'll re-install cfs2 on my largest HD, & then do it again. But with a different name. keeping in mind that I have to change the names prior to going online.

If it works, or doesn't work, I'll post the results

Thanks again,

Chief

[KmiKz]

hi!
I can help you for this problem with this method you can have one folder cfs2 with many differents theatre as you want ,12 if you want.It's more easy that it seems.
I have no time to make the translate french to english but with a dictionnary you can easy do that.
make a copy of this post and stud the process ,it's works with batch files:
Or....learn french
       

La limitation

[HeyChief]

Hmmmmmmmmm !!!!!!

Gonna take me awhile, my French is so rusty it has holes innit..lol ... been awhile. But I need the practice anyway.

Thanks

Chief

[KmiKz]

Hi!
I feel your disappointement about this topic in french language.
I have two sons and I must take a ticket to use my computer,today I could find one hour to make the traduction .
It's a "home" traduction with my associates Harrap and shorter ,I hope you'll understand...
Well let's go:

The limit of +-200 for the Airbases.dat, +-100 for planes folder and the wish to change aircrafts and texture for the area in different theatres can be do with this process.
See on Netwings and Cfsfrance :

1.make a copy of the folders that you want to be specific for each theatre . exemple for the missions you create folders MisEurEF, MisEurWF, Mis Pac, Mis Afr...,idem for campagnes aircraft etc..

2.in each folder,(xxxEurWF for exemple),create text document empty and name it @EurWF.Do the same thing for each other folders xxxEurEF,xxxAfr,xxxPac...well All your folders xxxEurWF must have a txt document @EurWF.txt,all your folders xxxPac must have inside a txt document @Pac.txt,etc....

3.For the textures,same process,create folder for each theatre,in folder scenedb\world you can have AfrTex (desert)EurWFTex EurEFTex(snow for exemple) PacTex (tropical) inside each these folders place a text document empty and name it @Afr,@EurWF.,@EurEF,@Pac.,@SCW,@Kor...

4.To change airbases.dat in your cfs2\info folder,create a airbase.dat for each theatre : AirbasesAfr,AirbasesEurWF,AirbasesPac etc..,and put in this the stock bases and all these with your add-ons for each theatre.Make a backup with the original..

5.For initialise the process.rename one of these files/ folders in their default names.For exemple choose Pacific and rename MisPac to missions,CamPac to campaigns,scenedb\world\PacTex to scenedb\world\texture etc...when you do that let txt document @Pac in all the xxxPac folders normally you'll never to do that handly.


6.with Notepad.make a copy of this text following and name it CFSEurWF.bat and place it in the main cfs2 folder

for exemple my CFEurWF.bat with for the moment 4 theatre intalled EurWF(europa WF) Pac (pacific) Kor(Korea) and SCW (Spanish civil War)
in project Africa and Europa east front.
You can copy it as start point:

echo off
if exist missions\@EurEF.txt ren missions MisEurEF
if exist missions\@EurWF.txt ren missions MisEurWF
if exist missions\@Africa.txt ren missions MisAfrica
if exist missions\@Pac.txt ren missions MisPac
if exist missions\@SCW.txt ren missions MisSCW
if exist missions\@Kor.txt ren missions MisKor  
ren MisEurWF missions
if exist campaigns\@EurEF.txt ren campaigns CamEurEF
if exist campaigns\@EurWF.txt ren campaigns CamEurWF
if exist campaigns\@Africa.txt ren campaigns CamAfrica
if exist campaigns\@Pac.txt ren campaigns CamPac
if exist campaigns\@SCW.txt ren campaigns CamSCW
if exist campaigns\@Kor.txt ren campaigns CamKor
ren CamEurWF campaigns
if exist aircraft\@EurEF.txt ren aircraft AirEurEF
if exist aircraft\@EurWF.txt ren aircraft AirEurWF
if exist aircraft\@Africa.txt ren aircraft AirAfrica
if exist aircraft\@Pac.txt ren aircraft AirPac
if exist aircraft\@SCW.txt ren aircraft AirSCW
if exist aircraft\@Kor.txt ren aircraft AirKor
ren AirEurWF aircraft
if exist scenedb\world\texture\@EurWF.txt ren scenedb\world\texture EurWFTex
if exist scenedb\world\texture\@Pac.txt ren scenedb\world\texture PacTex
if exist scenedb\world\texture\@Africa.txt ren scenedb\world\texture AfrTex
if exist scenedb\world\texture\@EurEF.txt ren scenedb\world\texture EurEFTex
if exist scenedb\world\texture\@SCW.txt ren scenedb\world\texture SCWTex
if exist scenedb\world\texture\@Kor.txt ren scenedb\world\texture KorTex    
ren scenedb\world\EurWFTex texture
if exist uires\@EurEF.txt ren uires UIREurEF
if exist uires\@EurWF.txt ren uires UIREurWF
if exist uires\@Africa.txt ren uires UIRAfrica
if exist uires\@Pac.txt ren uires UIRPac
if exist uires\@SCW.txt ren uires UIRSCW
if exist uires\@Kor.txt ren uires UIRKor
ren UIREurWF uires
if exist quickcom\@EurEF.txt ren quickcom QCEurEF
if exist quickcom\@EurWF.txt ren quickcom QCEurWF
if exist quickcom\@Africa.txt ren quickcom QCAfrica
if exist quickcom\@Pac.txt ren quickcom QCPac
if exist quickcom\@SCW.txt ren quickcom QCSCW
if exist quickcom\@Kor.txt ren quickcom QCKor  
ren QCEurWF quickcom  
copy Info\airbasesEurWF.dat Info\airbases.dat
exit

7.Make a copy this text file and create CFSPac inside, don't change any "if exist.." lines,but modifie "ren.." lines replacing EurWF for Pac.for exemple " ren CamEurWF campaigns" gonna be " ren CamPac campaigns".
In "copy info\airbasesEurWF.dat Info\airbases.dat" line replace  airbasesEurWF for airbasesPac.

8.create in the same way CFSKor, CFSSCW....for each op.theatre.

9.It's the end soon! If you click in the CFSEurWF.bat,a DOS window will open and all the xxxEurWF folders will be renamed in their defaults names :missions, campaigns,aircraft etc....and will copy AirbasesEurWF.dat for Airbases.dat.

10.sometimes the DOS doesn't close at the end of process ,close it handly.If you want a automatic close do a right click and go to property (propri

[HeyChief]

Thank you Kmikz & Guy,

WOW ! I didn't expect you to translate it. I was looking forward to a different sort of challenge, ie. translating your post.

But that's ok, it's quicker this way.

This week I'll be doing a re-install, & will try it your way, I'll also try it the other way, with separate installs, and changing the names.

You might want to put the information from your excellent post into the form of a tech tip. So it'll be readily available to those who have the same queston in a few months.

Thanks again Kevib 1, Hagar, Kmikz, Guy, & the triggrerhappykiwi for starting this thread.

Chief

[HeyChief]

Hi all,

Well I've tried the easier method. I put two separate installs on the same Hard Drive Partition, and gave them different names.

The  name of the last install is the one used to play on the zone.

Whichever install I want to use on the zone, I just change the name of the folder to the last install's name, and I sign onto the zone & fly.

In a week or so, when I get tired of one or both of these installs, I'll use the other, more complicated method. Mainly cause I'm lazy, lol.

BTW, I had to set up a 10 Gb partition to handle all the gauges, weapons, aircraft, & other stuff that had to be doubled up.

My scenery is in another partition, and I only need one install of that. Both cfs2 installs can access the same scenery files.

Hope this has helped others, If not, at least enlightened some.

Chief

[KmiKz]

Hi,now you have the solution:

CFS2 easymultiinstall.zip
http://www.simviation.com/cfs2utilities1.htm

This one can help you