Want to fly your old copy of Prepar3d?

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Want to fly your old copy of Prepar3d?

Postby OldAirmail » Sat Oct 31, 2015 1:43 pm

Then don't delete it.

A few weeks after I installed Prepar3d V3, I deleted V2.5 from my SSD. Didn't need it. :confusion-shrug:

Or did I. :think:

After clearing a large amount of space off my SSD C: drive, and starting to set up P3d V3 the way that I wanted it, I had to stop and think a moment. Or two. Or three.



See, I had re-installed FSX and was thinking that even some free programs will only install to the FSX directory.

For instance, the CoolPlane.exe (fictitious) program may only install to the FSX directory. But from there I can copy it to Prepar3ed V3 where it'll be a wonderful plane to fly.

Welllll........... The same thing is true about Prepar3d V2.X programs too. And while I had copied my scenery, Effects, gauges, and SimObjects to another drive, that alone might not be good enough.



Not a problem. I burn the programs that I buy to DVD along with whatever email and ID/Password that I might need to reinstall it.

BTW -You can't use the Setup.exe program. You have to use the Prepar3D.msi installer to get the program on your hard disk if you've already installed P3d V3.

Image

So I install P3d V2 again, run it, and entered the required ID/Password - NOT ACCEPTED.

I copy & paste everything, just as I do when installing it the first time. NOT ACCEPTED.

NOT ACCEPTED.

NOT ACCEPTED.


So while you CAN have both versions running on one computer, you can't, apparently, RE-install the older version.

However, I don't really want to "fly" anything, anywhere. I just want it there for install purposes.

And for that, it works perfectly.



I'm somewhat sure (maybe) that if you really do need it to work, LM will let you do it in some way. Probably.

Just don't forget to :pray:
.. .
Get the most out of your controls - SPAD.neXt

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. . . . . .Any time, any plane, any weather.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepar3d V4
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Re: Want to fly your old copy of Prepar3d?

Postby papituwall » Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:31 pm

Create a "fake" P3DV2 folder in the normal place in C:
Open notepad and create and save a file with the name of the executable prepar3d.exe
Put te exe in the fake folder.
The same for FSX.
95% of addons will install there.
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Re: Want to fly your old copy of Prepar3d?

Postby OldAirmail » Sat Oct 31, 2015 8:14 pm

I don't recall what they were, but I've had one or two installers that wouldn't install because it couldn't find the program in the registry. I believe that there's instructions somewhere on how to do a repair.

I now have a new 2TB HDD for programs that don't have a real need for speed, so I'm not hurting for space.

Still, that's good to know.


But it's a little surprising that they make a point of saying that you can have both programs that you paid for on the same computer, when you can't reinstall the earlier purchase.

After all they make a very big deal about Prepar3d V3 NOT being an upgrade. It was a new version that you had to pay full price for.


Anyway, I didn't do a pseudo-install of P3d V2.5 to actually use it.

And now, with your help, people have two ways to reinstall their old V2.X software.
.. .
Get the most out of your controls - SPAD.neXt

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. . . . . .Any time, any plane, any weather.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepar3d V4
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Re: Want to fly your old copy of Prepar3d?

Postby papituwall » Sun Nov 01, 2015 4:28 am

My previous post was written with a cell phone. I will extend my info.

The following is valid for FSX and P3D. You can install FSX addons in P3D but you must think that some of them not only install files in the main program folder:

Aircraft installers usually install the files in the main program folder. Some of this aircraft can be installed in a temporary folder.

Scenery installers do the same but usually write an entry (or entries) in the "scenery.cfg" file, located in my Win7 in: C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2/3 or C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX.
Also can write entries in "terrain.cfg". IMPORTANT: This file in FSX is in the main program folder , but in P3D 2.5 and 3 is in the same folder as scenery.cfg.

Both planes and scenery, can write entries in the file "dll.xml" (in my Win7 located C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v3 or C:\Users\USER\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX).
For instance if you install a plane in a fake FSX or P3DV2, check if the installer has written an entry in this file and then copy the text in the dll.xml of P3DV3. I.E. FSUIPC writes entries in this file.
You need an xml editor, I use this free one http://www.philo.de/xmledit/.

If the addon is a Mission it can install files in C:\Users\JMMur\Documents\Prepar3D v2/3 Files.

You can imagine an addon consisting in aircraft, scenery and mission. If your file is a FSX or P3DV2 version, it could be possible that when installing in the fake program will use all this folders and/or files.

Regarding the Register entries, for FSX you can use the Flight1 registry repair (I'm not sure if it works with a fake FSX) but the problem is that is automatic. Is better "TWEAKFS REGISTRY UTILITY V1.21" (google this name, I have not found it here at Simviation), that one is more complete because allows to select the FSX path, I use it for installing addons to FSX-SE.
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Re: Want to fly your old copy of Prepar3d?

Postby OldAirmail » Sun Nov 01, 2015 8:06 am

I'm used to using regedit and was expecting something similar.

But TWEAKFS REGISTRY UTILITY is as simple and straight forward as anything could be

This is something that anyone can use no matter what their computer expertise level is.


Thanks, Papituwall. :clap: :clap: :clap:
.. .
Get the most out of your controls - SPAD.neXt

Image
. . . . . .Any time, any plane, any weather.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . Prepar3d V4
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