Re Install

[ivormills]

Hi,

I am having a few problems with CFS and I think I should try a re-install. I have a lot of scenery & aircraft, just wanted to know if a reinstall overwrites any files and would standard attachments like CFO/TG2 still be available afterwards or would they need re-installing.

Thanks

Ivor

[Dan]

Hi Ivor! If you do a straight re-install and leave tho folders alone then they will come back automatically afterwards. You may have to use the scenery library for some of the scenery. I can't remember if TG2 is, but any *.exe edits will hjave to be re-done, like the no-cd patch. I hope that helps you man...  ;D
Dan

[ivormills]

Hi Dan,

Many thanks for that info, I will give it  a try.

Ivor

[ivormills]

Hi,

Still problems! I found that my CFS had 'Multiplayer' greyed out, so I did a fresh install of CFS in a new folder, as with my previous problems, my graphics card is not recognised, but 'Multiplayer' is still greyed out.....any ideas..

Ivor

[Hagar]

Ivor. As I recall the CFS1 Reinstall option doesn't seem much use. Try Uninstall/Install instead. Your addons will be fine but you will have to tweak the settings & reactivate your 3rd party scenery. You would probably need to reinstall Cfo_Weather & TG2.

PS. Don't try Uninstall/Install in CFS2.

[DrRedskwirrell]

Might also be an idea just to back up the files you don't want to lose.
... just in case

[ivormills]

Hi,

Thanks for your replies Hagar & Grizzly,

I have done a totally new installation to a new folder, my multiplayer option is greyed out, that is what I can't work out, I did not go the re-install route, and although my graphics card is working normally (I have checked it on the system settings) I am not getting an option to use accelerated graphics as before, but it is the un selectable multiplayer option that is getting me!

Help.......Lol

Ivor

[Hagar]

I can't figure out why you're having problems. In my experience CFS1 is probably the most bug-free in the MSFS series. The only thing I can suggest is that you didn't uninstall CFS1 properly before doing this new install. I found that an Uninstall/Install to the original path would fix almost any problem with CFS1. I used to do this regularly simply to keep it running smoothly. I also discovered by accident that pasting a copy of the CFS1 directory to a different location to back it up gave you 2 separate installs of the sim that would each run independently. It's also possible to do as many "duplicate" installs as you wish by simply renaming the original CFS1 directory, then insert the CD & install to the default path. This came in useful to overcome the CFS2 installed aircraft limit & is now very commonly used among the CFS2 community. It also works for FS2002.

I might add that during the time I was CFS Editor at Simviation I reckoned to know all there was worth knowing about CFS1. From people mailing me every day with problems I also found out most things that could possibly go wrong with it & how to fix it. (It's quite amazing how many ingenious ideas people come up with to mess things up.) This is no longer the case but I don't remember ever seeing this particular problem before.

I never played online myself but the Multiplayer screen in my own CFS1 appears to work perfectly. As usual I installed it using the default "Typical" option. It's quite possible that Multiplayer is not included from the "Minimal" install option.

PS. If you have 2 installs of CFS1 on your system make sure you're running the correct one. If you're running the original it will obviously have the same problems as before. It might be easier & quicker to start again. Uninstall CFS1 before removing all traces of it from your system. Then do a fresh install. This will give you a completely fresh start.

[ivormills]

Hi hagar,

Thanks for coming back with such a comprehensive reply. Let me explain exactly what has happened. I fly regularly in multiplayer with a squad, finished a nights flying then this problem ocurred on next use. To be certain of using a fresh CFS to fix the problem i did a typical install in a new directory. Both the old and the new have the same problem. I don't want to be paranoid, but a lot of my squad have had their comps hacked while on the zone and have had all sorts of problems........ although I can't think that a brand new installation would carry the same bug...even if it were possible. I have looked in the config.sys but can't seem to find a line that might enable/disable multiplayer.
As you are an expert on CFS1, it worries me that you have never seen this problem before ..................... I always end up having unsolvable problems!..........Lol but I have got to solve this one even if it means buying a new comp.

Thanks for your help.......................so far...............If you think of anything else I am all ears.

Ivor

[Hagar]

I should point out that I no longer consider myself an "expert" with CFS1 or anything else. Things have moved on a long way since I was involved & I've lost touch with it all. I'm still using an old machine on WinMe & have no knowledge of WinXP. From what I read in the FS forums this brings its own problems & installing one XP service pack seems to cause trouble with FS9 - but only for some people. There's so many possible variables these days it makes troubleshooting very difficult.

I hadn't even considered a virus. If this happened  overnight as you say it's possible I suppose. I don't know much about viruses but I'm not sure there's likely to be one that specifically attacks CFS1. I suspect it's more likely something you did, possibly unconnected with CFS1 itself. If a full Uninstall/Install of CFS1 doesn't fix it I'm beaten. Try & think back to every little thing you might have done on your system since CFS1 last worked properly. Every little piece of information you can give me will help & could be important. It might be an oversight on your part but you didn't mention Uninstalling it before doing this fresh install.

[ivormills]

Hi Hagar,

Thanks once again for your reply, this time, on your advice, I uninstalled everthing and started from scratch.
Yes, I now have multiplayer back!......all is fine....except for one thing......I still have the graphics problem....it wont allow me to  select accelerated graphics, as before, so the graphics are poor and slow.The card is working fine on everything else.........ummmmmm.

Many thanks

Ivor

[Hagar]

OK, at least we seem to be getting somewhere. I don't know why your graphics card is not being recognised. If you check the "Enable hardware acceleration" box from CFS1 Settings it should be possible to select it from the "Advanced display settings" button.


The graphics card in use should also be defined in COMBATFS.CFG like this.

[HARDWARE]
Device=    <<-- Your graphics card
Mode=      <<-- Screen resolution

[ivormills]

Happy New Year Hagar,

I think I may have found the problem with the graphics. It is not a CFS issue, for some reason my graphics card has defaulted to the generic windows driver, I have tried re-installing the drivers from the disc but it still insists on using the windows driver.....this is beyond my scope now and probably not an issue for this forum.

Many thanks for your help

Ivor

[Hagar]

Happy New Year Ivor. It's just possble your graphics card or the plug has come loose. You could open up your box of tricks & check the connections by removing the card & plugging it back in again. This worked for me when I had similar problems.

[DrRedskwirrell]

Hi Ivor, gimme shout when u see me next.
I fix this all the time over at http://www.BuildYourown.org.uk.