WARNING: Read Please

[JBaymore]

Take this message as a "cautionary situation" until the flight sim community in general has verified this situation and it's ramifications completely.........

I've been surfing the various forums as I sometimes do.

[AMDDDA]

Adobe AIR is an installer from adobe that has some different API's from normal installers and some proggies can only be packaged using adobe AIR, though I use it for some schoolwork, it has never messed up my sim, even when doing what you said.

[JBaymore]

Good to know Alexander.  

Others are reporting (supposedly) that their entire hangar of aircraft won't work...and thay have to reinstall every single air file.

So it is possible that there are certain circumstances that are ALSO involved.

best,

..................john

[sonic]

WOW never hear of this thanks for the heads up

[C]

Seems a little shortsighted on Adobe's part. I wonder what Microsoft have to say?

[JBaymore]

Seems a little shortsighted on Adobe's part. I wonder what Microsoft have to say?

Yeah!  

[ShaneG_old]

I am SO glad I didn't click the install button!

[Wii]

Seems a little shortsighted on Adobe's part. I wonder what Microsoft have to say?

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Nothing

[H]

I really don't care for Adobe... takes way too long to load.
As to the air files, I just hope we don't hyperventilate...

8-)

[Hagar]

I haven't tried it but I'm wondering if this new Adobe application associates itself with the .air file extension by default. This should not affect the AIR files used in MSFS in any way as other applications will still be able to access them. The only problem might be if you try to open the files by double-clicking on them.

A similar thing happened with the .cfg file extension which is used by many other applications including MS Office Outlook. It should be perfectly safe to re-associate CFG files with Notepad or any other program you wish.

I'll be interested to see the outcome of this.

[H]

The only problem might be if you try to open the files by double-clicking on them.
A similar thing happened with the .cfg file extension which is used by many other applications including MS Office Outlook. It should be perfectly safe to re-associate CFG files with Notepad or any other program you wish.

This is true for some texture files (such as one extentioned .daf and you happen to have a certain download program installed). With XP (and, I expect, Vista) you needn't reassociate and double click: right click, then select Open with... and then your option.
should you wish to reassociate in XP:
open any folder and then
open Tools on the toolbar
select Folder Options...
then select File Types
When the file list has loaded, select the file type and reassociate.

You can also do this to make your own personal extensions.

8-)

[Hagar]

The only problem might be if you try to open the files by double-clicking on them.
A similar thing happened with the .cfg file extension which is used by many other applications including MS Office Outlook. It should be perfectly safe to re-associate CFG files with Notepad or any other program you wish.

This is true for some texture files (such as one extentioned .daf and you happen to have a certain download program installed). With XP (and, I expect, Vista) you needn't reassociate and double click: right click, then select Open with... and then your option.

We all have our favourite ways of working but that is not the point I was trying to make. Associating file types with a specific application will not prevent the files being opened or accessed by other programs. For example; the standard .bmp image format is associated by default with MS Paint but these files can be opened & edited with most image editing software. They can also be re-associated with any other application you wish.

PS. I suppose the only way to confirm this one way or the other is to bite the bullet & try it myself. It wouldn't be first time I've done this & I can't believe that there is any risk to my FS/CFS by installing the new Adobe software. The only problem being that I haven't seen any sites using it.

[H]

We all have our favourite ways of working but that is not the point I was trying to make. If I'm correct about the default file association with this new Adobe software, associating file types with a specific application will not prevent the files being opened or accessed by other programs...

That is the (& your) point. Associating files applies to you manually opening them. A program being written to open a certain file is, effectively, the same as you using the Open With... option. When you double-click, you initiate the "default" program for your manual opening of the file. Unless Adobe has engineered some sort of default lock-out, the only thing that may be affected is your manual default for that file extension; it shouldn't affect program operation.

8-)

[Hagar]

We all have our favourite ways of working but that is not the point I was trying to make. If I'm correct about the default file association with this new Adobe software, associating file types with a specific application will not prevent the files being opened or accessed by other programs...

That is the (& your) point. Associating files applies to you manually opening them. A program being written to open a certain file is, effectively, the same as you using the Open With... option. When you double-click, you initiate the "default" program for your manual opening of the file. Unless Adobe has engineered some sort of default lock-out, the only thing that may be affected is your manual default for that file extension; it shouldn't affect program operation.

8-)

Precisely.

[Hagar]

Problem solved. I bit the bullet & installed Adobe AIR. As I suspected this associates the .air file extension with the new software by default.

I took this shot of the FS9 default C172 folder before installing Adobe AIR.
Note the icon showing that AIR files are associated on my system with AirEd which I use for editing these files.


This was taken after installing Adobe AIR.
Note the new icon which shows that all AIR files on my system are now associated with the new software.
This is the same with every single FS/CFS aircraft on my HDD.


I fired up FS9 & selected the C172 to check it out. Note that it works perfectly. It would not load if the file was corrupt.


The only problem would be if you tried to open MSFS AIR files by double-clicking on them. They are obviously not compatible with the Adobe software so it will think the files are corrupt.
This is the warning message which I suspect caused this rumour to circulate.


This confirms my suspicions that there is nothing at all to worry about. Leaving it as it is will do no harm whatsoever but I find it more convenient to re-associate the AIR file format on my system with AirEd. This is a straightforward procedure taking only a few seconds.