BIG AES INSTALL PROBLEMS

[annber 1]

Hi, I just downloaded your base pack.

First problem:

when I went to the list of airports through your AES help, I could only add the default nuremberg, thessaloniki, flytampa kai tak, and fsdreamteam JFK (which i have not bought). I found that very strange, so then I went to fs2004/settings/addon scenery and found much to my surprise that MOST of my freeware addon airports had been deactivated (obviously by AES). I had to go through the time consuming task of adding them again to my add on scenery files one by one, rereading the install of each to make sure the layers were right, it took me about 4 hours.

Second problem:

Once I reinstalled the airports, I went back to your AES help, and the thing STILL DID NOT RECOGNIZE MY ADDONS, for example, I have Flytampa boston freeware, IDL rome, IDL malpensa, NApoli, project freez, salzburg, , etc. Those airports were on the AES help list, but when clicked to add them "it" told me it could not find the airports on MY scenery files, and they ARE there, I checked, I turned fs on and went to the airport to make sure, and they are there.

Third problem:

When I turn AES help on, I get a message saying it has "detected a scenery.cfg file in the virtual store, this can generate problems with sceneries! should AES copy this file to the fs main-path?"

There was another message that came up as well but it is not doing it now. when first installed I clicked yes on copying the file to the fs main path, now since my addons were deleted during the original install I just click NO.

Fourth problem:

When flying at nuremberg with a KLM 737 (posky) "it" tells me that the aircraft is not configured, and when I go to airplane configuration "it" tells me ..."error while connecting flightsim, please start fs and place a aircraft on active aes airport.

fifth problem:

Since installing AES, some of the panels on some of my aircraft have been screwed up, I had eurolink/posky 777 with a unique panel and now they have the basic 747 alias panel, what is going on????

At this point I am regretting ever intalling the base pack, AND I NEED ANSWERS SO THAT THIS CAN BE FIGURED OUT!!

[OPabst 2091]

Hello,

My FIRST Problem:

Did you ever read a Manual?

Your Primary Problem:

You install you FS9 on a Vista (or maybe Win7) Operation System into the default Directory (c:\Program Files) and now you see what happens, when a Programm is never designed for a new OS and the OS is used without the knowlage, that there is a (not very nice implement) "Protection" against the User, call "User Access Controll"

The Result is, that all your manipulation you have done at the scenery.cfg, aircraft.cfg all went not into the direcotry where the FS has normally all this file, the got to a "virtual" directory. Wenn a Installerbased addon now will be installed, the installer will use the correct data based on that, what he see where the programm ist, not where it is moved by the OS. This will generate later conflicts.

First problem:

when I went to the list of airports through your AES help, I could only add the default nuremberg, thessaloniki, flytampa kai tak, and fsdreamteam JFK (which i have not bought). I found that very strange, so then I went to fs2004/settings/addon scenery and found much to my surprise that MOST of my freeware addon airports had been deactivated (obviously by AES). I had to go through the time consuming task of adding them again to my add on scenery files one by one, rereading the install of each to make sure the layers were right, it took me about 4 hours.

The installer only see the Scenery.cfg in the Maindirectory of the FS, but not the user manipulated in the virtual store. That why AESHelp will warn you, that there is a CFG in the virtual store and you must copy this one "down" to it's correct position. AES will not do that automatically to prevent any demage there. The FS9 seams to get the "korrect" list from the main dir, because this is newer then that in the store. But thats Based on th OS UAC Handling (critical when the Tools is not UAC aware, like the FS9)

Second problem:

Once I reinstalled the airports, I went back to your AES help, and the thing STILL DID NOT RECOGNIZE MY ADDONS, for example, I have Flytampa boston freeware, IDL rome, IDL malpensa, NApoli, project freez, salzburg, , etc. Those airports were on the AES help list, but when clicked to add them "it" told me it could not find the airports on MY scenery files, and they ARE there, I checked, I turned fs on and went to the airport to make sure, and they are there.

Same problem as above: You have copied the scnery as a "normal" User to the C:\Program Files ... Directory, but your OS has moved this data to a Virtal Direcotry to protect your Programfiles before yourself. Now AES will look to the original Path, but there is nothing. When you look there via Explorer, the OS "shows" you the data, but not where they really are.

Third problem:

When I turn AES help on, I get a message saying it has "detected a scenery.cfg file in the virtual store, this can generate problems with sceneries! should AES copy this file to the fs main-path?"

There was another message that came up as well but it is not doing it now. when first installed I clicked yes on copying the file to the fs main path, now since my addons were deleted during the original install I just click NO.

AES has nothing deleted, I explained it above, your changed scenery.cfg is only not anymore the newest and thats what AES will tell you. When you go to the explorer in the FS Main dir, you should have "Compatibility Files" Link somewhere on the right headerline, there you see all files gone in the Virtual store and you can move them down to the correct C:\... Path

Fourth problem:

When flying at nuremberg with a KLM 737 (posky) "it" tells me that the aircraft is not configured, and when I go to airplane configuration "it" tells me ..."error while connecting flightsim, please start fs and place a aircraft on active aes airport.

You can find several post here in the forum discussing this issue, maybe it is better you start the AESConfig.exe direct from the <FS>\Aerosoft\AES directory, because the UAC will also protect the communication with your FS.

fifth problem:

Since installing AES, some of the panels on some of my aircraft have been screwed up, I had eurolink/posky 777 with a unique panel and now they have the basic 747 alias panel, what is going on????

AES will not change anything in the aircraft.cfg. So it his possible, that this has change before or that you massiv UAC Problems based on your changes and the OS movement will get also her in place.

And before you now write in UPPERCASE Letters: But other product don't have this problem: YES, they have. Every Installer based Addon you would have installed, will gernerate the Issue with the sceneries, as it is not a issue of the Product, it is a problem combining a old Application (FS9) with a new OS, which mean it has to protect the data against the manipulations of the user.

So, my tip is: Install your FS on a seperate Disk or minimum outside the hell of C:\Program Files (for example in C:\FS2004) then all the UAC stuff is not in place and all your changes of cfgs and copy of addons will be done there, where they have to be and not somewhere, where you never think that they are.

Or read all about the OS UAC handling, so that you can clean up your virtual store and move the data to the correct position and then switch the UAC off, so that the FS9 can work as he is designed for.

Btw: the "virtual store" you can find at: C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9

All what his in this directory structure is what you have changed or added manually and needs to go to the original path: C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9

[annber 1]

Hi Oliver, and thanks for your reply. Yes I should have read the manual, although it probably would not have done much good given that I am a total computer inept. Being a writer here in LA is more my line of work, and the computer is used mainly for script writing or revisions.

Anyway, there was another message that said something like it could not find vista ware, and what I would like to humbly ask you is could you do an idiots guide (me being the idiot obviously) as to how to fix this mess I created, sort of a step by step, I don't quite now how to start based on your reply, and it has to do with my lack of computer knowledge.

I hope you can spare a little of your valuable time to help this poor soul.

Thanks

Bernardo

[OPabst 2091]

Hi Bernardo,

I don't think, that you are such an "idiot" as you call yourself, because you know how to add sceneries and to change Panels, so you know more then a real PC "idiot" will be able to handle.

The first step is, that you try to understand, what the UAC is and how Vista handles all this files and moves it to the Virtual Store:

When you use Vista "native" all folders below c:\Program files (and c:\Windows maybe some more) are "protected", so that all time, you run a program (FS with his scenery Library, Wordpad or any Editor) or you use explorer to add or change files below this subfolder, Vista will not change the files at the physical location of the directory, it makes a "copy" or save the data to a Subdir below C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore

For you and the application you run (like FS) Vista shows this data as they are located on C:\... but they are not physical there.

When you use the explorer to navigate to the directory C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore, you will see below a structure with some directory names as they are on c:\ like ..\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9, where you now can find all the files you have manipulated/added in the last time.

The Idea behind the UAC is, to protect the replacement or change of the original Application data on C:, but in the case of the FS, which was never optimized to locate his changing data, like the scenery.cfg when you add a freeware to the list, in a save area (like the FSX do it), you have now the situation, that all this changes went to the Virtual Store. When a Installer (which runs in a Admin mode) will now add or Update Program data, this will be done on c:\.. in the normal application folder. Then you have the mixed trouble you have now.

I can't give you a 100% guide to fix it, because I could not see the situation you really have and so it is risky to say make that.

I think the best way is to first check, what you see below C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9

and then to move (not to copy) this data back to c:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9, maybe you need to overwrite there older files and Vista will ask you 1000 times if you really want to do that, but as long as there are any files in the Virtual store, you are not on the save side.

When you have the directory C:\Users\<your username>\AppData\Local\VirtualStore\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9 empty, so that no data are left there,

you have two options, before you start the FS9:

1.) you click on the FS9 Icon with the right mousekey and select the properties in the menu, go to the "Compatibility tab" and select the checkbox to run the FS in the "Admin kompatible mode" (I only have a german Vista, so I can't say how it exactly looks in english version)

In this case, the FS9 will run in a Mode, where he is not protected by the UAC anymore and read and store all his data allways at the physical position.

2.) You look in google how to disable the UAC on your PC, then all application works as you know it maybe from XP, no Virtual store is used anymore.

Both options has pro and cons, but are the only way to prevent problems in future with you actual FS Installation. The better option is more complex: You reinstall the FS to C:\FS2004 or D:\FS2004, so that the application directory is outside the UAC Protected area and then you can do and copy and manipulate all you want and you are on the save side for ever, even when you keep the UAC on for the rest of your application to protect them.

But, you are only lucky in the past, that this problem don't pop up before, because all Addons installed based on a Installer will get in trouble, when there are mixed manual installation on the other side. The UAC is nice for the PC "idiot", who only us Office and other Application nativ, only adding update via official installers, there nothing can happen, but in case of FS, where you can and should make changes and add software part manually, it is a total chaos this the UAC.

[annber 1]

Good morning Oliver,

Thanks for the time taken to help me with this issue. Last night before going to be and before getting your post I thought I would disable the UAC, which I did, and try to reinstall AES, and again I got that message saying that the virtual store detected this files, so I clicked yes when prompted to move to to fs9. Then I turned on fs9 and went to settings and again most of my addon were gone. I do think I am a real idiot, sorry to disagree, and perhaps you do agree with me now.

The thing is that when I looked at those compatibility files on the virtual store, they included a copy of all my fs9 files, with all the files I had previously deleted for whatever reason, airplanes, addons, etc, and if I were to copy those back to fs2009, wouldn't I get back what I did not want anymore?

Perhaps the best approach with me would be to delete anything about AES and then try from scratch, would that make sense at all?

This are the files currently at the virtual store:

addon scenery

aircraft --------- which includes what I have now plus previously deleted

aerosoft---------empty folder

effects

flightsimulator9

fsdreamteam

fsfrance

gauges

modules--------empty folder

scenery

vistamare----------empty folder

old scenery cfg file

RECTMFLT..WX

scenery status dat file

TCAS2v7 config settings

I apologize for continuing to be such a pest!!

By the way, before this snafu, EDDW was already my favorite airport addon, I even recommended it on a few forums as the best freeware addon.

Regards, Bernardo.

[annber 1]

Oliver,

I got brave enough to follow your advise, the problem is that I am so concerned with screwing something up or not understanding the advice that I was afraid to try, but I did, and it looks a bit better, I did transfer the files from the virtual store, now I do not get the error messages anymore, and the airports that I do have and that AES supports do show up on the airport list and they are active, so what I will do next is try them one by one and see if they work properly.

I had ran out of ink for my printer so I did not print the manual to read, but I just installed some ink and the manual will be my bedtime "book" tonight.

Thanks again, you were great, and I hope to enjoy AES for years to come.

Take care, Bernardo.

[OPabst 2091]

Fine, when you have questions, you are wellcome.