Transferring fs9

The place for hardware and software issues, FS and non-FS related

Moderators: Guru's, The Ministry

flapper1
Chipmunk
Chipmunk
Posts: 14
Joined: 04 Oct 2006, 07:59

Transferring fs9

Post by flapper1 »

Could someone tell me the easiest way(or even if it's possible!)to transfer my fs9 and all it's personalised afcads, scenery, downloads,settings and myriad little details from one computer to another. Laymans terms would be appreciated thanks. :think:

Kevin
Viscount
Viscount
Posts: 138
Joined: 19 Nov 2005, 09:18
Location: California & Hampshire

Post by Kevin »

It certainly is possible :smile: .

Probably the simplest way is to start by installing an absolutely standard FS9 (default, from the discs) on the new PC.

Then, make CD or DVD copies of everything on your personal, treasured FS9 installation - this means ALL the folders and their contents (Aircraft, Addon Scenery, etc) as well as all the small 'loose' files (stars.dat, suneffect, scenery.cfg, etc). What you need is EVERYTHING that appears in the folder 'Flight Simulator 9'.

Then use the CD/DVDs to overwrite everything in the new default installation on the new PC.

The final thing you should do is to find the FS9.cfg file (My Computer/Local disc (probably C)/Documents and settings/Your name (or Administrator)/Application data/Microsoft/FS9 and copy it from the original installation to the new. This file contains a lot of settings for the game and you may or may not have made significant changes in it.

That's pretty much it for a standard installation with all freeware. Some payware will require reinstallation :think: , but that's down to the individual package.

This will work for you - it's just a bit tedious and time-consuming to make the discs. Of course, if the PCs can be networked it's quicker.

Another possibility is only to copy the files you know have changed (instead of the whole lot), but that's impractical for anyone with a lot of addons, as it will take more time to debug than it would to copy the lot in the first place.

Incidentally, this is how Bill Lyons' 'Golden Wings' works - by creating a further copy of FS9, although he adds a few extra steps to allow the FS9 clone to run on the same PC as FS9 itself.

Cheers,

Kevin

flapper1
Chipmunk
Chipmunk
Posts: 14
Joined: 04 Oct 2006, 07:59

Post by flapper1 »

Thanks Kev

User avatar
Trev Clark
The Ministry
Posts: 2822
Joined: 26 Jun 2004, 08:54
Location: Runway 26 at RAF Tangmere....most Mondays!

Post by Trev Clark »

I got my old HD (with a huge 25 gig FS2004) installed as a slave HD on my new PC. I then cut and pasted all of it onto the much faster and much larger C HD. The only snags were some payware items needed loading again, some still will not play ball. Nothing too drastic though.
ATB Trev

flapper1
Chipmunk
Chipmunk
Posts: 14
Joined: 04 Oct 2006, 07:59

Post by flapper1 »

How exactly do you install your old HD as a slave? Is it like networking or merely a USB connection between pcs?

User avatar
DaveB
The Ministry
Posts: 30457
Joined: 17 Jun 2004, 20:46
Location: Pelsall, West Mids, UK
Contact:

Post by DaveB »

Hello matey..

No, it's not like that. What you do is change the jumpers on your old drive to make it a slave rather than a master (windows won't try and boot off it then) and move it to the other plug on the IDE cable :wink:

ATB

DaveB :tab:
ImageImage
Old sailors never die.. they just smell that way!

flapper1
Chipmunk
Chipmunk
Posts: 14
Joined: 04 Oct 2006, 07:59

Post by flapper1 »

I'm thinking of buying an external HD back up for the transfer as they are quite cheap at the moment and will always be useful. This one caught my eye. What do you think?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... resea24-21

User avatar
Kimber
Viscount
Viscount
Posts: 136
Joined: 01 Mar 2005, 15:36
Location: USA

Post by Kimber »

flapper1 wrote:I'm thinking of buying an external HD back up for the transfer as they are quite cheap at the moment and will always be useful. This one caught my eye. What do you think?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... resea24-21


We run our FS9 from an external HD, have for a long time!!

No problems, no lag!!

You can just copy and paste your old install, make a new short
cut for the exe and go flying!! You may want to copy the joystick
assignment part of your cfg, then paste it to the new cfg!!

Some have said this doesn't work with certian payware, so check
that out too!!

Do you have Wal_Marts?? Our seagate 160gb was under $100??
Image

User avatar
petermcleland
Red Arrows
Red Arrows
Posts: 5201
Joined: 25 Jul 2004, 10:28
Location: Dartmouth, Devon
Contact:

Post by petermcleland »

Kimber wrote: We run our FS9 from an external HD, have for a long time!!

No problems, no lag!!
Both of my external drives have been supplied with the FAT32 file system and I reformatted them to NTFS before using. If you wish to run FSX from an external drive then it must be NTFS, but I think FS9 will run off a FAT32 one.

ianhind
Concorde
Concorde
Posts: 1935
Joined: 01 Aug 2005, 10:55
Location: Nottinghamshire

Post by ianhind »

Do you have Wal_Marts?? Our seagate 160gb was under $100??
Walmart owns Asda in the UK, but not into PC components at our local store (but then again when did I last go there :roll: ).

I bought a 320Gb Seageate USB 2 for £99 in Maplins before Christmas, and PC World were doing something similar.

And checking PC World website, 320Gb Packard Bell for £75 online +£5 delivery. Or Maxtor for £90

Post Reply