FS9 Re-Install

Follow all the steps from Microsoft and your computer should be clear of the Sim,

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888846

Some have gone as far as to reinstall Windows.

You will also have to search for the fs9.cfg file, and delete it, as iot can wreak havoc on a fresh install

Many thanks to both for your help.

Hi all,
Have summarized the reinstall process below. Perhaps it can be found helpfull. Any commenst are appreciated. Please note that I have revised below on Dec 5, 2012 after some additional experience was gained with Edit Voice Pack od Addon Scenery.
Rgds
Peter

FS9 Total re-install.
After my FS9 started acting up (scenery freezing, hazing out, heading indication problems etc.), I have decided to totally reinstall the FS using the four original discs. At the same time, I wanted to retain most of my add-on scenery, add-on airports, effects, traffic, aircraft etc. from the original FS9. Below is the guide helping how to proceed with the total uninstall and re-build, hopefully retaining all the timely efforts spent in improving FS.

1/PREREQUISITE:
1. Have the four original installation discs.
2. Copy the entire FS9 (FS2004) folder to external drive. This folder could be under Program Files, or under the root C drive, if FS was installed there initially.
3. Copy the Flight Simulator Files folder from the Documents folder to external drive.
4. Basic familiarity with folder manipulation, copying, deleting files, searching etc. is assumed.

2/ TOTAL UNINSTALL:
1. Delete the entire FS9 (FS 2004) folder. This could be located under the Program Files folder, or under the root C drive if installed there initially. (See Prerequisite above – this folder must be backed-up).
2. Delete the Flight Simulator Files folder from under the Documents folder. (See Prerequisite above – this folder must be backed-up).

Next points are also covered by Microsoft http://support.microsoft.com/kb/888846 but are summarized below with few extra notes:

1. Do advanced search for FS9 on your system; must check non-indexed, hidden and system files box! If the search is not available from the Start button, Windows button and F opens the find menu.
A/ Find and delete FS9 folder. Check the properties of this folder first, right click/properties; it is under App Data\Roaming\Microsoft (depending on configuration, this folder may not be there, if not found disregard this point). There could also be some other FS9 folders from ADE etc. Do not delete these! (Check the properties first to see all the folder locations!).
B/ delete FS9.CFG file (important). Check the properties of this folder first, right click/properties; it is under App Data\Roaming\Microsoft\FS9.

2. Delete FS folders from PC Registry. Search for regedit and click regedit.exe. It is suggested to back up Registry Keys prior to these tasks. May not be necessary if familiar with folder functions and mistakes are not made.
A/ Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator\9.0 and open all its sub-folders. If found first delete the last 9.0 folder and all its sub keys, then delete the Flight Simulator folder and all its sub keys.
B/ Click HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\ Flight Simulator\9.0 and open all its sub-folders. First delete the last 9.0 folder and all its sub keys. Then delete the Flight Simulator folder and all its sub keys.
C/ Click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\ Uninstall\Flight Simulator 9.0 and open all its sub-folders. If found delete the last Flight Simulator 9.0 folder and all its sub keys.

Note that the LOCAL_MACHINE keys may not be there, depanding on how the FS was installed.

3. Remove FS9 from the Start menu. Start / All Programs / Microsoft Games / Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004, right click and delete.

3/ NEW INSTALL:

1. Install the FS9 using the four original discs. My experience shows that it is better to install the FS to a folder on hard drive ‘C’ instead to the Program Files, which is a default install. If agree, commence custom install to a folder on hard drive, could be named FS 2004.
2. Run the FS to complete the install.
3. Do a basic simple flight to see if all is OK; and as when the new FS9 was purchased.
4. Upgrade to v9.1, download from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=9727. The downloaded program is copied to FS root directory and run from there.

Hook up you external drive with your copy of the original FS9 (FS 2004) folder and open the folder in a window on your PC. Next to it open the newly installed FS 2004 folder.
Copy entire contents of the following folders to the corresponding folders from the original FS to the newly installed FS, overwrite the files if asked:

• Aircraft (make sure airlines.cfg is also copied!)
• Modules
• Gauges
• Effects

Note that above instructions suggest blanket copying of ALL the folder contents. Obviously you can be selective and copy only the contents required in the newly installed FS.

• Sound folder files transfer - If used, run Edit Voice Pack while the newly installed Sound folder is still intact. If you would transfer all the Sound files from the saved FS to the newly installed one, EVP would not copy over the old EVP folder. After running and installing EVP, transfer only the sound files you want from the old FS sound folder (these could be altitude call out, reverser sounds etc.)

• Addon Scenery files transfer- This is a touchy one, since some of the scenery could have acted up in your old FS and transfering the whole lot would also trasfer the problems due to which the FS is being re-installed. It is therefore suggested to copy only the addon scenery desired in the newly installed FS and activate it through Settings/Scenery Library/Add area while running the FS. Keep testing FS after each install or group of installs to see if there are any scenery problems in the areas. Only if confident that all the scenery from the removed FS was OK, copy the entire Addon Scenery folder from the removed to the newly installed FS and also copy Scenery.cfg (this file is in the root FS folder – this way the individual sceneries contained in Addon Scenery folders do not have to be activated in the newly installed FS again.

Copy the following files, overwrite the files if asked:

• Scenery/World/Scenery (You might want to first delete the default flight plans file trafficxxxx.bgl (xxx are the numbers, could be different at each FS) from this location, this way only your added airlines and aircraft will be showing and not the AI supplied with original FS).
• If desired, copy the .FLT and corresponding .WX files from your saved Flight Simulator Files folder to the corresponding newly installed folder. Also copy any .PLN folders, such as saved IFR or VFR plans there. This way the saved flights and flight plans will be available in the new FS Select File menu.
• Copy contents of the Scenery folders in the regions where stock airports were modified or SBuider was used to adjust the terrain. Example: if the new airport was added with flatten area in Eurw region the AP files together with VTTP and LWM2 bgl files should be copied to Eurw/scenery. This may not be necessary, and probably pertains to advanced users only.
• Finally, and if used in original FS, copy fs9.exe ‘NO CD patch’ to the root FS folder overwriting the default fs9.exe.

Doing above covered the following transfers from the original FS:

All added aircraft and flight plans were copied with Aircraft and Scenery/World/Scenery traffic files.
Desired add-on airports and scenery is available with copied Addon Scenery and activated either through FS or with scenery.cfg file.
If used, any new effects, gauges or sounds were copied with corresponding files.
If used, FSUIPC module was copied with Modules file.
If used, Traffic View Board was copied with Aircraft, Gauges and Modules files.
If used, any Reverser sounds or smoke effects were copied with Sound, Effects and Aircraft files.
If used, altitude Call Out was copied with Sound, Gauges and Aircraft\panel cfg files.
If AIRED was used for flyable aircraft deletion from FS menu (0-2), the non-flyable aircraft were deleted from the menu with copy of the Aircraft files.

Ragards,
Peter