Steam is on sale again for $5

[rohan]

I'm tempted to get it - one nagging worry though: would it interfere in any way with my existing installation of FSX?

Yes, installing the Steam version of FSX will steal your existing FSX registry key. After that, installing FSX add-ons will default to the Steam version whenever an add-on installer uses the registry key to locate where the add-on should be installed. The alternative is to use one of the FSX registry fix tools to move the key back to the non-Steam version. Another alternative is to install an add-on to a temporary folder and move the files manually to whichever FSX installation you prefer.

This Steam version of FSX is not really intended for users who already have FSX installed - it's meant to open up a new group of users who've never had FSX before. Having said that, it does contain a small number of fixes which some existing users have found to be of benefit, but given the license conditions between DTG and M$, there are unlikely to be any further fixes or updates to the FSX code within this Steam version. And, to be clear, this Steam version of FSX is actually a (slight) variation on FSX with the Acceleration update.

 

[arrowmaker]

People considering the steam edition should watch this first:

 

[Daube]

Yes, the "compatibility" with addons is not perfect. YET.
That's the thing: FSX is dead, and FSX Steam is alive. These compatibility issues are temporary.

People should get FSX Steam while it's sold at 5$, or not get it at all. There's no need to wonder at that price. Plus, nobody forces you to install it, especially if your normal FSX is still working fine.

 

[heywooood]

Question for the Steam users: Can I install FSX:SE on more than one machine or is my purchase for a single machine?

I'd like to test drive a dual FSX:MS and FSX:SE install on another machine and get the hang of the dual install/shared folders (a la Doug Dowson's installation) before I put my gaming machine at risk.

you can install FSX onto any machine that has Steam access - log into your Steam account - go to your Library - and install FSX - no limits

 

[heywooood]

Yes, the "compatibility" with addons is not perfect. YET.
That's the thing: FSX is dead, and FSX Steam is alive. These compatibility issues are temporary.

People should get FSX Steam while it's sold at 5$, or not get it at all. There's no need to wonder at that price. Plus, nobody forces you to install it, especially if your normal FSX is still working fine.

^^this is what I did - then I installed it on my laptop...to test^^

 

[n4gix]

Yes, installing the Steam version of FSX will steal your existing FSX registry key.

No it will not do that. If FSX is already installed, FSX:SE will create its own Registry entry:

FSX (disk) - HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator\10.0" AppPath

FSX:SE - HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator - steam edition\10.0" AppPath

Please note the difference in the two Registry entries: " - steam edition"...

The only case where the Steam version will use the same registry key is if it is installed on a VIRGIN system, meaning one on which FSX (disk) has never been installed (or at least has been completely exorcised).

From this it should be obvious now why us developers have had to scramble to update our installers to accomodate all possibilities, as we now have potentially four different sim platforms to which our products may need to be installed!

1. FSX
2. FSX:SE
3. Prepar3Dv1.x
4. Prepar3Dv2.x

 

[Ferry_vO]

Im still unclear as to why anybody with a fully functioning FSX set up on their HD would want this. I figured it would just be for stray newbies.

Well, I just found a good reason.... For some reason (I think it was a faulty uninstaller) my entire effects folder was empty!
Now in stead of having to reinstall the entire sim, I just right-clicked on FsX in the Steam library, then go to Properties-> Local Files-> Verify integrity of game cache.. and a few moments later Steam is redownloading all my missing files! (Except the ones from payware products obviously.)

 

[Daube]

Did it redownload only the missing files, or did it overwritte the files that you replaced by addons too ?
For example, if somebody modified the clouds with something like HDE, and then uses that feature to check the integrity of the cache, will the clouds be replaced by their original version ?

 

[Ferry_vO]

To be honest I didn't check that, but it said it would download 8.000+ missing files. Reinstalling an add-on is easier than reinstalling the entire sim anyway.

 

[Bjoern]

Did it redownload only the missing files, or did it overwritte the files that you replaced by addons too ?
For example, if somebody modified the clouds with something like HDE, and then uses that feature to check the integrity of the cache, will the clouds be replaced by their original version ?

I've used the "verify blahblah" feature. It doesn't overwrite anything.

Thing to watch out for:
The default trafficairplanes.bgl, usenglish.gvp and SDK folders will be redownloaded and reinstalled as well, so you will have to delete them manually if you use custom AI, an EVP modified voicepack and don't need the SDK.

Here's a batch file to do just this:

@echo off
echo This will delete unneded content from FSXSE!
echo.
echo Run after every verification of local files
echo or after every update!
echo.
echo.
@echo on
cd %cd%\steamapps\common\fsx
RMDIR SDK /S /Q
RMDIR gmax /S /Q
del sound\ATC\USEnglishBig.gvp
del Scenery\World\scenery\trafficAircraft.bgl
@echo off
pause

Save as "DeleteFSXSEStuff.bat" (or whatever else you want to call it) and put it into FSXSE's parent "SteamLibrary" folder (e.g. "C:\SteamLibrary" or D:\SteamLibrary" or "C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\SteamLibrary"). Then run it after every verfication or update.

 

[rohan]

No it will not do that. If FSX is already installed, FSX:SE will create its own Registry entry:

FSX (disk) - HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator\10.0" AppPath

FSX:SE - HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator - steam edition\10.0" AppPath

Oh yes it WILL - but only until DTG get their finger out and publish the update that they announced some two months ago, in which the changed key will be introduced ...

 

[WhiskeyEcho]

Oh yes it WILL - but only until DTG get their finger out and publish the update that they announced some two months ago, in which the changed key will be introduced ...

As Bill said it will not, hence the new installers, finds FSX then looks for FSX-SE. Works for me.

 

[n4gix]

Oh yes it WILL - but only until DTG get their finger out and publish the update that they announced some two months ago, in which the changed key will be introduced ...

Rohan, have you actually written an installer package, or have had any direct coding experience with this issue, or are you relying on anecdotal comments read on the internet?

I wrote my first installer package while FSX:SE was still in Beta. It has always written a unique Registry entry and used a custom path/filename structure if it detects that FSX (disk edition) is already installed.

Here are the Registry keys for all four sim products:

   ${If} $RadioButton1_State == 1
         ReadRegStr $INSTDIR HKCU"Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator\10.0" AppPath
   ${EndIf}
   ${If} $RadioButton2_State == 1
         ReadRegStr $INSTDIR HKCU "Software\Microsoft\Microsoft Games\flight simulator - steam edition\10.0" AppPath
   ${EndIf}
   ${If} $RadioButton3_State == 1
         ReadRegStr $INSTDIR HKLM "Software\LockheedMartin\Prepar3D" SetupPath
   ${EndIf}
   ${If} $RadioButton4_State == 1
         ReadRegStr $INSTDIR HKLM "Software\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v2" SetupPath
   ${EndIf}

If any of those 'keys' exist, then the actual path is returned from this routine in the variable "SetupPath" or "AppPath", which is then assigned to my installer's working variable $INSTDIR (install directory).

Using that $INSTDIR variable will allow me to direct the files to be installed to whichever of the four sim versions is chosen:

  SetOutPath "$INSTDIR\SimObjects\Airplanes\Beech_Baron_B55 Milviz"
  File "D:\Installer Build Folders\B55_GTN_Build Folder\SimObjects\Airplanes\Beech_Baron_B55 Milviz\*.*"