P3D Clean-up?

[Steve Waite]

P3D Clean-up

We can create a completely new clean P3D, but requires renaming the folders

P3D can be replaced by removing in control panel, removal leaves all the user files present.

Renaming the folders to keep the settings can be done and also means a new set of folders will be made by the P3D installer.

Allow the P3D installer to raise privileges, do not choose Run as Admin, the installer works it out.
Install P3D into where it suggests in the C drive Program Files, don't change a thing, allow the process to finish.

- BEFORE INSTALLING ADDONS -

Showing P3D v4 but works the same for other versions. Go to the folder in Explorer:

C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

In that P3D folder Right-click, Properties, Security, Edit, Users (MyPC\Users), checkbox set "Modify Allow" checked, OK, Allow function to make changes in subfolders if it asks.

These are the folders, only the pictures can be ignored.
C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4
C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4
C:\Users\you\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons
C:\Users\you\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Files
C:\Users\you\Pictures\Prepar3D v4 Files
C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4
C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4

The picture folder only holds screenshots, so may be renamed to keeps shots to certain P3D version.

[Steve Waite]

So we might rename these folder to:

C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 old
C:\Users\you\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 old
C:\Users\you\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons old
C:\Users\you\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Files old
C:\Users\you\Pictures\Prepar3D v4 Files old
C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 old
C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 old

Simply by adding "old" to the folder names, they are saved away before installing a fresh P3D.

The addons folder:

C:\Users\you\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons old

From there, Add-ons content can easily be moved or copied into the new folder:

C:\Users\you\Documents\Prepar3D v4 Add-ons

one at a time to check for proper working order.

Some scenery programs update the actual P3D folder rather than use virtualisation, and so these must be installed in the order the developers suggest.

When fsAerodata is applied, deactivate before applying a new AIRAC.

Shoving it all on and going for a flight in the fave aircraft won't work. Instead, take easy steps ensuring there are going to be no surprises.

[Steve Waite]

Be sure to run P3D stock before installing addons. We need to run P3D from the desktop icon shortcut first before starting to set off in Ideal Flight with the Fly! button.

We might want our old cfg file at least to check it out. Don't restore that, rather leave P3D to make it all by itself when P3D is first run, the files start in a proper way that ensures least problems.

Our old Prepar3D.cfg can be found in our renamed folder:

C:\Users\you\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 old\Prepar3D.cfg


Our default flight file can be found at:

C:\Users\Steve\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v4 old\Prepar3D_Default.fxml

Better to leave the new one in place, and if need be, edit that only with minimum changes necessary, like time or date.

Be sure at all times to not introduce invalid characters into these files with copy/paste by accident. When opening and saving in Notepad we can check the save as file type is Unicode or not.

Be sure Unicode files are still Unicode files after installing addons. Open and close in notepad check the file type. Only use fancy editors if you are sure sure about file types, otherwise stick to Notepad.

Ideal Flight handles all the P3D files as appropriately as they are designed.

These files are all carefully checked by IF and to avoid responsibility, it may refuse to read a file that other addons, and perhaps even the sim, may read in with unexpected results.

[Steve Waite]

For reasons of support, the Windows logged on user names supported by Ideal Fight are restricted to users with simple character set names using ASCII values. This is only to restrict the diversity of systems I can provide support to. Systems set that way are more reliable anyway at present. In general we tend to stick to simple user names and languages for the least problems with FSX and P3D.