No User Waypoints

[Steve Waite]

If you renamed the configs so that P3D created new blank ones, later you can delete the blank ones and rename back the original configs to get back to what you had before.

What I would do is isolate P3D from your stack of addons and confirm P3D is sound in stock trim. Then I can reintroduce the addons by installing them as fresh installs to confirm that they do not mess up the scenery layering.

[jimh20]

I'll have to think about that, Steve. It does look like a very good idea. Thanks as ever for your help.

Jim

[Steve Waite]

Another way is to do a complete P3D install but first by renaming the P3D folders.

What I do is first uninstall P3D from Control Panel, Programs, Uninstall a Program, choose Prepar3D v5, choose to uninstall, but at the prompt, choose to retain the licence; the other items, client, content and scenery, will be taken care of automatically.

Next, rename the folders by adding 'Old' to the folder names, e.g.

C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v5
C:\ProgramData\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v5
C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v5
C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v5
C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Prepar3D v5 Files
C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Prepar3D v6 Add-ons

Append ' old' to make 'C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3D v5 old' and the same for the others.

Now you can cleanly install P3D fresh as if first installed; the licence having been retained will allow normal operation right away.

[jimh20]

Excellent Tutorial, Steve. I might just follow that route. I would really like to get back to Ideal Flight and P3D working smoothly together as they used to. The breakdown will always be a mystery!
Watch this Space!

Cheers, Jim

[Steve Waite]

OK JIm.

After installing P3D and before installing add-ons I always make sure the P3D folder is set to read/write. This is because quite often, add-ons install user files into subfolders under the P3D program files folders which are read only, which causes various problems and even CTDs from add-on behaviour. These add-ons usually suggest running P3D as admin to get around the problem, rather than setting their own folder to read/write during their installation, or they might suggest installing P3D into a user-made folder on the C drive or another drive, which is read/write because it is owned by the user.

I prefer to let P3D install into its default Program Files folder as this is secure from malware and avoids problems that can occur when some add-ons are not installed into the default P3D folder tree.

If you let P3D install into its default folder, setting the P3D folder to read/write before installing add-ons is the proper way to set up P3D for proper add-on behaviour.

1. In Explorer, right-click on the folder 'C:\Program Files\Lockheed Martin' to show the popup menu
2. Choose Properties to display 'Lockheed Martin Properties' page
3. Select the 'Sucurity' tab which shows 'Group or user names' window at the top with an 'Edit' button just under that - it says 'To change permissions, click Edit'
4. Click Edit and it shows the 'Permissions for Lockheed Martin' page
5. Click the item in the 'Group or user names' window named 'Users (<your PC>\Users)
6. In the 'Permissions for Users' window below, check the 'Modify' item in the left-hand 'Allow' column
7. Choose Apply, OK

Now that this is done, it is safe to install add-ons.