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Post by Randy_Cain on Feb 15, 2009 22:27:32 GMT -5
Hi, Actually, Railrunner, one of the installers I'm having problems with is Jens' new installer. I'm getting the "Modify, Repair, Remove" window with his installer that keeps trying to put the files into a directory (FS9) folder that was removed 3 months ago....so it's accessing the registry. I have to put the plane in a folder that no longer exists, then copy everything over to my new installation. There may as well be no installer in the first place. His old one was better, in that it didn't track where things were, it just asked you where the root folder was. I would like to thank Jens for putting the gauges for his planes back in the aircraft folder though. It's nice to have FS only load the gauges it needs for that plane and they're MUCH easier to keep track of that way. ...and FS doesn't have to load all the gauges it doesn't need for EVERY plane, regardless of the choice of aircraft. I ask the same favor of others. Thanks!  |
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Post by johnhinson on Feb 15, 2009 23:45:11 GMT -5
If developers take note of sheer numbers, add my vote. I take Tom's last point, but as long as a developer chooses to use an installer, at least let it be one that allows us to select a temp folder as target. I've said my bit and listened to the various other views. If we are going to be stuck with installers, my request would be a list of what files are installed and where. Then at least we can try and undo the mess we are sometimes left with. "Uninstall" routines rarely do the job properly. J |
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Post by Col7777 on Feb 18, 2009 4:18:31 GMT -5
I downloaded an item not FS but MSTS it had an installer, I tried to change it to a folder of my choice but it wouldn't let me, the folder it wanted to install to was, would you believe a temp folder in the hidden files section.
Some people who are not PC minded would never find it as they more than likely have the hidden files hidden and not displaying.
I didn't install it by the way.
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Post by ozbeowulf on Feb 18, 2009 8:11:33 GMT -5
This thread is very interesting to me. I haven't released all that many projects, but I've never used an installer in the past. Oddly enough, I have been considering using an installer for a scenery project soon to be completed.
I note and appreciate Tom's comment's about a properly configured installer reducing "help me" emails from some downloaders. That's a good point.
Like many of the posters in this thread, I hate auto installers that load files into the registry and I will not use an installer that won't let me use a temporary folder to "have a look." It's only common sense, in my book. In fact, I have sometimes suggested to downloaders that they use a temporary folder to examine my uploads, but then follow the installation instructions.
Another good point was made by John Hinson when he said "Quite frankly, I believe that if anybody wants to meddle with their Flight Simulator setup, they should make sure they are competent enough to extract and manually install files from a zip file first. That is also a very good point. I have received the occasional "help me" email from downloaders who did not understand the concept of an FS9 folder, let alone be able to find it in their computer. Of course, that problem is an argument for automatic installers, but....
Finally, I have not felt overburdened by the relatively few "help me" emails I've received. ( How many? I haven't counted, but I'd guess fewer than 30, which doesn't seem very many when matched against a total of over 20,000 downloads.)
Fwiw, the largest group of "help me" emails I have received about installation problems is been because downloaders deliberately ignored the instructions. Part of that is because I do not use .cab files. They are slow to open, so I use gauge folders instead. A few downloaders have jumped to the erroneous conclusion that they should remove gauge files from the gauge folders and install the individual gauges instead. Doesn't work, of course, but it's easy to tell them where they went wrong.
This has become a long post and I apologise for that. Bottom line: Using an installer has dropped lower in my opinion. Installers are not completely off the radar, but they're not looking good.
I appreciate the opinions in this thread. They have been a great help for amateurs like me.
Thank you all,
Glenn
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Post by ashaman on Feb 18, 2009 8:53:28 GMT -5
I downloaded an item not FS but MSTS it had an installer, I tried to change it to a folder of my choice but it wouldn't let me, the folder it wanted to install to was, would you believe a temp folder in the hidden files section. Some people who are not PC minded would never find it as they more than likely have the hidden files hidden and not displaying. I didn't install it by the way. Happened once or twice to myself as well. Of course, when it happens, I always hit the cancel button. I only can be on your side on this thread about installers. In my opinion, is way better to find a detailed README on how and where to install the files stocked in a common .zip or .rar file than an automatic installer. I'm not saying that there is no one out there with the skill and the conscience to make perfectly functional installers that don't mess with what they shouldn't, but really, I still can't find in myself to allow those pieces of software free access where they want, and usually explode the files on a separate, temporary folder to be later manually installed. |
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