Moving FSX to new SSD

Have added an SSD(250GB) to my computer as F drive, and would like to run FSX on it along with addon scenery purchased recently. The C drive will continue to run the OS, Win7-64. Would appreciate any advice on best way to accomplish, ie copy FSX and scenery files from C to F and then delete from C or uninstall from C and do a clean re-install of everything to F?? Looking to take the load off the older C drive and perhaps get some performance improvement using the SSD. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

When moving the directory of FSX, a simple copy-paste will not do the trick. You should remove the addons, remove FSX, remove all residue files in your drive, then do a clean reinstall of FSX in your SSD along with all your addons.

 

Note that if you have a lot of addons, 250GB might eventually become too small for your simulator. If you, however, use only a few addons, 250GB should be more than enough.

 

Also note that certain FSX files, such as fsx.cfg and dll.xml files will remain where the OS is installed, precisely speaking, under C:\%AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft\FSX. Since your sim is installed in the sim, you might experience some performance increase in load times, etc, but don't expect a massive increase in FPS because that property is mostly dependent on your CPU.

 

If you have a lot of time to spare, I might as well suggest you do install the OS and FSX on the SSD and install the rest of the programs in your HDD. That's how my new laptop (which is being shipped right now) will be configured.

I agree with TseTse on the uninstall/reinstall. Here's a link to a good guide if you need one: http://support.precisionmanuals.com/kb/a87/how-to-uninstall-and-reinstall-fsx.aspx .

 

Doug

If you have commercial or payware add-one, then you will almost certainly need to go the clean install route. However, if the add-on scenery and aircraft were manually installed freeware and doesn't require any specific registry settings, beyond the FSX ones, you may be okay with just copying the FSX folder over. After copying it, download and run the Flight1 FSX registry repair tool to fix the registry entries.

Thanks to all for the info and suggestions. You have confirmed what I suspected and I'll be doing a clean re-install. Once question, I have FSX Gold dvd's and since Microsoft limits the number of times software can be activated is there a way to find out the number of activations remaining for the Activation Key for these discs??

What I would do in your situation:

 

(I assume you have a HDD now with only one C:\\ partition and no other partitions. Lets say 1000Gb (=1Tb) in size.)

 

Iwould use migration software. (Imaging software). Some SSD's (Samsung for example.) come with a free copy of a imaging software.

I recently bought another brand SSD, that did not come with migration software. But the store also sold a drive tray, to mount an SSD in a 3.5" HDD slot. I needed one of those trays, and that they sold one that came with a free copy of migration software. (PNY "Desktop Assecories Kit for SSD's ", with free copy of Acronis).

There are several migration software suites for sale online as well.

 

 

I would start making the C drive smaller, so it will fit on the SSD. Like so:

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First I would install the imaging software. You will need that.

Acronis is handy. When you run the program you have the option of burning a bootable disk with Acronis on it. With that disk in the DVD drive, your computer can start from that disk. That way there is no need for windows to be installed. So even if you only have a blank SSD attached to the system, your computer starts, and you immediately see Acronis. You can attach your external harddisk that contains your system image and you can restore it.

 

Other imaging software probably works slightly different, so read the instructions on how to use your software carefully.

I'll explain how I would do this all, using Acronis.

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I would leave all programs installed, and FSX also.

 

Then I would move as much data away from the C: drive as possible.

I mean user files. Documents, pictures, videos, music, all the zip files you downloaded for fsx, etc etc.

I would move all that a External Harddisk.

 

The goal is to have only Windows and all your programs on C: so the total occupied space is less then 70% of the SSD size.

When doing this, remember that a Drive in Windows is smaller then it says when you buy the drive. My SSD is sold as 256Gb, In Windows that means only 238Gb space.

 

To calculate the true available space of your drive multiply by 1000 3 times, then devide by 1024 three times.

specified_size_in_Gb_buying x 1000 x1000 x1000 : 1024 : 1024 : 1024 = actual_size_Gb_in_windows

or

specified_size_in_Gb_buying x 1000.000.1000 : 1073741824 = actual_size_Gb_in_windows

 

When all data is moved, and the occupied space is plenty smaller then your SSD size.

 

First, for safety, create a system image. (stored on an external disk.) With a system image you can restore the harddrive exactly as it is at the time you made the image.

 

Then shrink the C partition on the HDD using the Disk Management menu in Windows. Make the C partition smaller then the SSD. (90% of the size).

The rest of your HDD will then be unpartitioned.

 

Then make another System image. This is the image you will restore to the SSD.

 

Then you turn of the computer. You disconnect the HDD from the motherboard. You connect the SSD. (I had to attach it to the port on the mainboard that the HDD was attached to before.)

 

Now you use the Image software to restore the Image to the SSD.

Start the computer with the external harddisk attached and the Image software CD in your DVD drive.

Use the software to 'restore' the correct image to the SSD.

 

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Now you have your C drive, fully intact, all programs stil working, FSX also, on your SSD.

 

The only thing is, when resizing you made your C drive slightly smaller then your SSD.

 

No problem, when in Windows (now running on the SSD) use disk Management again to make the C: partiton larger to fill the SSD completely.

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The last step is to format your HDD. (wipes everyting from the HDD!)

To create one or more partitions on the HDD.

And to then copy your Data from the external harddisk to the HDD.

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This is not something to be taken to lightly. You have to plan a move like this carefully, to make backups/images as you go along. You also have to read very carefully the manual of the image software you are using. Make sure the software can be used to do what you want.

 

It can take a while to do it right, take your time.

But if you have many programs installed right now, and many payware addons in FSX, this can still save you time over installing everything from scratch.

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I put Windows and FSX both on my SSD (C drive). It runs very smoothly now. all the stutters are gone.

 

I would definetly recomend using this method if disk size allows it.

 

Also, I would definitely recomend putting Windows on the SSD. Windows uses something called caching.

The cache is used just like RAM. Files that need to be temporarily stored, opened, etc, are loaded into cache. And because Windows services are allways running, even if you do nothing, the computer is hard at work. This means windows is constantly storing files on the harddisk, and reading from the harddisk.

 

With a HDD this is the rattling noise you can hear almost constantly. Of course a HDD is much slower the RAM. that slows things down tremendously.

Switching the cache off to force Windows to use the RAM is not a solution either. Windows needs the cache. If you set cache size smaller it can even slow down your computer. Setting it to zero can even cause craches.

 

The cache in Windows is on the C: drive.

Now you have a SSD, much faster reading and writing then the HDD, and no noise.

So make sure Windows is on the SSD. That way the cache is on the SSD too, and your computer will be whisper quiet.

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Congrats on your SSD, I'm almost certain you'll enjoy it!

il88pp.

 

 

(I did not see your last message yet, this was not writtten in repy to the question about activation)

1) Cloning your old harddisc where FSX is installed to the new SSD

2) Using the same partition letter for the new SSD-disk. This way I hope to avoid registry issues.

3) Allokating a new partition-letter for the old hdd.

 

I just installed a new Samsung EVO 850 in my portable where I also have a "light" version of FSX installed in case of abstinence when travelling. Timeconsuming, but no issues at all. I will testfly there to begin with to see how it goes. I do not expect faster FPS, but faster loading/startup.

hazahl, how is your HDD set up now? C/D/E? How large is the HDD, and how large is each partition?