What's the difference between a "reset" and a "clean install" ???

I recently decided to do a “clean install” of MSFS to eliminate some corrupted or absent scenery. (Of particular concern was NYC – few buildings south of the Empire State, certainly no Freedom Tower, and most bridges missing.) I was following the Zendesk instructions, but they offered me another option: “Reset.” According to Zendesk, you can try this if the Repair function did not solve your problem; it says, “This app will be reinstalled and revert to its default settings.”

So I did it. As far as I could tell, MSFS disappeared from my PC. No icon on the task bar, and no files where MSFS had been. Then I typed MSFS in the Start Menu, and I got a pop-up from “MS Store Package Dependency Installer,” asking permission to proceed. I clicked Yes. Then it did what I thought was a total reinstall of 153 gigs (about 6 hours).

But guess what! On reopening the sim, the corrupted scenery remained corrupted. Also, my controls were as I had left them, not defaults.

QUESTIONS:

What’s the difference between a “reset” and a “clean install”?

If Zendesk says "Reset" does a reinstallation, how could it NOT replace the corrupted scenery files?

Can I get my scenery back to the defaults if I now do a “clean install”? PLEASE?

(This is driving me nuts!)

Thanks all,

Mac6737

Hi, I personally have never tried the reset option but I have reinstalled it several times. Mind you, whenever I have reinstalled it (after completely uninstalling & deleting all flight sim files) my control & graphics settings etc have always returned, ‘cos the settings are stored in the cloud.

Presumably the reset simply removed the control settings etc?

Saying that... like many others,I currently have a problem in that flight sim is not saving any settings at all at the moment!!!

But that’s down to their latest bug (loads of comments now about this on the official forum)

Regards

Steve

Hi, I personally have never tried the reset option but I have reinstalled it several times. Mind you, whenever I have reinstalled it (after completely uninstalling & deleting all flight sim files) my control & graphics settings etc have always returned, ‘cos the settings are stored in the cloud.

Presumably the reset simply removed the control settings etc?

 

 

 

Saying that... like many others,I currently have a problem in that flight sim is not saving any settings at all at the moment!!!

But that’s down to their latest bug (loads of comments now about this on the official forum)

 

Regards

Steve

As I said, the control settings remained as I had set them. I have since learned that Xbox stores those settings, so that they survive a reset -- contrary to what the Zendesk instructions explicitly state.

Any ideas about why a "reset" does not restore the default scenery files?

Someone on the MSFS Support Forum suggested I check my Data settings for Bing and Photogrammetry. I did. They had been OFF. Turned them back on and I had the full range of NYC buildings once again. Oh joy!

BTW, I would swear I never touched those settings before this morning. Something had turned them off when I wasn't looking.

Glad you sorted it :)

Many others have also found that some settings have occasionally changed by themselves. The sim has plenty of bugs like this, but it’s still the best one we’ve ever had.

Regards

Steve