Author Topic: Two comments on the installation process  (Read 3272 times)

NickATC

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Two comments on the installation process
« on: July 23, 2014, 02:11:21 am »
Hello.

Awesome program.  I have to say that your program is the best eye Candy I've bought.    Of course some tiny details can be improved, but other users have already posted them, and I'm not going to repeat.  I know that FSX has lots of limitations, but it's simply great to see animations around my plane.  It would be nice to see pax walking to/from my plane...  but if that is not possible, I will still enjoy your program as much as I enjoy it right know.  Please, keep up the good work!

I'm not a big forum follower, but after a search on this forum, and my experience as a simmer who knows how to install addons, I'd like to make a suggestion regarding the installation process of GSX:

->  It's funny to see that the installation instructions are given in a PDF format AFTER the actual installation process is finished.   So, since this is my second installation (after a fresh reinstall) I had to uninstall GSX in order to follow the correct installation instructions.  To be honest, I think I made the same error the first time I installed GSX (almost a year ago, and forgot the correct setup process).  Anyway, after reading the PDF file, I could see my mistake.  Then I checked the forum to see if other people were having the same problem, and to my surprise, I'm not the only one.  Many people don't turn off the AV when installing, or don't use the REG file.  My humble suggestion is to provide the installation PDF before downloading the installer or to download the installer and the instructions in one ZIP package.  This way users don't make the same errors over and over again.  Another possibility would be to make a sticky on the forum with the installation instructions.

->  It would be also a great idea that after each installation/reintallation of GSX you could see how many activactions are left for you as user.


Umberto, I appreciate your time to read and comment.

Again, keep up the good work.

Nick

Hnla

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Re: Two comments on the installation process
« Reply #1 on: July 23, 2014, 03:48:56 am »
Very few actually read installation instructions. Most, regardless if they were posted in a zip with the installer or on the website, would just come to the forum and scream for help if they have a problem.

Nobody actually reads the FAQ page either, most just email Umberto, or post a topic on the forum, when all the answers are simply on the page.


virtuali

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Re: Two comments on the installation process
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2014, 10:32:54 am »
It's funny to see that the installation instructions are given in a PDF format AFTER the actual installation process is finished. 

That's because there's nothing special you must know about the installation process, since it's entirely automatic, a .PDF that would cover the installation process, would consist of a single line saying "double-click on the installer and wait until is done".

Everything else you see in the installation guide, is about purchase, activation and reactivation, which are all things you do AFTER having the product installed, so the installation guide is there.

In fact, since (on a new system or a system with no previous FSDT software installed) the Addon Manager program, which you must interact with to do things like activation, cannot be found without installing FIRST, a new user might be confused by reading the manual about an Addon Manager menu that doesn't exists on his FSX, because he hasn't installed yet.

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Another possibility would be to make a sticky on the forum with the installation instructions.

This sentence proves once more that it won't make much difference...there IS a sticky on the forum that covers exactly this, since 2008, aptly named "Reinstallation after system upgrade or crash, please READ!"

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,649.0.html

Which you haven't noticed...

NickATC

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Re: Two comments on the installation process
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2014, 10:54:45 pm »
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That's because there's nothing special you must know about the installation process, since it's entirely automatic, a .PDF that would cover the installation process, would consist of a single line saying "double-click on the installer and wait until is done".

Everything else you see in the installation guide, is about purchase, activation and reactivation, which are all things you do AFTER having the product installed, so the installation guide is there. 

In fact that's what I thought.  So I right clicked and exectuded as ADMIN.  Followed evertyhing... and when I started FSX, my Antivirus detected a trojan.  Went to the fórum and read that the suggested procedure was to download and install with the antivirus off, and then exclude two files.  So, in my experience, and based on the posts I found,  just "double-click on the installer and wait until is done" is not enough.

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Another possibility would be to make a sticky on the forum with the installation instructions.

This sentence proves once more that it won't make much difference...there IS a sticky on the forum that covers exactly this, since 2008, aptly named "Reinstallation after system upgrade or crash, please READ!"

http://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,649.0.html

Which you haven't noticed...

No, sir.  I didn't see that post.  The reason is simple.  FSDreamteam has several products and I only needed support for  GSX... so I go directly to the 'GSX Support FSX/P3D.   Support for Ground Services X'   Well... that's what I need after all.  And there there is no sticky on how to install and avoid false antivirus alerts.

The sticky you mentioned is under the 'General Discussion' title and I can read:  Feel free to talk about anything and everything in this board.   Excuse me sir, but I don't want to talk about anything... I need very specific assistance on a very specific product.  And that's the reason I went striaght to the 'GSX Support FSX/P3D' forum.  Thank you for pointing me to the right post, I would have never gone in that direction ::)  I already made a personal copy of installation instructions for next installation.  Not a big deal.


Well.  This post was just a humble suggestion, Umberto.    It's your program, your business, your forum and your rules.


Appreciate you took the time to read and reply, and sorry if I made you wast your time.


Nick

virtuali

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Re: Two comments on the installation process
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2014, 11:12:27 pm »
In fact that's what I thought.  So I right clicked and exectuded as ADMIN

That wouldn't make any difference if you did or not. The installer is flagged with the shield icon, which means it will ASK Admin permission to run anyway, so it won't even start if you don't grant them so, even in this case, there was need to do anything special, it would work just the same regardless of your initial action ( right-click and Run as Admin, or just double-click )

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Followed evertyhing... and when I started FSX, my Antivirus detected a trojan.  Went to the fórum and read that the suggested procedure was to download and install with the antivirus off, and then exclude two files.  So, in my experience, and based on the posts I found,  just "double-click on the installer and wait until is done" is not enough.

But dealing with a defective antivirus that found a false positive, it's not part of the standard install procedure, because only SOME antivirus products have this issue, most of them don't require any action. This is something for the support forum.

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No, sir.  I didn't see that post.  The reason is simple.  FSDreamteam has several products and I only needed support for  GSX... so I go directly to the 'GSX Support FSX/P3D.   Support for Ground Services X'   Well... that's what I need after all. 

Since the procedure is one and the same for all our products, it's only sensible to have ONE sticky thread in the only place where every general issue, valid for each product, is discussed.

We could put it in the FAQ page, but not many seems to read that either, since I have to reply to about a DOZEN emails EACH DAY, from people asking how to retrieve their lost purchase receipt after a crash, which is explained right in front of the FAQ page. You would guess the FAQ page should be the first thing to be checked, but apparently isn't.

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And there there is no sticky on how to install and avoid false antivirus alerts.

Again. People do not read sticky posts, and it doesn't make ANY sense to have repeat them in each and every section. When someone make a post about antivirus problems, it usually starts with "I tried all the forum solutions", but it usually end up that, when I REPEAT the antivirus procedure, the problem goes away.

So, I learned the hard way that, instead of taking the EASY WAY, of making a sticky that nobody reads anyway, the only thing that works, is replying to EACH and EVERY support request, one by one, which obviously take WAY more effort and time than just copy&paste the sticky thread on each and every section of the forum.