Author Topic: How do I completely uninstall GSX?  (Read 15292 times)

airbumps

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How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« on: February 04, 2012, 03:04:34 pm »
Hey,

I've purchased and now want to uninstall. I tried removing it from Programs under Control panel and its gone from there, but it still appears as Installed in addon manager?

It also still updates its cache each time I make a scenery change?

How do I get rid of it please?

Thanks

virtuali

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #1 on: February 04, 2012, 05:49:49 pm »
I've purchased and now want to uninstall. I tried removing it from Programs under Control panel and its gone from there

If it's gone from there, then it's gone.

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but it still appears as Installed in addon manager?

That simply means the Addon Manager knows about it, and would allow you to purchase it, but this is entirely independent from its installation. You are allowed to purchase something that is not installed, it will then automatically work as registered and activated, should you ever install it.

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It also still updates its cache each time I make a scenery change?

It doesn't.

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How do I get rid of it please?

If you run its own uninstaller, then you already have.

WebMaximus

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2012, 04:15:14 pm »
I have the same question and no Umberto...I don't consider a program completely uninstalled when there are still lots of files and folders left on your disk. I checked under the Start menu and didn't find any entries for FSDreamTeam and then I checked under Control Panel-Program and Features and no entry for GSX in that list either but still I have lots of GSX stuff left on my disk as already mentioned.

I guess I could just delete all that stuff manually myself but you should consider making an uninstallation program that really does what it should...remove the product you wish to uninstall.
Richard Åsberg

Bruce Hamilton

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2012, 05:33:44 pm »
I guess I could just delete all that stuff manually myself but you should consider making an uninstallation program that really does what it should...remove the product you wish to uninstall.

GSX replaces what was formerly named You Control.  If the uninstaller deleted everything, you'd lose being able to open and close hangar doors in the FSDT sceneries.
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virtuali

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #4 on: April 22, 2012, 06:11:47 pm »
I have the same question and no Umberto...I don't consider a program completely uninstalled when there are still lots of files and folders left on your disk.

Make an exact list of this "lots files and folders", so we can discuss if they really had to be removed or not or, if they were files shared by other products, that shouldn't be removed, or so you can be explained why they weren't removed.

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I guess I could just delete all that stuff manually myself but you should consider making an uninstallation program that really does what it should...remove the product you wish to uninstall.

The uninstaller DOES what is should, it removes the product. Removing a product means preventing it to run and not having it loaded anymore.

The uninstaller ALSO have an OPTION, that ASK "Do you want to remove the Addon Manager ?" and "Do you want to remove the Couatl script engine ?", this will remove every "file and folder" under the FSX\fsdreamteam\Couatl folders, regardless if it might have been needed by other FSDT product or not.

The uninstaller does do this automatically because, obviously, people would complain that, after uninstalling GSX, KLAX didn't worked anymore...you need to understand all our products are sharing a lot of files between them, which is of course much efficient. For example, we only have only 1 set of Docking systems, which is shared by all sceneries.

And, uninstallers usually NEVER remove user settings (for example, anything in the %APPDATA% folder) this is normal.

And, uninstaller can't obviously remove something they don't know, because it was installed by something else. You need to understand how an uninstaller works: it's a list of files that will be removed, that is compiled at INSTALL time.

This means, if other files were added by other means ( in the GSX case, this might be Live Updates ) the uninstaller doesn't know about their existence, and wil not remove them either.

This is standard with ANY program that is installed using standard installers, it happens EVERYTIME, even with product costing thousands of dollars, like the Adobe Suite: their uninstaller also leaves "lots of files and folders", either because they are user settings, which no uninstaller usually removes OR because new files were added after applying Live Updates, which is why they have an "Adobe Cleaner tool"

http://www.adobe.com/support/contact/cscleanertool.html

What would be the need for a "Cleaner Tool", if the normal uninstaller worked as you are expecting an uninstaller would ? Can't Adobe create a "proper" uninstaller that would fullfill your expectations ? The reasons why a separate cleaner tool, which need to be constantly updated too, is exactly because using normal uninstaller methods, the only files that are removed, are those that are known to the *installer* which was used at *install* time, because it's the installer itself that creates a list of files to be uninstalled.

WebMaximus

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #5 on: April 22, 2012, 07:28:27 pm »
Well...I guess our understanding of removal slightly differs...to me remove means just that...that something will be removed rather than stopped from executing.

Never mind these are the folders/files I would like to know if they can be safetly removed. Since there are about 200 of them I only kept some of them in the list below to not make this post flooding the thread but as you can see they almost all of them start with GSX... and are of .dds filetype which I believe is some kind of texture format and thus not in any form 'user created/modified' files and they are all located in several different subfolders to ...SimObjects\Misc\... as seen below all starting with FSDT_

Surely it's not a big deal having them lying around even though I don't use the product that installed them anymore, I just like to keep my computer and especially my FSX installation as clean as possible at all times since we all know how fragile a FSX installation is and how easy it is to end up with a FSX installation that will cause you both headache and CTDs.

Code: [Select]
Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.LA

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.LR

2012-03-20  18:13            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.MS

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.NAX

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.NK

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.OS

2012-02-14  14:32            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.PBN

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.RUS

2012-02-14  20:01            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.RXA

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.SA

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.SKW

2012-02-14  20:01            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.SQ

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.SU

2012-02-23  17:34            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.TG

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.TK

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.TRS

2012-02-14  20:02            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.TSO

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.TVF

2012-02-14  20:01            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.VA

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.VIR

2012-02-14  20:01            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.VO

2012-02-14  14:32            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.VRD

2012-02-15  14:12            87ÿ488 GSX_logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.WS

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

 Directory of F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\SimObjects\Misc\FSDT_Staircase\texture.XR

2012-02-23  15:54            87ÿ488 GSX_Logo_4x1.dds
               1 File(s)         87ÿ488 bytes

     Total Files Listed:
             201 File(s)     40ÿ312ÿ603 bytes
               1 Dir(s)  58ÿ277ÿ998ÿ592 bytes free

Richard Åsberg

virtuali

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #6 on: April 22, 2012, 08:31:56 pm »
Well...I guess our understanding of removal slightly differs...to me remove means just that...that something will be removed rather than stopped from executing.

It's you that keep using the "removing" word. The uninstaller is called *uninstaller* not "remover", and its job is to ensure the program is *uninstalled*, which means no longer active. That's why there are separate removal tools (see my example of the Adobe suite), there wouldn't be any need for those, if uninstalling universally meant "removing".

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I only kept some of them in the list below to not make this post flooding the thread but as you can see they almost all of them start with GSX...

Yes, they are part of GSX but, as I've said, since they were all installed with subsequent live updates, they weren't part of the GSX installer which was current when you installed GSX using its full installer, so the uninstaller (remember, the uninstaller is created *by* the installer at install time) doesn't know about them.

If you download the *current* GSX installer, which includes all that liveries too, they WILL be removed, when you uninstall.

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I just like to keep my computer and especially my FSX installation as clean as possible at all times since we all know how fragile a FSX installation is and how easy it is to end up with a FSX installation that will cause you both headache and CTDs.

In this case, the only effect those files have, is to take some hdd space, because they are only textures files without anybody calling them. CTD happen in the opposite case, when some program/scenery is calling something which is not there anymore.
« Last Edit: April 22, 2012, 08:34:16 pm by virtuali »

WebMaximus

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #7 on: April 22, 2012, 08:38:35 pm »
Well...to me uninstalled still is more equivalent to removed rather than 'not active' but I rest the case...

Regarding the files mentioned I hear what you say and I'm sure you're right they won't do any harm since they are only texture files but I still think I'll remove them since I don't like having about 200 files lying around as "left-overs" on my disk.
Richard Åsberg

virtuali

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #8 on: April 22, 2012, 08:54:28 pm »
Well...to me uninstalled still is more equivalent to removed rather than 'not active' but I rest the case...

As I've said, the uninstaller DOES remove all files that IT installed. If files arrived with other means (es. downloadable Live updates) the uninstaller doesn't know anything about them.

The Adobe suite "Removal tool" is a crystal clear case of why uninstalling and removing is not the same thing, and why a normal uninstaller can't work they way you would like to, like a remover. Do you think that a multi-million company like Adobe can't write a "proper" Uninstaller ? Then why they had to offer a separate removal tool ? Guess what, they also do lots of Live Updates, just like GSX, that's why standard Uninstalling methods don't work as you would like to.

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Regarding the files mentioned I hear what you say and I'm sure you're right they won't do any harm since they are only texture files but I still think I'll remove them since I don't like having about 200 files lying around as "left-overs" on my disk.

Yes, of course, removing is the best option in this case.

Note that, it's likely that future versions of our sceneries will *use* GSX as a service, just like they use GSX now for the ParkMe (removing GSX, would made you lose the scenery Docking systems), which means it would be more and more difficult to separate one from the other, unless you would be prepared to lose lots of scenery features.

WebMaximus

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #9 on: April 22, 2012, 09:07:34 pm »
Umberto please...I'm not sure why you keep nagging about 'multi-million companies' like Adobe. I hear what you say and I do understand an uninstaller can't be aware what happened after the initial installation. The only thing I've been trying to say here is I don't agree with you an uninstallation of a software would only mean to make sure it's not active anymore. To me (and I've been in the IT business for many years by now...) an uninstallation of a software still is an operation where I expect the major part of that software to actually be REMOVED from my hard disk...not just de-activated. Sure there will always be some left-overs like user created profiles, updated program files etc etc but still...uninstalling a PC computer software to me will never be simply making sure it will not be active...sorry if this upsets you.

Then when you say future versions of your sceneries will use GSX as a service...would that mean those of your customers that don't have GSX installed won't be able to make full use of the scenery products they buy from you?
Richard Åsberg

virtuali

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #10 on: April 22, 2012, 09:22:49 pm »
The only thing I've been trying to say here is I don't agree with you an uninstallation of a software would only mean to make sure it's not active anymore. To me (and I've been in the IT business for many years by now...) an uninstallation of a software still is an operation where I expect the major part of that software to actually be REMOVED from my hard disk...not just de-activated

Sorry, but I don't agree, at all (and have been in the IT business *writing software* since before the original IBM PC...) Uninstalling and Removing is NOT the same thing. Uninstalling is way more tricky to handle, because you just can't remove files without knowing exactly what to remove, which is of course not possible, if additional files are added without the installer knowledge.

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.Sure there will always be some left-overs like user created profiles, updated program files etc etc but still...uninstalling a PC computer software to me will never be simply making sure it will not be active...sorry if this upsets you.

Saying updated program files, you are exactly making my point. ALL the files you complained about not being "removed" are EXACTLY that: updated program files that were downloaded by a separate utility, which the original installer you ran didn't know about it. This is the same with every uninstaller out there.

Yes, of course if our program was a self-contained program instead of an FSX *addon*, it would be easier to simply ZAP its whole folder when uninstalling, but you just can't do that inside FSX, files needs to be known, in order to be removed one by one, without risking removing something extra.

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Then when you say future versions of your sceneries will use GSX as a service...would that mean those of your customers that don't have GSX installed won't be able to make full use of the scenery products they buy from you?

It's already like that, to a point. All our sceneries use GSX to handle the Docking systems. If you remove GSX, you'll lose the Docking system feature, because there's no code anymore to handle them. It will be just more and more extensive in the future, GSX will likely be used to create static ground traffic detail so, removing GSX will result in some detail lost, in addition to Docking systems, which is already happening now.

Just for your info, the whole GSX *CODE* is less than 500K zipped. Most of the 50MB the GSX installer takes are vehicles models and liveries but, if we were to use them for a *scenery*, it wouldn't make any sense to waste so much space in the installer of EVERY scenery, and would be much easier to simply add GSX as a requisite download for all sceneries, of course if you want the full details.

Since GSX doesn't do *anything* if you don't call it, and the YouControl key was already taken by the scenery anyway, having it installed or not, wouldn't make any difference, save for its 500K of code...
« Last Edit: April 22, 2012, 09:28:41 pm by virtuali »

WebMaximus

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Re: How do I completely uninstall GSX?
« Reply #11 on: April 22, 2012, 09:32:22 pm »
OK, got it Umberto.
Richard Åsberg