Documents and add-on.xml Installed in Different User Directory

[DaddyBooks]

Greetings...

I purchased a new computer that helpfully already had Prepar3D and the most recent download of FSUIPC5 downloaded and installed for me.  Unfortunately, I had to change the user account name in Windows 10 in order to work with my sim network.

Subsequent installations of FSUIPC are now creating the FSUIPC documentation and add-on.xml in the old documents location which the installer helpfully re-creates.  Everything else for the installation is installed in the correct \Documents\<new-username>\.  Interestingly, the add-ons.cfg in the AppData\Roaming\Lockheed Martin\Prepar3d v5 directory point is referencing the correct location where I expected the add-on.xml to be installed.  I have temporarily moved the relevant files to the correct directory which has me up and running but I would like to sort this out so future upgrades function properly.

I've exhausted my ability to troubleshoot this having removed and re-installed Prepar3D and FSUIPC a number of times.  I also removed all of the old AppData content that had any references to my old username that I could find and have searched through the registry and environment variables for any references to the old username without any success.  I'm obviously missing something.

Can you steer me to what the FSUIPC installer uses to identify the location where these important files are created (apparently referred to as the Documents folder location) and I can change that to the correct reference.

I recognize this may be of my own making by changing the username but I though the Prepar3D and FSUIPC removal and re-install would sort it out with no success.

Install log attached.  For reference, the old-username is Visual and the new username is 737NG.

Thanks for the great utility and now the update for FSUIPC 5.  It has been a close friend in my simulator for many years.

...Robert (aka DaddyBooks)InstallFSUIPC6.log

EDIT:  I apologize but I inadvertently posted in the wrong folder.  This is an FSUIPC6 question and not related to FSUIPC7 or MSFS.

Edited December 5, 2020 by DaddyBooks

[John Dowson]

13 hours ago, DaddyBooks said:

EDIT:  I apologize but I inadvertently posted in the wrong folder.  This is an FSUIPC6 question and not related to FSUIPC7 or MSFS.

I've moved it to the main support forum.

13 hours ago, DaddyBooks said:

Can you steer me to what the FSUIPC installer uses to identify the location where these important files are created (apparently referred to as the Documents folder location) and I can change that to the correct reference.

This is all explained in the Registration and Installation manual...can you please take a look at trhat.

If you are using the add-on.xml install method (which is recommended), there are three locations used:
    1. the location of the add-on.xml file. This is under your windows Documents folder, under Documents\Prepar3D v5 Add-ons\FSUIPC6 (or v4 if using P3Dv4). This cannot be changed.
    2. the installation folder, where FSUIPC6 is installed. This is the folder YOU SELECT during the installation process. If you already have installed FSUIPC6 or FSUIPC5 installed, this will default to the current installation folder location. If this is a fresh install, this will default to the add-on.xml folder location (i.e. 1. above), but it is highly recommended to change this.
    3. The location where the documents are installed. This is always in your Windows Documents folder, under an FSUIPC6 sub-folder.

The location of your Windows Documents folder is determined from your registry, as is the previous installation location of FSUIPC6.

John

[DaddyBooks]

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This is all explained in the Registration and Installation manual...can you please take a look at trhat.

Thanks.  I first consulted the documentation on all of this and appreciate you reinforcing what I had already read. 

Quote

The location of your Windows Documents folder is determined from your registry, as is the previous installation location of FSUIPC6.

I believe this is a circumstance ascribed to me having changed the Windows Documents location in the registry after changing the account name.  It appears correct as the shell value for %USERPROFILE% resolves to the correct value of C:\Users\737NG which is the correct new account name and seems to reflect that the Documents folder is changed.  Based on what you've confirmed, I would expect that to be the the correct value.

However, given the use of the "previous installation location of FSUIPC6", I wonder if I need to check wherever you store that value.  Perhaps that very first installation of FSUIPC6 on the clean machine set some value that remains and is subsequently being used on subsequent installations.

The only FSUIPC6 registry values I see beyond references to the uninstall program location are at HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\FSUIPC6v5 and are the expected new account value.  I've searched the registry again and can't locate any other references.

I may be forced to reinstall Windows to clear out the old remnants.  Again, this is not an issue of your making but I'm trying to minimize re-work.

Thanks again...

...DaddyBooks

EDIT:  Apologies for the duplicate images.  I cannot locate a method to remove uploaded images and they auto-attach to the message.

Edited December 6, 2020 by DaddyBooks
Attempt to remove superfluous images

[John Dowson]

27 minutes ago, DaddyBooks said:

I believe this is a circumstance ascribed to me having changed the Windows Documents location in the registry after changing the account name.  It appears correct as the shell value for %USERPROFILE% resolves to the correct value of C:\Users\737NG which is the correct new account name and seems to reflect that the Documents folder is changed.  Based on what you've confirmed, I would expect that to be the the correct value.

I think the installer uses either %PROFILE% (not %USERPROFILE%), or the Personal  registry key under HKCU "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders"

30 minutes ago, DaddyBooks said:

However, given the use of the "previous installation location of FSUIPC6", I wonder if I need to check wherever you store that value.  Perhaps that very first installation of FSUIPC6 on the clean machine set some value that remains and is subsequently being used on subsequent installations.

Yes, if you re-install without uninstalling first, it will take ALL previous values from your registry. To get around this, you can manually run the uninstaller (from your installation folder) first. If you do this, the next time you run the installer it will be as a fresh install.

John

[DaddyBooks]

Quote

1 hour ago, John Dowson said:

I think the installer uses either %PROFILE% (not %USERPROFILE%), or the Personal  registry key under HKCU "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders

%PROFILE% doesn't exist but the referenced Personal HKCU key value did the trick as it was, indeed, set to the original (undesired) account name.

Quite curious that Microsoft doesn't dynamically allocate those Shell Folders when the user logs in and starts the Windows shell.  That original account name must persist somewhere in the internals of Windows but this got it sorted.

I still may go for the new install as I lack confidence that my "hack" is sustainable.  Other software may suffer as your's did. 

1 hour ago, John Dowson said:

Yes, if you re-install without uninstalling first, it will take ALL previous values from your registry. To get around this, you can manually run the uninstaller (from your installation folder) first. If you do this, the next time you run the installer it will be as a fresh install.

John

I had been doing this all along to try to start clean each time and even re-installed P3D numerous times.  Your uninstaller did indeed remove out all traces of FSUIPC6 but, in this instance, appears that the HKCU value had precedence.

Thanks for enduring my question.  This was not an issue of your making and FSUIPC6 works as always.  I must say you have one of the most tidy installation and de-installation protocols I have seen in Flight Simulation.

Have a wonderful evening and stay safe and healthy...

...DaddyBooks