No UNC path to MSFS with WideFS connected

[airforce2]

Hi John/Pete;

I've just noticed that offset 3E00 is reporting the server's local path to the MSFS packages folder on a WideFS client rather than the full UNC path (e.g. the path reported on the WideFS client is "C:\MSFS\Packages\" where it should be "\\HUD\MSFS\Packages\"). 

I'm using FSUIPC 7.3.7 and WideFS 7.160 -- as I understand it, when WideFS is connected the path in 3E00 should be the full UNC path to the folder on the server.

Cheers

Bob Scott

 

[John Dowson]

Hi Bob,

there is currently an issue in the released version in that the WideFS enabled state is currently not remembered correctly. This could be affecting the full UNC path from being reported. Could you therefore check with the latest beta, available here: 

If you still get the same issue with that version could you attach your FSUIPC7.log and FSUIPC7.ini files and I will take a look.

Cheers,

John

[John Dowson]

4 hours ago, John Dowson said:

If you still get the same issue with that version could you attach your FSUIPC7.log and FSUIPC7.ini files and I will take a look.

No need for this - I can see there is a problem. I will look into this and get back to you.

John

[John Dowson]

Ok, I have looked into this further and I think everything is working as expected. Your issue is that the drive (or folder) you are using is not shared. UNC paths are only used (in various places/offsets) if the location of the file or folder is shared - otherwise it cannot be accessed from an external computer anyway. So, to get the UNC path, try sharing the folder or drive (right-click in Explorer, select Give access to and go from there...).

To see and map share names, FSUIPC reads the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Shares

Regards,

John

 

[airforce2]

OK John, thanks. 

Can you shed some light on why the ...\Packages folder is being identified as the main sim path?  In the past that main path has always been the folder where the sim's executable resides.  That's the folder I had shared (located in "C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator" on a Steam MSFS installation).

Cheers

Bob Scott

 

[John Dowson]

7 hours ago, airforce2 said:

Can you shed some light on why the ...\Packages folder is being identified as the main sim path?  In the past that main path has always been the folder where the sim's executable resides.

Offset 0x3E00 holds the path to the 'flight simulator installation', which is taken to be the folder in which you opted yo install MSFS, and is taken from the InstalledPackagesPath variable of the MSFS' UserCfg.opt file (which, for steam installs, will be under %APPDATA%\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator).  This is where your MSFS' Community and Official folders will be located.  I don't think the location of the sim's exe would be useful, especially in MS Store installations which seems to use a complicated series of links (and protection). Can you think of a reason why this would be useful?

7 hours ago, airforce2 said:

That's the folder I had shared (located in "C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator" on a Steam MSFS installation).

But that is not the location of the sim's executable! For steam, that would be under your steam installation folder, under steamapps\common\MicrosoftFlightSimulator.  The C:\Users\xxxxxx\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator folder (for steam) is the 'save flights' folder (amongst other things...) and can be found in offset 0x1000.

Cheers,

John

[airforce2]

Argh...I think I had several folders open and I must have copied the wrong path for the executable into the post. 

Anyway, I have no opinion on which folder should be considered the "main" FS folder, but was just trying to understand why that folder was chosen, given that it differs from the old convention.  Still trying to get my head around how a round FSUIPC fits into a square MSFS hole, so to speak...

Cheers

Bob Scott