Option to select what to download prior to installation

Hi

I have the steam version and unfortunately I have pressed the doomed “check file integrity” option after msfs failed to boot. I noticed I have to reinstall the whole sim. I am a premium deluxe customer subscribed to all world updates and free content. I did not have it installed however.

Now, forced to reinstall the sim it requires me to download 173GB, which is just an INSANE amount of data. I am unable to install the sim due to space limitations, it used to take about 125GB of space on my PC. I would like to have it installed (same config as before) but since it initially wants to download all I am now stuck with a pc without sim.

Please look into this, I am certainly not the only person with this problem.

Oh wow, I’m so sorry! When you reinstall, it installs everything in the Content Manager, too?

I’m asking because there’s another Wishlist post that says that Content Manager stuff is not downloaded:

I am very fortunate to not have had to do this, so I am just curious.

Yes it wants to install everything. As long as I did not install everything it keeps prompting me with the update page. Thus getting into the sim is impossible… I would like to install just the bare base sim…

Sorry to hear! I just voted for this. That’s rough!

Are you sure it wants to install everything? I ask because after the latest WU I had problems with corrupted files and the sim went straight through to a re-install. It did say a huge amount (around 125GB) was available but in the end only downloaded about 5GB. I believe the re-install “looks at” what is valid or not then just downloads the corrected files.

I’m also pretty sure if there isn’t enough space available on the storage device you tell it to use, it will refuse to proceed and warn you. With no alternative I’d be inclined to just let it rip and see what happens - you could hardly do worse.

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Yes since the folder is almost empty, thus the check file integrity option has really just deleted all files…
About the size I have 175GB available so sure it won’t complain, but I dont think it is recommended to flood an SSD with data just to the top.

Sigh… I’ve just been forced to download all the content I had previously uninstalled (unchecked from the content manager), and then go through all my setup again.

There wasn’t even an update. (Still 1.24.5.0)

So now, after waiting to download 10gb of stuff I don’t want, and will now have to uninstall and delete, I also have to reset all my controls and graphics settings.

We NEED a way to select what we want installed BEFORE having to download them. The Aviator’s Club (including Xbox variants) are 2.88gb just by themselves! The Test Pilot ones are another 1.05gb, Kenmore liveries are 630mb, Orbit 408mb, Pacifica 260mb, Emerald is 208mb.
The ‘- 01’ liveries are an additional 1.26gb…

Then there are the lessons I uninstalled. They’re all back. I don’t need lessons, I do this every day.

Luckily I’m overseas at the moment without a data cap. If I was in Australia, that little stunt would be 10% of my entire monthly cap.

Do we not see a problem here?

Everything, other than the default (and premium/premium deluxe) aircraft and airports, and perhaps the first lessons to solo, should be left ‘NOT INSTALLED’ in the content manager. Have a splash screen somewhere inviting users to download the extra included content if they want it, and OPT IN.

Absolutely, we should have a minimum install possibility. As most things like bush trips etc can be downloaded via the content manager anyway.

We really need an option to opt out of (or into) default installation items, such as aircraft, liveries, scenery, or airports, flight training and bush-trips/challenges etc.

Loading up the sim on another PC, there is no way to bypass the download of every item, before then having to remove it from the content manager and deleting it from your PC.

Many countries around the world still have data limited connections, and it would make installation much quicker. Many people may not have the data available to download everything at the start as well.

Surely if the sim can detect that an update is required, that it can display options on what default content is present (if any).
I would suggest an option to display the content manager (or likeness of it) before the sim itself loads on the update required screen. We could then select or more importantly DESELECT any additional content that user may not wish to download at that time.

These selections should then also be reflected in the content manager once everything is running.

I’m on my old PC for a week or so, and the sim there needs an update. the 10GB update is mostly content.

10GB is far too big for my friend’s internet limit (and the time I have available to download it on their connection anyway).

TLDR: Content should be able to be opted out at this screen.

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I am happy with the present ms-store Daher TBM 930, and my fear is that the same model being developed in Beta when released will be in a major update giving no opportunity to dismiss and keep what I have. Also, updates being offered in the Content Manager do not disclose update details. My Wishlist is that all airborne updates be presented with change details in a method that the user can either accept or dismiss.

We absolutely need that option,

just replaced one of my nvme SSDs with newer one, and by error deleated the content of the ‘official’ folder, now I have to redownload 124GB even if I dont use or need 85% of the official content … (default aircraft, hadcrafted airports … ).

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Supporting this as well. For World Updates I now uninstall the landing challenges and bush trips, and I would like the option to not install them in the first place.

2 Likes

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+2hours later, and I’m still at 47% download progress, in other words I’ve lost any hope of playing msfs today… (even with my 100Mbps Fiber connection) :disappointed: that’s why we need a better download method…

maybe just give us a choice between a standard and a Minimal Install size, one could easily go to the content manager later to add any aditionnal asset.

Same goes for liveries, lessons, bushtrips, landing challenges, scenery, …

Exactly. I just voted for this. As has been mentioned, each purchaser is unique. Some have fiber connectivity, some do not. Some (like me) have monthly data caps, others do not. Some want all features, others do not.

An install system that allows purchasers to install content that they want helps both the purchaser AND Asobo/Microsoft.

For the purchaser, those with data caps or low bandwidth connections can just install the core program, one or two scenery areas & one or two aircraft, then go fly, all within their monthly data cap limit, and without having to wait for days for the download to finish. In subsequent months, they can download further areas, aircraft & “experiences” (missions, challenges, etc.).

Those with no data caps & high-bandwidth connections can do the same, or just download everything.

The benefit for Asobo/Microsoft would be less load on their servers, especially at the initial launch of 2024, an increase in the potential customer base (potential purchasers probably will not buy the product if the entire package size is greater than their monthly data cap), and hopefully less complaints about the whole download process.

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Hi, I would like to be able to choose which content I want to use and which not when downloading and installing. For example, I only fly helicopters. For me this means that I have to download a lot of content that I don’t need at all. All fixed-wing aircraft, for example. Or all bush trips, training and experience flights, which only work with fixed-wing aircraft. I’m currently deleting all of this content after installation, which is around 30 to 40 gigabytes of data. Which in turn is not easy, because in the content manager you have to tell from the name whether it is an aircraft, a livery or a scenery. With the world updates, I can also choose which one I want to use after installation. If this were also possible with the other content, I would not only need less download time and hard drive space, but the CO2 footprint of my download would also be massively reduced.