System Wipe

Hey guys I've searched the forums for info on a system wipe and reinstall, but have come up with pieces from here and there. What I need to do ( Not because I want to) is first do a clean install of DCS because somehow it has become corrupted and my Mission Editor is not properly working. I've done a repair and actually deleted and reinstalled most of the files for DCS with no good results. So clean install was recommended by ED. Because of this misfortune, I decided to put DCS on an SSD and keeping my windows 7 on my WD Black 1tb HDD. I will also be doing a reinstall of windows due to the fact that DCS resides on the drive also. So these are the steps that I have put together from other posts.

Step 1. Deactivate my modules

Step 2. Format and Install Windows on HDD

Step 3. Install DCS on SSD

Step 4. Reactivate modules

Bing Bang Boom Done !

Is it this easy and exactly what do I need to reactivate my modules ?

Serial Numbers or just account log in ? Also is it possible to run run two DCS world downlods on the same machine and reactivate only certian planes on each DCS ?

Thanks for any help guys !

It's slightly onveluted process.

If you use. VR disable lt in the VR settings and restart DCS.

Goto the module manager now you need to do this for every DRM module you have including campaigns

1) click on the DRM button

A popup dialogue box appears saying activate or deactivate the module click K OK.

2) Another dialogue box will popup look for the blue hypertext word "deactivate" click that word.

3) Yet another popup will appear this time hopefully showing a progress bar as DCS communicates the the server after a few seconds it should Bounce that the module is designed activated.

Repeat for each module and campaign ets that has the DRM button.

You can check you used account and see the status of the modules it when I did that the information wasn't always correct.

The modules without the DRM button use the new security method and you don't have to do anything this included all the maps for me when I did this last week but check yours out.

HTH

To answer your other question it shouldn't matter if you have multiple installs on the one machine. Eg OB and OA , not steam and non steam versions they are different licensing.

I'm still kinda at a loss on the multiple installs of DCS. Will each install need different log in credentials or can you use the same credentials for each install? If you use different credentials for each install, will that effect the modules I can install ? Also the installs, do they have to be the different versions (ex. 2.5 Alpha & 2.5 Open Beta) or can I have two installs of 2.5 Alpha ? Thanks for the help guys ! Diving in to start deactivating.......:D

I'm still kinda at a loss on the multiple installs of DCS.

Will each install need different log in credentials or can you use the same credentials for each install?

You can use different credentials if you want, but you probably want to use the same credentials on each DCS so that you have access to all the DLC that you've purchased.

If you use different credentials for each install, will that effect the modules I can install ?

Yes, each credential can use only those DLC that were purchased with it. For example, I've two login accounts: one has all the moduleds I've purchased for my own use; while the other login is my DCS Server account, where I've only purchased the Maps and the WW2 Assets

Also the installs, do they have to be the different versions (ex. 2.5 Alpha & 2.5 Open Beta) or can I have two installs of 2.5 Alpha ?

Yes, you can have any version you want, as long as you install them on separate Program Files folders.

The Saved games folder for each DCS instance can be set by creating a text file on the root of each DCS install, like this:

In the DCS root folder, create a text file called "dcs_variant.txt" with the one word suffix you want to use for your save folder i.e.

If "dcs_variant.txt" is

openbeta

the save folder will be called "DCS.openbeta"

If "dcs_variant.txt" is

test

the save folder will be called "DCS.test"

If the save folder with the .suffix doesn't exist, it is created when DCS is run. To return to using the default "DCS" save folder, simply delete the "dcs_variant.txt" file.

I don't understand the need to create a .txt file. Is this something I should add to the install path ? Is it something I add to the file path after the install ?

I installed the open beta and file path looks like this:

Program Files / Eagle Dynamics / DCS World OpenBeta

I started DCS and I assume that after I shut it down, it created the saved games files. Am I correct in my assumption ? I also assume that if I put this .txt file in the proper place and start DCS and then shut it down, it will create a saved games file named same as .txt file. Saved game file now looks like this:

Users / TOKER / Saved Games / DCS.openbeta

Can't you just change the install path to something like this

Program Files / Eagle Dynamics / DCS World OpenBeta_MOD

and then let it install to create this file path ?

I don't understand the need to create a .txt file.

It is not strictly needed, as DCS had its own defaults.

It’s a way to be in control of which saved games folder goes with which dcs version you decide to have. This way you can have, for example, two versions of the Stable version, each with its own saved games folder.

If you will have just a single open beta and a single stable install, then it is not needed. Same if you dont mind two different DCS versions using the same saved games folder.

I would like to end up with 3 installs of the open beta. Open beta because my friends fly with that version. I would like to separate my aircraft into a modern and early class and then have a version for mods. Looking like this when all installed.

Program Files / Eagle Dynamics / DCS World OpenBeta_MODERN

Program Files / Eagle Dynamics / DCS World OpenBeta_EARLY

Program Files / Eagle Dynamics / DCS World OpenBeta_MODS

Thanks for all your time guys........

I got it Rudel_chw , thanks very much. I didn't understand where to put the text file, so I played around and finally got it. Thanks again !!!!:megalol:

I got it Rudel_chw , thanks very much. I didn't understand where to put the text file, so I played around and finally got it. Thanks again !!!!:megalol:

:D Glad you got it sorted out ... you must have quite a big hard drive, I used to have three DCS installs, but when the big reunification of version 2.5 came along, I gladly dumped two installs and kept just the Open Beta.