I bought the MS Store version ... and it wiped my 200GB install

[Adam Beckett]

... only here, to say: if you bought the Steam version, you did the right thing.

MSFS Windows Store version just wiped my 200GB install.

I blame myself (for not deleting the symbolic link to the assets folder) but also the ridiculous MS Windows UWP architecure and the MSFS implementation of the complete game.

And on top you have the NTFS SIDs (User Security IDs) encrypting files. Creating symlinks without saying. Locking Local Admin and Users out of moving folders to diff, bigger SSDs. What a mess.

"Installing MSFS" from the MS Store, installs a 2GB 'core' launcher. So far so good. But, if you uninstall that, it also uninstalls the complete 'rolling cache' (in my case 180+ GB of data and core game assets.

There is no clear detachment between - lets call game launcher, incl. UI that allows a user to adjust settings and choose directories - and the GBs of assets.

MS Store UWP apps are very particular where they allow a user to install files.

If you like me, keep a small C:\ SSD for the Windows OS (so you can let Windows OS write as often as it likes those TMP files and updates and let it destroy the SSD without touching the actual important files and folders on bigger D: E: F: 2-4TB drives and M2s) - the 'default install' directory will not do for a min 150GB game on a 150GB total size SSD.

Windows and UWP allow to use a different drive ... but this is where the trouble starts. MS Windows still uses C: and %APPDATA% local user directory for major, core files. And this all is happening long before and even without the user finally having a choice to change the 'rolling cache' directory (which is only a partial asset dir, since the core game assets are distinguished from that folder too.

Trying to take control of the whole 'game' (all it's directories and all the created folders), and putting it in ONE PLACE (!) - the way you would install any other game let's say on D:\Game\ and all of the game files would ACTUALLY be on D:\Game\ (aside from maybe save games and config files which you find in the \Documents folder - is apparently IMPOSSIBLE.

I tried to take control of all the files and folders by changing the SID (Windows Security ID ownership of files and folders - something introduced from UNIX back in the NT days). But, even with that - which was tedious and time consuming - you still have Windows ENCRYPTING files ('DRM' is nothing compared to 'Windows Operating System') XBOX-style.

In the end. "Uninstalling" the 2GB MSFS Windows Store core install, not only uninstalls those 2 Gigabytes ... but also the 'Standard' or 'Premium' or 'Deluxe' assets AND the 'rolling cache'.

So, they - MSFS developers? Microsoft? - managed to detach and split the game in three different parts, but when uninstalling, ALL gets WIPED out, without any choice for the user.

Let this be a warning to you - if you are still reading. MSFS 2024 is going to be a "Steam Version" purchase for me, this time. Unless, they manage to screw this one up too ...

[price]

Got the MS store Deluxe version for PC the first day. It had a conflict with Xbox store, the installer wouldn't download the data. Went around and around for hours and researching help. No help, requested refund because it never installed. The refund was denied.

Luckily, I went to Steam bought an other copy/licence and was up and running in an hour.
Never buy from MS store or Xbox store, the worst installation rip off experience.

[udidwht]

Have (2) MS store variants...one on laptop the the other desktop. The desktop is premium deluxe and laptop is not. Both installed without issue. The trick to install is being sure the system is ready for install of the sim first. Be sure the OS is up to date as well as the MS store and Xbox apps.

[Adam Beckett]

Originally posted by udidwht:

Have (2) MS store variants...one on laptop the the other desktop. The desktop is premium deluxe and laptop is not. Both installed without issue. The trick to install is being sure the system is ready for install of the sim first. Be sure the OS is up to date as well as the MS store and Xbox apps.

Appreciate the comment and trying to be helpful.

Your general advise though does not address anything I mention above, nor is it specific in any way?

I am complaining about the Microsoft UWP architecture and how it makes it particularly difficult to use 'external hard drives' (those, which are not C:\).

Since the release of MSFS on the MS Store, people complain about this particular issue.

It all starts with MS treating UWP packages as different entities, mixing user concepts ('Local User' vs 'Local Machine', UAC) of deployment and UWP (and NTFS) folder and file security. This is well documented in the Microsoft UWP architecture developer documentation. It takes hours if not days to get through it, but it shares many 'Microsoft'-ish ideas and software ideology from the past decades - none of them good.

There have been years of discussions in newsgroups, developer forum threads and conferences. No need to repeat them here.

What WILL help - if somebody is still reading and still stumbles over this problem - is to switch the 'MS Store App default directory for new apps' (somewhere in the Windows 10/11 settings options. This will give a system wide nudge to every new Store app, to install on the external drive. Even though - there are always files and folders buried on C:\ and C:\Users\

This will avoid the initial install error after downloading the core 2GB MSFS Launcher app, even though the user was allowed to choose a non-C drive for it to install. Yet it fails and will repeatedly do so.

It also allows then to switch and choose the 'rolling cache' directory, etc.

Why deleting the initial 2GB Store app uninstalls everything(!) remains a mystery. There should be a better mechanism for this. This is just 'bad practice' (a software dev term) and does not follow principles and guidelines ... or UX design patterns.

The very fact that Microsoft themselves are using symlinks for folders which are not residing on C: shows how supporting external drives or non-C partitions was never on their mind? Their whole UWP attempt was to lock-in developers to their 'secure-apps' scheme, which also meant encryption, which also meant full control by Windows OS. The most DRM possible, all in the name of type-safety and anti-tempering ... of course.

[udidwht]

I have all installed on drives other than C;

F: Xbox Games
F: MSFS 2020 (Desktop) Premium Deluxe
D; MSFS (Laptop) Standard version