Steam Installer located X-Plane Folder not on Desktop

[Cullenskye]

I installed my X-Plane purchase using the download process through the steam store. When the installer got to the page for assignment of location for installation I do not remember exactly what it said, I just accepted the default it offered and clicked to continue.

After I started it and configured X-Plane for my installed equipment, I started it up and it is running fine. I have some additional aircraft to install and while researching that I discovered that the X-Plane System folder should be on the desktop.

The Steam installer put the X-Plane application and all it’s sub folders in this location:
Windows (C:)/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/X-Plane11
It placed a start Icon on the desktop it directs the startup to be invoked from an internet URL. URL: steam://rungameid/xxxxxx

I want the X-Plane Folder to be on the desktop like the Laminar Research manual specifies, so that I don’t have problems installing additional content. I am seeing incident after incident where when updating, or adding enhancements, or additional air planes, errors occur indicating the program is not properly installed or the product key is missing or needed or the program is not there.

So as I have no other Steam games other than X-Plane with one shadow enhancement and scenery files, I want to uninstall Steam and X-Plane removing all the remnants of this installation. Then reinstall Steam and X-plane correctly. This time I will examine the installer GUI to make sure it will install to the desktop.

What should the finished install look like? I am expecting an icon on the desktop pointing to an X-Plane folder on the desktop containing all the sub folders and files with direction to run the X-Plane application from that location.

Please provide step by step instructions for me to remove the old software and direct the steam installer to install the files correctly. Also please confirm the product key values and how to re-download and verify my purchase so it will install. Please state what the finished file allocations should be. I want the Steam installer to know where to find the X-Plane application and be able to manage future additions and upgrades.

Sorry to seem rigid about this but I have spent many hours searching the forums and help guides and could not find anything about this need to install to the desktop except in the Laminar Research product manual. Nor any direction as to how to uninstall and reinstall X-Plane.

Thank you for your consideration.
Frank Sligar

[John W]

The installation location C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\X-Plane11 is the normal default location for the installation of X-Plane 11. Why would you want to have it on your desktop. Whenever you want to install an addon all you have to do is extract the scenery to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\X-Plane11\custom scenery and aircraft to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\X-Plane11\aircraft. It's that simple. Or if the installer is an executable and asks for your X-Plane 11 folder location, simply point it to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\X-Plane11.

What the X Plane 11 documentation means when referring to your desktop is that the installation creates an X-Plane 11 shortcut on your desktop so you can click on that shortcut to start X Plane 11. Steam does not create those shortcuts but you can create one yourself.

[Cullenskye]

I am new to X-Plane and to flight sims but not to flying, aviation or computers. I just installed this on a new gaming system and want it to be as stable as possible. I need to understand how to remove it from my program files (x86) directory? (win uninstall)? and then restart the installation paying attention to where the steam Installer is putting things. I am afraid I will have problems with authorization from steam for the software Id and want to know how to do this before it blows up.

So. it was important in 2014 and still in 2021 see quotes below. After I start modifying the system, adding extras and updating I don't want to get all these errors like so many people have where parts of the system are missing after an update and the product key cannot be verified, a third-party plugin will not work etc. etc.

Laminar Research designed the program to run off disk space not protected by the operating system they use the desktop so LINIX MAC OS and Win10 will all work from there.

From the X-Plane 11 Desktop manual 16/August/2021:
Installing X-Plane
Quick Start Item 5.
"By default X‑Plane will install to the Desktop. Though it can be installed elsewhere, it is strongly recommended that it be placed on the Desktop so that it can be found in the future. For the purposes of this guide, we will assume it is installed there. Click Continue."

From the X-Plane Tech Support forum:
Andy Goldstein {moderator} Written in Dec 2014

And don't install it in the C: drive root, or any of the other Windows system folders. Install X-Plane on the desktop.

(Obviously, this note applies to installing X-Plane on Windows.)

Windows 7, Vista, and later versions "protect" Program Files and other system folders from user modification by intercepting attempts to write files into those folders, and putting the files instead into a shadow overlay folder. Except when files are being written by an installer - in that case the files are allowed to go into the actual system folder.

The problem is X-Plane uses its own installer, not one of the standard installers recognized by Windows. Windows sometimes recognizes the X-Plane installer and sometimes not. The result is you can end up with X-Plane partially installed in the real Program Files folder and partially installed in the overlay. This doesn't work, and leads to a large variety of incomprehensible errors. Often, the initial installation of X-Plane will work, but will fail after the next update or installation of an add-on.

Well, foo... now you tell me! I installed X-Plane in Program Files. Now what?

In most cases, you can fix this simply by moving the entire X-Plane folder to the desktop. Then right-click the X-Plane folder and open the Properties window. Go to the Security section and make sure the folder is writable to you. Also make sure the various folders inside the X-Plane folder are writable to you. (The description is approximate because of version to version variations in the Windows user interface.)

If this procedure doesn't solve the problems you'll have to delete the entire X-Plane folder and reinstall to the desktop.

Why does X-Plane need to be installed on the desktop?

Well, strictly speaking, it doesn't. It needs to be installed somewhere that allows you to write and modify files in various folders on the X-Plane install. X-Plane log files, preferences, and other output are written into the main X-Plane folder and various subfolders. So X-Plane can be installed in your home folder or anywhere within it, or on any non-system disk including removable media like USB drives or USB sticks. Installation to the desktop is the default because it's a single, straightforward answer that works for all three operating systems. Not only that, but it makes the install easy to find. (Honestly - we've gotten problem reports from people who installed X-Plane somewhere on their system and then can't find it.)

[Cullenskye]

Just went to the (C:)/Program Files (x86)/Steam/steamapps/common/X-Plane11 folder which the Steam Installer created and checked the folder attributes and sure enough, it is read only.

[John W]

And that's the way it is with my X-Plane 11 folder. But that doesn't affect the files as everything is controlled through the steam installer. There is nothing wrong with your installation. If you want to uninstall X-Plane 11 just right click on the X-Plane 11 icon in your steam library, select manage then uninstall. But even if you change the installation location the file properties will still be the same as they are with your current installation.

I checked online manual at X-Plane.com and you are correct that it says it normally installs to the desktop. I have absolutely no idea why it would say that. There is no program that I know of that installs to the desktop. Programs put a shortcut for the executable on the desktop to make it easier to launch the program but none actually install themselves into the desktop. With the steam version, steam controls the installation and you can specify the location where you want x-plane 11 to be installed when you first start the installation. As you stated above, the default installation path used by steam is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\X-Plane11.

[Cullenskye]

I see that John; Thanks You are very helpful and I appreciate your response.

if you have an ear at Steam I think they should be aware of the potential for operating errors as a result of the way they have changed the installation. They should work this out with the folks designing X-Plane and put the files where they function correctly.

That bit I, included from the X-Plane Technical Forum at the last paragraph, the X-Plane technical moderator explains why X-Plane did not use Windows installers but their own installers because they had to ensure the file structure is not locked down by the operating system, "Read Only". The user has to be able to write to the file structure to add airplanes and third-party plugins, and updates. I checked my file attributes at the installed directory and the files are "read only". I believe Steam needs to get their act together and stop installing like this because Laminar Research specifies not to install in a system area on the disk. The program runs the whole computer when it is running the simulation. I saw a comment from one of the moderators that X-Plane doesn't use much of "windows" when running. All the operating systems Win Mac and Linx are trying to keep the user from being able to mess around with the programs so as a user they try to keep you from writing in the program files directory, only an installer program can do that.

I thought about creating my own directory and then instructing the Steam Installer to put X-Plane there but why jack around with what works. I'll just do what all the X-Plain folks were doing for years prior to the Steam transition. I agree it is weird.

[John W]

It would be definitely weird to install a game to your desktop but if you want to do it that way that's on you. You may want to check with Laminar Research or post in the X Plane 11 forum and ask about the information in the online manual. Personally I think that information is incorrect. X Plane 11 has always worked just fine with the way Steam installs the files.

[Prezidentas]

Originally posted by Cullenskye:

I see that John; Thanks You are very helpful and I appreciate your response.

if you have an ear at Steam I think they should be aware of the potential for operating errors as a result of the way they have changed the installation. They should work this out with the folks designing X-Plane and put the files where they function correctly.

That bit I, included from the X-Plane Technical Forum at the last paragraph, the X-Plane technical moderator explains why X-Plane did not use Windows installers but their own installers because they had to ensure the file structure is not locked down by the operating system, "Read Only". The user has to be able to write to the file structure to add airplanes and third-party plugins, and updates. I checked my file attributes at the installed directory and the files are "read only". I believe Steam needs to get their act together and stop installing like this because Laminar Research specifies not to install in a system area on the disk. The program runs the whole computer when it is running the simulation. I saw a comment from one of the moderators that X-Plane doesn't use much of "windows" when running. All the operating systems Win Mac and Linx are trying to keep the user from being able to mess around with the programs so as a user they try to keep you from writing in the program files directory, only an installer program can do that.

I thought about creating my own directory and then instructing the Steam Installer to put X-Plane there but why jack around with what works. I'll just do what all the X-Plain folks were doing for years prior to the Steam transition. I agree it is weird.

Steam will continue to use program files because it works just fine. X-Plane itself works fine from there.

[Harag]

@Cullenskye - Do you have more than one drive in your PC. e.g. one for windows and a much larger one for gaming?

If so, you cant tell steam to install your games on to another drive by default rather than the stupid x86 folder.... Go to steam settings, select downloads tab and you will see a steam library folders button. Add a new location to the list e.g. D:\Games.

Once you have this done, you can then tell steam to move the game from the stupid x86 folder to your new location. Do this my Right clicking the game in the library list, select properties, then select the "LOCAL FILES" tab. There should then be an option to "Move Install Folder..." clicking that will give you the option of the new drive.

Hope this helps.