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Need data files

Need help getting up and running? Installing FlightGear, add-on planes, sceneries etc.
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Need data files

Postby neilds37 » Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:34 pm

Please bear with me if I get a little testy. I have reached the upper limit of frustration, and find it difficult to remain polite.

I downloaded the 2016 version for Windows from the main download page. Installed, and clicked to run. Message it needs data files. Click on download, and taken to a page with all FG data for all versions except 2016. Downloaded one (3.2), installed, and receive the message it needs the 2016 data file. Choice for use data file included is grayed out. Enter the path to the 2016 data file in the program. Receive message that it does not appear to be a FG data file. Sorry, but I am in no mood for Catch 22.

Any words of wisdom that will get FG 2016 running will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers (?), Neil
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Re: Need data files

Postby wlbragg » Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:41 pm

@neilds37is this a new installation of FlightGear or are you upgrading to a newer version?

Please bare with the questions, I have noticed a major increase in these types of support questions and what to understand why and where the system broke down, so it is important to have a few questions answered.

Technically you should be able to grab the "2016 version for Windows from the main download page" and be able to install it and be off and running. If your upgrading and this is happening then it's a bug in the cleanup and upgrade routines (if there even are any). If there aren't any then there needs to be some.

It would also help if we knew what system you were putting this on?
Kansas and Ohio/Midwest scenery development.
KEQA, 3AU, KRCP Airport Layout
Intel i7/GeForce RTX 2070/Max-Q
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Re: Need data files

Postby jaxsin » Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:55 pm

This is a known bug, I have not isolated it. You DO NOT need to download anything, but instead just tell fgfs.exe where in the hell it decided to install the files, Which is $FG_ROOT

if you did a default install using the flightgear installer, and did not change the install directory. You can point fgfs.exe to
Code: Select all
C:\Program Files\FlightGear 2016.1.1\data


see $FG_ROOT

EDIT: Make sure you did download the full installer as well.
EDIT2: Thanks rominet
Last edited by jaxsin on Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:13 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Need data files

Postby rominet » Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:07 pm

jaxsin, I find this a bit confusing: according to $FG_HOME, this pseudo-variable in FG 3.0 and later corresponds to %HOME%/Documents/FlightGear where “%HOME% is usually C:/Users/User name”. This doesn't look much like 'C:\Program Files\FlightGear 2016.1.1'.

Now, I did see the “usually”, and I imagine that maybe the value of %HOME% depends on the Windows version (or whether one is running as Administrator or as simple user?). Maybe Windows users should make this wiki page clearer/more accurate...
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Re: Need data files

Postby neilds37 » Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:11 pm

Sorry, should have included.
Windows 10, 64 bit
Intel quad core, Core i5
8172 MB installed memory
NVIDIA GeForce GT 440

Not sure what upgrading refers to... I've been through most versions from 0.9 through 3.2. After 3.2 things got pretty dicey, so held there. My new laptop, as close to the same specs as the desktop as could get in a Lenovo Thinkpad, won't work with anything over 2.6.

Did not see any refer to a separate installer
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Re: Need data files

Postby neilds37 » Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:17 am

Right now, a new development. When I click on the FG icon to open it, a message immediately pops up, FG has stopped working. Send an error report. I may be with version 3.2 for the foreseeable future.
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Re: Need data files

Postby jaxsin » Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:10 am

rominet wrote in Mon Mar 28, 2016 11:07 pm:jaxsin, I find this a bit confusing:


Yep, Should be $FG_ROOT My bad, I will edit my post accordingly.
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Re: Need data files

Postby wlbragg » Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:16 am

Not sure what upgrading refers to...

I simply meant, have you ever installed FlightGear on the computer your trying to install it on now?
I was really trying to narrow it down to whether or not this issue is related to upgrades, (as in installing a newer version over an older version), or if it is the installer code itself regardless to new VS upgrade.
That is where I would start if I were debugging this.

As I have not had anything to do with the code involved in installing or upgrading FlightGear, I'll deffer to the experts.
Kansas and Ohio/Midwest scenery development.
KEQA, 3AU, KRCP Airport Layout
Intel i7/GeForce RTX 2070/Max-Q
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Re: Need data files

Postby bobbyc43 » Fri Apr 15, 2016 8:58 am

neilds37 wrote in Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:34 pm:Please bear with me if I get a little testy. I have reached the upper limit of frustration, and find it difficult to remain polite.

I downloaded the 2016 version for Windows from the main download page. Installed, and clicked to run. Message it needs data files. Click on download, and taken to a page with all FG data for all versions except 2016. Downloaded one (3.2), installed, and receive the message it needs the 2016 data file. Choice for use data file included is grayed out. Enter the path to the 2016 data file in the program. Receive message that it does not appear to be a FG data file. Sorry, but I am in no mood for Catch 22.

Any words of wisdom that will get FG 2016 running will be greatly appreciated.
Cheers (?), Neil


I found myself in exactly the same situation Neil and after much frustration I have got it working.
I am running Windows 10
core i5
4 Gb memory
Intel HD graphics

I was fortunate to come across a post that said W10 did not like running FGFS from Program Files, so I copied them to the desktop and ran "C:\Users\Robert\Desktop\FlightGear 2016.1.1\bin\fgfs.exe" and up it came without any problem. Hope this helps, it worked for me !
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Re: Need data files

Postby jaxsin » Fri Apr 15, 2016 11:40 am

This has now been fixed in the development branch. The issue on a new install is with the shortcuts created by the installer, they lack the correct entry point for the program to start so it has no idea where the directory location is for the data files.

The solution is simple, go to properties window of the shortcut and change your 'starting in' path to include \bin IE.

Code: Select all
C:\ProgramFiles\Flightgear 2016.1.1\bin
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