Hints & Kinks #01 - How to have multiple installs of Falcon 4

Written by
John "Triton" Waller

This is useful for several reasons, you can have one install for your online flying with the 185th, another install for eRazor, another install for trying out new stuff such as new patches or new terrain's.

With multiple installs you never have to mess with your original install, hence eliminating the risk of having problems on an official mission.

This is how you do it:

• Do a fresh install of Falcon4 from CD and patch it to 1.08US.
• Then COPY the entire Falcon 4 folder to a different location on your harddrive,
  this is your Back-up copy for future installs.
• Go to the Start menu.
• Click "Run".
• Type "regedit" and click OK.

Now you will see this window:

Open the Software folder.

Now you will see this window:

Open the Falcon folder.

Double-click on the 4.0 folder.

Now you will see this window:

(Note: Ignore the initData, PilotCallsign and PilotName)

Now it´s time you exported this folder.
It can be exported anywhere on your harddrive, just remember where you put it!

This is how you export the folder:

At the very top of the Regedit window, you will find "Register".
It is located where "File" usually is in a normal window.

Click on Register, choose Export registry file.

Now you should see this window:

• Type in the name of the regfile, Falcon4.reg.
• Choose where to save the file.
• Click "Save".

Now you can close the Regedit window by using the X-button at the top right corner of the window.

Congratulations! You have now exported the registry file.

Next step is to go to the location of the exported file.

IMPORTANT!! Make a back-up copy of the regfile, you will need it!

Right-click on the file and choose "Edit" from the menu.

Now you will see a Notepad window:

Now edit the command lines in the window to reflect where you want to place your extra install of Falcon4.
Note: Beware of the double backslashes in the command lines! They must be there.

Example:

You want to have an extra install of Falcon4 at C:\Games\Falcon4XTRA. The name should be different from your original install so you can tell the regfiles apart.

You copy the entire Back-up folder you created earlier that contains Falcon4 patched to 1.08US to C:\Games.
Then rename the Falcon4 folder you just copied to Falcon4XTRA.

To make the regfile for this install work you must also change the command lines in the regfile to match the location of your extra install. Remember that the double backslashes must be there in the regfile command lines!

The final regfile should then look like this:

Now how to use all this:

• To complete an install, click on the Reg-file of the install you wish to complete. You will get
  prompted if you want to add the key to the Registry, click "Yes", then OK.
• Now you can finish the install running the relevant installer and adding F4Patch with add-ons.
• Repeat the first two steps for the second install.

Now you should place shortcuts to both of the Reg-files and to both of the Falcon executables on your desktop.

To run one of the Falcon installs just click on the relevant Reg-file so it´s added to the Registry and then launch Falcon with the correct shortcut.

Simple, isn't it? :)
Now you are set up with dual installs of Falcon 4!

The bonus of this method is that reinstalling Falcon is quick and painless compared to the default method, this is how you do it:

• Backup your Config and Campaign folders plus your phonebook.
• Simply delete the entire Falcon 4 directory, you don´t need to run the uninstaller.
• Then just copy the entire Falcon backup folder you have saved on your HDD to the
  same location as the old one had.
• Click the relevant regfile
• Finish the install by running the relevant installer/adding F4Patch with add-ons.
• Put back your Config and Campaign folders and the phonebook.

Done!

I hope that this document has helped you to further enjoy the world of Falcon 4!