Download scenery instead of installing from DVD

Question

I've just bought X-Plane 11 from a retailer. I've expected the box to contain a license key for a digital download, like all modern products, however I've only found 9 of those "floppies" or "DVDs" or "LPs" that were common back in the other millenium. My PC does not have a perforated card reader. I've managed to dig out an antidiluvian computer from the attic and copy an ISO of the first DVD on a USB stick, and thus install the base game, but copying the image took the better part of the hour. Now I'm trying to install scenery, but installer asks me to "insert clay tablet 3". Is there a way to download the scenery instead, without spending more hours copying the ancient manuscripts?

Answer 1

Hi Lachann,

I am not with Laminar Research; just a flight simmer.

Firstly to run X-Plane the DVD version disc 1 has to be inserted at all times.  There is no activation key with the disc version.  The key supplied with the boxed version is a sales gimmick to lure you into buying other stuff from the store.   

I have the same problem of not being able to use a USB dongle as was made available for version 10.  I was advised to try and make an ISO USB substitute for Disc 1.  At this stage I haven't tried.

To achieve what you want, try downloading the digital download demo version from Laminar Research.  The demo version is the full version but has a time sequence and a fixed location until you provide an activation/password key supplied when the official purchase takes place.

When you start the program and disc 1 is not inserted you will get an automatic request to provide the activation key or insert disc 1.  In your situation try the ISO USB dongle instead.  Will it work this way?  I don't know. You can only try.

Good luck.  I will send you a personal message to ascertain how you created the ISO USB dongle

Glenn

   

Comments

Thanks, but I've managed to install it with the ISO just fine, it was the scenery that was the problem. I've eventually had to set an FTP server on my desktop PC and upload scenery files to it from an old laptop that has a DVD drive. Good thing I didn't try doing that with ISOs though, since with how the scenery files are laid out, I'd have to copy most of the DVDs. In the end I figured out that it's just directories of 1 degree by 1 degree patches of terrain and just found and copied the ones I needed.

Problem solved, but boy was it needlessly complicated.