Microsoft KB Archive/314225

= FS2002: How to Optimize Game Performance =

Article ID: 314225

Article Last Modified on 1/31/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 Professional Edition

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This article was previously published under Q314225



SUMMARY
This article tells you how to configure Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 and your computer for optimal game performance.



MORE INFORMATION
To configure Flight Simulator 2002 and your computer for optimal game performance, use the following methods in the order in which they are presented.

Method 1: Disable the Weather Options
During a flight, you can also disable the weather options to increase frame-rate performance. To do this:
 * 1) While in a flight, click World on the menu bar, and then click Weather.
 * 2) Click Clear all weather.
 * 3) Click Yes, and then click OK.

Method 2: Change Installation Options
There are three types of installation: Complete, Compact, and Custom. All of these installations use cabinet files (.cab files). A .cab file is a single file that stores compressed files in a file library. &quot;Cabbed&quot; files are compressed files; they are stored inside .cab files.

Complete Installation
The Complete installation is the default installation. It is a full installation of all files. All compressed scenery files are decompressed after they are copied to the drive. This option requires approximately 2.1 gigabytes (GB) of free space and an additional 400 to 500 megabytes (MB) of space in which to decompress the compressed files.

Compact Installation
A Compact installation requires approximately 700 MB of free space. It should only be chosen if there are no other options available to you, including the smallest possible Custom installation. All Scenery is left in a compressed format (in a .cab file) on the CDs. There is an impact on performance, due to the necessity of decompressing and copying those scenery files to the hard drive.

Custom Installation
When you do a Custom installation, some scenery files remain compressed. You can choose how many scenery files you want to decompress. The more scenery files that are copied to the drive and decompressed, the better the performance is in those areas of the game. Scenery remains compressed on the CD or the hard drive performs slowly, exhibits stuttering, and may require disk-swapping when you move from region to region in the game.

If you want to increase or decrease the size of your Custom installation, or if you want to change between compressed and uncompressed scenery, you need to uninstall and reinstall the game.

Method 3: Further Improve Game Peformance
For additional information about improving a game's performance, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

815069 GAMES: How to Improve Game Performance

