OK - So you've gone out and bought a brand new computer with alll the bells and whistles and sporting the latest OS, Windows 7 and can hardly await the installation of FSX so you can fly with all the sliders at the maximum. Now you decide is the time to add some of your favorite Scenery so you can fly in the new Real World!

    But  Wait! - I betcha at some point you are going to find that adding scenery under W-7 isn't as easy as you would imagine. You are used to placing your scenery in the usual Addon Scenery folder, clicking a few buttons and VOILLA! there it is. I also betcha (unless you are one of the few fortunate ones) that you'r going to soon find out it don't quite work that way. From my searches and reading, I don't think anyone has answered the question as to why, but only to make statements like "that's just the way it is".

    From all the reading I have done ( as a result of being one of the thousands who suffer the problem) I have compiled what I believe to be a simple way to add the scenery and it has worked for several sceneries I have downloaded as test candidates. Here's how its done.............

Preparation:

Your various airports scenery should go into their own folder. This folder should be created in the addon Scenery folder. So - If you want to add Saint John scenery, for example, Open your Addon Scenery folder. Then create a new folder called Saint John or CYSJ or whatever you want - the name isn't important but it makes sense that It should be something you recognise. Now open up your new folder (CYSJ) and make two new folders - one called "Scenery" and the other called "Texture". Now - here.s the thing to remember - and this is very important:

1. All .bgl files from your downloaded scenery need to go into the Scenery folder

2. All .bmp and/or .dds files need to be in the Texture folder

If you don't have these two things right, FSX will never be able to find or load the scenery.

Once you have this part correct, continue as described below:

1    OK - Doesn't look like anything new or startling here - This is the way it has pretty well always been. So, let's get on with the good stuff - getting it to work in FSX

Launch FSX and you will have a couple of ways to access the scenery library -

1] From the start-up screen by selecting "Settings" from that menu.

2] From within FSX by clicking "World" from the top menu bar then selecting "Scenery Library"

No matter how you do it, you should arrive at this screen: at which time, you should do exactly what it says - - "Press the Scenery Library button ONCE"

2    Good going - you should now see the following window: Now press the "Add Area Button" Once

3    Now you will be taken to this window: Double click the  Addon Scenery folder which will open up that folder in another window

4    The following image shows the contents of the open Addon Scenery window. Carry out steps 1 & 2 in the order shown. Do not click anything else or you will have to start all over again.

5    after steps 1 & 2 above have been completed, you will be on this new window.......Do exactly as shown and nothing else.

6    You will now be taken to this window which will show your new scenery added. When you finish up by clicking the OK button, you will notice that the new scenery database is rebuilt.

This completes the installation of your new scenery and I hope this tutorial helps

Here's hoping this helps someone who may be having trouble getting their scenery downloads to install in FSX on a PC with the Windows 7 Operating System. I am not saying that EVERYONE will have problems, but from what I have experienced and from what I have read, there sure are lots of people having a problem with adding scenery

- Harold Crowell -