FS9 Scenery settings question

[hobby]

Well I have just been bumbling along with FS9 for years but one choice of settings has always mystified me.

If one clicks one's way to 'Settings Scenery Library' there is a small box which can be ticked or left unticked - I have always left mine unticked.
The entry beside the box is: "Empty CD ROM cache on exit". Placing the mouse pointer over that entry brings up the sentence, lower left of screen, "Select this check box to empty the cache automatically when you exit Flight simulator."

I have the update to 9.1 applied and also the mod so that means I do not need a disk to be in my computer. Since I have no disk (CD-Rom) running I have always left that box unticked.

I am no computer expert but I did wonder if there is now a permanent scenery cache within FS9 and if that is so should I tick that little box or leave it unticked?

Advice required please.

[DaveB]

Hi Hobby

I'm not 100% certain of this but I'm thinking that little box was a hangover from doing a full or partial FS install. As you move from area to area, FS will load the next area ready for you to fly into. With a partial install, to do this it would have to pull scenery from the CD. To a large degree.. FS will remember your last settings so if you close down and reopen again.. if you wanted to begin where you left off.. having a CD cache was handy as it would load quicker. However, that cache takes up disc space and if you were short on space anyway (which I guess you would be with a partial install), it gave the option to give that space back by emptying the cache or leaving it in situ.
With a full install, I'm pretty sure that FS still uses a cache folder as when you load up for the first time.. the sim will take ages to sort it's life out. Subsequent times are markedly faster which leads me to believe it still uses a cache folder. However.. this is not the same as using CD cache so you might as well leave it blank.. as we all do (I think)

ATB

DaveB

[petermcleland]

I agree with Dave...and yes, we all leave it blank if we have a full install. Hardly anyone uses a partial install these days with our large memory capacities in hard drive and RAM.