Tips and Tricks

6. DCS Updater Explained

This article is based on posts from the DCS forum. The original English instructions are from SkateZilla.

I am creating this article because I want to structure it a bit differently. The goal is to make it easier to find certain commands.

This article does not apply to DCS installations loaded via Steam! Incorrect use of DCS_Updater.exe commands can corrupt your DCS World installation.

Requirements

  • You must know how to use the command prompt or at least have the confidence to do so
  • You have to replace the default installation path with your own installation path if it is different

General Use of DCS_Updater.exe

  • Repair the DCS World installation
  • Update DCS World to the latest version
  • Resetting DCS World to a previous version
  • Switching between Open Beta and Release versions
  • To install specific DCS World modules (if the web installer version does not match your "DCS World" version and the Module Manager does not work).

Recommended Actions Before Use

  • If you are reverting to a previous version, it is a good idea to rename the folder ...\Saved Games\DCS[.openbeta]\ (e.g. to "DCS_OLD"). Controller assignments may differ between versions to some extent.
  • In case of problems, disable security programs that may interfere with program installations.

Recovery of the DCS Updater

In case of deletion or corruption by a software protection suite (virus scanner, etc).

You can download the latest DCS Updater here: http://updates.digitalcombatsimulator.com/.

Opening a command prompt
There are several ways to open a command prompt. Not all methods may be available where you are. The best way is the following:

  • Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.
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  • Type cmd and press the return key. The command prompt opens:
    Eingabeaufforderung, Bild von kaltokri, Gemeinfrei

  • Now change to the bin folder of your DCS installation.
    • To do this use the following command: cd /d <installationpath>\bin.
      • Replace <installationpath> with the correct path.

Using the DCS_Updater.exe

The correct syntax to use looks like this:

DCS_Updater.exe <function> <parameter>.

Which functions and parameters are available is explained in a subpage.

You may get a User Account Control Access message. If this happens, click YES to allow DCS_Updater.exe to run.