Do what I do. I always download  new files into a temp folder. I have made a temp folder in my flight sim folder and called it ~FStemp~. When I unzip a new file, I unzip it into the temp folder. Though it might add an extra step, it assures that you wont "lose" an aircraft or a file. From there just copy/cut and paste

It's a long standing argument as to which method is preferable.

For people not terribly familiar with the "innards" of FS2002 file structure, an auto-install is great.

However, there are potential weaknesses with it. For example, an older panel (and they all become older eventually) might contain gauges that are older versions of ones you already have (GPS is a common one). If you unzip into folders overwriting your newer version, you're stuck.

Some add-ons , my Baron Panel being an example, have more than one option for installation - the panel.cfg in my case.

To provide an auto-installing zip file, I'd have had to have made 2 - doubling the size of the download.

In my opinion, the onus is on the add-on authors to provide CLEAR instructions for how to install their files. If they assume that the people who are downloading are doing so for the first time, and no nothing about add-on file installation, they wouldn't go far wrong and the end user would have a much easier life.

I created a folder structure:

FS_test\
              FS2002\
                                     aircraft\
                                                                  model\
                                                                  panel\
                                                                  sound\
                                                                  texture\
                                     gauges\
                                     effects\
                                     sound\


If the instructions say, "simply extract" to XXXXXX folder,, I try it here first.  

I got away from that after a while, but found the extra step is worth it,, Murphy loves aircraft installation  

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I agree.  Also, with an auto installation, there's no possibility of tinkering with the files - you have to accept the full patch - good parts and bad.  That's why, when I create add-ons, I like to use a zip program that preserves the file and folder structure.  That way, the average user can easily unzip the patch and be sure of getting everything where it belongs, AND the advanced user can see what he/she is downloading, and can more easily tweak the patch, or delete files/features that he/she doesn't want.

Many add-on creators use auto-install utilities in an effort to make things easier for users, but in my experience, some use them in an effort to preserve a supposed copyright that doesn't truly belong to them.  As I understand it, with any unofficial patch, the ultimate ownership of copyright belongs to the game's manufacturer - in this case Microsoft.  I do disagree with the above post in that I think many auto-install add-ons are good quality additions to the game, while others are not all that good.  Usually the good ones come from those creators who use auto-install programs to make the user's life easier.  But it's hard to know, when faced with an *.exe file that this goal was what drives the creator.

Going back to the original poster's point, I fully agree that some add-ons are needlessly vague about installation, and they usually don't spend enough time configuring their work so that the average user can easily install the patch.  With time, most patch creators will get in tune with the needs of the community, and more professional patches will get released.  In my experience, the patches that are poorly structured for installation are also poorly structured in terms of their workings.  The least an add-on creator can do is give clear instructions for installation, and use a zip file that places the files and folders where they need to be, and with no extraneous or junk files which will merely take up space on the user's hard drive.

auto installers are a different matter. I mean the zip files were you can observe the directory structures and just install the files were they need to go. Yesterday I spent about 20 minutes at least, installed one aircraft. The instructions were clear but it was still really tedious, I had to unzip about 10 different zip files and edit .cfg files. It worked, but I would've preffered it to take 1 minutes (which it could've) rather than unzipping 10 zip files within the one zip file

Personally, I think the safest way to install addons is to keep a folder for everything you download.
Mine looks something like this

FSDOWNLOADS--
                 Aircraft---
                       Panels---
                            Sounds--
                                  Utilities--

And just unzip them into whatever folder applies.

We've all been burnt by the way Zips are packaged.
Better to be safe than sorry.

Al

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I'm not trying to downplay the generosity of add-on creators.  That's not my point.  My point is that a generous gift is only a generous gift if it works well.  If it's a holy pain to install and if it's useless in practice, it loses its status as a generous gift and becomes an annoyance, both to its users and (if anyone bothers to complain) to its creator.  More importantly, if sub-standard work floods the freeware market, users will tend to stop looking for freeware add-ons, and surely no one wants that.

My main point is to urge freeware authors to go the extra mile to check and double-check their work before issuing it.  It's quite clear that a number of authors don't spend any time checking that what they're offering works properly.  That is counter-productive.