I always prefer zip folders, that way you can see exactly what is inside the folder after you have extracted the contents, something you cannot do with an .exe installer.

Cheerz.  Transport Steve.

sweet i will keep this in mind next time i upload a texture

.ZIP all teh way.  (which also mean .rar's get flushed down the bit bucket, too)  I rarely let auto-installers "do their thing".  I prefer to "auto-install" into a temp folder, then manually install, mainly because amy add-ons that are adapted to FSX from FS9 still try to install into FS9.  Needles to say, that don't work very well.

I also prefer to install manually after downloading a ZIP file and if I have to use an installer, I always try to install it into a desktop folder before moving it manually to FSX.

While on the subject of downloads can I just say that I don't like the massive files some developers put together, the ones with perhaps several models, two or three panels and maybe  5 or even 10 different texture folders.

If I wanted all of these variations, I would much prefer to download and install them individually rather than having to download one massive file and then manually remove what I don't want.

I hugely appreciate all of the work that developers, freeware and payware, and would never complain that something is not quite right (OK I have done so twice, once when the plane bounced all over the place when on the runway before crashing, the developer had inadvertently uploaded the wrong air file and once when a payware plane had such bad textures it looked like a Picasso painting and wouldn't fly with force feedback enabled).

Sorry for the rant.

ZIP (or RAR) files only.
I hate auto-installers. I HATE THEM, from the very bottom of my heart.

7zip is my preferred 

I prefer ZIP files as well.  I hate going to my "Remove Program" list to find a couple of dozen aircraft installers listed there.  I also don't like how many auto installers add shortcuts and folders to the Start Menu/Desktop/FS folder.

Boikat wrote on Apr 3^rd, 2011 at 10:32pm:


I'll second that motion! 

The poll showed 35 - 3 when I voted.

Like the greater majority of experienced FS users, I value control over the FS environment, both inside the sim AND under its bonnet, so to speak.

Zip files are always the best for me. In fact, on average when I find an auto-installing .EXE file I always make so it spills its guts inside a temporary folder for me to then manually move the parts were they should.

No offense of any kind is meant to those who take their time to build the auto-installing files, of course. They do it to make the life of unexperienced simmer better, but everyone is entitled to his or her own preferences, and mine lean towards the use of Zip files. That's all folks

I'm lazy, so I'm all for .exe.  This is mostly given the fact that certain addons are just so complex and tedious to install properly.  After flightsimming since 5.1, I still can't go over installing addons like Posky with all their bells and whistles without constantly having to consult documentation and figuring out where they want (or don't say) certain files to go.  I mean, I know enough about how FS works to install some basic addons, but some still drive me crazy.  If I can save myself a hassle, I would

   I like the zip file. I download it to my desktop, make any adjustments, delete useless read me's etc... Then I can place everything where it belongs and nothing gets overwritten.

Semper Fi,

Dave

ZIPpitty Doo Da all the way...I can then choose to manually install or use FSXAddit.... which works great most of the time.

I can go either way on this. I feel if someone goes the the work of providing an a/c for the flight sim community, the last thing we should do is quibble about their work. My thanks for the people that provide us with these great a/c. Just wish I had the talent to do this too.

Zip files where the only instructions are "extract to FSX folder". No other nonsense.