How to uninstall ED(PC Frontier Launcher) with ED(Steam) installed

[Spud Munky]

Hi All,

I have an old installation of ED installed on my PC that uses the Frontier Launcher and I want to move to launching ED through Steam. I've installed the Steam version of ED but when I try to uninstall ED using Windows Settings|Apps, there are two entries, one for the Frontier Launcher and one for the ED game. If I go to uninstall ED itself, Steam is launched to do the uninstall and will likely uninstall the Steam version. If I uninstall the Frontier Launcher from Windows Apps, will it remove the PC Frontier Launcher version entirely or will it only remove the Launcher, leaving the main game in place?

Thanks!

 

[Hank]

I don't think I can help you but I'd like to ask why install the Steam version in lieu of re-installing the Frontier version ?
I bought the game back in 2015 from Frontier, uninstalled and reinstalled it two or three times since then once after a 3+ year hiatus. When I reinstalled early in 2024 (after that long break) I had everything I owned when I last played in 2020 including ships, modules, credits and accrued Arx.
I don't know what a Steam version gets you over what Frontier provides. I could use some education from those who know.
Good Luck

 

[Spud Munky]

From my perspective, it just keeps all the games I play under one umbrella and I can access Steam on any PC ...just a convenience thing

 

[Archvillain]

I don't know what a Steam version gets you over what Frontier provides. I could use some education from those who know.

Unfortunately it siphons funding away from Elite / FDev: If a Steam installation or a Steam key is ever associated with a player account, then FDev is required to pay Valve a hefty 30% of all future transactions involving that account, forever, regardless of what the purchase was for and regardless of whether the purchase was made through Frontier's own store or through Steam.

To best support Elite it's best to never use Steam. And once an account is associated with Steam it can't be undone

 

[Spud Munky]

Hmm, I didn't know that. It's just as well I didn't need to buy ED again then.

Is ED still being developed? Might there be more XPs to purchase or is this it now?

 

[Archvillain]

Hmm, I didn't know that. It's just as well I didn't need to buy ED again then.

Is ED still being developed? Might there be more XPs to purchase or is this it now?

All your purchases associated with your Elite account require FDev to pay Valve, that includes any/all paint jobs and cosmetics too, in addition to any paid expansion packs.
Yes, Elite is still being developed: the Trailblazer update (bringing new gameplay) drops in less than two weeks. Fortunately Trailblazer is a free expansion, not paid ...though the new gameplay features may allow tempting new types of paid cosmetics too, who knows

(As you have already associated Steam with your Elite account, the only way for your purchases to go entirely towards Elite / FDev would be buying another game copy (alt account) from FDev directly, so purchases for that account would avoid the Valve tax)

 

[V'larr]

Headsup that I made this switch, and only earlier this year found out there was an entire duplicate game's worth of dead data sitting on my machine taking up space for no reason. So keep an eye out for what you install/uninstall, and then what is actually going on in the installed directory.

 

[Spud Munky]

Bah! After seeing me play recently and now that she's earning, my daughter has jumped onto her account on my PC while I was out at work and bought and installed ED via her Steam account ...so now I do have two installs on my PC even after removing the Steam one that I'd put on, gadammit!