First and foremost sorry to PMDG for taking so long to purchase one of your products. I just purchased your MD-11 and it looks to be an absolutely wonderful plane. I have been stuck (not really stuck because I have enjoyed them all over the world) flying the Super 80 Pro, CS 757, and the Ariane 737.My problem is that I am having a problem downloading C++2008 Redistributable (VS 2008). I thought maybe there was a conflict as I had C++2005. In the add/remove programs C++2005 was rarely ever used so I deleted this thinking I would then be able to download C++2008. When I opt to run the program I get a ".\install.exe is not a valid Win32 application" error message before it closes. I really wasn't sure if I needed C++2008, but when I start FSX and load my brand new MD-11 I start out in a cold and dark cockpit and can get nothing to function at all. At this point I am either missing something from the extensive manuals or am doing something wrong all together. Hopefully you have addressed this problem before and this will be an easy fix but in the meantime I am pounding my head between manuals, forums (1800+pages alone for PMDG topics) and Microsoft trying to find a plausible solution that will let me install C++2008. Any help from any body on this would be greatly appreciated.I am running Windows XP Home Edition, Intel Core 2 Duo 6400 @ 2.13Ghz and 2030MB Ram and DirectX 9.0c with a NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS.Again, Thanks in advanceDC Yoshie

The redistributable is also part of the newest patch, so there is no need to download.

Problem Solved. Firewall hardware (not software) was blocking this application from installing for some reason. After disabling firewall C++2008 installed just fine. Without C++2008 upon entering the simulation you have very few options as far as clickables. Unfortunately one of those options is not the battery, APU, or ground power in effect making this highly sophisticated aircraft a pile of scrap metal parked at the rotunda. C++2005 does nothing in the way of helping this A/C function. With C++2008 finally installed everything is up and running as it should and my first flight (the tutorial flight from london to zurich) was completed without a hitch. Now waiting on the ink to dry from all the manuals I just printed and am anxious to enter simulation "cold and dark" to go through this bad boy from top to bottom and front to back and up and down.Thanks to all those who looked at this post and to the response I got even though the problem was on my end.DC Yoshie