Installation DVD

[Herbie63 0]

Hi,not sure if this is the right forum, but maybe anyone else here had this problem too:After not having installed FS-X for more than a year, I just wanted to reinstall it on a new machine. But - what a surprise - the PC wasn't even able to read the DVD. When I had a closer look at it, I saw something like air bubbles between the several layers DVDs are made of. This makes the DVD obviously unreadable.Just to answer all upcoming questions:No the DVD is neither dirty nor scratched. No I did not expose it to high temperatures or sunlight - just stored in a drawer.What can I do?I tried to use the MS support websites, but there they ask for the Produkt-ID. I thought they meant the Product key and entered that, but it was invalid (even though I own an original, legal copy of FS-X). There also is a link telling me how to find the Product-ID: Start the game and have a look at the INFO... Well, how can I start the game if I'm not able to install it at all?Now I just sent a mail to a general MS customer supporet adress. Wonder if and when I'll get an answer...Did anyone else encounter this kind of problems with the DVDs and if so, how did you solve it? Did you get replacement DVDs? Whom at MS did you contact?Thanks,Herbert(from Germany)

[Guest FxF3]

I have had my FSX dvd every since release. Sounds like you got a bad DVD. This link might hellphttp://support.microsoft.com/kb/258496

[Herbie63 0]

Thanks a lot!I'll try that, too. Yes obviously I've got a bad DVD. I know this problems with CD-Rs. In the last years I've "burned" more than a hundred of music CDs. Most of them which are older than 3 or 4 years also aren't readable anymore. But I never thought that this could happen to original CDs or DVDs. If this is not a single event, the discussion concerning the making of legal copies of software (or audio/video) CDs / DVDs might need to come up again.Again, thanks for your help,Herbert

[Herbie63 0]

Just to let you know: MS indeed offers replacement DVDs. For 24 €. Plus shipping costs. Maybe also plus VAT (I didn't ask). That's ridiculous...Is anyone out there willing to send me a copy of the DVDs - no, just a joke, that might be illegal...I'd strongly recommend to all of you: Make a backup of your DVDs, a hard disk image will be better than a DVD-R.Herbert