Hi ALL,If you have the following problem then try my workaround below.If you are in Flight Simulator, you hit alt enter to get to the desktop then you start your second party software then try to get back into FS.. what happens? Well if you are reding this post then chances are you get a black sereen with a flashing hourglass and the only way to get the sim to start again is to exit the game, wait for windows to send an error report and start the game again. What a PAIN. And especially if you use an external weather program like FSMETEO. The only to use FSMETEO and check winds at destination airports is to go to the program which is on the desktop. Which means switching out of full sereen mode and the Black screen problem.Well out of frustration I tried every possible way to get my sim to work and still use FSMETEO. This is what I found works for me (At least tonight)And hopefully work for you and any other program you are using.When you exit flight simulator for the night make sure you hit alt enter to get into WINDOWED mode, then exit. So when you start FS again it will start in WINDOWED mode not FULL SCREEN. When you start FS stay in WINDOWED mode then start your other software, for me it's FSMETEO. Once you got that software up and running the way you want go back into FS and hit ALT Enter to get back into FULL SCREEN. Everything works fine. Just remember after your flight to switch back to WINDOWED mode before you exit. I dont know why it works but it works. I think there was a post a while ago explaining this "solution" but I did not try it until now. Or at least I forgot about it.So give it a try folks and see if it works for you. Post if it works, Post if it dosen't. I'm curious if this helps you out there with the same problem I have been having.

Here are two more workarounds:1. From fullscreen mode press the "Windows" key. I don't know if that is the correct name but it has a picture of the Windows logo on it. I have two of those keys on my keyboard, one beside each Alt key. So press one of those and Ullscreen-FS9 will minmize onto the task bar. Start your other app, then click the FS9 button on the taskbar. That works for me with WindowsXP Home.2. If you have FSUIPC loaded into FS9, then go to Pete Dowson's Web site and he has a procedure to fix this problem. It involves adding an entry into the FSUIPC.ini config file.R-

Hey that Windows button works like a charm...Thanks!!!!

I have noticed that if I task switch or otherwise sucessfully leave FS2004 *without* getting the black-screen flicker, my WINDOWS applications are subject to the text smearing on scrolling error, just as the kneeboard and help systems are within FS2004.It would appear that whatever mode the video card is in within FS2004 is still active, along with it's associated problems. Only if I get the flicker on the way out do my Windows apps function as they should.It is not a problem when I am launching FSMETEO or FSFlightTracker, or some other one-window non-scroll app, but if I jump into a browser or newsreader, the kneeboard scrolling issue is clear and present. :) The flicker is a fact of life until the new Radeon drivers arrive!-Greg