First of all, I have already posted this problem on the HiFi forum and as always, Jim Skorna has done his best to be of help. This in no way is a slam against Active Sky as it is one of my favorite programs.Step by step, my problem is as follows in ONLY Active Sky Advanced. (No problems at all with ASE (Active Sky Evolution).1. Started up ASA2. It begins checking the data base, and the ribbon moves to the right until I get my thunder.3. Then as the startup continues and the ribbon begins to go right again, I get the following message:4. "Need Activation. Your license key is not yet activated, or is invalid. Click OK to automatically activate your license now. Activating enables online features, updates, and more!"5. Click OK6. Quickly another window pops up saying: "Online Activation. Please wait while your product is being activated." Almost too quickly to be read, this window progresses to another which reads as follows:7. Online Activation Problem. This license is not valid. Please re-enter your license key in the next screen, making sure that it is entered exactly as supplied. Please contact [email protected] if you continue to receive this message. (I will search for that site after I post this if this is not the same place and duplicate this message)8. Click OK9. Copied and pasted my "Issued License Key" from my invoice in the window that says: Please enter the license key provided during your software purchase"10. Click OK11. Next window reads: "Success. Thank you! License key is valid and accepted. Please use REFRESH to re-download weather using your new license key."12. Click ok13. Pressed "Refresh". I don't think it does anything as everything is still dimmed out and the ribbon is still in its original position.14. Click ok15. The window described in step "4" above pops up again and the entire process is repeated over and over againJim's recommendation was to disable my firewall and be sure that something else on my computer was not blocking ASA. I disabled everything in the taskmaster startup provisions except NvCpl which cannot be disabled and the problem with ASA remained. All firewall and antivirus provisions are disabled.The problem is the same for ASA in either FSX or FS9.Anyone ever seen this problem?Thanks:RTH

What is your operating system and what malware protection are you using.First the licensing thing, are you running ASA with it set to run as admin (create shortcut to it, right-click, advanced properties, run as admin) so it can access your registry if you on VISTA or Win 7? You also may have to be logged in as yourself but you might need admin privileges.I use AS65. I have Zone Alarm for a firewall. I had to set Active Sky 6 (same as 65) to fully access the Internet as both a client and a server. Whatever security is in place, look for blocked IP addresses in the various logs. You might have to specifically trust those IP addresses which could be the H-Fi Sim servers.

Thanks for the reply Ron:1. My Operating system is Windows XP Pro 64 bit on my primary computer (server), Windows XP Pro 32 bit on my secondary computer (client).2. On my primary computer (server)I am useing the ESET Smart Security 4 provisions for antivirus, firewall, and spam protection. On my secondary computer (client)I am useing AVG Anti-virus Free Edition 2011 with the Windows XP default firewall protection. Note that in trouble shooting ASA all of these provisions have been disabled. Normal operation with FS has always required that I disable the ESET firewall.3. Concerning running "admin", I am assuming that this is not an issue with WIN XP and is not applicable to the problem.Do note that in the past, both ASA and ASE worked flawlessly on my system and I have made no known changes to anything that I would think affects them. It has been quite some time since I accessed ASA and have been happy useing ASE. I discovered that in one geographical location that barometric pressure declined down to 0.00" (OPJI, OPOR, OPKC). As a result, I decided to see what ASA would read, and this is where I discovered that I could not start ASA up. I have been corresponding with Jim at HI FI and he as well as others have confirmed that this particular geographical location has suspect data in whatever the source is for any version of Active Sky. Default FS weather has no problem. Jim sees no problem from the ASA end including my license and believes firmly that I have a computer problem. I am not sure of this as one post reply does say that a google search found a number of other folks that have had the same problem, but I will not debate the issue. I am sure Jim has much more savvy than I do. I have also disabled everything in the taskmaster startup provisions except for NvCpl which cannot be disabled and ASA still has the same problem. I also tried in safe mode, but cannot find any way to access the ASA execution file in that mode. I prefer not to remove and reinstall as this will affect ASE as well, so I probably will table that idea until I have to clean house and start over some day in the future (heaven forbid!). Thanks again:RTHAttached are all of my system specs for whatever that might be worth:Primary computer (Server)ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel ATX MotherboardIntel Core i7-975 Extreme Quad Core CPUScythe SY124010L CPU Fam6GB (3x2GB) 240 Pin DDR3 1600 OCZ3P1600LV6GK MemoryWinXP Pro 64 BitEVGA 01G-P3-1180-AR GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512 bigt DDR3 Video Graphics Card23" HPw2338h Primary Monitor21” Viewsonic Pro Series P815 Secondary MonitorNvidia version 197.45 drivers for GTX 285 Video Card1 Western Digital Velco/Raptor WD3000HLFS 300 GB 10000RPM WATA 3 GB System Harddrive1 Western Digital Velco/Raptor WD3000HLFS 300 GB 10000RPM WATA 3 GB FSX Harddrive1 each Segate 320GB SATA FS9 Harddrive1 each Segate 320GB SATA Backup / Utility HarddriveStd. Floppy Drive2 Each CDRW/DVDRWPlusDeck 2C Audio Tape Player/RecorderKonica Minolta magicolor 2400W Laser PrinterCH Pro USB PedalsCH USB FlightSim YokeMicrosoft FFB2 USB JoystickLogitech Keyless KeyboardLogitech cordless mouseHigh Speed Cable Internet/email Service with RouterCorsair HX1000W Modular 1000 Watt Power SupplySuperPower ATX Full Tower Case with sides Customized for more ventilationNote: Keyboard and Mouse are shared with a secondary Core 2 Duo Computer for WinXP Pro 32 bit programs, WideFS6 (FS9) and Wide FS7 (FSX). Implementation is by Synergy Free Software.Note: CPU Overclocked to 4.0. GPU is also overclocked slightlySecondary Computer (Client)ASUS P5N-SLI MotherboardIntel E6600 Core2 Duo CPUZalman CNPS7700-CU RT CPU Fan4 GB KST DII800 MemoryWinXP Pro 32 BitNVIDIA Evga Geforce 8400GS 512MB DDR PCI Express x16 Video Card21” Viewsonic Pro Series P815 Primary MonitorNavidia version 182.50 drivers for Video Card1 each Segate 250GB UIDE Harddrive1 Each Segate 80GB SATA Harddrive1 each Maxtar 40GB UIDE Harddrive Std. Floppy DriveCDRW/DVDRWWINTVHP 4315v Printer/Fax/Scanner/CopierEpson Perfection 2480 Photo ScannerMicroTech Z!O! Flash Card ReaderAudigy 2 ZS Platinum Sound to Creative Inspire 5.1 5200 SpeakersBFGR 1000 Watt Power SupplyNote: Keyboard and Mouse are shared with a primary i7-975 Computer for WinXP Pro 64 bit programs, WideFS6 (FS9) and Wide FS7 (FSX). Implementation is by Synergy Free Software.

What is your operating system and what malware protection are you using.First the licensing thing, are you running ASA with it set to run as admin (create shortcut to it, right-click, advanced properties, run as admin) so it can access your registry if you on VISTA or Win 7? You also may have to be logged in as yourself but you might need admin privileges.I use AS65. I have Zone Alarm for a firewall. I had to set Active Sky 6 (same as 65) to fully access the Internet as both a client and a server. Whatever security is in place, look for blocked IP addresses in the various logs. You might have to specifically trust those IP addresses which could be the H-Fi Sim servers.

Last attempt::I completely removed protection from my computer with the exception of the WinXP default firewall (which is disabled) to be absolutely sure that it was not the culprit blocking ASA startup.No luck. The problem remained.Happy flying:RTH

If both ASE and ASA are on the same system, I suggest un-installing both. Then install ASA and see if it runs, if so install ASE. Perhaps the two programs don't play well together on the same system.KJ

Thanks KJ.Concerning "the two programs don't play well together", if this is so it is a new development. After upgrading to ASE, I was able to use either program with no problem. I agree the next step should probably be removal and reinstallation, but being that ASE works flawlessly at the present time, I will probably delay that step until some other problem raises its head some time in the future.Respectfully:RTH

If both ASE and ASA are on the same system, I suggest un-installing both. Then install ASA and see if it runs, if so install ASE. Perhaps the two programs don't play well together on the same system.KJ

PM Jim and have him give an IP address for one of the servers. The open a DOS window and do:This is a DOS Window--C:\WIN30A>tracertUsage: tracert [-d] [-h maximum_hops] [-j host-list] [-w timeout] target_nameOptions: -d Do not resolve addresses to hostnames. -h maximum_hops Maximum number of hops to search for target. -j host-list Loose source route along host-list. -w timeout Wait timeout milliseconds for each reply.This is a DOS Window--C:\WIN30A>so you can put the IP address in for target_name.At some point a firewall could block the trace as a defense against denial of service attacks as it is similar to a ping command.Here's a sample trace:Tracing route to AVSIM.net [205.252.249.58]over a maximum of 30 hops: 1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms xxxx (IP edited out for security) 2 42 ms 43 ms 41 ms mpls-dsl-gw01-193.mpls.qwest.net [xxxxxx IP edited out for security] 3 51 ms 41 ms 41 ms mpls-agw1.inet.qwest.net [65.103.30.1] 4 51 ms 51 ms 53 ms chp-brdr-03.inet.qwest.net [67.14.8.194] 5 53 ms 51 ms 51 ms 63.146.27.170 6 73 ms 71 ms 73 ms www.avsim.com [205.252.249.58]Trace complete.Either the server name or its IP Address would work, the IP Address being better since it might not be a domain named server that an Internet DNS server would convert to an IP Address as shown here.In this example see if you can get past your firewall and ISP's firewall (those are Qwest routers) to a destination. A failure may not indicate a problem due to security along the way.

Ron,His ASE works fine on the same computer and ASE uses the same data servers. And it just started happening. Others have suggested a re-install of ASA and he might do that in the future!

Ron, Jim, and everybody else, thanks for the good advice.One clarification: The last time I used both ASA and ASE was quite some time ago as I have chosen to default to the ASE upgrade and am tickled to death with it. Therefore, I really don't know when the problem raised its head. You are correct that I just discovered that I had the problem as it is the first time I recently tried to crank up ASA. When and if I choose to pursue a solution to this problem, I will post my results.Respectfully:RTH