I'm new to all of this but I got hooked and now because of FS9 I now want to get FSX.So, If I went to Amazon and bought a used/previously owned copy of FSX, like I did with FS9, would I be able to download any updates that might be available? Are there subsequent registration issues?Which version to get? Standard, Deluxe, or Gold?THANKS IN ADVANCE!

If you get Gold, you have it all.If you get Deluxe, you have to download SP1 and SP2 from Microsoft.

You may have a problem registering a used copy, new ones are cheap now

You may have a problem registering a used copy, new ones are cheap now

FSX has pretty loose registering criteria, it's fairly unlimited but that's a secret :(

FSX has pretty loose registering criteria, it's fairly unlimited but that's a secret :(

But why some people have to call to India to activate it?

But why some people have to call to India to activate it?

Because the number of activations for unique hardware has been exhausted and needs to be reset.

Because the number of activations for unique hardware has been exhausted and needs to be reset.

Do you maybe know what's the limit? I installed it on 2 computers so far (when I bought a new one).

When I built my current Sandy Bridge System, I tried to install the software I had on the previous system and I was denied activation. I called the computer at Microsoft and the computer told me I could no longer activate that copy. I tried to call a number to reset or to speak to a live human (whether in India or Redmond), and couldn't get ahold of anyone but a computer talking to me. So, like someone mentioned above, since they are relatively cheap, I bought another copy from Amazon. It gets sort of frustrating after the Microsoft computer tells you you have been denied further activations and I don't like the system. I paid a lot of money when FSX first came out, since own it, but Microsoft computers tell me I can't use it anymore. I recall doing a lot of reinstallations on the previous system w/o problem (my only system since FSX came out) and maybe the MS computer got tired of reactivating me. I tired to reinstall the copy that I had on my previous system back onto my previous system (since it wouldn't work on my new system) and the MS computer denied me again to reinstall it on the old computer. So, unlimited? I think not...Best regards,Jim

Hmm I've installed at least 10 times in the past year or so between my main PC and secondary PC. Each registration would have come from a unique dynamic IP. I thought I had read somewhere that the registration server wasn't particularly effective and more or less let you activate on as many systems as you want as many times as you want.

Edited January 10, 201214 yr by Alex Goff

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927007

So if a buy a new computer (would be 3rd for FSX) I can expect to be denied activation?

So if a buy a new computer (would be 3rd for FSX) I can expect to be denied activation?

Shouldn't be. I think they take in account the time between activations. I installed it once on my box when it came out. And then a month later on a seperate drive. And the 3rd time 2 months ago on a new box without any problems.

Well, I guess the question really is, "how big of a chance are you taking on activation buying used instead of new?"

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927007

I knew about this when I tried to reactivate mine. Believe me, I did a lot of Googling after my FSX would not activate as I related above. The computers use hardware for activation. It should also include "and/or the product purchaser" as my computer did not purchase the product, I did and it is legally mine. It's all spilled milk for me as I have already repurchased and now the proud owner of two deluxe versions and one non-deluxe version (that I purchased on day one as the Deluxe was not available/sold out in my area and I wanted to check out what FSX looked like as soon as it came out).Best regards,Jim

Since FSX was released, I have built at least 8 NEW systems and added parts requiring reactivation at least 10 or 12 times. I have NEVER had a registration denied. There was a time, when I was doing a lot of programming when I had FSX installed and activated on 4 distinct systems with no issues. I have read that the MS registration database is usually cleared after 6 months although I have no first hand knowledge of same. If you have been denied registration, then something else is wrong - possibly even a bad tempered tech support person. Consider that "technically" MS says that FSX is NOT supported under Windows 7.Buy the used copy - it will activate.Vic