I must be doing something wrong... but what?

[twsimfan 0]

Hi,

 

I downloaded and installed MS Flight late last night.

 

I was able to run the program with no problem and "accomplished" 3 missions and a couple of other activities. I was in and out of the program several times in the wee hours of this morning. I had managed to get my joystick and another controller configured for it and managed to figure out how to use the mouse to move eyepoint and perspective. I had a long way to go to figure out if I was willing to continue using this product and maybe even invest some money adding things but I was enjoying what I was doing.

 

While I was doing all of this I made several attempts to create an account and log onto "Live". I was not able to do that. I suspect that if I was 16 that would be an easy thing to do but alas I am 61 and such things do not come natural to me. I'm so old I don't even tweet... or for that matter know how or why I'd wnat to. lol

 

It puts me through about 5 rounds of filling out the signup info then declares that my email address is not valid (it IS valid) and demands that I supply another. I don't have or want another.

 

I suspect that if I was able to get into LIVE that I would have this licked but I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I have left 5 messages for MS asking for help but have had no reply.

 

After getting some much needed sleep I am now unable to start Flight. The flash screen comes up and it starts to load and I get this message:

 

"Games for Windows - LIVE failed to initialize. Another Games for Windows - LIVE may be running, or your product installation may be corrupted. You may need to repair or reinstall Microsoft Flight. (800706BA)"

 

Like many of you I have been using home computer based flight sims for over 30 years. I have no idea what I'm doing wrong but I'm sure it is my fault somehow or another.

 

Can anybody help?

 

Thanks,

 

Tom Wunder

[Sigma54 0]

"Games for Windows - LIVE failed to initialize. Another Games for Windows - LIVE may be running, or your product installation may be corrupted. You may need to repair or reinstall Microsoft Flight. (800706BA)"

 

Probably start by restarting your computer just in case the program is running multiple times in the background (can happen sometimes if you click on it more than once when starting). After restarting your computer, try starting Flight but don't login to Live to check that the game is working. You should be able to use Flight without Live (although there are several benefits to using Live but just for troubleshooting purposes, try to run the game without Live at first.)

 

As for the Live account, how are you trying to sign up? Try signing up online at www.live.com instead of through the game just in case that is the problem somehow. The signup form should just be 1 page long.

 

Another suggestion: do you have a hotmail or MSN account? If you do, you already have a Live account which might be why it's not accepting your email. Sometimes I sign up for things and completely forget and then years later try to sign in and it says that the email address is already registered... in which case you need to find/reset your password. Also, you may have created a Live account during one of the rounds of trying to submit so if trying to signup as discussed above doesn't work, go to the www.live.com sign in screen, select 'Can't access your account?' then select forgot password and follow the instructions just in case it accepted one of your submissions but didn't move to the 'success' screen for one reason or another.

[twsimfan 0]

Sigma54,

 

First I want to thank you for your kind response!

 

I had my computer shut down for about 7 hours between the time I was first running Flight and the time I was unable to. But later I did shut down again for about 3 hours and for reasons I do not understand Flight has been running fine again later this evening. I believe I can still run it again now. I've been into and out of it probably 3 or 4 times this evening. If it will run tomorrow morning remains to be seen. ;)

 

I did have a pleasant flight along the North coast of the big island. :)

 

You are correct that the signup info for MS Live all fits on one page but once I had that page complete when I would click on submit it would take me back to the top of the page.

 

But using the site info you supplied I did finally manage to create an account but only after I agreed to create a Hotmail account to use with it. I can now sign into Live.

 

BUT - When I do from within Flight it now demands a 25 digit product ID code for LIVE. I've been all over my LIVE account and can't find a 25 digit code anywhere and that includes within my profile.

 

I'm not sure if I'm just too old to understand what is going on or MS just doesn't like me. LOL

 

If you or anybody else knows how I can find my product ID code for Live I would really appreciate any information I can get. :)

 

Thanks again,

 

Tom Wunder

[Sigma54 0]

For the product key, check out the FAQ at https://microsoftflight.com/en-us/faqs/#troubleshooting It has instructions on how to get a product key if it was not auto-generated. Something must have happened that caused a weird install given the trouble you had earlier and the fact that it is asking for a key.

 

What operating system are you using? I believe there are some known issues with XP (with respect to the Live sign-in assistant) and some permissions issues with Vista. The details about the XP issue is at the bottom of the FAQ troubleshooting page.

 

Hope this helps!

[torium 207]

BUT - When I do from within Flight it now demands a 25 digit product ID code for LIVE. I've been all over my LIVE account and can't find a 25 digit code anywhere and that includes within my profile.

If microsoft has not made any changes, you just fill in with zeros (000.........).

Worked for me (XP and Win7).

[quadraspleen 7]

you just fill in with zeros

 

Nope, zeros didn't work for me on re-installation..I had to do the suggestions on the Flight page regarding getting the product key from the GFWL standalone client, as Sigma54 says above - to distill it for you, here it is:

• Go to http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/Product/Microsoft-Flight/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8044d5308d2
  
• Click the Buy Game FREE button
  
• Select Confirm Purchase (this is a free transaction and won’t cost anything)
  
• Open up the Games for Windows Marketplace Client on your PC (found under Start-> All programs -> Games for Windows Marketplace)
  
• Sign into the Marketplace Client with your GFWL / Xbox LIVE account
  
• Click the Downloads tab
  
• Click Microsoft Flight from the list
  
• Click View Game Keys
  
• Copy the LIVE Access Code
  
• Open Flight
  
• Sign-in again
  
• If still asked for a Product Code, enter the LIVE Access Code you copied in step 9
  
• Click I accept and Submit
  

 

..I didn't have to do this when I first downloaded and installed it..I don't really understand why it didn't work properly the second time..

[twsimfan 0]

Sigma54, Torium, Quadraspleen/Jake,

 

Thanks much for the great replies! :)

 

To answer Sigma's question I have the 32 bit version of Vista.

 

I tried the deal with all zeros and while it seemed to consider it for a moment that would not work for me but I do appreciate the effort.

 

The method of finding the ID code with the mock purchase that the other two suggested did in fact work. The strange part was that after I got to the point of seeing the code and writing it down when I went back into the game it didn't ask me to put it in. That is kind of creepy as if it was looking over my shoulder.

 

In any event I am now able to try the missions with the Stearman and I very much want to thank you all. :)

 

Later,

 

Tom Wunder

[Air1 136]

Hi Tom, glad to see you made it in to FLIGHT. Beleive me, there is a lot more to do here then most people think, it will grow on you. I seem to remember you from the OLD days in the AVSIM forums, Looks like we started about the same time. You really need to get into the rest of the islands and the other aircraft to see the true richness of this SIM/game. Still waiting for Alaska and some bush flying.

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum, Tom! Glad you've got it all working now!