BAe JS4100 registration will not activate

[Kattz 132]

Hi, PMDG team:

 

Can you please take a look at ticket 262-18A9863D-030A again? Paul's fix didn't work, although I appreciate the speedy response on 2/10/13. I've replied to the ticket system several times, but there are no responses back. I'd really like to use this product!

 

To refresh so that anyone else with a similar problem can see the fix if/when it is posted:

 

I have a registration number with my order, but wasn't asked for it when I started the sim and chose that aircraft for free flight. I can load the tutorial flight but NOTHING operates. It did ask me to trust the .dll files at startup, which I did. I start in windowed mode and my default aircraft is the air trike.

 

If I start a free flight in FSX, the aircraft loads but everything is dead and the battery voltage is 0.0 VDC. The aircraft will respond to flap, power lever, and yoke inputs, but doesn't really fly and no displays come on. No levers move. It's a zombie, in that it has a little life but no thoughts and otherwise is mostly dead and wanders around the sky mumbling "brainsss....." I've stripped this thing out of my computer and .cfg files completely 5 times and it will not work correctly. Never prompts me to enter my reg code, it just asks permission to treat the .dll files as trusted after choosing the arcraft following an installation and that is it.

 

Following the receipt of the file from PMDG, I ran it as admin, I put it in the FSX folde and ran it as admin, I ran it as admin with FSX and the J41 running, I reinstalled the J41 as admin and ran the activation as admin prior to starting up, no luck. Never had this problem before with PMDG products.

 

Thanks.

 

Kev

[Kattz 132]

Tried it all over again tonight, even placing the activation file PMDG sent onto my c:\common files\macrovision and c:\program files (x86)\FlexNET directories. Turned Norton off completely, and even placed the PMDG Activation.exe and activate.exe into the "always allow" for Norton Smart Firewall. Uninstalled, installed, lather, rinse, repeat.

 

I would be a bold-faced liar if I didn't admit that I've gotten more than a little irritated over this. After placing FSX onto its own SSD a month or so ago, I hadn't reinstalled the MD-11. I reinstalled it LATE last night (or was it VERY EARLY this morning?) and it activated just peachy. Flew like a hog looking for a truffle, but that seems to be the nature of the MD-11, not the PMDG product.

 

PMDG team, I don't wan't to sound unappreciative, because I'm not, and I'm sorry if I'm coming across as a whiner, but I paid $45 for this add-on, and $ for FS2Crew to go with it. I'm getting real frustrated with this problem. How about a little help? Even dropping me a line in the repair ticket and saying "Patience, young Skywalker, we are working on it" is appreciated over deafening silence.

 

How about it, Paul? I appreciated your rapid response this weekend, but she's not running. I'll make you a deal; you fix this problem and the next time you're in town (yes, look at my location to the left here) and I'll buy you 2 of the adult beverage of your choice. Fair enough? :drinks:

 

Kev out.

[Kattz 132]

Worked with Ryan on this. A possible solution was to uninstall and reinstall the FSX Acceleration Pack due to a possible issue with SimConnect. I did that, and then was unable to register the Acceleration Pack with MS after reinstallation. I had to create a second admin-level profile in Win7, and then register it using that profile. I then uninstalled the J41 software and after wiping the registry and user data including fsx.cfg of all traces of the J41, reinstalled it in that new profile. Wouldn't activate. Tried using the stand-alone registration .exe that PMDG sent me Sunday, and still no joy.

 

BTW, the main purpose of this thread is not to bash PMDG, but to provide some feedback on what's being done to fix this in case a future user needs this info. PMDG is trying to fix it, it's just that the ticket system can be slower than I personally would like it to be, my opinion only.

 

Kev

[pete_auau 1,159]

Dont know if this helps but you havnt changed your clock settings or dates times on your pc at all(read some where before), suppose you checked if the activation window was behind your fsx window?

[Kattz 132]

Thanks, Pete; yes, I did thise things as well. Good suggestions. Ryan emailed me last night and said the final fix would be a complete R&I of FSX. Now I'm wondering, "How bad do I want this aircraft?", knowing what that's going to take...

[pete_auau 1,159]

Well look at this way if your going to do a complete re install at least you know you going to get a clean slate and get everything right from scratch instead of tryin to patch here and here:) Than once you have done this make a back up copy of your hard drive to an external drive than it only a matter of 30 mintues of just re installing again if something goes amiss again.

[Kattz 132]

The second hard drive is a good idea...

 

Thanks, Pete!

[pete_auau 1,159]

The second hard drive is a good idea...

 

Thanks, Pete!

yea it will save you heaps of hassles in the future( you need a program for making up a back up copy i use acronis true image) one thing i forgot to mention have you tried using the ccleaner its a free download since it will remove any left of registy files

[Kattz 132]

I use CCleaner all of the time - and wiped the registry before reinstalling FSX tonight. Now I can't get it to register with Microsoft!

[Kattz 132]

^{OK - so I completely removed ALL of my FSX and add-ons per the guide recommended by PMDG tech support. Used CCleaner to clean up/out the registry. Reinstalled FSX. Would not register online with Microsoft - registration failed. Removed every $%!! reference to "Flight Simulator X" in the registry and tried again. This time FSX went in without issue. Loaded the J41. Will not register and is still zombified. Stand-alone registration program tried but didn't change the operational status of the aircraft. Loaded the NGX. Registered fine.}

 

^{In checking C:\Program Files(x86)\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher\fnp_registrations, I found:}

^{<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>}

^{<Activation_Service_Users>}

^<Publishers>

^<Publisher>

^{<Name>pmdgsim1</Name>}

^<Products>

^{<Product>PMDG_737NGX_8900</Product>}

^{<Product>PMDG_BAe_JS4100_Alpha</Product>}

^</Products>

^</Publisher>

^{</Publishers>}

^{</Activation_Service_Users>}

 

^{This indicates that the J41 is in fact activated through the FLEXnet client, but is totally inop. :t0117:}

^{So now, my FSX is basically new and has to be retweaked and all of my addons have to be reinstalled. And, this problem is not fixed. :t0105:}

[pete_auau 1,159]

Ok this is my last few ideas that i got left for you to decide on, supposed you have installed fsx in its own root drive not the default location with uac turned off blah blah blah etc.

last one since you have tried everything from re installing fsx etc suppose you thought about doing a complete re install of your o/s system thats if you want to keep flying the js4100 that is.

Hopefully some else might have a better solution for you to work on

 

This may sound a stupid question but since it says everything is activated are you sure you are starting the js4100 correctly etc turning the battery on etc since your wouldnt be the first

[Kattz 132]

Hi, Pete:

 

I am fresh out of ideas at this point. I'm not going to reinstall Win7, I just did this at Christmas. FSX is on it's own drive with all UAC etc. etc. off. I thought that too; maybe I had a case of the dumb--- and wasn't doing something properly. Here's the root of what's going on - if I follow the CL and do the full tutorial, I should get 28V on the ammeters. Nada. They read 0.0V in all settings except off. There's no sound either in the tutorial.

 

If I just drop it onto an active runway, the ammeters read 0.0V with the engines running - no EGT, no RPM, no lights, no displays. It will respond to yoke, prop pitch, and gear/flap inputs and will actually take off. BUT - nothing in the cockpit moves or comes on, even the steam guages for ADI and instruments are OFF and flags are displayed. I mean, if the power is off and the pitch/throttle/yokes don't move, how is this add-on even able to get airborne?

 

I'm downloading it again from PMDG thinking that there's something wrong with the file. Maybe that will help.

 

Frankly, if it doesn't come to life by some miracle or PMDG doesn't fix it, I'll just consider it money wasted. I've FS2Crew for it as well! Arrrghhh!

[Kattz 132]

Well, that was... is... will continue to be for a while... painful. Stripped the C:, D:, and F: drives, reformatted. Barebones Win7 installation, FSX only installed with Acceleration Pack, and before I did ANYTHING other than install system drivers was to install the J41. It is now live. This hurts... (whimper) ...and yet feels so good.

 

[pete_auau 1,159]

so you got everything up and runing after i suggested a complete o/s system re install heheheh well at least you got it working now which is good, hopefully you already made a back up copy of your hrd drive by now :lol:

[Kattz 132]

I think I'll wait until 240gb SSDs are on sale again... God Almighty, this has been painful.