Flying along doing great finally after years, everything is good and smooth...then BAM! 

 

"Thank you for trying Microsoft Flight Simulator X The trial time limit has expired Please activate Flight Simulator to continue playing."

 

Nice, huh?

 

No means of reactivating that I can see, repeatably gives this message after 30 minutes. What I have read on MS site looks convoluted and dangerous. Anyone had this issue and lived?

This thread might be of help... (but it looks like a complete reinstall might be in order if none of those suggestions work)

 

http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/archive/index.php/t-262003.html

 

or maybe this one might help

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_other-gaming/error-code-1-80004005/e830c10e-7fe4-4146-81c1-36585ac638d2

This thread might be of help... (but it looks like a complete reinstall might be in order if none of those suggestions work)

 

http://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/archive/index.php/t-262003.html

 

or maybe this one might help

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_other-gaming/error-code-1-80004005/e830c10e-7fe4-4146-81c1-36585ac638d2

 

I have been reading resolutions from MS and without given an opportunity to enter the activation key they won't work.

 

Worse case scenario, re-install, is this possible to do over the original install and save all my addons or am I sacked?

My install didn't work when I recently upgraded my PC with a new MB, CPU etc.   I had to call MS and they reactivated my FSX.   The strange thing is that once I did that, I no longer have to enter my serial key code when I had to do a fresh reinstalled of FSX not too long ago, where as before the upgrade I had to enter that long serial key every time when doing a fresh install prior to my upgrade.   

When replacing MB and CPU, you should always format and reinstall to prevent problems and get best performance.
Unless they are 100% identical.

^Thats what I've always done but I can't be sure it's a factor here (though I think it is).

You can try this fix, Ric: It may fix it... There is a Windows system file which is pain in the butt occasionally, and is known to cause activation problems. It's an important file, controlling how Windows communicates with all of your partitions.

 

Here's how to test or correct it:

 

 

 

1). Access REGEDIT (from the ‘Run’ menu, located in the Start Menu) and find the following key: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\CLASS\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

2) Find and edit the "UpperFilters" key. The validation procedure expects a string value - "PartMgr".

It may show something different, and may include other values as well. . 

3) In that case - change the registry to read only "PartMgr" by removing (cut the other values and copy them into Notepad. If PartMgr doesn't exist - add it in.

4) Close the registry and start FSX: You should now be prompted with the activation dialog, proceed and let FSX start, then exit FSX.

5) Go back to the Registry key, and copy back the other removed entries.

6) Exit regedit, and start FSX again.

 

Life should be good, once again!

 

All the Best,

 

pj

You can try this fix, Ric: It may fix it... There is a Windows system file which is pain in the butt occasionally, and is known to cause activation problems. It's an important file, controlling how Windows communicates with all of your partitions.

 

Here's how to test or correct it:

 

 

 

1). Access REGEDIT (from the ‘Run’ menu, located in the Start Menu) and find the following key: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENTCONTROLSET\CONTROL\CLASS\{4D36E967-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

 

2) Find and edit the "UpperFilters" key. The validation procedure expects a string value - "PartMgr".

It may show something different, and may include other values as well. . 

3) In that case - change the registry to read only "PartMgr" by removing (cut the other values and copy them into Notepad. If PartMgr doesn't exist - add it in.

 

4) Close the registry and start FSX: You should now be prompted with the activation dialog, proceed and let FSX start, then exit FSX.

 

5) Go back to the Registry key, and copy back the other removed entries.

 

6) Exit regedit, and start FSX again.

 

Life should be good, once again!

 

All the Best,

 

pj

 

I had checked that already and didn't change anything, just looked. 

 

What about "last known good configuration"

 

This is what I have;

 

Edited March 2, 201412 yr by Capt Speirs

Hmmmph..

 

Yes, you can do that, Ric. System Restore to an earlier date: an Image restore by Acronis or some other safety-net which you might will do it too.

 

You might run a system filescan, in case a different system file is borked. "sfc /scannow" at the Search window above the Start button.

 

Actually - you could open up the registry and reset the PartMgr system first. Navigate to:-

 

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\PartMgr

 

The key we're looking for is "Enum", and the right side will list every drive which you have. Sometimes this become "somewhat" corrupt, so - force Windows to redo it. Highlight and delete the "Enum" subkey, then reboot. You can export/save this key - or the entire registry first, if you wish. Deleting it will force a rescan of all of the system drives and partitions. Windows will then re-enumerate all the drives in the machine and add them back into this key. I might add - this may well fix many random timeout issues that sometimes occur.

 

pj

Hmmmph..

 

Yes, you can do that, Ric. System Restore to an earlier date: an Image restore by Acronis or some other safety-net which you might will do it too.

 

You might run a system filescan, in case a different system file is borked. "sfc /scannow" at the Search window above the Start button.

 

pj

 

 

 "sfc /scannow" revealed nothing.

 

System restore, didn't help either.

 

Acronis back was scheduled for tomorrow after purchasing a new drive, bad timing.

"after purchasing a new drive"    Is that coincident with the problem you're having?

"after purchasing a new drive"    Is that coincident with the problem you're having?

 

No, I haven't purchase the drive yet, just minding my own business flying out of  EGLL and then it happened. It seems apparent that a re-install is eminent, with that in mind, should I re-install FSX (as per PMDG's instructions) or Wipe the drives and start over with the operating system?

A system OS with a format will fix it, but a simple re-install of FSX may well result in the same message popping up.

 

Have you tried an FSX Repair?

 

Have you tried removing SP2, restarting FSX, and then do you have somewhere to enter the key at that time?

 

Take another shot at PartMgr, Ric - re post #7... but this time dble-clk on the "UpperFilters" word: an editing window will now pop up, with "PartMgr" highlighted. Delete this word, and then re-type it back in, close the reg, then reboot. I would even just delete it - then reboot, then enter it after the reboot and then reboot again.
 

pj

A system OS with a format will fix it, but a simple re-install of FSX may well result in the same message popping up.

 

Have you tried an FSX Repair?

 

Have you tried removing SP2, restarting FSX, and then do you have somewhere to enter the key at that time?

 

Take another shot at PartMgr, Ric - re post #7... but this time dble-clk on the "UpperFilters" word: an editing window will now pop up, with "PartMgr" highlighted. Delete this word, and then re-type it back in, close the reg, then reboot. I would even just delete it - then reboot, then enter it after the reboot and then reboot again.

 

pj

 

Have not tried FSX Repair.

 

Have not tried removing SP2.

 

I will take another shot at PartMgr.

 

I just tried Microsoft Licensing Reset Tool and it gave me a message of needing to activate (that's new), but still noway to activate.

 

Have you heard of Tweak.com's Windows Repair Utility, Firehawk44 had good results with it in a different problem.

 

Thank you for all your time with this issue, I greatly appreciate it.

Hi Ric: Try the FSX Reair, and then try removing SP2!

 

I just took a peep at the Tweak app., after reading your post. There's a market for something like this for sure, but It's not something i need - especially when the advertizing screenshot states:-

 

"The repair will grant administrators, system, users and everyone full rights to every file on the selected drives"  :huh:  Really???? 

 

All the Best,

 

pj