When will PMDG bless Win 10?

[StewCal 12]

When you guys speak of a clean install do you mean that you reinstall your previous operating system, then upgrade to windows 10 before installing anything else?  Or can you get a Windows 10 disc/thumbdrive from MS?

[Avwriter 85]

Sorry to repeat my question, but to the posters above who had no problems, did you install as an upgrade,without reinstalling everything, or did you do a clean install?  Also, did you find that switching to WIn10 improved your FSX or FSX-SE experience in any way?

 

Andrew Jones

[warbirds 555]

Install as an upgrade,,,then decide if you like it,,,if you do after some time and it all works for you then do a complete install. This way you can decide and if you don't like it you can revert back to your old op system. I think there is a time limit but it does give you plenty of time before your old op is deleted. 

 

There is a site (forgot which one sorry) that has the full download and you can then put it on a usb drive (dongle) and install from there. Be sure to set your bios to open with the usb dongle. 

 

As far as improving games or sims it all seems the same to me. I just like the new op and to me if feels more like win 7 than win 8. 

[kevinh 409]

I'm still having a hard time understanding why people think that upgrading an OS will break a flight simulator add-on.  Win10 isn't anything revolutionary or that different to cause programs, add-ons and the like to just fail.  I dove in and upgraded, against my initial judgement, but I have no regrets whatsoever.  All of my CADD software works just fine, Office works (of course, it's Microsoft, right?), Adobe products work, everything just works and as it should.  I run P3D v3 with a host of add-ons with not a single things breaking.  As Kyle pointed out, as long as all of your drivers are up to date, you shouldn't have any problems.  As for those who are reluctant to upgrade (which I don't blame you for being skeptical), Microsoft is going to aggressively seek out each and every machine still running old OS's and hound the heck outta ya to upgrade.  If you read the tech trades, articles have been published that state that Microsoft has already been sneaky in sending preinstalls to users machines that have Win7, 8, 8.1 to be at the ready for when they relent and decide to upgrade.

 

I tested the waters, they're fine. <-- if anyone actually puts stock in my opinion. :|

 

-Jim

Windows 10 broke FS9, or at least it removed the ability to start it the official way. Same for any other legacy game that relies on verifying a CD is legal.

 

What stops me upgrading is the fact that Microsoft are ditching backwards compatibility and who knows what else will cease to work with future updates. I accept that's a pesimistic way of looking at things, but I'm very happy with Windows 7 and simply don't see the need to upgrade to 10.

[shea3412sc 1]

I though PMDG gave the Okay on windows 10

[Jimm 437]

Windows 10 broke FS9, or at least it removed the ability to start it the official way. Same for any other legacy game that relies on verifying a CD is legal.

 

What stops me upgrading is the fact that Microsoft are ditching backwards compatibility and who knows what else will cease to work with future updates. I accept that's a pesimistic way of looking at things, but I'm very happy with Windows 7 and simply don't see the need to upgrade to 10.

Windows10 didn't break anything.  Did you try using the compatibility mode?  I am sure a solution is out there.  The same goes for everything else.  I hate to say it but if Microsoft's projected path is to ensure every machine is running 10, you may be out of luck enjoying your legacy content.

 

-Jim

[swiesma 625]

Sorry to repeat my question, but to the posters above who had no problems, did you install as an upgrade,without reinstalling everything, or did you do a clean install?  Also, did you find that switching to WIn10 improved your FSX or FSX-SE experience in any way?

 

Andrew Jones

 

I made a completely new installation.

But in my case it was because I bought a new PC and Win 10. So I cannot give you a fair comparison.

[kevinh 409]

Windows10 didn't break anything. Did you try using the compatibility mode? I am sure a solution is out there. The same goes for everything else. I hate to say it but if Microsoft's projected path is to ensure every machine is running 10, you may be out of luck enjoying your legacy content.

 

-Jim

In this case you are wrong Jim. Windows 10 deleted the verification software FS9, and many other games, uses to validate the CD you have to insert to run it. It's nothing to do with compatibility mode.

[Jimm 437]

In this case you are wrong Jim. Windows 10 deleted the verification software FS9, and many other games, uses to validate the CD you have to insert to run it. It's nothing to do with compatibility mode.

I don't know, i find it hard to believe, unless you take into account that Microsoft is evolving with the times.  CD based games are on their way out.  Why would someone want to run such old sims when there are better ones that have come out more recently?

 

-Jim

[kevinh 409]

I don't know, i find it hard to believe, unless you take into account that Microsoft is evolving with the times. CD based games are on their way out. Why would someone want to run such old sims when there are better ones that have come out more recently?

 

-Jim

Hard to believe or not but it's true. And many people choose to run old games because they prefer them. Everybody thought music on vinyl had had its day but now it's making a comeback.

 

The point is games and addons use OS facilities. If those facilities get changed or withdrawn the game is broken until patched in some way. So OS updates can break games and addons.

[Jimm 437]

Hard to believe or not but it's true. And many people choose to run old games because they prefer them. Everybody thought music on vinyl had had its day but now it's making a comeback.

 

The point is games and addons use OS facilities. If those facilities get changed or withdrawn the game is broken until patched in some way. So OS updates can break games and addons.

The only thing left to say is hold out and wait.  Don't be surprised when you have to install Windows 10.  I was a holdout for a little while after the surge of Win10 installs from folks, but after the driver updates I thought why not try it, I had 30 days.  I don't regret the upgrade one bit.  As for legacy media, it's really a crapshoot whether we will see the day CDs and DVDs come back into focus.  With everything going to the cloud now, it's hard to stay the purist I vowed to be.  When it comes to old games, I am right there with you.  I have quite a few games that I play the heck out of and some I wish i could again, but that's why there is GOG and similar companies who port and patch old games so they can still be played.

 

As for FS9, have you tried creating a iso file out of it and running it through a virtual drive?  Since you own the game and you would technically be circumventing EULA (as you are just adjusting the way the computer reads your media), I don't see why that wouldn't work.

 

BACK ON TOPIC:  I really don't think there needs to be any blessings for PMDG aircraft to work in Windows 10.  I've seen videos online of folks using Win10, using P3D v3 and PMDG and they all work fine.

 

-Jim

[mgh 89]

In this case you are wrong Jim. Windows 10 deleted the verification software FS9, and many other games, uses to validate the CD you have to insert to run it. It's nothing to do with compatibility mode.

 

FS9 is a 11 year old obsolete game  designed to run on an obsolete Windows 2000/ XP, or  98/ME. It's not going to last for ever

[scandinavian13 5,192]

BACK ON TOPIC:  I really don't think there needs to be any blessings for PMDG aircraft to work in Windows 10.  I've seen videos online of folks using Win10, using P3D v3 and PMDG and they all work fine.

 

Yes and no.

 

If you don't want support, then no, you don't need a developer's blessing. If it works, it works. The problem is when things don't work...

If you do want support, then yeah, you're going to need a developer's blessing of that OS.

 

One thing a lot of people seem to forget is that, unless it's explicitly stated on the product page, it's not supported. Sure, you're welcome to attempt to install FSX and the Queen on an old computer with Windows ME on it. It might work with a lot of effort (and, seemingly, quite a lot of masochism if you're choosing to work with Win ME), but that doesn't mean you're going to get support for that use...

 

Obviously, now that we support Win10, it's not an issue. I just wanted to get that conceptual piece out there. You'd be surprised at how many people think that support is inferred. Rule of thumb: if your OS is not officially stated on a product page, then it's probably not supported, but you can always ask. Just do so prior to purchasing.

[Jimm 437]

Now the way the above is worded, makes me wonder how proactive any given developer is going to be in the future of computing.  Someone creates a program or an add-on without keeping up with testing can be a bad situation.  So PMDG's products were developed, designed, programmed before a new version of an OS came out, ok I buy that and it's fact, but now that a new OS was released, I would think that PMDG or any other developer, creator, programmer would immediately start looking into compatibility so the pipeline of consumers that are wanting to continue using the software wouldn't be burdened, hindered or otherwise prevented from such continuation.  Considering that Microsoft had Windows 10 out for testing long before its release, would again, provide ample time for the developer, creator, designer to ensure their product is compatible.

 

Now, with regards to Kevin mentioning that his FS9 was "broken" by Windows10, is an example of software no longer being supported, as Microsoft is no longer responsible or liable for the use of the software in up to date versions of the OS and that is understandable.  Sure, Microsoft could care less if their OS breaks another company's product as it isn't their responsibility.  The burden of responsibility lies with everyone else so again, they should be staying on top of things if they intend to continue support or future development of their own software.

 

-Jim

[scandinavian13 5,192]

Now the way the above is worded, makes me wonder how proactive any given developer is going to be in the future of computing.  Someone creates a program or an add-on without keeping up with testing can be a bad situation.  So PMDG's products were developed, designed, programmed before a new version of an OS came out, ok I buy that and it's fact, but now that a new OS was released, I would think that PMDG or any other developer, creator, programmer would immediately start looking into compatibility so the pipeline of consumers that are wanting to continue using the software wouldn't be burdened, hindered or otherwise prevented from such continuation.  Considering that Microsoft had Windows 10 out for testing long before its release, would again, provide ample time for the developer, creator, designer to ensure their product is compatible.

 

This is why we tested our stuff in, and now officially support, Windows 10.

 

This has always been the case for software. This isn't a future issue. This has been an issue with computing for as long as we've had different versions of operating systems. Heck, if anything, this issue has only gotten better because operating systems have usually had better and better backward compatibility. Using your CD/DVD example above, think back to those days when we always got software on CDs. If a new OS came out back in the 90s, what was the likelihood you would've gotten a patch or new version to work with that new OS? Just about zero. Similarly, it was unlikely that an updated version would get released, in favor of a wholly new game. Today? It's almost expected.

 

Keep in mind, though, that businesses are businesses, though. Businesses can't simply drop everything to test new OSs. Sometimes, it's worth a dev's time to wait to let the dust settle after an X.0 release before starting to check if things work and are supportable.