Hi everybody I have been an avid fs2004 user for many years and used a fantastic utility called FSHOTFX which worked fine when using windows xp but when I upgraded to windows 8.1 it no longer works. Well I have tried to get FSHOTFX to work and have had some success using Virtual windows called VM Ware after installing windows xp into the virtual windows, but the problem that I am having is that FSHOTFX runs and loads but cannot see fs9 in the host pc outside virtual windows xp. Now if the virtual windows xp becomes associated to the Microsoft flight simulator folder on the host pc running windows 8.1 then I feel that that we have cracked the problem of  FSHOTFX not working thus giving us simmers a fantastic flight experience with the sounds of all the AI aircraft landing with the sound of reverse thrust and engines spooling up which I have dearly missed since upgrading to windows 8.1.

if anyone has any ideas using this method please reply to my post and maybe we can get FSHotSFX AIBlast to be fully functional

thank you

Unfortunately the Windows Virtual Machine doesn't support 3D games, that's why no-one else has done this already. However you can re-configure your PC for dual-boot system capability and install XP on it's own partition or on a separate drive alongside 8.1, and install FS2004, FSHotFX etc. together into XP that way. 

Hi A32XX Thanks for your reply. My idea was to run FSHOTFX in windows xp inside virtual pc and have FSHOTFX link to the fs9 file located on the host pc running windows 8.1. Do you think it will work if  FSHOTFX can see the fs9 file in windows 8.1?

Sadly you can't run both at the same time. If it could have been done it would have been by now, for this and all the other FS software which is only XP compatible. The fact is it's not worth the trouble - it's much easier and more reliable to just create a dual-boot system.

Hi A32xx if I create a dual-boot system and copy my flight sim folder from windows 8.1 to the new windows xp in the new partition will fs9 still work?

thanks

Yes it will, you can use the FS Registry Repair tool from Flight1 to re-register it in XP so that it will be recognised by any other add-ons which you'll need to re-install such as weather programs and flight planners.

Many thanks for your help A32XX I will give it a go.

Hi,

does anybody know if FSHotSfx works under WinXP 64bit? Or in other words: Does this utility just have a problem with Windows 7 or the 64bit systems in general?

Cheers

Harald