I haven't installed FSX yet but have the Demo2 and I followed this and few other forums and applied with success many of the tweeks proposed here and elsewhere. This way I feel I'm better prepared for the time where I will actualy install the retail.This weekend I leave for a 2 weeks vacation. When I return, I will pickup the copy my brother bought me in Montreal this week. I live in the contry.Before installing FSX, I will have to install the DVD reader and a new Graphic card. I've already prepared a partition on the HD that will solely be use for FSX. I reformated it last night, so I guess it is as clean as it can get :-) After the 2 hardware intallations, I will proceed to a system cleanup with EasyCleaner I use on a regular basis. I will make some video card adjustments if needed, then I will run FS9 and a couple of other programs to ascertain the HW installs went flawlessly and my system is upfront in as a top shape as possible for FSX install.On this forum, I also red horror stories some went through at the activation stage. My understanding is that, for most people, the activation process went rightly and they were up and running flawlessly. But, a percentage of people seamed to have had ONLINE activation problems that led them to the horror stories I mentionned above. Some even had to go through a total reinstall of WinXP.Now, I--D-O-- N-O-T--W-A-N-T to go through that kind of misapp and want to minimize the probability it happens upfront ;-)I'm part of a group of 30+ simflyers. A good 1/3 of them must already have installed FSX and activated it online. As far as I know, no-one has had any problem. Good for them and I hope it will stand for me as well!!I just red a posting of cwright. He states he couldn't activate it online but attributes this to a possible server overload when he tried. So he decided to use the activation by phone way. It was a few minutes process and everything went through correctly.At this point, I'm not yet shure which activation way, online or phone, I will chose.So the bulk of my questions.Assuming that FSX install goes correctly and I've reached the activation part.ONLINE activation: If something goes wrong and I receive a message the the activation can't proceed due to whatever error,Would that mean that, to resubmit, I would have to uninstall and re-install FSX altogether? (then I'd know I'm in trouble!!)PHONE activation: 1- Does one reach a person to talk to and have verbal exchange or is it some kind of answering system you have to feedpunching numbers on the phone keyboard? (realy hate this approch as I have no display on my phone to ascertainwhat I punched!!)2- What informations should I gather beforehand in order of not having to search during the process?One last question. Is it realy worth to copy the DVD content to a HD partition and launch the installation from there? If so, what does one do when the 2nd DVD insert is called for?Thanks for any feedback,Hugo

Hi Hugo; It's automated but you don't have to use the keypad unless the systemcan't understand your speech. Takes about 5 min.

Thanks Denny. Well, with my french accent, guess I'd have to punch my way through :-)Anyone on the other option?Hugo