Hi everyone,

does anybody know if the key provided for the Premium Deluxe Edition which according to the documentation is for downloading the actual premium deluxe content, also allows me to download the complete flight simulator?

The issue here is that installation aborts shortly after starting with DVD #5. I don't mind the download, I bought the boxed copy for the physical presence. However the seller is playing dumb, not wanting to provide a functional copy or a refund, and Microsoft isn't answering this question (their support is probably overwhelmed right now).

I'd like to get to flying as soon as possible so I'd greatly appreciate your input on this matter.

Answering my own question for the benefit of others in the same predicament:

I've called Microsoft Support and they confirmed that the code in the box is NOT suitable for downloading and installing the whole FS2020. The license for the product is "on the DVDs" and you need to install FS2020 at least once from the DVDs and then activate the code from the box for the deluxe part.

I have the Premium Deluxe Box Edition ... after almost 3 hours of installing I got to the final Disc 10 and I received an error message and no way of recovering ... it just fails and disappears  ..... SO frustrating to have to start all over again!!  

I have the Premium Deluxe set as well. I didn't touch the discs and went to activate the code instead on the site mentioned in the activation card (thinking maybe I could bypass using discs completely). I was able to install the whole game just fine. It's just that whenever I launch it that it asks the first disc to be inserted. So, in my experience, you can install the game through download without having to juggle through the bunch of discs (it will take its time to download, mind you), BUT you'll still need disc 1 to play the game.

(After finishing the download 100 per cent, the installation stalled, though, and I force quit it. This was a minor nuisance and nothing more, it seems, and I could proceed without further trouble.)

Thanks for the info Saintbert!

In the meantime I have more information about the installation DVDs and drive compatibility. It seems there is an issue when it comes to BluRay-capable drives.

First I tried installing from my USB3 Superdrive. Basically a laptop drive in an external enclosure. It can read+write CDs and DVDs and it can read BluRay discs. That's the drive that gave me the issues described above.

Second attempt was on my old PC with internal 5 1/4" drives. I first tried the BluRay drive which can read+write CDs, DVDs and BluRay discs. Same issues.

Then I tried the DVD drive that can only read CDs and DVDs. It's really ancient (about 10 years old) and sounds like a jet engine but it reads the DVDs just fine and way faster than the other drives.