Thank you, Bruce.I wish there were reason to hope for MS coming "to its senses regarding activation". But just look at the reaction of the majority to this. The consumer will have to come to his senses before we can expect any respect from Microsoft. They

Damnit folks, just give them a call. Stop being weenies about the hardware thing. You get unlimited activations. I have my processor overclocked and have run into NO problems... made numerous tweaks to my bios and no activation issues. If I did, I would just call them and tell them I OC'd my AMD. Why would they care? They didn't make it and can't void my warranty. I have done things like this in the past for Windows XP, big whoop.I for one am just glad I don't have to track down a stupid crack just to run the game without the CD. Am I the only one that is happy about that?

Things done to my hardware config that has NOT initiated a re-activation:* Installed (and uninstalled) a joystick and USB hard drives.* Installed new RAM.* Overclocked and tweaked BIOS settings. * Removed wireless network card and installed the onboard wired driver.* Removed and updated video drivers.* Uninstalled onboard sound and installed and drivered a Sound Blaster card.* Taken a Acronis TrueImage snapshot of the drive, purged all partitions, then REinstalled the TI snapshot. (This usually throws a curve at some things because of minute changes in the drive layout - didn't even flinch)Things I've done to my hardware config that HAS required a re-activation:* (Nothing)Speed said...> The first 2 were online. The 3rd was on the phone with a person. Then the next 2 times were online again. So it looks like you get more online tries after you have verified over the phone.This has been my experience with Windows itself as well. Being a tinkerer, I ofetn reload from scratch. I do have an Acronis image of my activated system which I use often, but if I make a MAJOR change (new mboard/processor, etc.) I perform a from-scratch reload to be safe. I usually get 2 online activations, followed by a phone call, then things are reset back to online again. If I go long enough between Windows activations, I'll get three onlines in a row - indicating some sort of time-sensitivity in the system.I'm sorry that for some folks, the activation system seems very sensitive. Although not an excuse for them, I believe that activation issues effect only a small fraction of FSX users. I'd be curious to know (specifically) what settings in BIOS were changed to trigger a reactivation, as well as some other details from those having trouble.

I believe that the Dutch law says that when you buy something it is yours, and it should work or do what it is suppose to do. Activation is not one of it. Maybe MS will always activate here, dunno.Like you cant buy a book what you cant open before activation, the book should be open, because its intended to be read.JohanA LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, AND A LITTLE MORE ACTION PLEASE

Bill,That is something you do not need to worry about. That is literally what the activation person said, "Not to worry..." so don't worry about activations. I think there are two out of the box, then after that you have to call the activation center to re-activate again. This person complaining about the bios situation has actually proven that Microsoft will reactivate FSX OVER AND OVER AND OVER no problem, the person with the bios problem reactivated NINE TIMES DUE TO CHANGING HIS BIOS! After that he said he gave up. Don't worry about upgrading your equipment or doing anything else to your computer, "Not to worry..." they will reactivate it.Our problem is if you're upgrading your hardware routinely and often, and changing your bios, then that will set off the activation program and you have to re-activate. In trying to get his computer configured right the other user was adjusting his bios and doing overclocking type of stuff. In other words it is intolerant to tweaking. In my case what I was just thinking about doing, partitioning my hard drive into many partitions and putting windows on one, and half a dozen or more different flavors of Linux on all the other partitions for evaluation purposes, EDIT: forgot to finish my sentence, duh, in my case for evaluating many flavors of Linux, in order to boot into one Linux flavor after another, what I would do in my case is go into the bios and change the drive that is to be booted from. So according to this other user, every time you modifty the bios, that triggers the activation program.If you have a question, just ask, don't hesitate.

JOHAN DEES!!!!????I can't believe I'm talking to Johan Dees!!! You are one of my very most favortie aircraft developers!! I have your FS98 747, a large number of your FS2000 747's and a few of the smaller airliners, you are the most impressive aircraft developer I've come across! It took me a significant amount of time to be able to fly your 747's! So far I've flown 13 or 14,000 hours on my flight simulators, and I would estimate that perhaps 4,000 of those hours were on Dee's 747's (or your 767's?). And I use a real 747 flight manual in guidance to fly them properly.I have run out of hard drive space, I have to get another hard drive to get back to downloading FS9 files, I have a few of your older 747's in FS9 also."WE'RE NOT WORTHY! WE'RE NOT WORTHY! WE'RE NOT WORTHY!"--from "Wayne's World" a Mike Myers movie.Have you been working at pss since FS2000 or Fs2002? What is your impression of the latest POSKY 747's, and the PMDG 747?

Ho ho ho!I stumbled across the one and only admirer I have!. Thanks for the good words.Well, actually, there isnt a singe MSFS airfile been made the way I was able to do it that days. First the addiction to the 747, and more important a retired captain, Mell Ott, who was able for years to comment and test every airfile modification to gain perfection within FS limits.Therefore it was that good. Therfore Hiroshi and Melvin Raffi wanted it, when it was free.(all credits go to Mell, I wish I had his new email)2000 and 2002, and now 2004 changed for FDE developpers, and now FSx does it again.. inventing the wheel again.My impression on PMDG is that is is the best one can get, the flightmodel is very very well done, and then we do not speak of the systems, vc, model and sound.Posky on the other hand tend to focus on the outside model. They could also make a PMDG alike if they would, knowledge enough over there. Personally I think there models can benefit of some work.But, I am not doing FDE anymore, since MS keeps changing the rules I gave up. Just now and then doing changes for my self of commercial bought planes.There is just one man who is the top, even better than MS, Ron Freimuth.I dont have FSX yet, my old system wouldnt let me, so I can comment yet on the new flightmodels, but what I have heard isnt pleasant.JohanA LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION, AND A LITTLE MORE ACTION PLEASE

Charlie,That was extremely well said. I liked the older Windows that didn't require activation. One night I constructed a computer out of parts spread all over an inert surface on my desk, unplugged the 98SE hard drive from my pentium II, plugged it into the literal "desk top" computer spread across my desk, got it up and running, a faster pentium III, given the same video card and monitor, wow the graphics colors were deeper and richer--and that was really a lot of fun. After taking notes, I took it apart, and plugged the 98SE hd back into the pentium II without ever having to call MS. Those MS people from India were extremely nice people, they were 100% courteous and kind, I wouldn't mind speaking to them occaissionally however, isn't it a little inconvenient, to trigger the activation program 10 times per day? The ladies in the Pre-sales and Licensing department were quick to jump at my throat as if I would be doing something wrong by, OH MY GOSH(!), upgrading or configuring my computer!The problem I have now is, while I have gotten past the re-activation policies, that is I trust them to reactivate me if I buy, an ulimited number of times, now I'm wondering whether I have to reactivate FSX an UNLIMITED number of times. I mean, there are other things I need to do in the day, and how long will I have to be on the phone each time?I think you said it exactly right, XP activation was a "conditioning step" and we bought it hook line and sinker, and now the grip has gotten tighter, what is Vista going to be like? Thus far from what I learned from the pre-sales department Vista Media Center is only going to be offered as OEM, in other words you can not upgrade the hardware on it an unlimited number of times, the OEM version only allows you to upgrade once or twice and then that is the end of that OEM license. You have to buy another one, because the OEM version is I've heard half the price of the RETAIL version, and that is the penalty you have to pay for buying the cheap OEM version along with a pre-packaged off the shelf computer. The Pre-sales person said that RETAIL Vista Ultimate is the one for gamers which can be reactivated ("unlimited OS transfers" for hardware enthusiasts) an unlimited number of times, but the downside is that I think it is about $550 for the stand alone product, I think the upgrade will be a lot cheaper but don't remember what it would be. There must be a cheaper retail version that you can reactivate an unlimited number of times also.Also, the user who complained about the bios problem was wondering if Vista will also be ultra sensitive too? I access my bios very frequently. The Activation Center people from India are extremely nice, and have almost a no questions asked attitude, however those ladies in the Pre-sales and Licensing department were quick to be suspicious. I was asking about buying FIVE copies of FSX DLX, and that made one of them very suspicious, and emphatically told me, jumping at my throat, you can not have one licensed FSX on two machines! I got a word in edgewise and said, I am asking about buying FIVE copies of FSX DLX, for FIVE computers! See the difference, one department is very nice and reassuring, the other one not.I liked the older Windows better that did not need activation, I have several computers with older Windows on them and I upgrade them all the time not having to call anyone to be allowed to do that. I heard that Windows 2000 does not have activation problems and is NT 5 whereas XP is NT 5.1. I'm also interested in Linux, and I have 10 copies of X-Plane lined up, I have to just figure out how I'm going to pay for all this excitement! I have to buy more copies of FS9 also. Did you notice what I said, BUY more FS9? I'm a law abiding citizen and I pay for the products I want to use, even if it has an annoying 4th disk that has to be in the cd-rom drive which I use. I haven't even purchased FSX and I'm having a lot of trouble with it. I've never had one single problem with FS9.Johan Dees is correct, we need less conversation and more action. The FSX developers did a fabulous job creating another masterpiece flight simulator, however the businessmen, lawyers, and security people at Microsoft, have gotten into the act with full force--AND HAVE THEY RUINED THIS FABULOUS FLIGHT SIMULATOR? Are they willing to patch it so that us flight sim geeks can get back to work and have fun??WITH REGARDS TO ACTION, WHAT ACTION IS SUGGESTED? ACTION BY US, OR VOLUNTARY ACTION FROM MICROSOFT (Microturkey--'tis the season!)??I have to send this quickly now, we're having a wind storm and I'm nervous about losing electricity.

Stuff the activation bollocksActivating stinks. I have had probs in the past reactivating XP

Bruce,With regards to this "farce", that might be putting it politely!I spoke to a computer security person and his opinion about all these activation programs starting with XP is that, "it is a SCAM". If you have to activate due to a hardware upgrade, then that is a "SCAM".I never used to understand Linux people before, I've always been a diehard supporter of Microsoft! Now I understand them. Before, that was expressly unthinkable!

Johan,I will teasure your 747's, and 767's, for many years to come. When I'm not upgrading my hardware, like I have been doing nonstop for the past two weeks or so (only 15 minutes of flight sim), and when I'm not griping about activation problems (I have not purchased FSX yet, I'm a frugal shopper, I want to understand the product well before I buy), then I like to fly now four flight simulators at the same time. I flew three at the same time for a long time as it was more challenging, more variety, and trained me better, but that actually became too easy, so now I fly four at the same time, and that is very challenging. I just got TWO more computers and I want to put two more flight sims on them, I think Fly!2, and something else, they are both slightly weaker, not sure if they are strong enough to run FS9. I have a sealed unopened FS9 and I was considering installing that into one of them, need more hardware. I'd like to get about 3 or 4 more FS9's. Any way I would fly, FS98, FS2000, FS9, and Fly!2K at the same time, my favorite FS98 747 was the CVA 747(-475?), but then by pure luck I came across your FS98 747! Installed that. I have a long list of your FS2000 747's, boy, now I think I have to install more of your FS2000 747's, I'm very sad that you are no longer doing FDE's. I think your FS2000 747's make FS2000 a very important simulator, and I think I might buy more. Perhaps I should get fs2002 pro, that's the only fs I haven't bought yet, I could use the better scenery, and facility of fs2002 and run your 747's in it!Would you consider doing just the cfg and air files that we could plug into FS9 POSKY'S? I don't want to be a bother, but I know that I would not be the only one who would be interested. One buggaboo (technical term) to me has been the true flight dynamics of the Learjet series, I think they are very exciting planes also. And even more exciting because many years ago I almost was in the position to make a lot of money in business, and was almost potentially capable of buying a Learjet for myself. Unfortunately a crime was comitted against me so it took me several years to get back on my feet. One of the flight dynamics that I have heard about on the real Learjet 35A is that if it (other Learjets also?) approaches a stall it can be very dangerous, it has been known to snap flip over onto it's back.I have also been very interested in becoming an airline pilot. The 747 is the most exciting of all planes in my opinion. It was my goal to fly simulated 747's for such long hours that, the daunting 747 would become very "ordinary" to me to fly, in other words to practice so much that the 747 would be as easy for me to fly as the Beech King Air B200 which was the first simulated plane I flew from Fly!2K. I think I've done that, flying the 747 seems very ordinary now.If I ever do become an airline pilot, and realize my dream of flying the 747, I'd like you to know that you were a MAJOR contributer to my training, and also inspiration.

ProbablyBruceb

>Bill,>>That is something you do not need to worry about. That is>literally what the activation person said, "Not to worry...">so don't worry about activations. I think there are two out>of the box, then after that you have to call the activation>center to re-activate again. This person complaining about>the bios situation has actually proven that Microsoft will>reactivate FSX OVER AND OVER AND OVER no problem, the person>with the bios problem reactivated NINE TIMES DUE TO CHANGING>HIS BIOS! After that he said he gave up. >>Don't worry about upgrading your equipment or doing anything>else to your computer, "Not to worry..." they will reactivate>it.>>Our problem is if you're upgrading your hardware routinely and>often, and changing your bios, then that will set off the>activation program and you have to re-activate. In trying to>get his computer configured right the other user was adjusting>his bios and doing overclocking type of stuff. In other words>it is intolerant to tweaking. In my case what I was just>thinking about doing, partitioning my hard drive into many>partitions and putting windows on one, and half a dozen or>more different flavors of Linux on all the other partitions>for evaluation purposes, EDIT: forgot to finish my sentence,>duh, in my case for evaluating many flavors of Linux, in order>to boot into one Linux flavor after another, what I would do>in my case is go into the bios and change the drive that is to>be booted from. So according to this other user, every time>you modifty the bios, that triggers the activation program.>>If you have a question, just ask, don't hesitate.thanks Bill

>Charlie,>>That was extremely well said. I liked the older Windows that>didn't require activation.Well, good to know there is at least one more of us. I wasn

I'll never cease to be amazed about how many people willingly put up with this crap. Personally I will continue to buy good software (as I always have) and use inofficial patches to remove obnoxious and downright hilarious protection/licensing schemes whenever I see fit.But hey, to each one's own. :)Regards,http://www.bremmekamp.com/img/misc/avsim.jpg