Activate Both Dual boot installs XP / Vista ?

[jackcnd 0]

With a dual boot machine is it possible to activate installs of FSX on XP and Vista?The Vista FSX install is activated now, the FSX XP install is asking me to call in.If I activate FSX in XP will I still be able to use and update both the Vista install and the XP install on the same machine?

[fbass 1]

I think you'll have problems with this setup. A dual boot configuration doesn't really separate operating systems like you think it would. Vista, in a dual boot setup, exchanges files back and forth with XP. You can see this readily with restore points. If you are working in Vista and you change back to XP, you'll loose your restore points in Vista. There are some other examples but I can't remember them at this point.There is a way, however, to get around this dual boot issue. On my system I have two sets of RAID HDDs. Note: You don't have to use the extra drives but I just have it this way in my system. Anyway, one set of HDDs has XP installed. The other set has Vista. The way I change back and forth is via the BIOS setup routine. I just change the bootable partition back and forth and the installations are completely separate. Yes, this requires a little more effort but it gives me two OS setups without the problems with dual-boot.Both of the RAID pairs have their own drivers and applications associated with the two OSs. I would highly recommend you install FSX in completely different folders/paths. For example, you might install FSX under Vista and place it in the C:FSX directory. Under XP, you might use c:gamesfsx. Note: In order to make this work you will have to have at least two HDDs. In my case, I don't have two installations of FSX - I have FSX on one RAID pair and FS9 on the other. Of course I don't see any reason why you can't install two instantiations of FSX.Try it and see if it works. One other thing - when you have this setup and you change back and forth between the two OSs, the disk drive IDs will also change. For example, when you're in Vista you will have drives C: and D: (assuming two drives with the two OSs). When you change to XP, you'll still have the two drive letters but now drive C: will be the XP installation. In other words, each OS will see the other drive with all its files. You can copy/move back and forth without any problems. You just have to remember which OS you're using.fb

[THibben 16]

When I installed Vista I accidently installed it on a different drive than XP was installed in. Hence, I had a dual boot system. I then installed FX in Vista in the same location as it is installed for XP. This was to install the necessary FSX drivers into the Vista registrty. For convience I make any changes or updates to FSX while in XP. These are effective in both XP and Vista. I think FSX is actually working better in Vista.The only thing I have to do is boot with the Vista DVD in the drive if I want to go into Vista and boot without it for XP. So far having no problems.Tom

[jackcnd 0]

Thanks for the replies.I do have complete separate installs of XP and Vista on different drives in the same PC. I use the bios to select the drive/OS to boot from.I also have separate installs of FSX on each drive.My concern is just activating the XP FSX install with FSX already activated on Vista. It's the same machine and I can only run one at a time, so I can't see from a license point how MS could be concerned, but I dont want to end up with the Vista install deactivated when I activate the XP install. Has anyone done this on the same machine?

[bonchie 2,305]

Call Microsoft to activate it and they'll do it. You own the game. As long as you tell them your putting it on your computer they can't stop you and must activate it for you. I installed Vista on a new harddrive and thats what I had to do. You payed for the game. Its your right to install it on your computer, no matter the hardware changes you make.