ddenisen

Just a guess, but perhaps FSX doesn't have permissions to write the config/registry file that stores your registration info. Make sure that your AppData and FSX folders are not read-only.

Hey,I'm in the process of building a new rig myself, primarily to play FSX, so once I saw your post I've actually decided to create a new account and comment on a few things. First of all, if you're planning on spending 2k, I feel like you can do much better than the specs you've described. It also seems like you're spending on some things excessively where extra cost really doesn't make that much of a difference, and vice versa. Based on my research 2600k vs 2500k doesn't make that much of a difference for games, including FSX. There is a slight performance improvement, but it's not very significant. Up to you whether it's worth the extra money. I would go with Z68 as it's a newer chipset with more features such as SSD caching (if you ever decide to go that way). I'm not sure how much you're paying, but I was able to find a pretty good ASUS Z68 mobo with everything I could possibly need for around $180 (here). Where on earth does extra 8GB of memory cost that much? You can buy 16GB DDR3 1600 for <$100 on NewEgg. But, my apologies if you're not in the USA, maybe your prices are different. Either way, I'd say definitely give up memory speed (1600 vs 2000 will probably make no perceptible difference...) and either go for 16GB (I'm not sure whether that's needed for FSX either, but with new addons like NGX, maybe...), or save money and use it to get an SSD or a better video card. This should be fine. Just FYI, the hard drive prices have spiked recently due to floods in Asia, so buying a HDD right now is not very cost-effective. You should see a significant improvement in load times and overall system performance with an SSD. But of course you'll give up some capacity. I got a 240GB SSD for $240 after rebates - look around online for specials and rebates and such. I'd say upgrading from an HDD to a SSD would be a much better use of your money than getting faster RAM or a dedicated sound card. If you can afford it I'd go for 570. I personally got AMD HD 6970, which is similar or slightly slower performance-wise, but it was a good deal ($300). Built-in audio in modern motherboards is pretty good. I don't really see the need for a dedicated sound card. I'm not even sure what the advantage of a dedicated card is. Just because it costs more doesn't necessarily mean you need it. If you want better performance I'd use that money on a better video card or an SSD. Can't comment on liquid cooling much... but I got a regular third-party cooler.So, to sum up:Get cheaper RAM, but possibly more Drop the sound card Use the money you save to get an SSD and upgrade your video card. For reference, here is the setup that I'm getting:i5-2500k + Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo cooler16GB DDR3 1600 RAM (Corsair Vengeance)240GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD850W CoolerMaster PSUHiS HD 6970 2GB video cardcheapo Rosewill caseThis came out to roughly $1400 total.Hope this helps a bit!