fsx/ windows 8.1

[Steve M]

I'm planning on loading FSX Gold into my new machine with Windows 8.1 on Sunday, and I would be thankful for a bit of advice in order to avoid stumbling into it. So I have done some searches as to where I should install FSX and found conflicting opinions. I have a C drive with windows installed in it and then a (data 'D') drive with virtually nothing in it as illustrated..



My first question is of course, Where should I direct FSX to? for the best results? My machine specs, If it makes any difference >> Asus M51AD
Processor Intel core I7 4770 CPU @ 3.4 Ghz
12 gigs ram
64 bit win 8.1
Nvidia Geforce GTX 650

My second question is.. Would I still be able to use my old Saitek AV8R stick? And should I try to run the software that came with it on a disk? (Winxp rated)

I thank you greatfully if you can help, I am asking BEFORE I do the deed on Sunday..

[OldAirmail]

Is there any way that you can squeeze CDN$ 109.99 for an SSD?

One of the things that we all live with is the slow start-up time. And although everybody keeps harping on the speed of the CPU, that long wait is a killer.


I bought a cheep 256GB SSD for Prepard and it made a GREAT difference!



(Follow the link for an explanation of the Part 1 and 2 bit.)

[Steve M]

Is there any way that you can squeeze CDN$ 109.99 for an SSD?

One of the things that we all live with is the slow start-up time. And although everybody keeps harping on the speed of the CPU, that long wait is a killer.


I bought a cheep 256GB SSD for Prepard and it made a GREAT difference!



(Follow the link for an explanation of the Part 1 and 2 bit.)

I could consider an SSD, It might throw a monkey wrench at me but I would do it to get FSX back again..

[unclegreg]

Steve,
I recently got a new HP laptop with Windows 8.1 and installed FSX Deluxe to the C drive. All went well until I installed the FSUIPC and the SDK. The computer couldn't link all these together so I uninstalled and reinstalled to the default location-C/Program Files. Now everything works well. I also have the Saitek AV8TR joystick and Win 8.1 recognized it immediately without the Saitek disc. I'm happy ,I get a constant 45 to 50 FPS. Just keep air and ground traffic low and you should be quite pleased. Good Luck!
unclegreg

[OldAirmail]

....
I could consider an SSD, It might throw a monkey wrench at me but I would do it to get FSX back again..

You might be surprised.

I have Windows 7. I added the SSD as a separate hard drive & Windows didn't even blink.



There was absolutely nothing to do other than format the SSD & direct the FSX instillation to F:\Program Files (x86).

As all of the instillation programs want to direct the instsall to C:\Program Files (x86) I kept that folder title.

All you have to do is to change the C to the letter of your FSX SSD.

It beats the heck out of having to navigate to the FSX directory on another drive and with another folder name.

[OldAirmail]

Using the default C drive and directory isn't a real problem if you know how to change the user rights to it.

If you have any problems use SimAccess from Flightsim Estonia.

It'll do a more complete fix than the majority of people can do.

And it's FREE too.

[Steve M]

Steve,
I recently got a new HP laptop with Windows 8.1 and installed FSX Deluxe to the C drive. All went well until I installed the FSUIPC and the SDK. The computer couldn't link all these together so I uninstalled and reinstalled to the default location-C/Program Files. Now everything works well. I also have the Saitek AV8TR joystick and Win 8.1 recognized it immediately without the Saitek disc. I'm happy ,I get a constant 45 to 50 FPS. Just keep air and ground traffic low and you should be quite pleased. Good Luck!
unclegreg

Thanks unclegreg, I am happy to hear the joystick should work. Default location it is, I had read stories in the past of installing to a partition, which is why I asked the question.

[Steve M]

Using the default C drive and directory isn't a real problem if you know how to change the user rights to it.

If you have any problems use SimAccess from Flightsim Estonia.

It'll do a more complete fix than the majority of people can do.

And it's FREE too.

Thanks for the reply OAM, I'm downloading simaccess right after I write this. So it looks like I'm good to go. Thank you once again!

[OldAirmail]

Not that you'll need it, but good luck.

[garymbuska]

For what it is worth I have read that FSX will run better installed any where except on the same drive as your operating system is on.
You also by pass all of the headache with permission problems.

[Steve M]

Thanks Gary. Well folks I stuck it into the default location and maybe I should have and maybe I shouldn't have. Reading NickN advice about tuning does not apply to Win 8.1 although some of it may, but which bits do I haven't got a clue?
Got my joystick working okay and then I couldn't get the throttle down to idle, (20%) checked all about the cockpit and the FSX control panel, no joy yet.
The scenery looks like a plate of grits (using different settings each time) and I had to put a tick in AA to get rid of the jaggies. Not an impressive start and I'm tired of messing with it for today. Nvidea drivers can make a huge difference and new isn't always better for FSX. I have driver 326.25 right now, so tomorrow I will start looking for an FSX friendly driver and see where that leads me.

[Steve M]

After reading through literally hundreds of internet posts the joystick failures are an issue with many people. Mine hasn't totally failed yet except for the throttle issue. I mean it worked at first and then it didn't. The problem is elusive and buried somewhere in Microsofts vault. Also some folks with Win7 have this problem after windows update, hmmm.. It doesn't matter the brand such as CH, Saitec, etal.
BUT! I still have my old hard drive Win XP pro on a Western Digital hard drive with FSX and all the addons. Being this is a new motherboard I wonder if I could just buy a new Microsoft license for Win XP and plug it into this machine as another drive? Wishful thinking? I mean without having to reformat..

[OldAirmail]

Several options.

Simply put your old drive into the new computer. You'll have a lot of system updates to do, and it'll take a while.

So long as that copy of XP isn't being used on another computer - no license problem.

There is a possibility that there isn't a driver for some of the new hardware. But probably there still is. There are quite a few companies (and government agencies) that still use XP.



Your New drive is probably not only bigger, but faster. Clone your XP to that drive and go through all the driver updates.

You'll have the same problems as above, but you'll at least had a faster drive.

The biggest problem is that you'll loose Win 8.x. (Technically, you won't, but trying to get Win 8 back on the drive may become a major headache. Depends on how you do it.)



If you're absolutely sure that you don't want Windows 8, the there is a 3 step plan;

Clone XP to the new drive, update the drivers, and use PCmover from LapLink to migrate to Windows 7.





This is what I did years ago and it worked to perfection.

You will of course have to buy a copy of Window 7 - BUY IT FROM A REPUTABLE COMPANY!

I would recommend Windows 7 Professional if you have any valuable software that will not work on Win 7, because you can download Virtual XP FREE from Microsoft.

Virtual XP will ONLY run on Windows 7. IT WILL NOT RUN ON WINDOWS 8!




Actually, You might want to migrate Win 7 to your old drive in the old computer.

After that's done THEN clone it to the new drive.

Windows 7 should have a much better time as far as updating the drivers.


There is one last option - Try to like Win 8.

[Steve M]

Say the old drive is used as an external drive, not to replace the new drive? This Win XP was installed using a different motherboard so a liscence issue might come up, but it is possible to buy a new key through MS allowing me to use this harddrive on a different machine. No? But the real issue is Win8.1. I may have to dump it and throw MS some more money for 7 but I will keep trying 8.1 until I'm hairless and feeble.. Oh wait, to late for that.

[OldAirmail]

Say the old drive is used as an external drive, not to replace the new drive? This Win XP was installed using a different motherboard so a liscence issue might come up, but it is possible to buy a new key through MS allowing me to use this harddrive on a different machine. No? But the real issue is Win8.1. I may have to dump it and throw MS some more money for 7 but I will keep trying 8.1 until I'm hairless and feeble.. Oh wait, to late for that.

So long as the drive has a legitimate Windows install, that's all that matters.



Whenever there are a certain number, or types, of changes to you system Microsoft will want to "protect you" by validating your copy of Windows.

If you have the Windows software "key" (That long series of numbers & letters), AND if it isn't installed on another computer somewhere (you friends computer?), then you'll have no problems in cloning or upgrading.



If you do have a legit copy of Windows on your computer BUT you no longer have the software key, that's not a problem.

Download Belarc Advisor, it's free.

Belarc Advisor is a legit program. I've used it for about 15 years. Very handy.

When it's done do a search for Software Licenses. You license Key (not that number to the left of the word Key) will be a little ways down the list, not all that far.







As best I can recall, every time that I've upgraded the windows installer will check to see if you have the original disk OR that there's a legit version on the hard drive.

Again - so long as you have one or the other there should be no problem.


If in doubt, you could always have a competent friend do it for you. But I really think that using PCmover may be your best bet.

Assuming that your XP isn't a total mess.


BTW -EVEN IF you have the most commonly pirated copy of Window on your system, Microsoft will politely ask you if you want to buy a legitimate license.

Of course if you don't, then your copy of windows will stop working.