How is this possible!?

[Balsa_Pilot]

It looks to me like windows made an auto restoration of your system!!!
Are you able to do the same before this?
Is there anything in your event log?

I ran the Combo fix program again and FS is now running normally as it did the first time. I created a system restore point now that its working like it should, but I haven't restarted my computer yet. I don't know why but it seems that when windows is restarted, it restores fs9 back to some odd time when I installed some old textures that I didn't like and then deleted. They are nowhere to be found on my computer, but they were showing up when I ran FS. They were just textures. I don't use any add-on programs such as REX or Real Environment. I always direct any auto install executables to a folder on the desktop and then install them manually. I've looked through the registry and I don't see anything related to any programs that could possibly cause this. The SYSWOW64_32.dll that combo fix removed is some part of flash player. I'm not really sure if it had anything to do with fixing the problem the first time, but it was the only item that was deleted according to the scan result. I guess after I do a little more looking around I'm going to hold my breath and restart windows and see if it happens again.

[Balsa_Pilot]

If you're not admin, and it seems you are not, then the worst place to install any fs is the stock microsoft games folder.
Move the fs, or get administrator rights on your pc!

I am the only user on this machine, and I am administrator according to the user account. I find it strange however that when I want to alter a panel or aircraft config file I have to right click on it, go to properties, click on the security tab and then give myself permission to alter it. Windows XP was never like this. I would love to install fs9 and fsx on another drive, but I'm not sure if this machine is set up for multiple disk drives. This is a cheap 600 dollar wal-mart computer. I grabbed it because my old XP computer's processor got fried when the fan gave out and I needed something quick. I built that old rig a long time ago and I had 3 hard disk drives installed on it which were IDE. This computer has a 1tb SATA drive. I put my 600 wat power supply on it and my video card. I plan on building a gaming PC soon and I thought that getting this thing would be a good way to get used to windows 7. Yeah...I'm sure getting used to it aren't I?

[Capt_Cronic]

sry, just edited , plz re-read

being the only user with admin rights in the user account screen
does not give you ALL admin rights.

right click on your fs main folder, goto properties, security tab, click administrator, click edit, click all the "allow" boxes, apply.

[Bass]

As the Capt says.

You dont need other drives!
Make a folder on your C: (call it what you want) and move or install fs to that folder.
Then it is away from programs/programs(x86) which is those windows reads.

[Balsa_Pilot]

sry, just edited , plz re-read

being the only user with admin rights in the user account screen
does not give you ALL admin rights.

right click on your fs main folder, goto properties, security tab, click administrator, click edit, click all the "allow" boxes, apply.

Yes, I've already done that. I have full control. Even so, for each new config file I want to alter, I still have to give myself permission to alter it. I don't have any problems accessing anything. When I changed the resolution setting it actually showed that it was changed to 1600x900x16. But when I started FS it wasn't. The screen was still in 1080. I could even go to setting while I was flying and 1600x900x16 was highlighted. This whole thing acts as if the directory I'm working in is fake, and windows is reading from another one somewhere else on the computer. I've been everywhere on this computer and the only fs9 directory is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9. The FSX directory is right there with it. By the way, FSX seems to be working fine except for the jerky frame rates that its always had. I know I can move the sliders more to the left to fix the frame rates, but what is the point of flying a beautiful Carenado machine in a crappy looking environment? I can fly those beautiful planes on fs9 with all settings maxed, and it looks really nice and is smooth as silk. Anyway, I'll be glad to finally be rid of the weird problem. And I really do appreciate everyone's help on this.

[Balsa_Pilot]

As the Capt says.

You dont need other drives!
Make a folder on your C: (call it what you want) and move or install fs to that folder.
Then it is away from programs/programs(x86) which is those windows reads.

Well I guess I can just cut and paste the entire root directory to C: and then just delete the shortcut on the desktop and make a new one from C:/fs9. I did that in the past on my old machine, but then I had to go to the registry and change the path for some of the planes that were installed. It shouldn't be too bad though; I don't have a lot of things installed yet. I'll give it a shot. Thanks.

[Capt_Cronic]

that is really strange,
aside from a nasty virus,
i'm out of ideas

[Capt_Cronic]

I got one last idea,

when you installed fs on that machine,
did you choose custom install and select "complete installation" ?
if not, the game will load most of its scenery from the disk when you run it.

[Balsa_Pilot]

Well, I've moved the root directory to the C: drive. The new path is, C:/Flight Simulator 2004. Everything seems to be working great so far, and I've even restarted the computer just to see if it stayed that way. I am hoping this problem is gone for good! Thanks again to everyone for their help.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go and take a couple of Ibuprofen's, and a long nap!

Seriously, thanks a lot guys!

[Capt_Cronic]

glad to help.

im in the electronics repair buisness and unresolved problems just drive me nutz

[Bass]

[PlutonianEmpire]

I think that when working with specific games and software, or just in general really, if Windows auto update downloads and installs updates and breaks a part of the program in question, it is best to just change the windows update settings so that windows MUST notify you before downloading and installing updates, so you can can just get the updates you want instead of bloatware that just breaks games. I know this from being a long time user of an open source space software that is entirely dependent on OpenGL, and Windows updates have a habit of screwing that program over, so I just have Windows Uldate notify me only by default.