How I install FS 2004 from DVD into ViSTA
Posted: Sat Apr 02, 2016 6:20 pmPREViOUSLY I tweaked mi Windows Vista Home Premium SP 2, per NickN instructions (XP/Windows Setup, System Optimizing and Drivers), believe me it made A WORLD OF DiFFERENCE: no more problemas & smoother than Windows 7!! NOTE.- I have a friend who is my PC guru, I would advise you to have one at hand: this can mess the whole OS if you make the slightest bubu or typo. Instructions HAVE TO BE FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER.. I am familiar with dismantling & cleaning PC's, reinstalling OS's & etcéteras.
This is the DVD my son inherited me with his (now obsolete) HP Pavilion Entertainment DV6736nr:
I play the DVD, pick FS 2004 & click SETUP:
I choose CUSTOM iNSTALL...
...OUT of the dreaded PROGRAM FiLES (just in case & por si las moscas) Then clicked iNSTALL.
NOTE.- Before opening for the first time, I replace the FS9.exe file with the FS2004NoCD-1 into my NEW FS 2004 program files.
When FS 2004 displays for the first time, I go SETTiNGS...
... I pick DiSPLAY...
...start with SCENERY tab, all sliders to FULL RiGHT (except TERRAiN DETAIL: won't go FULL with WATTER EFFECTS HIGH & personally, I don't like the LENS FLARE).
...the AiRCRAFT TAB...
...the WEATHER TAB...
...& the HARDWARE TAB: thats my wide screen resolution, the MiP MAPPiNG for Nvidia card looses quality after 4, that depends of every PC. Same thing with FRAME RATE.
Now I go SETTiNGS \ AiR TRAFFIC CONTROL...
...this is my personal selection: no like letters dancing on the Screen & I find female voices atractive...
Still in SETTiNGS I open TRAFFiC...
...& prefer NO LABELS!!
I go down to REALiSM...
...& go REALiSTiC, with the exception of AUTOMiXTURE & COLLiSiONS with other aircraft...
...then I pick WEATHER...
...personally, I like turbulence when flying real ultralights or GA small planes...
...& then I exit FS 2004.
I open my user folder (Jean Loup)...
...and from the TOP MENU I click TOOLS for FOLDER OPTiONS...
...and pick the ViEW TAB to scroll down at HiDDEN FiLES AND FOLDERS...
...click on SHOW HiDDEN FiLES AND FOLDERS...
...then APPLY and OK (note appearance of APP DATA FiLE FOLDER in the background)...
...Click APP DATA...
...pick ROAMiNG...
...then MiCROSOFT...
...FS9 FiLE FOLDER...
...and OPEN FS9.cfg with Notepad (the other CFG files I have, are from Golden Wings & Silver Wing: this is my 3rd. FS 2004 install)
...like this & make a copy as backup JUST in CASE!!
After you open the new FS9.cfg file in notepad, SCROLL DOWN and VERIFY - ADD - EDIT - CHANGE the following items in the list:
[CONTROLS]
PAN_RATE=700 <--- will always be 700
[DISPLAY]
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_SURFACE_SCALAR=1.2
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_VASI_SCALAR=1.0
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_APPROACH_SCALAR=1.0
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_STROBE_SCALAR=1.5
UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=24 to 28 // note.. if the processor/card is a bit slower, this may need to be 22
TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=240 //NOTE: some systems work better @ 400 which is the MAX
[TERRAIN]
TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=100.000000
TERRAIN_MIN_DEM_AREA=10.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_DEM_AREA=100.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=21
TERRAIN_TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=8
TERRAIN_AUTOGEN_DENSITY=5
TERRAIN_USE_GRADIENT_MAP=1
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_TEXTURES=1
TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=9.5 // Also try 9.0
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=9.0 // Also try 4.5 (with 9.0 above)
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=4 < --- If you use FSGenesis mesh, make it 4. If not experiment with 1. This setting is either 1 or 4, nothing else
[SCENERY]
IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=5
DYNAMIC_SCENERY=1
DYN_SCN_DENSITY=5
DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1
SUNGLARE=1
LENSFLARE=1
SAVE and CLOSE the FS9.cfg file.
ENjOY MANY HAPPY FLiGHTS!! 
This is the DVD my son inherited me with his (now obsolete) HP Pavilion Entertainment DV6736nr:
I play the DVD, pick FS 2004 & click SETUP:
I choose CUSTOM iNSTALL...
...OUT of the dreaded PROGRAM FiLES (just in case & por si las moscas) Then clicked iNSTALL.
NOTE.- Before opening for the first time, I replace the FS9.exe file with the FS2004NoCD-1 into my NEW FS 2004 program files.
When FS 2004 displays for the first time, I go SETTiNGS...
... I pick DiSPLAY...
...start with SCENERY tab, all sliders to FULL RiGHT (except TERRAiN DETAIL: won't go FULL with WATTER EFFECTS HIGH & personally, I don't like the LENS FLARE).
...the AiRCRAFT TAB...
...the WEATHER TAB...
...& the HARDWARE TAB: thats my wide screen resolution, the MiP MAPPiNG for Nvidia card looses quality after 4, that depends of every PC. Same thing with FRAME RATE.
Now I go SETTiNGS \ AiR TRAFFIC CONTROL...
...this is my personal selection: no like letters dancing on the Screen & I find female voices atractive...
Still in SETTiNGS I open TRAFFiC...
...& prefer NO LABELS!!
I go down to REALiSM...
...& go REALiSTiC, with the exception of AUTOMiXTURE & COLLiSiONS with other aircraft...
...then I pick WEATHER...
...personally, I like turbulence when flying real ultralights or GA small planes...
...& then I exit FS 2004.
I open my user folder (Jean Loup)...
...and from the TOP MENU I click TOOLS for FOLDER OPTiONS...
...and pick the ViEW TAB to scroll down at HiDDEN FiLES AND FOLDERS...
...click on SHOW HiDDEN FiLES AND FOLDERS...
...then APPLY and OK (note appearance of APP DATA FiLE FOLDER in the background)...
...Click APP DATA...
...pick ROAMiNG...
...then MiCROSOFT...
...FS9 FiLE FOLDER...
...and OPEN FS9.cfg with Notepad (the other CFG files I have, are from Golden Wings & Silver Wing: this is my 3rd. FS 2004 install)
...like this & make a copy as backup JUST in CASE!!
After you open the new FS9.cfg file in notepad, SCROLL DOWN and VERIFY - ADD - EDIT - CHANGE the following items in the list:
[CONTROLS]
PAN_RATE=700 <--- will always be 700
[DISPLAY]
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_SURFACE_SCALAR=1.2
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_VASI_SCALAR=1.0
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_APPROACH_SCALAR=1.0
RUNWAY_LIGHTS_STROBE_SCALAR=1.5
UPPER_FRAMERATE_LIMIT=24 to 28 // note.. if the processor/card is a bit slower, this may need to be 22
TEXTURE_BANDWIDTH_MULT=240 //NOTE: some systems work better @ 400 which is the MAX
[TERRAIN]
TERRAIN_ERROR_FACTOR=100.000000
TERRAIN_MIN_DEM_AREA=10.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_DEM_AREA=100.000000
TERRAIN_MAX_VERTEX_LEVEL=21
TERRAIN_TEXTURE_SIZE_EXP=8
TERRAIN_AUTOGEN_DENSITY=5
TERRAIN_USE_GRADIENT_MAP=1
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_TEXTURES=1
TERRAIN_DEFAULT_RADIUS=9.5 // Also try 9.0
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_RADIUS=9.0 // Also try 4.5 (with 9.0 above)
TERRAIN_EXTENDED_LEVELS=4 < --- If you use FSGenesis mesh, make it 4. If not experiment with 1. This setting is either 1 or 4, nothing else
[SCENERY]
IMAGE_COMPLEXITY=5
DYNAMIC_SCENERY=1
DYN_SCN_DENSITY=5
DAWN_DUSK_SMOOTHING=1
SUNGLARE=1
LENSFLARE=1
SAVE and CLOSE the FS9.cfg file.
ENjOY MANY HAPPY FLiGHTS!! 
?
...!
....!
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.....my brain is exploding!.... 
...!
