getting full screen in FSX

[E.E.]

I know this topic comes up frequently because I've read most of the posts - here and elsewhere. The trouble is that none of them help!
When I first installed FSX, full screen came without any problems. Then I installed SP1 and SP2 and most of my downloaded aircraft would no longer work properly. I tried to uninstall SP2 via Control Panel (Windows 7 - 64 bit) but then nothing was right so I reinstalled FSX and there the problem began. Aircraft run in a window and no amount of pressing Alt and enter changes it. I can get rid of the 'window' edges but then the mouse points are all out. I thought I'd have a look at the FSX config file and changed what I thought would be restricting the full screen but nothing changed. Re-examining the fsx config file showed that the changes I had made had been returned to the original settings. I made the file 'read only' but FSX didn't like that much. This means, I guess, that somewhere FSX is getting information to change the config file at startup. There has been a post about NVidia drivers doing something like this and that's set me wondering! My graphic Card is an ATI Radeon 5700 and by coincidence the driver has just been upgraded. Can anyone give me authoritative advice as this is driving me nuts! Reinstalling the downloaded sims takes most of a week!

[Ang2dogs]

FSX is notorious for leaving behind bad and corrupt files after an uninstall especially in the registry. After you uninstall FSX look for any files/folders left over and delete them.
Than use a reg cleaner to weed out anything related to FSX. Next is a clean install (before adding anything, and tweeking), 1st install FSX, than the patches, but you didn't say if your just installing FSX by it self, or with Acceleration, or FSX gold. FSX by itself needs both patches (sp1, sp2). Acceleration comes with sp2, not sure about FSX gold but I think it has both patches (someone correct me if I'm wrong). Anyway first install FSX, run the program with the default flight, than shut'er down and install any patches you need too (one at a time), than run it again Each time after you patch. If all is well, tweek FSX 1st before you add your add-ons and add your stuff one at a time so if a problem accrues you'll be able to fix it. Also match FSX's resolution to your desktop resolution, my desktop 1920 x 1080, FSX the same. AND, don't forget to back up any files you change, hope this helps.

[E.E.]

Okay. I never suspected Flight Simulator would get quite as complex as it has - I bought the early edition way back when I was running Windows 3.5. and it had some annoying bugs even then. Ever since I have promised myself the later FS editions but never got round to it. That makes me long in the tooth and short in the hair I suppose. I purchased what now seems to have been the basic FSX even so, it's a vast improvement! As for SP2. I found it did not go well with many of the Sims I had downloaded and it was the reason all my problems with uninstalling began. I thank you for the help and will do my best to follow it.