Getting what I paid for.

[gordie3640]

I need to express my disappointment and frustration with Microsoft and its FSX. I am a retired pastor; a computer USER not a computer DEVELOPER. I love to fly but can’t afford a plane so I purchased a CH Flightsim yoke and FSX. I’ve tried with no success to communicate this disappointment directly to Microsoft with no satisfaction.

I live near an airport located close to the Western Shores of Lake Michigan. There are three iconic lighthouses within a thirty-mile stretch of the shore. However, none of them appear in the “Deluxe Edition.” It is like buying a watch on line then discovering that it has only four numbers on it. But wait. Somehow I discover that there is the potential of adding scenery objects, but I have to perform several developmental tasks perfectly. The result will be “tools” in my SFX. Never mind Microsoft doesn’t tell me this and they don’t tell me how to do it.

A third party developer evidently realizes this same frustration and graciously provides software called “Scenery Shortcut.” It takes a little extraneous coding, however, I’m able to do it and now I have lighthouses with gulls flying around them plus several other local landmarks that make flying much more realistic. But wait. I receive a new computer as a gift but it runs on Windows 10 and “Scenery Shortcut” is no longer compatible and my landmarks have all disappeared.

I have the potential to place objects but, evidently I missed something in one of the many SPs installed and DLLs modified (thanks to a lot of willing developer types). So still no “Tools.”
I paid for these objects but don’t get to enjoy them because I didn’t get what I paid for: something that works when it comes out of the box.

[Fozzer]

...and just as you though that The Lord was on your side?..... ....

He gave you a Computer with Windows 10 installed!... .... ...!

Hellfire and Damnation!.... ....!

Time to see the light!

Paul....A confirmed Atheist with Windows 8.1....... ...!

.... ...!!

[Hawkeye07]

Just as I suspected!! Windows 10 is the Devil's work!

Windows 7 "till death do us part." Go back good Padre, go back!!

[OldAirmail]

rdie3640 One of the first rules fo simulated flight is to NEVER fly over an area that you are very familiar with.

Perhaps with the exception of Google, most people can't afford a computer that will give you true to life scenery.

So you have the artistic skill and determination to put your landmarks where they should be.



Next

You got a new computer - What happened to your old computer? Is the hard drive still good?

If it is, have someone clone your old drive onto the new drive, wiping out Window 10.

You can do it yourself if you want to, but there will be some dancing around to get the proper drivers setup.

You're now back to where you want to be but with a faster system, and with, presumably, a larger hard drive.

[ftldave]

Computers are not watches, and simulator programs like FSX require computer skills. No way around that fact.

At my place of work we've replaced about a thousand Windows 7 machines with Windows 10 and, so far, only encountered one program that would not run despite all our efforts, a 1994-era paper-size catalog manager for big copier-printers. Kodak never updated it. We blame Kodak, who wants us to buy newer copiers. We don't blame Microsoft. And, yes, some 10-year old disc duplicators and scanners in our departments don't have Windows 10 drivers. But, that said, Windows 10 is faster, has better security, and once we've added the free Classic Shell desktop, users like it very much.

When people say they are frustrated, enraged, disappointed, etc., I can't help but wonder if they've gotten into the wrong hobby. Microsoft's done a pretty good job over the years with backwards compatibility, when you consider at all the thousands of different software programs, computer models, and hardware devices that continue to work as they should, even in Windows 10, with the proper installation and configuration. I think that fact is too often taken for granted. Vertical market and smaller software vendors often don't have any business incentive to upgrade their specialty programs, unfortunately.

Cloning a boot hard drive from one type of computer to a totally different type of computer? ... only resulted in unbootable or constant crashes when I've seen that tried, horrors. Nice thought, but good luck with that.

Isn't realistic Michigan scenery available for purchase from other vendors? I don't know, only focus on airport sceneries and fly up high as a rule, but surely it's out there.

[OldAirmail]

Cloning a boot hard drive from one type of computer to a totally different type of computer? ... only resulted in unbootable or constant crashes when I've seen that tried, horrors. Nice thought, but good luck with that.

You're right, some people don't have the computer skills for cloning. That was why my first suggestion was to have someone else do it for him.


But I've been doing it successfully for the last 15-20 years. The biggest problem is in cloning a really old OS, like one prior to Windows 98.

Alternately, cloning from an older computer onto another that has radically different hardware might cause problems for some.


But, heck, the drive manufacturers make it as easy as pie, nowadays. EVERY new drive that I've bought has cloning software that you can download for free.

Unless you're an absolute beginner, there's no need to buy cloning software.

Still, you're right. Some people have problems that they can't resolve without assistance.


If you've been helping your IT department swap around computers, I'd guess that they may have cloning problems due to computer theft protection software/hardware, such as Absolute Software's LoJack. You'd have to ask them.

It can get complicated in a business situation.

[zswobbie1]

Ghost in the machine?

Anyhow.... FSX has been long discontinued, BUT still runs perfectly on Windows 10 (please, no debate!) So, FSX works, Windows 10 works, BUT an add-on (non Microsoft) does not?

Very quick to always bash Microsoft when 3rd parties do not update their stuff!

Padre', Microsoft provided/sold us the basic engine, that we bought, for better or worse (the devil made me do it), & it is/was up to 3rd party developers, both payware & freeware, to offer us add-ons. It is up to them to keep their own add-ons up to date, not Microsoft.

[zswobbie1]

Padre', you seem to be preaching in all churches, including Flightsim, about this very issue of yours..

I do realise that simming is multi denominational.....

[Canuck1955]

Gordie come to http://www.sim-outhouse.com/sohforums/forum.php where at the Outhouse newbies are treated with respect. I cannot believe how rude some of these comments are and on their behalf I apologise.

[Fozzer]

I reckon.... ....

A little sip of red wine and three Hail Mary's will cure most of the O.P's Windows 10 problems... ...!

I've tried it before, without success, probably because I'm in the wrong side of the fence... .... ...

The wine is always nice tho'.... ...!

Paul.... ...!

[Tug002]

I am presently have a high end mother board with a 4.5 gig processor and a Geforce GTX 770 video card ready to be put into a computer but do not want to give up my Windows Vista which I am currently using for my FSX. If it was as simple as putting in my present hard drive into the new machine it would be great but I am told that my present operating syestem from my HP computer will not work on the new mother board so I am stuck with a slower machine untill my hard drive dies and I am forced to buy windows 10 And put the new machine to work. At least when my HP dies I will have all I need but the RAM and OS to be up and running again.

Keep smiling
Tug

[garymbuska]

I have windows 10 and am using both FSX and FS9 with no problems at all.
One thing about Windows 10 is for reasons that I do not know or understand Microsoft locked up the Programs Files (86) like a steal drum. And if you noticed there is another version of Program Files the difference is the Program Files (86) folder is for 32 bit programs which describes over 98% of every program out there. So when you go to install a program that is 32 bit it will by default install in the Programs Files (86) folder.
I know that you can turn down your UAC and in most cases that will work but from what I have discovered not 100% of the time. Some programs still have issues.
The way around this is to install in any folder other than the Program files(86) folder. Now me I have Three hard drives so I put FSX on one hard drive and FS9 on the other one neither of them are on my C drive at all. All it will do is to create a program Files (86) folder on the drive you install on but that will not be a problem. The only one you have to worry about is on your C drive or whatever drive you have windows 10 on.
Not I can not guarantee that this will solve all of your issues as I do not know what your system specs are. But like someone else stated you can not expect to find real scenery in every place you go. There are third party payware scenery programs out there like MEGASCENERYEARTH This is photo realistic scenery that come pretty close to the real thing but even it has limitations but you can find scenery for every state. The downfall of this kind of scenery it only looks good at certain altitudes low and slow works best.

[garymbuska]

I am presently have a high end mother board with a 4.5 gig processor and a Geforce GTX 770 video card ready to be put into a computer but do not want to give up my Windows Vista which I am currently using for my FSX. If it was as simple as putting in my present hard drive into the new machine it would be great but I am told that my present operating syestem from my HP computer will not work on the new mother board so I am stuck with a slower machine untill my hard drive dies and I am forced to buy windows 10 And put the new machine to work. At least when my HP dies I will have all I need but the RAM and OS to be up and running again.

Keep smiling
Tug

The problem in your case is you do not have the drivers needed to run Windows Vista and your new mother board is more than likely designed to run on a 64 bit operating system and there is no 64 bit version of Windows Vista.
Now Windows 8 or 8.1 does have a 64 bit version which should work fine if you can find a copy. The problem there was Windows 8.1 was only released on OEM which means you can only install it on one computer PERIOD.
Original Equipment Machine.(OEM)

[Tug002]

Thank you for the advice. Always open to suggestions.

Keep smiling
Tug

[zswobbie1]

Of course there was a 64 bit version of Windows Vista! How did you think otherwise?

Windows Vista Home Basic
Similar to Windows XP Home Edition, Home Basic targets budget-conscious users not requiring advanced media support for home use. This edition lacks the Windows Aero graphical user interface with translucent glass effects; however, it does support desktop composition. Home Basic supports one physical CPU, but with multiple cores,[14] and the 64-bit version supports up to 8 GB of RAM.[15]

Yup, Windows 8.1 was an update to Windows 8. But, like Vista, also a bit of a 'dog'! Many users went from a happy install of Windows 7, straight to Windows 10.