Simviation Forums

Well folks , my trusty? year 2005 Dell Dimension 5000 BTX tower case, with its 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 hyper-threading processor, suddenly decided to expire and go to the Computer repository in Hades.
A press of the button to boot-up the computer produced no results, and I suspect either a Motherboard fault, or a dead 320 Watt BTX Power Supply Unit.
...so it forced me to pop into town today (Curry's/PC World) to select and purchase a new Tower Computer (With the dreaded Windows 8 installed), which means that I now have to re-install all my various Flight Sim FS 2004 + FSX Programs and Software add-ons (Payware!).

Some of my programs can be selected (dragged) from my old, existing SATA hard drives, but most of it has to be re-installed all over again, with the usual problems of verifying my Account and Registration details with Flight1, Flightsim store, etc... ...!

I can get FSX re-installed and fired up fairly quickly (I hope), but all my REX, FTX Global, Ultimate Terrain, etc, payware, will take some time to get re-installed!

Busy Times Ahead... ...!

The interesting stuff...>>> http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/computing/ ... 4-pdt.html

Paul....Installed the Firefox Browser again...and running in Classic Win 7 Mode...with a proper Windows Start button!.... ...!

THAT is a real bummer.

Had you considered cloning your old drive onto the new system?

OldAirmail wrote:THAT is a real bummer.

Had you considered cloning your old drive onto the new system?

..'trubble is.....

..there is so much Poo-stuff on my old SATA HDDs (2-off) after years of collecting stuff, that this is probably a good time to start afresh again... ...!

I've got a Magic Hardware Device, "USB2.0 to SATAII + IDE" to transfer loose HDDs data to my Computer USB to transfer files as required....

....so that will ease my pain somewhat, and speed things up a bit!

The nightmare is convincing Flight 1, etc, that the files I will be downloading and installing again...I have already paid for!...Flight1 is a nightmare to convince!

Paul.... ...!

I most certainly do understand. Sometimes I've looked on a massive hardware failure as an opportunity to just start fresh.

I've taken to burning my downloads to CD/DVD and printing out the receipts/activation codes. Both go into a CD sleeve for when I may need them.

I had a problem, a while back, where I couldn't re-download Accu-Feel.

A2A Simulations had no record of my purchase of Accu-Feel v.2. But I sent then a copy of my PayPal receipt and the A2A activation code.

The sent me a new download link without a problem.


Good luck.

Oh My Paul, what an Xmas present

If you need anything, dont hesitate to mail me! I'll see what i can do

Bass wrote:Oh My Paul, what an Xmas present

If you need anything, dont hesitate to mail me! I'll see what i can do

Going slowly Kurt.... ....

With the assistance of my magic USB2.0 to IDE + SATA device, I am slowly transferring useful "stuff" from my old SATA drive, to the desktop on my new PC, and thence to the various (flight sim) folders

...apart from the payware stuff, which has got to be re-installed again...and then the hassle of getting it verified by Fligh1, etc...!

But the biggest bummer....
I have a habit of placing my interesting stuff....funny photos, pictures, etc, (for use in comical, etc Forum postings), in a folder on my desktop home screen for quick use..and of course, that is not saved to the HDD, and is therefor lost when the computer goes belly-up!
So all my collection of funny stuff is lost...forever... ...!

Paul...onwards and upwards... ...!

if useing winxp, the files you stored on your desktop can be found on your old drive under;
C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\Desktop

for win7 look here;
c:\users\YourName\desktop

also, SAVE that drive
you never know what you may need from it later.
including custom settings/config files from various software you use

I just asked the woman about photos aso...
She said >external HDD<!! Dont know where she learned that expression

If you have access to the files on your drive then the pic etc. will still be there. Just not in the area that your used to looking.

Win 7 & Win 8 both use a feature that Junction Link Magic takes advantage of to make it seem as if the files are elsewhere.

The simplest way to find the is to do a search for one name that you can remember on the old hard drive. When you find it, right click on the file and choose "Open file location".

Not having Win 8 I can't do better than that.

In Win 7 it would be;
C:/ (actually whatever the drive letter of your old drive is at the moment)
Users/
Paul/ (or whatever your user name was)
Desktop

In a straight line that would be;
C:/Users/Paul/Desktop/name of any folder on the desktop folder or file

I'll tell you what.... ...!

..you little darlings are my saviors!..... ...!

Took your 'structions for the location on my old SATA drive, and I've got my fun pictures all back again on my new computer desktop.... ...!

...and fortunately I ordered the DVD version of Orbx FTX Global, and together with my carefully saved registration details, I've got FTX Global up and running on the new 'puter...

But...My Ultimate Terrain USA and Europe, and Instant Scenery 3, requires me to go through the mind-boggling complicated process of downloading, re-installing and verifying...

As usual, the complicated Flight1 download process has defeated me yet again...so that's not working...as expected!

I can never figure out why we couldn't use the simple process of downloading the file, running the program, and inserting our saved registration key to fully open it?.... ...!

Nope....we have to find and insert the elusive; "Download Data File (ddf)" which I can NEVER find....It NEVER works..and I can NEVER get my paid-for programs back again!
I curse Flight1 every time!

Paul.... ...!

P.S....I still have all the UT USA/UT Europe, and Instant Scenery 3 files on my old drive, but I imagine that I will have to RE-INSTALL the programs (in the Registry) again for them to work properly?

I/we have to go through all this bloody rigmarole every time....>>> http://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=service

..Woo-Hoo... ....!

Got Ultimate Terrain USA for FSX back and running again!

I by-passed the recommended (safe?) method of downloading and registration!
I just hope now that I can do the same for my very expensive Instant Scenery 3.0 designer!
.....slowly getting back to normal....But, my word!....FSX runs as sweet as a nut with most stuff maxed on my new Intel i7 processor, etc....... ...!

I'm almost? glad that my old Dell Desktop with its 2.8 GHz Pentium 4 finally gave up the ghost!.... ...!

Paul..."Smoothness" is Great!.... ...!

Looking good now, with Orbx FTX Global, and UT USA running!

What would we do without computers!

If we didn't have them we'd have to find something to do with our time.

Like work or relax.


With that new system I bet that you can fly all over California much faster. Next thing that we'll hear is that you traded in that little Cessna for a brand new Cessna Citation X.





BTW - The video card in that new computer will run up to 3 monitors without ANY problems. It's significantly faster than mine, and I run six screens.

..and finally got my "Ultimate Scenery v3.0" scenery designer back and running again after Flight1 magically recognised my log-on details for the download and registration verification for the re-install.... ...!

All going along smoothly now.. ...!

I'm getting to like Intel i7's... ...!

Paul... ...!

.... ....

...whats a Cessna Citation X?.... .....

I'm still rushing around the countryside (Southern California) in my little Bensen single-seater Gyroplane.... ...!

Paul.... ... ...!

Well done Paul
I'll mail YOU if i need any help