Which O/S XP or WIN 7 or 8 or 10 for FS2004 and new machine

Just got myself a new PC for Flightsim its a PC AMD A6 6420K Running at 4.6Ghz with an SSD so should eat the frame rates ;)The machine is solely for Flightsim use

First step is to select the operating system I used to Run on XP but people seem to be able to run on 7 or later with 2004 so should i go for 7 ???

 

Plan on Installing FS2004

REX

Ground Environment

Some MESH not sure which one???

IFLY 737

GE Pro

and some UK 2000 scenery airports

Is there a correct sequence ? ie Mesh then scenery then GE then REX ??

Anthing else reccomended ??

Havent used my old setup for 18mths odd as been busy on a car and house project

This is going to be this winters Hobby

Thanks

Boyd

Yes, go for 7. iFly has some documented issues with Windows 8, not sure about Windows 10.

Which O/S XP or WIN 7 or 8 or 10 for FS2004 and new machine

 

Microsoft stopped support for dear old XP a couple of years ago (ie no more security updates and stuff), so it's pretty much a dead duck.

Win 7 is good but is also getting a bit long in the tooth.

I hear there are still a few glitches in Win 10 that they need to work out.

Win 8.1 is reliable, tried and tested, so I'd plump for that if I were you.

 

(PS- For the record, FS2004/FSX run fine on my Win 7 desktop PC, and fine on my Win 8.1 laptop)

Not to mention that XP doesn't fully support SSD drives, and performance would degrade over time with that honorable-but-obsolete operating system.

XP ..... performance would degrade over time with that honorable-but-obsolete operating system.

 

What are you talking about? I've had no "degradation" since I installed XP when it first came out. Still going strong and, with proper security applications, is no larger threat than any other operating system at this point. Hey ..... and NO FS2004 problems with it or its related products. If you can find it .... get it ....and enjoy it.

 

P.S. - Being a Purdue grad, I just might be a little bias against comments coming from Bloomington ...... just say'n

I just put together a Win 7 Pro 64 bit workstation and migrated FS9 to it. I have an XP workstation but software updates for other applications were demanding 7 or better with 64 bits.

 

One trick Win 7 has if the setting is enabled in the BIOS is that complex math used in a application is passed to the graphics card processor which is more competent and more efficient than the floating point section in the main CPU. This affords better FS9 performance even though FS9 is not multi-threaded. In addition FS9 is also more address space in the 32 bit space it is granted to run with out the 3 GB patch to FS9. In a magazine benchmark using identical clocked processors, FS9 performed much better on W7 than XP.

 

The processor (Intel i7 4790K) is variable clocked on demand to 4.2 and above. This is important since FS9 garphics rendering is programmed just using the CPU, not GPU. While I have 32GB max RAM installed, with multicore systems different applications can take advantage of running apps on different cores (affinity) under different RAM assignments.

 

FWIW I also have FSX-Steam installed.

 

One caution that is very important. Do not let your Win 7 install do automatic updates. One in particular removes the Digital Rights manager module and FS9 will not be able to use disk 4 for loading up. There is also a DRM hot fix offered with other updates that will disable the Safe Disk copy protection scheme used. See the FS9 won't start threads especially about update KB 3086255. This thread goes into it:

 

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?293089-Sim-won-t-load

 

The type of User Access Control imposed by Win 7 will be new to you. This mostly affects applications installed into the Program Files or Program Files (x86) hierarchy. There are two levels of admin privileges for user level and application level (the latter for one app to access another's data). Turning off UAC (user access control) will not turn off the program level privilege. You will need to set some older applications that do not raise their access privilege to a property to Run As Admin possibly in two different tabs under properties, the second under advanced. The application in my signature requires that setting. The latest FSUIPC versions, if used, take care of that.

 

The performance I've gained under Win7 taking advanced of generation 4 processors for graphics and main CPU really boosted my performance of FS9 and and add-on applications such as Active Sky Evolution (which is FS9 and FSX compatible).

 

I rely on third party protection (Norton Internet Security) instead of MS updates and have done that for a very long time especially when Internet Explorer updates changed operating system modules used by some of my other applications making them unusable.

 

In summary Win 7 - 64 allows better performance than XP will.

I still use Win XP Sp2 and it works 'ok' with FS9 and FSX Accel. But I don't impose any complicated scenery or big iron add ons on it. I myself don't have to be 'convinced' that Win 7 64 bit is almost necessary. I just keep putting off spending the $$s to get it. And, get this, Win 7 will even allow you to plug in a 32 Gb USB stick and use is as 'Ram Boost'. It's called progress I guess.

Chuck B

I'm with Chuck on this issue. Although there are newer operating systems, for professional reasons (namely expensive software I didn't want to have to spend big $$$ to upgrade), I have stayed with XP, sp III. I run FS-9 and unlike Chuck, I have tons of add-ons and all of Holger's scenery. FS-9 runs like a Swiss watch with great frame rates. My only problem is that I have so many planes that boot time is excessive, but I'm just too lazy to fix that issue. From my prospective, I would not be afraid of AX at all, it's probably the most stable and best system Microsoft ever produced!

Incidentally are all OS's the same price?

Incidentally are all OS's the same price?

 

No.

 

Dijvid

I'm with Chuck on this issue. Although there are newer operating systems, for professional reasons (namely expensive software I didn't want to have to spend big $$$ to upgrade), I have stayed with XP, sp III. I run FS-9 and unlike Chuck, I have tons of add-ons and all of Holger's scenery. FS-9 runs like a Swiss watch with great frame rates. My only problem is that I have so many planes that boot time is excessive, but I'm just too lazy to fix that issue. From my prospective, I would not be afraid of AX at all, it's probably the most stable and best system Microsoft ever produced![/quoteu]

 

 

Hello

Interesting you mention boot time.

Last year I bought a new PC (not a super expensive gameing machine, HP pavilion basic what would probably be marketed as an all round family PC)

Prior to that I had been using my old XP P2.8 setup.

Now iam not sure about the relative merits of OSs but what I can say is that my old setup was taking up to ten minutes and more from power on switch to running, and then an age to get FS9 going as well.(to be fair that was probably not just down to ageing XP,but other factors as well)

My new PC running W8.1 starts in seconds, likewise Fs9 (X a little longer ,but fast)

This is great. Even if I ctd (I rarely do these days ,particularly using 9 )or have to restart my PC for some reason ,iam back up and flying in minutes (a couple, not fifteen as was the case before)

Anyways my new PC was the best upgrade for me.

Plus ! I just like to try new things anyway ,so a fond farewell to XP )

I have tried W10 but couldn't get Fs9 going on that, but iam not going to condem 10 ,iam sure one day I will get that sorted as well.

So for all simmers on a budget you do not have to spend a fortune on a stonking gameing machine to get a whopping great increase in performance.

Even X which I rein a couple of weeks ago ,bar some teething problems is running nicely as well ,aalthough no FSNav and useful gauges means only FSeconomy and GA flying only for that ,but am I bothered ....No! I now have two sims to choose from.

Which is most excellent!

 

Cheers Andy

I did the Windows 10 upgrade with much trepidation on my i5 4GB laptop. I'm running FS9, Golden Wings & P3Dv1.4 (no DX11 on my laptop) all installed in their default folders, with UAC turned right down. Just for fun, I installed yet another ' clean' copy of FS9 into my C:\ folder to see if it would make any difference. Lol, I have 4 sims to play with ;-), all very different.

 

The only issues I had after the Windows 10 install was that I had to upgrade my graphics drivers & sort out a DXPlay error that took about 5 minutes of googling to sort out.

 

So far, no issues at all with any of the sims. In fact, the laptop loads faster than before.

 

I did the Windows upgrade on this laptop that had Windows 7 on it, as well as my second laptop that had Windows 8.1 ( a Celeron with 2GB RAM), by using the downloaded MediaCreation Tool from Microsoft.

 

The little Windows icon in the taskbar was pretty much useless, & I found that this MediaCreation Tool has worked very well.

 

Guys, it is worth trying Windows 10, it's free, & you can always roll back to your previous operating system within 30 days.

So, no problems & no info lost.

Guys, it is worth trying Windows 10, it's free, & you can always roll back to your previous operating system within 30 days.

So, no problems & no info lost.

 

Don't quite think it's that easy for us XP users. Complete reinstall of Windows I'm afraid.

Hey, I'm now old, the computer's old, the operating system's old, my software is old ..... so no sense breaking anything. Age has taught me now .... if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I like "new" stuff .... but only if it's necessary and "old" stuff is worn out or broken. Since I'm "talk'n" to you now ..... neither I nor the 'puter is!

There will be a "massive" service pack update for Win 10 very soon as announced on news media. (I have W7-64 Pro and don't care.)

 

However out of the box as published by several computer magazines all sharing defaults are enabled and users are advised to go through all of them and disable all but wanted. I suspect this is because Microsoft has moved to a cloud based model for most apps and is pushing "socialization" and roaming portability which can invite malware.

 

(In my opinion it is retro to the intelligent desktop terminal but requires a central computer.)

 

I'd really do not want to depend on Internet connectivity to do something useful. This had to do with enforcing subscription (rental) models of software applications as well.

 

Any as a caution go through all of the sharing sections and disable all except what you don't require.

Any as a caution go through all of the sharing sections and disable all except what you don't require.

 

Sign of the times, maybe, that you now have to opt out rather than opt in? That's why I won't join any social networking sites.

 

Dijvid

That massive service pack release already happened on the 15th November. It tweaked a few things and, for me, on my 2x laptops, formally one with Windows 7 & the other with Windows 8.1, all seemed to work a bit faster.

That massive service pack release already happened on the 15th November. It tweaked a few things and, for me, on my 2x laptops, formally one with Windows 7 & the other with Windows 8.1, all seemed to work a bit faster.

 

Hi Robin,

 

In a previous post you mentioned a DXdraw issue - is that where the planes don't show in the plane selection window ? While I just get a blank while selecting aircraft it still works... What was the fix ?

 

Regards,

Scott

Hi Robin,

 

In a previous post you mentioned a DXdraw issue - is that where the planes don't show in the plane selection window ? While I just get a blank while selecting aircraft it still works... What was the fix ?

 

Regards,

Scott

 

Hello Scott

The usual solution to (iam not sure you are talking 9 or X)this problem is quite simple.

If your aircraft preview is black ,when you next open your Sim,in the settings section can't quite remember where but iam sure you'll find it ) make sure the option 'open in fullscreen mode' is checked .

Your aircraft will now appear in all there glory when you next startup.

May not have explained this well, but someone will surly point in the right direction.

I also get the black preview from time to time and that's how I correct it.

 

 

 

Cheers Andy

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks so much... I've only noticed this since I upgraded to X... Having some issues wit my old Dreamfleet products and working on that as well... I'll give your recommendation a try...

:)

 

Regards,

Scott

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks so much... I've only noticed this since I upgraded to X... Having some issues wit my old Dreamfleet products and working on that as well... I'll give your recommendation a try...

:)

 

Regards,

Scott

 

Hello Scott

If you are talking about FSX and the main aircraft selection screen there,( different from fs9)then I believe for an image to show you have to include a thumbnail image within the aircraft's texture folder.

Again if iam incorrect someone will point the way.

I too have a number of blank aircraft ,a good example is my Beechcraft 18 by Milton Shupe.

Actually that same aircraft always generates an error message on startup. ,something along the lines of multiple objects with the same name or suchlike,however I just close the error box and on I go.Its not an error that causes the Sim to stop functioning.

Anyway

Better stop talking X in 9 or I risk excommunication.

 

Cheers Andy

Hi Andy,

 

LOL - nope - I'm still just dangling my feet in the pool on FSX - I was a pretty hardcore FS9 user - painted many aircraft - created full seasonal photo scenery/airports - 3D modeler - and - even pretty heavy into flight dynamics mods - - - just been on a long break and trying to sort out my issues in FS9 since my upgrade to WinX before I get too deep in anything else... Haven't had a chance to try you fix yet - soon I hope... Still a ways to go...

Really appreciate the help...

:)

 

Regards,

Scott

Hi Scott, It was a DXPlay error when I first started the sim, not a DXDraw error.

 

Cheers,

Robin

open a command window and type in DXDIAG. Get the version information and then run the tests just to see if it is OK.

 

I run Steam FSX occasionally and until logged in it would state wrong version of DX when i switched to Win 7 Pro-64.

 

FS9 ran fine.

DXPlay was not a DxDiag issue. Anyway..

I got tired of the all the glitches and problems trying to run FS2004 on my Win 7 and 10 computers. I bought an old Dell Optimax off Amazon for $70.03 with a 3 Ghz dual-core Intel processor, 4 GB of RAM and 32-bit XP Pro OS, and now FS2004 runs flawlessly on my single screen 1920 x 1080 monitor.