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Must I activate FSX each time I reinstall the program?


JonBuck

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Have had FSX Deluxe since it came out, some years back. Since then I have replaced both my desktop and laptop computers and have had to restore the OS to factory setting a couple time because of a virus, each time FSX was removed in the process and had to be re-installed. Re-installed FSX each time without a problem, and the subject of activation never came up.

 

Just replaced my laptop and when I went to install I got a message that I had exceeded the number of installations allowed in the legal agreement and therefore must re-activate it. (If the legal agreement mentioned a limit to the number of installs...I sure missed it & can't find it now.)

 

Question 1: Anybody know how many installs you are allowed? :confused:

 

Question 2: I went ahead and re-activated by phone, but wondering if I have to do a complete factory restore or replace either my current desktop or laptop in the future (replacing CPUs happens naturally in the course of time). Does anybody know if I will have to re-activate each time I re-install FSX in a new computer? :confused: It's a bit of a bother to have to do it each time!!!

 

I'm sure the folks at Microsoft had no idea that FS9 and FSX(being the last of the line) would live on for lo these many years!! I would imagine they could go on for many more if MS doesn't chose or desire to update them.

 

Would appreciate any and all thoughts on this issue. Thanks in advance!

 

JonB

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1) three, although if you legally own it, I believe you can still activate it after.

 

2) New computer, yes. Uninstall/reinstall on same PC, no.

CLX - SET Gaming Desktop - Intel Core i9 10850K - 32GB DDR4 3000GHz Memory - GeForce RTX 3060 Ti - 960GB SSD + 4TB HDD - Windows 11 Home
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Your FSX 'activation' is based entirely on what 'hardware' makes up your PC. If you change any hardware, you will not be able to use the 'old' activation.

 

So, if you try to activate thru FSX, or 'on line', and it 'fails' you may still be able do a successful activation. Like if you had to repair (not replace) your MB that would be 'ok'.

Chuck B

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1. Installs as many as you want. In one PC 1 FSX however obviously. But registration as I have seen, works maximum of 5 times and not more. I cannot guarantee but for me and my friends, we have seen it worked 5 times only.

2. Actually after installation, there are 3 files which are responsible for registration. If you copy and keep those files somewhere else, you can overwrite them after every installation and FSX won't ask for a registration. This is completely legal because you have bought it and you can use it as many times as you want and must not be bound by just 5 installations.

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2. Actually after installation, there are 3 files which are responsible for registration. If you copy and keep those files somewhere else, you can overwrite them after every installation and FSX won't ask for a registration. This is completely legal because you have bought it and you can use it as many times as you want and must not be bound by just 5 installations.

 

What 3 files are you describing and where did you get this information from?

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I installed more then 5 times. 3 different computers over the years. (not two installs on two computers at the same time of course.).

Sometimes i just uninstalled, cleaned out the fsx registry entry with microsoft's kb928080, and then reinstalled.

Sometimes I formatted the HDD and reinstalled windows and then fsx.

Everytime I had to activate both fsx and acc. Went flawless each time. At a guess i think i installed around 10 times.

 

I wonder why you did not have to activate.

I hope that when you say install you mean 'using the installer on the disk'.

Just copying a saved backup of the fsx folder is not the same. If you do that you will be missing many important fsx system files, including the registry entry's. You can't put that in by hand and most addons won't work.

 

If you used the installer I don't see why activation did not come up.

Anyway, activating is not a "chore". All you do is click on 'activate online', and wait 10seconds..

 

Enjoy! il88pp.

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I installed more then 5 times. 3 different computers over the years. (not two installs on two computers at the same time of course.).

Sometimes i just uninstalled, cleaned out the fsx registry entry with microsoft's kb928080, and then reinstalled.

Sometimes I formatted the HDD and reinstalled windows and then fsx.

Everytime I had to activate both fsx and acc. Went flawless each time. At a guess i think i installed around 10 times.

 

I wonder why you did not have to activate.

I hope that when you say install you mean 'using the installer on the disk'.

Just copying a saved backup of the fsx folder is not the same. If you do that you will be missing many important fsx system files, including the registry entry's. You can't put that in by hand and most addons won't work.

 

If you used the installer I don't see why activation did not come up.

Anyway, activating is not a "chore". All you do is click on 'activate online', and wait 10seconds..

 

Enjoy! il88pp.

 

Amazing! Several different claims on the same topic. I'm no pro nor do I claim to be.

 

I currently own three (3) computers with the same serial number of FSX Deluxe on them at the same time. And they were all activated, with no problem on line.

 

Before I built two of these three recently, I had FSX Deluxe on the 3rd, which it is still on, plus another I stripped for parts. So I have had a total of four (4) separate computers all activated with the same code and serial numbers. And this is all for FSX and Acceleration. No deactivation information. No problem.

 

I heard a rumor that once Microsoft stopped supporting FSX, they lost interest in activation and just made it automatic, provided the code and serial number match was correct. Since three of these four activations occurred after Microsoft quit supporting the product that made, makes, sense to me.

Being an old chopper guy I usually fly low and slow.
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