FS2004-Windows 7

Howdy. I just picked up a Dell box that is more powerful than my Gateway all in one. My issue is the Dell is running Win 7 and my other machine had XP. The XP computer worked fine with loading and playing ACOF stuff, while the Dell OS7 just sits in the CD and offers no intention to install. I am an old person. but I can usually figure stuff out. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely tmech

Hi Thomas,

Yeah ... I'm an old guy too ... cool innit?

Sounds like AutoPlay is not set in windows .... that's another topic I'll let folks jump on.

For now ...

Left click Start .... left click Computer from the list that pops up .... and double left click on the DVD/CD drive icon .... should be using a copy of the opening screen for FS2004 as an icon ... if not try to reload it and start over.

Hope this helps,

Most likely the MS patch (KB3086255) is preventing it from installing or running...

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3086255/ms15-097-description-of-the-security-update-for-the-graphics-component-in-windows-september-8,-2015

The patch turns off the secdrv.sys driver to make Windows 7 more secure which FS2004 ACOF needs (Also a lot of other games) to read the CD-ROM's.

Follow the directions to enable the driver temporarily. Don't go online with it on. Then when done installing or flying turn it back off.

Hi!

Maybe this help!

I helped a friend who bought a new computer with Windows 7 pro 64-bit

a week ago! He installed Fs2004 and it refuse to load!

What we did was install the Flight Simulator 2004 Update v.9.1 patch

and also installed "FS2004 no-cd patch", after that Fs2004 started

as it should and he could use it! With no cd patch

you don't need the disc to run Fs2004!

Alf

With Windows 7 you NEED the 'no cd' patch or it won't run. I used XP up to a few months ago. I now have Win 7 Pro 64 bit. It's Win 7 fault FS9 won't start. FS9 is ok if you use the 'no cd' patch. Only way. The 9.1 patch only adds bridges to FS9 and has nothing to do with it running or not running. Conclusion: 'the MS patch (KB3086255) is preventing it from installing or running...'. Microsoft agenda is for you (NOT ME!) to 'upgrade' to Win 10. It's that simple. Or that devious. Sorry, but that's the facts kids.

Chuck B

Napamule

With Windows 7 you NEED the 'no cd' patch or it won't run. I used XP up to a few months ago. I now have Win 7 Pro 64 bit. It's Win 7 fault FS9 won't start. FS9 is ok if you use the 'no cd' patch. Only way. The 9.1 patch only adds bridges to FS9 and has nothing to do with it running or not running. Conclusion: 'the MS patch (KB3086255) is preventing it from installing or running...'. Microsoft agenda is for you (NOT ME!) to 'upgrade' to Win 10. It's that simple. Or that devious. Sorry, but that's the facts kids.

Chuck B

Napamule

Chuck, with Windows 7, FS2004 runs perfectly well without the patch, BUT with the 4th DVD in the drive.

Patching the sim with the 9.1 update (bridges as well as sorting out memory leaks & other stuff). Then the no-cd patch sorts out running without the DVD in the drive.

With Windows 10, You must have the MS patch (KB3086255) & the 9.1 patch & the no cd exe to get things working.

Sorry kids those are not the facts. SafeDisk and other DRM were considered safety risks and a patch was released to disable/block these programs, even MS programs. Win 10 is affected in the same manner as Win 7, Vista, and Win 8. Therefore, it has NOTHING to do with 'upgrading' to Win 10. That's the facts kids.

100% Correct, Jim!

..........with Windows 7, FS2004 runs perfectly well without the patch, BUT with the 4th DVD in the drive. ..........With Windows 10, You must have the MS patch (KB3086255) & the 9.1 patch & the no cd exe to get things working.

Not strictly true........

With the KB installed, W7 (and Vista/W8) will not run the sim unless the patch is installed OR you remove the KB (which will keep being relisted/installed by the windows update process) OR you configure the SECDRV.sys file to run using a procedure provided by MS on their website - this basically allows you to decide whether to temporarily enable or fully enable the file whilst leaving the KB installed.

W10 ships without the SECDRV.sys file and therefore the KB is not needed/installed. To run the sim you must have the patch. However, I have seen discussed on a number of Windows tech forums another possible solution. It involves placing a copy of the 32-bit Win 7/8 SECDRV.sys file into the Program Files (x86) folder and then using a Digital Security tool to 'register and mark' the file as a valid OS system file so that W10 will recognise it.

With Windows 7 you NEED the 'no cd' patch or it won't run. I used XP up to a few months ago. I now have Win 7 Pro 64 bit. It's Win 7 fault FS9 won't start. FS9 is ok if you use the 'no cd' patch. Only way. The 9.1 patch only adds bridges to FS9 and has nothing to do with it running or not running. Conclusion: 'the MS patch (KB3086255) is preventing it from installing or running...'. Microsoft agenda is for you (NOT ME!) to 'upgrade' to Win 10. It's that simple. Or that devious. Sorry, but that's the facts kids.

Chuck B

Napamule

You DON"T NEED the hacked no cd patch EXE. I've run FS9 by either turning on the secdrv.sys driver by following the MS directions and using FS9 disk 4 OR using the no cd patch is an option.

Post by Tom/CalClassic on Sep 12, 2015 at 9:16am

Hi all,

There appears to be a Windows Update that is causing FS9 to do nothing

when you double click it. It appears that only people that are using the default

fs9.exe file (which requires CD 4 to be in the drive) are affected by this. This is

a security update that removes the capability to to check for a CD in the drive

for many older games/sims, including FS2004. This has been a vulnerability

reported for many years (but apparently never used by hackers?) that MS

finally got around to closing (even though it affects one or more of their

products).

There are also reports that something is causing parts of a user's FS9

installation to be deleted, usually in a random way. I don't know if this is related

to this update or not.

Since I use the no-CD patch, I have not been affected by either problem, even

after installing the Update a few days ago. So the solution (at least for FS9)

appears to be to install the no-CD patch. Since MS has made running FS9

impossible using an up to date version of Windows, I feel that this is a

reasonable compromise.

So if you still require CD 4 in the drive, follow these instructions:

1. First, make sure that you have updated to the FS9.1 version. If not, download

and install it

from here: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=9727

2. Second, download the FS9.1 no-CD patch here:

flyawaysimulation.com/downloads/files/15244/microsoft-flight-simulator

-2004-v91-no-cd-patch/

3. Third, install the patch by:

a. Rename your current fs9.exe file (in your main FS2004 folder) to fs9.exe.orig

b. Copy the fs9.exe file from the patch file downloaded in step 2 into your main

FS2004 folder.

c. Start FS9 and it should start without the CD in the drive.

That's it, you should now have FS9 running as before. AFAIK, the patch makes

no other changes to how FS9 runs. Hope this helps,

My Windows 10 is always updated, i have FS2004 installed in C:\, my UAC is turned right down, & I'm using the no-CD patch since my Windows 7 days. I also have another version, installed during my Windows 7 days, in it's default directory, as well as P3D installed there as well.

All works perfectly. Maybe I'm just lucky!

Off the subject somewhat... My 6 year old i5 4GB RAM laptop started giving a problem or 2!

A few weeks ago, on switch on, it gave 2x beeps & stopped.

To cut a long story short, it's the graphics card on the motherboard that's giving the problem.

So, as the laptop is 'old', spares are not available, so I needed to make a plan.

The bottom lid is removable, so, to kick start the thing, I aim a hair dryer at the graphics area for about 10-15 seconds.. Voila... it boots!

I must admit I do get a few very strange looks when I do it!

1. I just downloaded today 22/9/2018 the no-cd patch for my FS2004 using Windows 7 Pro 64bit.

2. I already had FS2004 installed in C://Program Files (x86) under Microsoft Games>Flight Simulator 9., but obviously without the no-cd patch it did not work.

3. I downloaded the no-cd patch to my Downloads folder and then did unzip within the same folder.

4. Selecting the new Fs91.exe within this download, FS2004 would not start saying dll files, etc were missing.

5. So I copy/pasted the whole installation from Program Files (x86) to the downloaded FS folder.

6. Now selecting the new fs9.exe file it all fires-up and works perfectly!

7. However, everything is now working from the Downloads folder which is not ideal - how do I get it working from within Program Files (x86)>Microsoft Games>Flight Simulator 9?

8. Do I simply copy all the files back to Programme Files including the four new files from the download?

Not tech-minded, sorry - can you help please. Thanks, Samdy