Will Fs2004 work under 64bit OS's?

My new computer is a Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 64 bit. Will Fs2004 run on that? :pilot:

Christopher Tarana

My new computer is a Toshiba laptop with Windows 7 64 bit. Will Fs2004 run on that? :pilot:

 

Christopher Tarana

Yes. Don't think there is a computer configuration it won't run on.

Sure will as Mark above said, I have ran it for years on Win7 64bit no problem.

Install it outside of C:\program files (86) if you can.

Col.

Yes it will - and very well.

As Col says - do not install in any of the C:\ program folders. I installed mine on a SSD completely separate from the C:\ drive.

Once it is installed find fs9.exe and right-click to select Properties. Click the Compatibility tab.

There is no need to select a Compatibility option just tick the Run as Administrator box and click OK.

Enjoy!

David

Do yourself a big favor and make a DIY cooling fan out of old parts. It'll help keep your Laptop cooler when running the Sim. Also load all of the FS9 'patches', and have fun!

Alan :pilot:

Something to keep in mind installing FS9 on a new computer:

https://calclassic.proboards.com/thread/7470/fs2004-start-read

What about payware aircraft? Will Level-D, PMDG or other payware aircraft work in 64bit.

nebojsa

Of course. If the sim can run, they can run.

Cheers!

Of course. If the sim can run, they can run.

 

Cheers!

Only if the installers will work … some pay-ware packages utilise "safety" features that are deemed "unreliable" in W10 and they simply will not run!

I could never run Project Airbus on mine for some reason, I was on Windows 7 64bit but always had a problem so I just avoided them in the end.

What's that other one that has the header saying if you delete this section the aircraft won't work, I avoided them as well.

Col.

Under Win 7 the vast majority of add-ons work.

Under Win 10 you lose more and running the sticky advice at the top of the forum you will knock out even more again.

Ideally, a Win 7 64bit system is the best for running FS9.

Under Win 7 the vast majority of add-ons work.

Under Win 10 you lose more and running the sticky advice at the top of the forum you will knock out even more again.

Ideally, a Win 7 64bit system is the best for running FS9.

And 8Gb of RAM really makes a difference, too. I've got an older HP Laptop with Specs in my Signature, and FS9 is the only thing loaded on the HD except for a vanilla Install of Silent Hunter IV and W7 Pro 64 Bit. Approx. 60 GB of 500GB used, and the Sim boots up in about 30 seconds.

Alan :pilot:

EDIT: I don't have CFS or CFS2 loaded on this Rig... yet! :p

Under Win 7 the vast majority of add-ons work.

Under Win 10 you lose more and running the sticky advice at the top of the forum you will knock out even more again.

Ideally, a Win 7 64bit system is the best for running FS9.

Well, on my i5 8GB RAM laptop, I had 8 unique installs of FS2004, & P3Dv4.5, with a combination of payware & freeware, & did not loose anything, or have any issues With Windows 10.

I've just updated to Windows 11 without ANY issues at all, and have lost nothing.

Well, on my i5 8GB RAM laptop, I had 8 unique installs of FS2004, & P3Dv4.5, with a combination of payware & freeware, & did not loose anything, or have any issues With Windows 10.

I've just updated to Windows 11 without ANY issues at all, and have lost nothing.

Your FS9 doesn't work anymore without applying the sticky settings you posted. This is because Win 10 has broken it on your particular hardware.

If you apply your settings, you will break other add-ons.

This is simple fact. I cannot list all the add-ons it breaks because I don't run those settings and have not tested the billions of add-ons.

I can state the above with 100% complete accuracy.

And 8Gb of RAM really makes a difference, too. I've got an older HP Laptop with Specs in my Signature, and FS9 is the only thing loaded on the HD except for a vanilla Install of Silent Hunter IV and W7 Pro 64 Bit. Approx. 60 GB of 500GB used, and the Sim boots up in about 30 seconds.

 

Alan :pilot:

 

EDIT: I don't have CFS or CFS2 loaded on this Rig... yet! :p

Might be worth for fun to have a thread where we all time our FS9 start up time.

Might be worth for fun to have a thread where we all time our FS9 start up time.

For there to be any relevance you'd all need to start to the same airfield with the same aircraft and have the same sceneries active. Traffic on or off will make a difference as well, especially if there's a lot of aircraft involved.

If I start to my "test" environment in the middle of the Sahara (no sceneries for very many miles) it does take very little time … a restart even quicker.

Starting from scratch at a busy airfield in the middle of England, with VFR photoscenery and extensive autogen and AI traffic, will take several minutes.

For there to be any relevance you'd all need to start to the same airfield with the same aircraft and have the same sceneries active. Traffic on or off will make a difference as well, especially if there's a lot of aircraft involved.

If I start to my "test" environment in the middle of the Sahara (no sceneries for very many miles) it does take very little time … a restart even quicker.

Starting from scratch at a busy airfield in the middle of England, with VFR photoscenery and extensive autogen and AI traffic, will take several minutes.

I was meaning the time required for FS9 to load not a flight. I think this is what ViperPilot2 was referring too.

Yes, you would need to equalize things that load between users and then have users post their main system specs. You could at least begin to see if your FS9 is loading poorly or well compared to others results.

Best option would be to disable all add-ons which isn't difficult to do. People could then also put their add-ons back and run a second time. Again, it would be of interest to see what people are getting even if their add-ons don't totally match your own.

I was meaning the time required for FS9 to load not a flight.

OK … from a cold start (W10 64bit just booted) FS9 takes exactly 1 minute to present the "Create A Flight" screen. Shut down FS9 and re-start, 10 sec to the same point.

Machine is an HP Z230 with an i7 @ 3.6Ghz and 8Gb RAM, using the built-in Intel HD Graphics with one of my 8Gb RAM for video and an SSD drive for the o/s and FS9. It was a fairly high-end desktop in it's day, but is probably a bit old hat now ;)

I was meaning the time required for FS9 to load not a flight. I think this is what ViperPilot2 was referring too.

Yes, you would need to equalize things that load between users and then have users post their main system specs. You could at least begin to see if your FS9 is loading poorly or well compared to others results.

Best option would be to disable all add-ons which isn't difficult to do. People could then also put their add-ons back and run a second time. Again, it would be of interest to see what people are getting even if their add-ons don't totally match your own.

Oh yeah, just commenting on how long the Sim takes to start up. I have to say that the only Payware airplanes I have are Carenado singles (Mooney, C-206, F33 Bonanza, etc.) and the LIC Quest Kodiak. The rest of my Hangar are filled with way, way too many Freeware airplanes. No Payware Scenery either, so I gather that the time it takes for a Flight to load in my Sim compared to others would definitely be a YMMV scenario.

I do notice quite a difference between having 4 vs. 8 gigs of RAM, though!

Also, I buy older computers because they're cheaper; this is the first rig I've had since '16, and the only prerequisite was a stand alone Graphics Card, which is a tall order in a Laptop. I found this one about three years ago, and just got around to loading FS9 on it during the COVID lockdown earlier this year.

Alan :pilot:

OK … from a cold start (W10 64bit just booted) FS9 takes exactly 1 minute to present the "Create A Flight" screen. Shut down FS9 and re-start, 10 sec to the same point.

Machine is an HP Z230 with an i7 @ 3.6Ghz and 8Gb RAM, using the built-in Intel HD Graphics with one of my 8Gb RAM for video and an SSD drive for the o/s and FS9. It was a fairly high-end desktop in it's day, but is probably a bit old hat now ;)

I'd say CPU speed, ram and HDD speed dictates start up time if all other things within FS9 are equal. As ViperPilot2 mentioned, 8gig of ram likely creates a difference over 4gig. Beyond 8gig, I would highly doubt more ram would make any great difference.

Also, I buy older computers because they're cheaper;

I built a Win XP PC from all new components. I'm probably one of the last people on the planet that will do this. I just like old games so this is the system that was best for me to build. I have a reasonable Win 10 machine for the newer stuff but I really enjoy using Win XP much, much more than Win 10.

I'm finding many things in life I don't like modern/current. Getting old maybe??? lol

OK … from a cold start (W10 64bit just booted) FS9 takes exactly 1 minute to present the "Create A Flight" screen. Shut down FS9 and re-start, 10 sec to the same point.

Machine is an HP Z230 with an i7 @ 3.6Ghz and 8Gb RAM, using the built-in Intel HD Graphics with one of my 8Gb RAM for video and an SSD drive for the o/s and FS9. It was a fairly high-end desktop in it's day, but is probably a bit old hat now ;)

Are you running the sticky settings for FS9 posted at the top of this forum?

Are you running the sticky settings for FS9 posted at the top of this forum?

I've no idea!

I'm a long-experienced flightsim user, Windows user and long-time professional PC repair engineer.

I simply installed FS9 "as usual" in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9", went in and disabled all of the W10 security settings pertaining to the FS9 folders, then copied my backed-up FS9 from a previous installation (from an old machine) into these folders, overwriting everything … took just a few minutes to change the settings and works just as I expected it would, but faster :)

The only anomaly I have (and have learnt to live with) is Abacus' EZ-Scenery regularly "forgetting" it's registration details, so I have to re-enter them. I've got a .txt file on my desktop for stuff like this and can "copy and paste" in a few seconds ;)

I've no idea!

I'm a long-experienced flightsim user, Windows user and long-time professional PC repair engineer.

I simply installed FS9 "as usual" in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Flight Simulator 9", went in and disabled all of the W10 security settings pertaining to the FS9 folders, then copied my backed-up FS9 from a previous installation (from an old machine) into these folders, overwriting everything … took just a few minutes to change the settings and works just as I expected it would, but faster :)

The only anomaly I have (and have learnt to live with) is Abacus' EZ-Scenery regularly "forgetting" it's registration details, so I have to re-enter them. I've got a .txt file on my desktop for stuff like this and can "copy and paste" in a few seconds ;)

Could you possibly right click on your FS9.exe file in your main FS9 folder, select properties, go to compatibility tab and see if you have the "Run in this compatibility mode" box checked and "Run this program as administrator" box checked?

I'm fascinated to know!