Crunch time- Win10, Win11, FS9, and you.

[Sbob]

I'm wondering if this would be a handy thread?

For everyone who has updated their computer or OS or is considering it, October is approaching and Win10 will no longer be supported.
I think it would be helpful if we all shared our experiences. Those who upgraded, those who hold the line with Win10 or an older OS, those who aren't sure what to do.

-How did you get your sims installed/re-installed? What was easy, what turns out to be a chore?
-How do you transfer Gigabytes of files and Zips from one machine to the other? Did you use this time to re-build an exact copy of FS, or use this time to build something new? What were your "lessons learned" if you move from your old build to a new one?

FS2002 is also included although I think I'm one of only a few here who still runs it.

I don't think it would be helpful for the thread to become a Win11 bashing festival. What do you like about 11 since you've gotten used to it? What still gives you a pain in the neck? How did you tweak 11 to make it easier to work on aircraft and scenery installs (flight sim specific stuff)?

As an example, I have a plan to transfer a ton of files to the new machine using my router's Wifi function with both computers (kind of like a temporary network). I'm curious about other strategies.

So, what do you think?

 

[zswobbie1]

Great idea & should be a sticky!!
I'll start off with my experiences with installing/moving FS2004 aka FS9 into Windows 11 (or Windows 10)


Prerequisites:
FS2004 v9.1 No CD patch

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 v9.1 No-CD Patch

This is the No-CD patch (crack) for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 v9.1. This will only patch the 9.1 version, which you can get the update for here. If you have not yet updated to version 9.1, you can get the original no-cd patch here. It's quite a simple installation, just replace the fs9.exe...

flyawaysimulation.com

FS2004 v9.1 Update

Flight Simulator 2004 Update v9.1

The Microsoft Flight Simulator Team is pleased to announce a product update for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight. In response to customer feedback and Product Support information, the Update will address a series of enhancements and content updates. Update Enhancements...

flyawaysimulation.com

NEW INSTALL
To INSTALL FS2004 to your new Windows 11 (or Windows 10 PC)

1. Install into C:\ - or any spare drive NOT into it's default C:\Program Files - or any spare drive
2. Install the 9.1 update
3. Install the 9.1 No CD patch
4. Right-click the FS9.exe, select Properties
5. Select Compatibility mode, & select XP
6. At bottom, then select 'Run as Administrator'
7. Double click the desktop icon to run the sim

 

[zswobbie1]

To Copy an EXISTING install from one PC to another:

Prerequisites:
As above
FS9 Registry Repair Tool

https://www.flight1.com/view.asp?page=library

Optional: TeraCopy

TeraCopy for Windows - Code Sector

Official site of TeraCopy, a free utility designed to copy files faster and more secure. It can verify copied files to ensure they are identical. It skips bad files during copy, not terminating the entire transfer. Seamless integration with Windows Explorer.

www.codesector.com

(Very fast copy utility - replaces the default Windows Copy)

Optional: Everything

voidtools

www.voidtools.com

(Very fast Desktop search engine - replaces the default Windows Search)

From your OLD PC:
1. Old PC: Copy the whole FS2004 folder to a Portable Drive
2. Old PC: Open the Documents Folder & copy the 'Flight Simulator Files' folder to a portable drive
3. Find the FS9.cfg file & copy it to your portable drive
This is normally found in C:\Users\xxx(your user)\appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\FS9
An easy way to find this FS2004.cfg is to download EVERYTHING from http://www.voidtools.com
(This is a very fast desktop search engine that will find the file as you type)

Once all that is done:
1. Plug the portable drive into your NEW PC
2. Copy & Paste the copied FS2004 folder to a directory on the NEW PC
3. Open the copied FS2004 folder & Right-click the FS2004.exe & 'Send to Desktop (create shortcut) You now will have a Desktop FS2004 icon
4. Copy & Paste the 'Flight Simulator Files' folder into your 'Documents' folder
5. Right-click the FS9.exe, select Properties
6. Select Compatibility mode, & select XP
7. At bottom, then select 'Run as Administrator'
8. Double click the desktop FS2004 icon to run the sim
THEN
9. Copy & Paste the FS9.cfg from the Portable Drive into C:\Users\xxx(your user)\appdata\Roaming\Microsoft\FS9
10. Install & Run the FS9 Registry Repair Tool - This tells the Registry where FS2004 has been installed.
10. Double click the desktop FS2004 icon to run the sim

Note:
If you do not copy the FS9.cfg, the sim will create a new cfg file - not an issue, key assignments might have to be redone.

Hopefully, everything will work!

I keep a fresh & clean install of FS2004 on my Portable Drive - makes it easy to install multiple copies of the sim & is essential to have if your PC does not have a CD/DVD drive - my laptop does not!

 

[Sbob]

I'll counter with the Cob Web Post, installing FS2002 on a Win11 machine.

As zswobbie pointed out, install directly to the C:\ drive, not the Program Files (X86) folder.
I didn't set much of anything in terms of Admin or Compatibility modes. Your build of Win11 may be different.
Try clicking the icon after install and see what happens.
For the actual install, I had FS2002 and FS2002 Pro CDs in my stash. I picked '02 Pro because you get a couple more stock aircraft.
Check your CDs for finger prints, boogers, or dust. I had one CD fail due to a nasty thumb print on the media side. Once I cleaned it, the install was smooth.

Patch files or crack files? NO, this is FS'02. Either there wasn't any interest or they got it right the first time.

And, that was about it. I "think" I installed '02 before I did FS9. I don't think the order matters.

One neat thing for me was spotting my Abacus Viet Nam Combat Ops (aka Yankee Station) CD in the pile. VCO installs FSIUP and different versions of ARRCAB in both FS'02 and FS9. It was pretty automatic and it worked on the first try. One thing for this title in FS'02, you need to check the installed folders, you'll find a small installer prog that adds the carrier scenery. Again, its pretty automatic. No need to worry about CFG edits.

That DOES bring up one thing you'll want to do early. Find ANY of your FS CFG files and right-click on it. Select OPEN WITH NOTEPAD and click the ALWAYS/ALL FILES OF THIS TYPE button(s). You'll thank me later. The same goes for FS9.

One thing that should be boiler-plate, your results MAY be different based on your Win11 updates and, probably, your country codes.

I've set ADMIN on most of my old software, mostly out of habit. I haven't had to play around with Compatibility Mode yet.

 

[zswobbie1]

I can only talk for FS2004 re the cracks & patching.
I found, for me, on various W11 PC's, that Admin & Compatibility had to be set - it might be different for others.
FSUIPC is now free, complete with registration: https://www.fsuipc.com/

 

[Sbob]

Meanwhile, suppose you have a new PC with "empty" versions of FS folders and your older machine has its FS folders stacked to the gills.

What's the best way to transfer all that stuff without wandering around the house and muttering to yourself?

Here's an idea I want to explore:

Both the older (W10) machine and the newer (W11) machine have wifi/bluetooth capability. I've just never used it outside of an ISP emergency.
While zswobbie has a solid plan, zswobbie has a pristine install of FS to use as a master copy.

Suppose you DON'T? I mean, some of us have gone there. It was late at night and, maybe, we were bored and looking around the web for new stuff (freeware and payware) to play with. In many cases it works out, then there's that one time when .

I had this happen with FS2002, just before I bought my FS9 disks. All of a sudden my FSIUP install stopped talking to ARRCAB which made ARRCAB worthless. For several years, I thought it was due to that FSIUP security update or when they dropped support for FS'02.
It was only later when I had something similar happen to FS9 that I realized it was due to a very aggressive payware airplane I had installed. Germany, I'm looking at you..

Anyway, the damage had been done to my FS'02 reg. and I screwed up trying to fix it. I didn't want to uninstall/reinstall it to see if it cleared up so my FS'02 install became a memorial to scrap yards and figuring out just how much crap you could stuff into a five pound bag. With FS9, I lucked out and was able to fix it.

So anyway, that video link covers the basics of wifi file transfers. I like this, so far, because I don't have to string a bunch of cables or download a bunch of .NET stuff. There are vids on YouTube that go into more detail in case you're interested. My strategy is to add maybe five complete aircraft at a time or one or two scenery folders then do a quick check and make sure everything is Kosher. That also gives me the time to be honest on what's going on to the new install. I have "must get" aircraft and scenery that lost my interest after 15 minutes.

If you've done this kind of transfer, let me know how it worked out.

 

[zswobbie1]

Not too sure what you are trying to do..
I have copied over a 'used' FS9 install -- let's call it Platinum Wings, as well as a clean Master copy install.
I've found that moving using a portable drive works quicker & smoother than any other way. I can follow what is being copied with Teracopy.

I also never install directly into the sim, but to a temp folder, so I can see what is in the folder & any readme's, what the aircraft.cfg is all about, & any other stuff. Then I copy across what needs to be copied. Sometimes there is a 'free' fsuipc in a Modules folder, that I never move across.
So I would unzip any number of aircraft into a temp folder to check out, before moving into the sim.

So, if there are any issues, I know what has been copied across, making it easier to delete, if things bomb out. In those cases, I would leave the Effects & Gauges in place (they do no harm) & delete just the Aircraft.

Sceneries, Lately, I create separate folders out of Addon Scenery, & direct the sim library to look to that separate folder.
I have FS9 installs on both my C: drive & my D: drive, and have used addon scenery on my C: drive to be referred to by the sim on my D; drive.

Oh, I have a 2TB portable drive, permanently plugged in. Two of my FS9 sims & my P3D sim all run perfectly from that portable drive.
No lag at all. I also use OneDrive (1TB storage) in the cloud as my 'library' & backup storage. A clean install of FS9 is stored there, making easy to do multiple installs & also to replace files in my working installs if & when I get any errors or issues.

 

[Sbob]

Believe me, we're on the same page.

As I've gotten to know you, I can easily imagine your scenery,cfgs have been stacked up with an eye to maximum efficiency and minimum load times.
Me? After about six months my main FS folders look like the day after "beer and fireworks night" at the carnival.
For some reason, I always wind up with an FS9 Boneyard. Planes (usually payware) that are only there to donate parts to other projects.

I still have a ghost carrier in the strait of Hormuz. I placed it with EZ Scenery and then I forgot what I named the BGL. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I accidently added it to another carrier scenery, which is why I stopped using EZ Scenery in favor of manual HTML edits. All it needs is an AFCAD and a flatten but the darned thing is only 30 miles away from one of the Abacus "Flight Deck" carriers.

My point being, that's all OK. As long as everything loads we all get to be creative.

My big thing in terms of over-all PC projects is making clones of my C drives. This Win10 machine still has its original HD (back-up to the back-up) and a cloned SSD unplugged but mounted next to the working SSD. Every now and then I'll re-clone the back-up in case the main drive fails or gets infected. That way, I can be back up and running in about five minutes. I've only had one real HD failure since 1992, but its never going to happen again. The price of a fresh HD or SSD is cheap insurance, especially when you're doing your own work.

 

[Sbob]

Meanwhile, if you're considering putting down the money for new hardware- make SURE you do your homework.

Here's a video that just showed up in my YouTube feed:

While its a little (OK, a lot) click bait-y, is this accurate information?

I used to be a field engineer. I have a hard time watching "pro-techs" stick their hands inside a desktop or laptop without a ground wire connected to the PC''s frame and an ESD bracelet on their wrist. Bonus points if the bracelet is connected to the chassis ground.
If you want to dive bareback into your own gear, more power to you. If you get caught doing that to someone else's hardware, get ready to get smacked.

If someone has to use smoke bombs, strobe lights, fast talk, and clip art to make their pitch, how much is that worth?

This whole post is IMO and you should take it with a grain of salt, however-

DO your homework. Look carefully at what's going on in the industry and the market before you show anyone your credit card. More hard information never hurt anyone.

DO take your time. Don't be scared to say "No" to a salesman. If something's making you feel fishy or pressured, there's probably a good reason.

DON'T buy the hype. Trust me, no one else cares about the rig in your bedroom or your frame rate.

DON'T trade "boutique" for longevity. You had to hustle for that money, make that effort pay off in something that's capable of becoming out-dated. I started laughing when the guy in the video brought up Over Clocking. Seriously, its 2025 and people are STILL over clocking their PCs??
What's next, Freon cooling pipes? Fifty pound heat sinks made of solid ice and leaf blowers? The next time you see an exotic new car driving down the street, trust me, more than likely it has a two year lease. Why? Those things are super expensive to repair and its easier to dump the lease than to face the service dept. Boutique rigs generate huge amounts of heat. Heat damages chips and boards. Damaged chips and boards fail early and often. That's not me, that's Physics and Thermodynamics.

OK, you say you run a super efficient cooling system. Consider something for one minute- where is that heat coming from? Inside the chips, right?
Imagine a house on fire. If you're cooling down the siding on the outer walls that's doing bleep-all for the inferno in the living room, so..

DON'T expect a free lunch. Hyper performance means hyper cost and lower longevity.

 

[zswobbie1]

VERY good words!!

 

[Mick]

You refer to the end of Win10 support as if it was a bad thing. I know I'm not the only one to eagerly await that day! No more worries with every update, wondering what software will stop working or how it will scramble my settings! Oh joyous day!!!

 

[Golden Rocket]

To emigrate my FS I use a portable SDD drive. This has the great advantage that I create the same time a backup saving all my entries.

Bernard

 

[Sbob]

You refer to the end of Win10 support as if it was a bad thing. I know I'm not the only one to eagerly await that day! No more worries with every update, wondering what software will stop working or how it will scramble my settings! Oh joyous day!!!

Mick; I didn't start this thread to bash M$ on the topic of Forced Evolution.
However, if you folks want to do that...

To me, if M$ totally abandons Win10 it will be a huge mistake.
An unnecessary mistake as well. There are too many PCs out there running Win10.
So, maybe after Elon's Big Adventure in Washington went bust, maybe he'll introduce a new, stable OS to the market?

Then again, its not like Bill and Steve are at M$ anymore, so who knows?

I'm still getting used to Win11. Its basically the same process I went through for Win10 and I wound up getting pretty productive in Win10 but Win11 seems to require more steps to do almost everything. Imagine you're driving into town to go shopping. That's Win10. You know where the bends and potholes are in the road. Now, imagine you hit a detour that takes you down roads you know about but never had to use. THAT (IMO) is Win11. You're still going to get where you're going, you just don't know when.

 

[zswobbie1]

I actually prefer Win11. I find that the sim runs a bit smoother than in Win 10.
In any case, I've customized Win11 by using OneCommander as a file manager, Start11 to change the Start menu, Everything as a desktop search engine, Teracopy to replace the default copy command, Lively to give an animated desktop & Rainmeter foe widgets & gadgets.

I quite enjoy modding W11, just as I enjoy modding my FS9, Golden Wings & my Platinum Wings.

 

[Sbob]

So, I started this thread on this forum because we're happy to be throw-backs playing old sims/games.
In this post, I'm not saying I'm or we're right and everyone else is wrong.

I just want to pose a question for people to consider:

If you're playing a game that requires you to buy newer, faster, wider bandwidth hardware on a regular basis..

..are you sure you're playing the right game?

 

[ian elliot]

Interesting thread, i bought this system about 3 years ago, and to be fair has worked for me no problems, gone are the days when we used to stress about "can my spec's run 9/X". Most new systems can run those in there sleep. So i dont really want to change the tower just for a new operating system.
CCL Choice 8GB (1x 8GB) 2666MHz DDR4 RAM
MSI GeForce GTX 1650 Ventus XS 4GB OC GPU
MSI B560M PRO-VDH WIFI Intel Motherboard 601-7D18- 1
Intel Core i3 10105F Comet Lake CPU

So i guess im down to 3 choice's.
1, take M$ kind offer of a free 11 install over 10, nothings for free in this world esp from M$, and im not sure how that work's, and ive read enough from other forum members about of installing 11 over 10 leaving behind all sorts of junk lurking in your system. If you can do a clean install, thats probably better for your system, which leads me to---

2, Buy myself a copy of 11, (about £100 in UK money) and do a fresh install myself, used to do that in my sleep when i had old hard drive's, formatting, partitioning, ect ect. Im a bit out of the loop these day's, but nothing a bit of research online cant solve

3, Buy a pre loaded laptop, use that for everyday stuff and take my Flight-sim system off line and just transfer files over with a USB stick or something

Keep the thoughts coming guy's, this could be a useful resource for us who may have decisions to make

 

[michaelvader]

Good evening friends,
it seems that I am a real oldy, lol
I run the good old FS2004 on my about twenty years old tower pc with Windows XP.
Ok, it last some time more than a cigarette to start my loved sim.
I have two configurations, One with aircaft reality otions on full realism for flying fixed wing aircrafts,
The other with the sliders for realism full to the left for helicopter flying.
At the scenery options all sliders are at the right.
Some rare sceneries slow the framerate down but it is rare.
A friend sended me a stick with his FS2004 and it runs perfectly from the stick after adapting my flight controls and
some minor things. I was astonished how well the sim on the stick worked well.
Here some precisions about my old rig, what I tried to update abit some years ago:
Windows XP Home SP3
AMD A4-6300 APU with Radeon HD Graphics, 3,5GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 520
PS someone once told me that the advantage today to run a pc with the old Win XP is that it is less
vunerable to virus attack as most viruses today do not agree with WinXp beeing to old.
Nevertheless I have AVG Antivirus installed
So far from my side

Best regards

Michael

 

[zswobbie1]

I suppose that it's all about what expectations we have both for our hardware & software.
I, like most of us, started simming 20 odd years ago, with FS9. (I actually started a lot earlier, with a Tandy TRS80 PC.
I've upgraded, as my hardware eventually 'died', from Windows XP (128M RAM), Windows 7, . 8.1, 10 & 11.
I've done upgrades from one OS to another, 7 to 8 to 8.1, then from 10 to 11. I've not had any issues at all with any upgrade, or any junk left behind.
My current laptop, ASUS, came with Windows 11, & I've kept it updated. It has a 512GB SSD & I'm using a 2TB portable USB drive with my sims, programs & files, also used to transfer whatever needs to be transfered.
I also have OneDrive with 1TB cloud storage that I'm using as my 'library'.
It makes sense buying a (new) laptop preloaded with the latest OS, my feelings are to match the latest hardware with the latest operating system.
A bonus with Windows 11, is that if you get a systems crash, you can do an in-place reinstall of Windows 11 without loosing a thing!

The biggest (non-)issue was that the laptop came without a CD/DVD drive.
So I had to be creative getting a downloaded FS2004 - problem solved.
So, any time I do a fresh install or repair, I have a FS2004 ISO/copy in my library in the cloud.

 

[zswobbie1]

Oh, I'm using Microsoft's Defender anti-virus, & it nice to know that I'm not the only one using the sim from a stick/portable USB drive!

 

[michaelvader]

It seem to work perfectly -if you have just some hand selected aircraft and concerning scenery you concentrate just on one country and a bit of the countries aside

Michael