This phenomenon has always been a curiosity to me, yet just shows how no two systems are the same. Thousands of folks (probably more) have purchased FSX/FSX Gold and Accel. Install the software and it runs for a given number of months or years before something causes them to have to do a fresh install. The activation, I would assume for the original installation is basically the same for everyone, you install the program and at the end you type in the activation code and it accepts it and you move on. The subsequent activation can be quite different. . . .maybe you just needed to do a fresh install, so you go to control panel, uninstall, reboot, make sure the original directory is gone and do a fresh install. Maybe, like in my case you have to re-format the HDD and start over. . . . .but the activation should remain the same. . .at the end of the installation you are asked for the activation code, you type it in and it accepts it.
At this point I get lost though because all things being relatively the same (installation and activation), why then do some folks play hell trying to get the code to work, get the third degree by Microsoft or in some rare cases just go out and buy a new copy just so they can get it installed correctly?
I've had FSX since it was about 3 months old, I've actually reinstalled it, for one reason or another about 5 times now (including the last two, last week) and all I've done is uninstalled through the control panel, reboot, confirm that everything is gone and reinstall. Finally activating it with the code I've always used and went right back to flying. I don't use any registry cleaners or any other software to root out any left-overs. So what is it about some folks system or techniques for installing software that make them vulnerable to the problems discussed here?
