Original FS9 Windows XP Versions?

[Ottersphere]

Hi there FSDT,

Just wondering if it is possible to get the original versions of all these sceneries? I'm running a retro setup of FS9.1 on Windows XP and am hoping to find them. Have they been deleted forever? If not, would you consider selling them again?

Thanks.

[Captain Kevin]

Literally the installers are on their website.

https://fsdreamteam.com/products_fs9.html

[Ottersphere]

Those files require Windows 8.1 as a minimum. I'm talking about the original 2008ish versions that supported XP. The current ones don't work with XP, I've tried.

[virtuali]

Those files require Windows 8.1 as a minimum. I'm talking about the original 2008ish versions that supported XP. The current ones don't work with XP, I've tried.

Even if you had old installers, you will never able to reactivate, for several reasons:

- The activation USED to run with Esellerate

- Esellerate at a certain point stopped to support XP, so you had to update anyway in order to be able to activate.

- Esellerate closed in 2019, so we moved to a new activation method from QLM/SORACO

- We HAVE updated the Addon Manager for FS9 to support QLM but, QLM doesn't work in XP and since Esellerate is no more, even if you had older installers, there's no way you could activate the products on XP.

[Ottersphere]

Thanks for the explanation Umberto.

If I were to ever acquire the old installers, would there be a way for you to help me activate them without the add on manager? Software tweak of some sort from your end? I’d be happy to pay you for the efforts if it is technically possible.

I realize I’m a tiny minority and am pretty sure I know the answer, but asking anyway. Thank you for contributing such high quality products to the flight sim hobby!

Best,
Dustin

[bcm652]

With all due respect, Dustin. Wouldn't it be simpler just to update your computer to Windows 10 and all of your problems would be solved over night. Windows XP was a great operating system back in the day, but even Microsoft has moved on since then.

[virtuali]

If I were to ever acquire the old installers, would there be a way for you to help me activate them without the add on manager? Software tweak of some sort from your end? I’d be happy to pay you for the efforts if it is technically possible.

I'm sorry but, even if you found older installers, it's not technically possible.

Well, it would be possible in theory, but it would require to "hack ourselves", meaning creating a custom version of the scenery without any DRM, which very difficult even for us, because it would require going through source codes that might be 10+ years old, and that will cost us far too much time ( we are based in the country with has one of the highest hourly minimum wage in the world ), but it's also not something we are willing to do, because even leaving possible piracy outside of the picture, we also want to have users updated using the modern OS, so they can buy the latest stuff.

Your only chance is to update to Windows 10, FS9 works just fine with it.

[Ottersphere]

I understand. So it is.

[Ottersphere]

PC Aviator still sells the Windows XP versions. Not sure how they are activating correctly but they do.

[bradl]

Another thing to consider. Even with the ability to activate older FS9 sceneries, there will be no chance of those sceneries being up to date with current charts, as more than likely there are at least 10 years of physical updates at the fields in question since the release of the last FS9 scenery. So even with activating them, you may find the scenery completely out of date.

I was considering installing FS9 again just to activate my KLAS and KLAX sceneries, but seeing how much has updated since then, it may not be worth it, and there is no way for FSDT to continue to support something that old (unless they want to; a lot of users have migrated to either the latest P3D or MSFS).

BL.

[Ottersphere]

I was doing an FS9 Time Capsule Build for nostalgia,  so actually the dated scenery was desirable. Obviously this thread isn’t going to apply to anyone wanting the latest and greatest sim experience. Just wanted anyone interested to know that the XP sceneries can still be activated, which is amazing.

[Captain Kevin]

Another thing to consider. Even with the ability to activate older FS9 sceneries, there will be no chance of those sceneries being up to date with current charts, as more than likely there are at least 10 years of physical updates at the fields in question since the release of the last FS9 scenery. So even with activating them, you may find the scenery completely out of date.

Sure, but FSX and even P3D sceneries are also out of date. Take FSDreamteam's JFK scenery. Since that scenery was done, runways 4L/22R and 13L/31R have been reconstructed and are now made out of concrete. They've also added additional taxiways exiting off those runways. Drzewiecki Design's KJFK isn't that much better, as they do have runway 4L/22R as currently depicted, but the scenery was done before the reconstructions of 13L/31R.

[virtuali]

I was doing an FS9 Time Capsule Build for nostalgia,  so actually the dated scenery was desirable. Obviously this thread isn’t going to apply to anyone wanting the latest and greatest sim experience. Just wanted anyone interested to know that the XP sceneries can still be activated, which is amazing.

If with "XP sceneries", you mean sceneries using an old installer using Esellerate, then no, they cannot be activated, simply because Esellerate is no more, but we have the updated Addon Manager for FS9 that allows them to activate on our current QLM/Soraco system. It's the one and only way to activate any FS9 scenery for FSDT today.

Yes, the instructions say Window 8.1 is the minimum required system but, it doesn't mean we are 100% sure it is, it only means is the only OS we support ( because anything older is out of support from Microsoft ), so we cannot guarantee compatibility with it, but since lots of users seems to still be on Windows 7, I took one day off normal work to do some proper testing, and it turns out than yes, if you update Windows 7 and .NET to the latest version using a specific MS installer, you CAN use Windows 7 too. Instructions how to do this have been posted as a Sticky thread in the GSX for FSX/P3D section of the forum. Other than those instructions, you won't get any more support from us trying to run on an unsupported OS.

Now, that was for Windows 7. I don't think the same can be said for XP, which is quite different but, again, you never know. But we are not going to spend any time trying to find out this time.

The only thing 100% sure: you MUST use the latest Addon Manager for FS9 to activate anything today.

[Ottersphere]

Not disagreeing with anything you’ve said Umberto.
Simply reporting that the FS9 versions currently being sold at PC Aviator claim to work with Windows XP and I have verified that they do. I don’t really care why, I’m just happy 🙂. I’m also in the process of buying the FSX versions for my Windows 10 machine which also makes me happy 😀. This is my last post in this thread.

[virtuali]

Simply reporting that the FS9 versions currently being sold at PC Aviator claim to work with Windows XP and I have verified that they do.

They aren't selling a special version, they are selling exactly the same version as we do, which mean, in BOTH cases, you will still have to update the Stand-Alone Addon Manager for FS9, available here, so the activation can be made on QLM, since it just can't be made on Esellerate, since there's no Esellerate server anymore.

Again, I'm talking only about activation, and as I've said, the current Addon Manager surely works with Windows 7, and I can say "surely", because I tested it, can't say anything about XP, since I haven't tested it, so I take your word for it.