Ugh, I don't EVEN  know how to write this one. 5 years of PC I have NEVER witnessed this.

Before a new HDD(WD120) install, I had FS2K4 on it's own parition and Win98 in its own (start of HDD). Sim ran great, never a prob.

Now, on the new HDD, I went to install it under the same drive layout, the install got to decompressing scenery files then locked up the machine. Had to use the nuke button to get out. Upon reboot, I got "Missing OS". Um, what? Used a GUI emualtion in DOS to see what was what - the entire Windows OS paritition had been written over by the folders from the Games parition !!!

Did this 2x more, same thing. So, went to install into the Win98 partition, but was to small for full install (never panned on it, and 3gb was plenty for OS only). So, I have all the stock retail installed scenery files on a CD from first install ever, I was going to move the game, decompress the scenery manually, edit the registry, and see what happens. Upon decpmressing (WinRAR 3.0) one of tha "nam" files, it happened again, OS locked up, reboot = missing OS.

Luckily, I use Ghost a keep a backup of my OS, otherwised I would be, well, add multiple expetives here. This is where I noticed the parition sizes (in Ghost GUI), Windows parition capacity = 3gb, used = 3gb.

It gets more strange. After Ghosting the Windows back, I went to dump manually what was left in the Games parition of the sim. There were some files (in scenery) that I got 'can not delete'. But, Windows that is installed now (Ghost copy) has never seen these files before. They are not marked as read only, hidden, nothing. More odd than that is, R-Click on the Flight Sim folder (in a parition of 30gb) shows me folder size of 429gb - yes, 429 gigabyte. My drive is a 120, it is the only HDDon the system.
So, I boot over to Win2K, same thing, can not delete those files, same size report. I Go into DOS, can not delete both with a GUI and in pure DOS.

This has never happened with this game or ANY OTHER game/app. The game and files are known gtood, as I have flown since it came out.

Again, this is a new HDD, with nothing else but small work apps instlled into the Win98, and nothing installed into the games parition. Win2K is NTFS, so bears nothing on the Win98 working.

Does anyone have any clue whatsoever wha is happening? I mean, come'on, how can a decompression to a seperate parition overwrite Windows completey. Bear in mind - COMPLETE OVERWRITE - using the DOS GUI parition browser, NO windows files are left - none.

Hope this all makes some kind of sense, explaining something on type is not my best feature.

K then, thanx for unduring,

Misfit