I have been dabbling with sims for years and when I switched to Windows XP many became obsolete except fot MSFS 2002, Pro MSCFS Europe and Jane's F-15.  FA-18 OIF installed just fine but runs very slowly.  The web site asserts that slowness is the result of no OPen GL or a 3D accelerator.  I do have a 16MB video card and my machine runs the other games juist fine.  Obviously my computor skills are quite limited but it looks as though FA-18 might be a challenge and would like to get it operating full blast.  It is not only slow but some of the keys do not respond.  Thanks one and all.

Toss Operation Iraqi Freedom out the window and get LOMAC if you want a decent jet combat sim.  Also, trash that obsolete vid card as well.  LOMAC would need better.  You can get a 128 meg gforce 5 series for less than $200.  You can get a pre-9600 radeon for less than $100.  You would need that to run even the lightest of todays sim technology well.  I tell you even MSFS will run much better. You see MSFS on a more up-to-date card you'll wonder why you hung on to the old one so long. They are very easy to change.  If you can use a philips screwdriver and put a disk in a CD-rom you can change out a vid card.

Installed a Radeon 128MB video card and F18 runs fast and smooth but otherwise is difficult for me to navigate.  Support tells me that a patch is coming out.  Now, I need some advice.  Checking LOMAC it looks as though the game is far more complicated than suits my cup of tea.  Jane's F-15 seemed to be OK but I would run out of gas and the refuel would not function. I looked at Pacific Fighters and that looks like it needs a 256MB card.  The old IL-2 Sturmovik Gold comes to light as the game that I am looking for.  What is your opinion and where can I buy one?   
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Thanks for the help and information.  FA/18 is history.  Put in a 128 MG Radeon card and wen up to 640 memory and it runs IL2 FB just fine but I am a critical old coot and have a small probkem.   When I go to Multiple play>Create>Load>Fly there is a small blue figure that does not move at the top edge of the screen about an inch and three quarters from the right edge.  Then when I get operating and activate the map there appears a small black line three quarters from and inch from the top all the way across.  It vanishes when the map is disabled.  Thanks,
PS   I am not confined to a mental institution