I recently acquired a new PC. I had installed CFS1, 2 & 3 on it at one time. But, because of other problems, I had uninstalled everything and started over again. I now have WinXP Pro SP2 installed as the OS. I've finally gotten around to installing CFS1 again.

PROBLEM!!!
After making the installation, the sim will load and works fine up until I click on 'FLY' to begin a mission, freeflight or campaign. Then the game crashes and shuts down back to the desktop. I then get an error message about wanting to send a report back to MS.
One curious side effect is that now Windows message and dialog boxes have had their backgrounds changed to a tan color.

I have uninstalled it and reinstalled it 3X now with the same effect each time. Does anyone recognize this problem and know of a cure for it?

Thx.
FF

PS
I found this in a prior thread:


Posts: 14
  Re: cfs1 doesn't run on my new system
« Reply #2 on: Jan 13th, 2005, 8:30am »  Quote  Modify 

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as a matter of fact i've re-installed it a few times but it didn't work. now it's even worse if possible when i try to run a mission or a campaign mission a message tells me that there's a problem: something to do with cfs module problems. it's a shame I really loved cfs1 and I don't seem to be able to play it anymore!
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That sounds like my problem. It doesn't seem to have been resolved in that thread.
FF

Are we to assume you're playing it stock -- no add-on aircraft or missions (all aircraft must be properly installed in the aircraft folder for Ai and Flyable use)? Without specifics (maybe even with) it's a bit difficult to narrow things down (personally, I haven't run CFS on Windows XP).
However, you may peruse the CFS support site: http://support.microsoft.com/combatflightsimfaq
If the needed rectification isn't in those listings, click the "Help and Support Home" button in the upper left corner for the main support page; try it as an install issue, if necessary. Direct tech assistance is available but there may be a charge.

I have CFS1 & CFS3 running under windows XP home.
No real big problems, so it should work (I did nothing special to make it work).

I have encountered just 2 little problems in CFS1:

1) sometimes a campaignprogres is not saved (but I learned to work around that and it did not happen for a long time now)

2) sometimes after I played CFS1 for a long time the background color of the windows message and dialog boxes are changed (just like your curious side effect?), but after a restart of windows they are back to normal so its no real problem for me.

Have you tried out to restart windows after a install and then play the game?
I can not realy help you out but hope I have encouraged you to keep on trying to find a solution.

good luck

I had directed you to the flight sim support page. Although you've already tried some of these procedures, if, perhaps, you haven't checked there, I should have started you at the game support page:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303032
I'd heard a number of complaints about older games not working properly with XP but there are usually patches or reversions possible. I hope you find the fix soon. Let us know in either case.