if you go to the link above, you will see an image of 2 Default Cessna 172's at KSEA.
The picture on the left, is what normally my flight simulator looks like when I start it up. (It looks sort of dark ey?)
The picture on the right, is what my flight simulator looks like after I visit alt-->settings-->display settings-->hardware and
from there I change the resolution. Now I know what my computers resolution, and I have to switch it back and fourth to get
my display at normalcy. BUT- Everytime load a new window, or pop up a window, lets say I hit my button on my keyboard
that loads the start menu and minimizes FS, when I return to FS, FS is completley dark again, and its annoying, especially when trying
to land in my payware sceneries! I know I have appropriate specs, because FS rarely crashes, and I have no idea how to fix this problem.
My Operating System is VISTA basic, 32-bit, and if anybody has any idea, please feel free to ask questions!  I've tried deleting FS9.cfg and everything.. To ever whom fixes this problem, I will be very very gratefull! Thank you!

sounds to me like a video driver issue... or maybe a video card setting overriding FS9's settings?

check your video card setting... see if there is something wrong with your brightness / contrast / gamma settings... maybe, you unknowingly have a profile set for FS9 that went awry  

and update your drivers, just to be on the safe side  

hope this helps

Cheers

post corrected