EU box version needs DVD check needed on startup? Please fix that!

This is a very old misconception. The fraction of users who read forums and actually attempt to create an ISO is less than 10% of the users who buy the game.

Microsoft wants to protect the game from the other 90% who naively install it on several computers.
Like when dad buys it and of course the kids nag him, so he installs it on all their computers too, as well as his collegue, who also gives the DVDs to his kids so they can install it too if they just hurry up, and Microsoft has to let them all play at the same time because they cannot say which is the legit buyer and they don’t want to punish legit buyers.

So they make a protection that reduces 90% of this traffic and in the big picture it works out.

I understand that they want to limit this but hten they should handle it as a floating license, so that only one person is able to use the sim. So if one person is locked in another computer with the same ID is not able. Problem fixed. Many other companies solve this issue this way, and they use by far more expensive software.

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I opened a ticket via Zendesk and got the reply that I have to contact Aerosoft on that issue :man_facepalming:
It seems like they try to play ping pong here instead of realizing that the current state is ridiculous and that customers don’t care who is responsible, it’s just annoying…

Coppersens The question is, why do you write tickets to Zendesk if the game works, but you are not happy with a 1 time DVD check? The employees in support cannot remove it for you because it is an integral part of the company strategy.

What they mean is that you have to ask Aerosoft for a refund, otherwise it is what it is. The only other option is to write directly to the management.

It was just one ticket, not tickets.
I guess it’s my decision what I see as a flaw in a game worth reportable and I’m not the only one who did NOT expect to have the DVD permanently in the drive since it was nowhere mentioned at point of sales and is not expected in 2020 having a single-use activation code for licensing.

Aerosoft somewhere said that Microsoft insisted on this kind of “protection”, so basically they are responsible for whatever check is coded in the game launcher.

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Yes ok, and I did not want to suppress you. But what are the people in support supposed to do if they had already discussed this internally and the answer from management was “that’s what it is”.

Also if you read the discussions then you know the issue had been known before the DVD released. Otherwise you could ask Aerosoft for a refund, if the matter is so unacceptable.

I don’t know what else to say to you, because like you I had also been interested in the DVD box but when I read the thread on Aerosofts forum my opinion quickly changed. In addition to that my old USB 2.0 drive would take a lot of time to install the game and also flipping DVDs 10 (?) times, there was a small chance I would have to resend the DVDs if eg DVD 8 fails, so I did not see this as superior to letting my computer download the game overnight.

Most people buying it don’t read forums.
And Microsoft still has to recognize that it’s annoying and useless. People fortunately found quick workarounds coming down to 2MB ISO size which just proves that the claim of this being some kind of “copy protection” is just a false claim and should definitely be reviewed by MS/Asobo.

I also contacted Aerosoft, not because I want a refund but that I’m very disappointed with the way their customers of physical copies are handicapped for no apparent reason.

And yes, I still think that customer feedback/complaints might change things to the better for all people, even those who accept facts and live with such workarounds.

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Salut à Tous,

Ah ces DVD … Installation interminable 6 heures (dvd), et pourtant un PC qui envoie du débit, mais pas le DVD !!! que j’ai du aussi prendre en externe et quand tu arrives à la fin, tu n’as pas le SETUP de démarrage qui t’est délivré après vérification et enregistrement sur le microsoft store, et ensuite il m’a été imposé de télécharger FS 2020 que j’avais chargé sur mon disque dur via DVD , encore 90 Giga … puis la mise à jour … Je n’ai toujours pas compris tout ce cheminement
j’ai lu plus haut 20h, j’en suis pas loin.
Ce qui est certain, c’est que je vais laissé de coté mon coté nostalgie des boites et DVD pour l’avenir, et avec une bonne connection internet, le téléchargement ou chargement des paysages en jeu n’en sera que meilleur.

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Please write in english as it is required per community rules. Thank you.

Ah these DVDs… Interminable installation 6 hours (dvd), and yet a PC which sends flow, but not the DVD !!! that I also had to take externally and when you get to the end, you don’t have the startup SETUP that is delivered to you after checking and registering on the microsoft store, and then I was forced to download FS 2020 that I had loaded on my hard drive via DVD, still 90 Giga… then the update… I still did not understand all this progress
I read above 8 p.m., I’m not far from it.
What is certain is that I will put aside my nostalgia for boxes and DVDs for the future, and with a good internet connection, downloading or loading in-game landscapes will only be better.

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Yes, the DVD check is anonying - I had to create an ISO and now have it permanently mounted on startup.

I believe if you have the disc based version it does not do an internet check, and instead is reliant on the DVD for authorisation.

I have managed to create an ISO only with one file (20 kb) and mount the ISO to bypass the DVD check.

Unfortunately for the people buying the DVD boxed version and then complaining about having to leave DVD1 in the drive in order to run the software - they appreantly don’t read the system requirements tab on Aerosofts site either which clearly states, highlighted in red:
“Please note that for using the box version of Microsoft Flight Simulator - Premium Deluxe the DVD No. 1 has to stay in the DVD drive.”
The information is there for the other versions as well. I’m not saying it’s the right way to do things but the information is there if people read before adding it to their basket. From what I’ve read it wasn’t Aerosofts decision to add this but Microsoft insisted on it as part of their terms to make a physical copy available.
What I don’t understand is why its needed at all - other products that retail for around the same price come with a licence key which unlocks the product and associates it with the users account so it can’t then be re-sold. Not sure if Microsoft has any experience in this way of doing things though so it must be a new way of doing things… oh… wait… isn’t that what MS Office and versions of Windows have been doing for years? :crazy_face:

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I have to say the truth, i bought mine at amazone, and there is a hint about it on there side and have not read it to end. because, when there is written, a dvd drive is necessary, then i think “when i buy a dvd box, of course i need a dvd drive, check” in the same point it is written about the necessary internet connection “also check” and then there is soemthing about the remaining dvd 1 in the drive. My problem is that i have just checked flightsim.com and on the systemrequirements there wasn’t a note as far as i remember that the DVD version has this spezial feature. Maybe this was also why i didn’t read it on amazon as i didn’t expect such a change. neverteless it’s not normall in 2020 to make “copy protection” this way, and it would be very kind if this can be solved per patch to change it the way download version does (at the moment DVD stays in the drive, because it is the only dvd i have at the moment rest is from download like steam, uplay, ms-store …)

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I bought it at Saturn, you can check yourself if there is such an info (hint: there is none)
https://www.saturn.de/de/product/_microsoft-flight-simulator-premium-deluxe-simulation-2669792.html

Sure, I could return the game and buy digital instead, but that’s not the point.
The point is that when buying a physical copy in 2020 you should not have to expect to even use the DVDs at all. Period.

And no, you still cannot play the game totally offline, the license check still happens online via your xbox profile.

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What a massive fail. Even in 2020 it’s not fair to presume an Internet connection is always available. Very disappointing I was considering the boxed version for this reason alone.

DVD check aside, is it correct that the DVD based version can be played fully offline while the digital version cannot? I read that Digital users are prompted to enter DVD1 when launching the game (without Internet connectivity). Then the question is, if those users have an illicit ISO of DVD1 mounted could they play offline just fine?

Currently trying to decide whether to go for the DVD version or not. I don’t like the idea of not being able to use software I have paid for if I happen to have no Internet connectivity for whatever reason.

Hi everyone. My boxed DVD version arrived yesterday. Like many customers I would prefer not to use Disc 1 each time I fly MSFS. So here is a workaround:
Create a new folder. It can be any name.
2. Copy and paste into the new folder these four files ONLY from Disc 1:
-ISSetup.dll
-setup.inx
-0x0409.ini
-0x0410.ini
3. Create an ISO file out of that folder with any name you want (doesn’t have to be MFS DISK 1). There are open source ISO creators available. Windows 10 can open ISO files but not write them without third party support. I had success with WinCDEmu.
4. Each time before you run MSFS, first mount that new ISO file. The assigned letter and type of media (CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, etc.) don’t matter. Make sure the virtual disc shows up in File Explorer before you run the sim. Check in This PC and make sure the assigned drive letter shows up.

That’s it. The ISO file is 2.18 MB which is a lot better than the over 7 GB that a full ISO copy of Disc 1 would have taken up. You can confirm it works if you see a small circle on the lower right after you press any key to start in the simulator. The disc check takes place between that press-key-to-start and the online search for updates.

Note that I did this using the English language DVD set. If you have a disc set in other languages and my instructions above doesn’t work, try adding all the 0x04… files since they are used for language support. I don’t think you will really need to, but I could be wrong.

That works for the German version too, thank you very much…
Greets Anton

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Exactly what has been written already in this thread:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/t/tip-for-dvd-users-save-drive-space/199070

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Yes, sorry i didnt blockquote it.
Now done :slight_smile: