Compatibility Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 vs. Windows 7

Did anyone find a real fix this? The response marked as an answer is a nothing of the sort, it is a go-away response.  As others have started even high end graphics drivers have this issue.  It is clearly a connection between Windows Media Player and FS9.  It is not a graphics driver issue.

Simply because Microsoft says it is compatible does not mean they haven't changed something which now makes the system fail to function.

There are many other sites out there reporting this error and most reporting it is a WMP issue.  There are only fixes for 98, ME and XP.  XP compatibility mode does fix this issue.

First of all, after installing any application or game, you should defragment your drive. This can resolve many issues with games not working correctly. I remember the first couple times playing GTA IV, it would crash after five minutes. I defragged my drive and it never crashed after that. To defrag your drive, type defragment in the start menu search box. Click defragment your hard drive . If you have a third-party program (Perfectdisk, Diskeeper) then use that instead. If after defragging your drive FS 2004 still crashes, try this:

Right click on the game shortcut and select properties . In the new window that opens, select the tab named compatibility . Under Run this program in compatibility mode , tick the box and in the drop-down box, select the version of Windows that the game operated correctly on (ex: If it worked on Windows XP SP3, select Windows XP SP3). Then at the bottom, tick the box that says Run as an administrator .

Let me know if it works.

VietAzn - I know this is an older post, but I just purchased a new computer with Windows 7 Professional. I have owned my Flight Simulator 2004 since they came out and had it installed on my older computer running the standard Windows 7. Apparently there were no compatibility issues between Windows XP and Windows 7 because I had no problems before. With the new computer I have had unexpected shutdowns. Tried your second paragraph and ticked the box with Windows 7 and now everything seems to be running fine. Thanks so much, I'm glad I found your post! - Rick

Anybody ever get theirs fixed????

Mine (FS2004) has been running fine on my machine since I first put it on.  I hadn't used it in a while and last night I tried to launch it and NO-GO.  I have tried everything.  Uninstalled/reinstalled, cleaned registry, checked setting, tried launching as admin, tried launching from both shortcut and direct from exe file.  Last try I uninstalled/reinstalled and when the installation was complete you have the option to hit a "run" button.  Nope, NADA!

Maybe it doesn't like my graphic card???  I think the last time I played was prior to my having to replace the graphics card.  Current card is NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS.

Very frustrating.

Nope.

And I cannot even download and run Flight Simulator X.

I did however manage to download and run FlightGear.