FSX Gold reinstall: activation limit exceeded and phone activation numbers not working

Hi Jackie,

Unfortunately you’ve run into two separate “old software in 2025” issues:

1. FSX (including Gold/Acceleration) uses the old Microsoft activation system, and it does have a finite number of automatic online activations tied to your key + hardware “fingerprint”.
2. The original phone activation numbers Microsoft provided back in the day are no longer reliably staffed/available in many regions, so the “call this number” route often goes nowhere now.

What you can try (practical steps)

1. Install in the correct order (this matters with FSX):
   • FSX (Disk 1 / Disk 2) → run FSX once
   • Activate FSX (the base sim) when prompted
   • Then install Acceleration → run FSX again
   • Activate again if prompted

   If you install everything first and only try to activate at the end, it sometimes makes the process harder.

2. Run activation “as Administrator”
   • Right-click the FSX shortcut → “Run as administrator”
   • Also try right-clicking the installer (setup.exe) → “Run as administrator”

   Not a magic fix for limits, but it avoids failed activation attempts due to permissions (which can “burn” attempts).

3. Double-check you’re using the correct product key
   FSX Gold typically has separate keys depending on the exact package. Make sure you’re entering the key that matches the disk set you’re installing from (FSX vs Acceleration). A simple typo also counts as an activation attempt, so go slowly.

4. If it still says the limit is exceeded…
   At that point it’s not something you can fix inside FSX itself. The only real solution is to get the activation count reset on Microsoft’s side (or obtain a new valid key). Years ago that was done through Microsoft Support. These days it’s hit-and-miss depending on region and who you reach, but that’s the correct escalation.

A couple of things to avoid

• Don’t keep retrying over and over with the same key on the same screen—if it’s truly “limit exceeded”, repeated attempts won’t suddenly work and can make things worse.
• Don’t change a bunch of hardware and then retry activation repeatedly. Major hardware changes can make it look like a “new PC” each time to the activation system.

Quick questions so I can steer you more accurately

1. Are you installing FSX Gold from the original Microsoft discs (not Steam Edition), and is it the “Deluxe + Acceleration” style Gold package?
2. What exact wording do you get on the activation error (as close as you can type it)?
3. Which Windows version is on the new PC (Windows 10 or 11), and are you installing to the default folder or a custom one?
4. Does the activation fail for the base FSX install, for Acceleration, or both?

If you post those details, I can tell you the cleanest path (and whether there’s anything else worth trying before going down the Microsoft Support route).