Reinstalling RF 9 on a new computer

[Rotenvogel]

After installing RF 9 on a new Dell laptop I purchased a couple months ago the program is hanging up after start up. The plane is on the runway but I get no response from the Remote and the menu bar is grayed out such that I can't make a selection using the mouse.

The computer has the following specifications:

Intel 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P 2.2 GHz
16 GB Ram
64 Bit OS
Windows 11 Pro Version 22H2
Intel IRIS Xe Graphics card

BitDefender for Antivirus

I would appreciate any ideas to get this program running.

 

[flightengr]

The 13th Gen Intel graphics is the problem. RF 9 uses DirectX 9, which is discontinued by Microsoft and Intel has decided to remove support for it in their video drivers.

Check out the sticky thread at the top of this RealFlight 9 forum section about Intel beta fix. It may help you.

Otherwise, you'd need help from an nVidia or AMD graphics card, but that's impossible to add to a laptop.

Another option is to upgrade to RealFlight Evolution. It has been rewritten to use DirectX 11, and would work on your laptop the way it is.

 

[asj5547]

Have a look at my post here.

RF9.5s running with 13th gen CPU and IGPU

My experience utilizing the IGPU Intel UHD 770 graphics (CPU onboard GPU) with RF9.5s. How to enable RF9.5s when using the Interlink DX controller. Start Realflight 9.5s, the plane will appear on the runway, it will not move, and the menu bar will be greyed out, click the Esc. key or press...

forums.realflight.com

 

[Rotenvogel]

Thank you for your replies. In following the sticky thread at the top of the RF 9 forum many of the posts mention "STEAM". I purchased the software as a CD in the RF9 Box from a hobby store. Since the RF9 is already installed on my computer without STEAM, would there be any issues with either STEAM or RF9 if I setup STEAM on my computer after the fact?

 

[Bill Stuntz]

My understanding is that you can trade in your DVD license & exchange it for a Steam license. The DVD version will be deactivated, and only the Steam version will work.

 

[Ryan Douglas]

@Rotenvogel, if you don't have another computer you can use to run RealFlight 9, your most economical option is probably to upgrade to RealFlight Evolution.

As @Bill Stuntz suggested, you can exchange your RealFlight 9 serial number for a RealFlight 9.5S Steam key. The process is easy, and it would be worthwhile because it allows you to take advantage of a 30% discount on Evolution. Note that the discount is only available when purchasing directly from Steam.

The process would look like this:

1. Follow the directions at the Key Exchange site.
   1. This will invalidate your DVD-based RF9 serial number forever. But you will have RF9.5S in your Steam library to replace it. The RealFlight Evolution upgrade does not remove it. If you ever wanted to install and run 9.5S on a different computer that supported it, you could.
2. Redeem the 9.5S Steam key.
3. You don't need to actually install RF9.5S. It is enough that you now own it through Steam.
4. Visit the RealFlight Evolution store page on Steam's website.
5. Locate the discounted "Buy RealFlight Evolution: Upgrade from RealFlight 9.5" option and click Add to Cart.

I hope that helps. Let us know if you have any other questions.

Oh, and you asked about potential conflict between the DVD and Steam versions of RF9. No, they exist separately and are able to coexist. Technically, your DVD-based installation would continue to work on that computer, but you would no longer be able to activate any new installations.