When you start Your PC, there are programs that start automatically and run in the background that takes up valuable processing that could be used to run your flight sim. These programs are antivirus and system utility programs. When you perform a clean start procedure, you prevent these programs from starting automatically.
Windows Vista
1. Click Start, type System Configuration in the Start Search box, then press ENTER
2. Click the General Tab, and then click Selective Starup
3. Click to clear the Load System Services check box and the Load Start Up Items check box
4. Click to select the Load System Services check box.
5. Click OK, and then click Restart.
Microsoft Windows XP
1. Click Start, Click Run, type msconfig in the Open box, and then click OK
2. On the General Tab, click Selective Start Up.
3. Under Selective Start Up, click to clear the following check boxes
(a) Process SYSTEM.INI.File
(b) Process WIN.INI File
(c) Load Startup Items
4. On the Services Tab, click to select Hide All Microsoft Services check box, and then click Disable All.
5. Click OK, and then click Restart.
Acknowledgement to Microsoft for this procedure which I find stops lock up's and runs any Flight Simulator much more efficient. For further details and a very useful page on Microsofts Web Site go to
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/303032/en-us Hope this is useful to you fellow pilots, Happy and Safe landings.
Ron Hollins
