Yes, that is the necessary "hoop" I'm referring to. And FYI: It's not for MYSELF, it's for another user to whom I provide non-privileged access to the PC for the purpose of using GSX + MSFS.
If your regular user is limited, you have another "Administrator" user in Windows, which will temporarily take over as soon you enter the admin password. This is why the activation doesn't work on the regular user: it's not the same user.
The point is: I CANNOT activate as a non-privileged user. Like I said: If I run the installer as a non-privileged user then it will AUTOMATICALLY prompt me for the admin password.
Are you now trying to remind me or explain how the installer (which we configured like that on purpose) works?
If I don't do that the installer cannot proceed and activation will not be possible.
Precisely. That's what "on purpose" means.
The point is: I CANNOT activate as a non-privileged user.
Of course you can, following the alternate procedure explained in the post I linked before:
https://www.fsdreamteam.com/forum/index.php/topic,28730.msg187338.html#msg187338Therefore: If the installation/activation requires admin permissions and GSX is not running correctly UNLESS couatl is started under the same user that performed the activation then OBVIOUSLY admin access is required and this should be clearly stated in the manual.
That's precisely what I said. The program itself DOES NOT need admin permission to RUN, clearly proven by the fact IT WORKS if you activate as a limited user using the alternate activation procedure. It's the installer that does the activation that needs admin permissions so, again, you have two choices:
1) Activate normally as admin, then run Couatl as admin
OR
2) Activate as limited users, run Couatl as limited user
Option #2, with the "going through the hoops", is much better, because you do it ONLY ONCE, then never again until you change your PC, while #1 requires to always run the Couatl engine as admin, which also has the side effect that MSFS might not start it automatically, so it's "easier", but it's not the best solution.
It's simple as that. The only thing "missing" from the manual is a copy of the post on the forum explaining the limited user activation method.