Make sure to go through the How to fix loading issues after clicking "Play"before moving on to the solutions listed on this page.
DELETE OLD & OUTDATED PACKAGES
1. Delete old packages
- Go to the 'Official' folder located by default here:
Microsoft Store/Game Pass version
C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official\OneStore
Steam version
C:\Users\your_username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Official\Steam
Retail disc version
C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\MSFSPackages\Official
*If you have installed the packages on a different drive look inside your custom folder (for example D:\MSFS)
- Sort out your folders by "Date modified"
- Delete every folder older than today's date
2. Move or rename the community folder.
- Navigate to your Community Folder. By default, you'll find this folder at the following locations:
Microsoft Store/Game Pass version:
C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community
Steam version:
AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community
Retail boxed version:
C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\MSFSPackages\Community
NOTE: If you have installed the packages on a different drive than C: you'll need to look inside your custom installation folder instead.
- Copy-cut (CTRL + X) the Community Folder
- Paste (CTRL + V) the Community Folder on your desktop or a drive of your choice
Alternatively, if you do not have free space on your other drives, simply rename the folder to "Test_Community."
Once the update is finished, close the sim and move the Community folder back to where it was or rename it to "community."
If you get stuck again on the "Checking for update" screen after reinstalling the Community folder, you'll need to investigate which add-on is not compatible anymore with the base sim. To do so, move each add-on one by one in the Community folder until you find the add-on causing the problem.
XBOX LIVE OUTAGE
Intermittent connectivity issues with Xbox Live can cause this issue. To check Xbox Live Status, click here.
If you see any alerts, wait until the service is up and running and then try again.
DO YOU OWN THE GAME?
The game's license is linked to the email address and gamertag used to purchase Microsoft Flight Simulator. You must enable Family Sharing before being able to share your games & apps with family members on your device.
Windows 10|11
Each Microsoft Flight Simulator user needs to download the app on their own windows profile and log in to their own Microsoft account/gamertag. You'll find more information about app & games sharing here: Sharing Windows 10 Store Apps with your Family
Steam
Discover how to authorize shared computers and users here: Steam Family Sharing
INSTALL THE XBOX APP
On your Windows device, select Search on the taskbar, type Xbox, and then select it from the list. If the app isn’t installed, you can get it for free from the Microsoft Store.
To make sure your permissions for the game can be validated, be sure to sign in to both the Store and the Xbox app using the account that was used to purchase Microsoft Flight Simulator.
For help with signing in, go to Sign in to Xbox
REMOVE THE ACCOUNT USED BY THE APP
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Select the Start button > Settings > Email & Accounts,
- Under Accounts used by other apps, find the Microsoft account you used to sign in to the sim
- Select Remove.
- Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator and sign in with the Microsoft account you just removed to add it again.
REINSTALL GAMING SERVICES
Reinstall the Gaming Services app on your Windows 10/11 device:
- Select the Search icon on the taskbar, type powershell, right-click on Windows PowerShell, and then select Run as administrator.
- In Windows PowerShell, type the following command and press Enter:
get-appxpackage Microsoft.GamingServices | remove-AppxPackage -allusers
- In the same window, type the following command and press Enter:
start ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHN
- Install the app on that page and select Yes when you receive the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.
- Restart your device and try to install the game again.
ADDITIONAL TROUBLESHOOTING
If the problem persists after doing all of the above, try the steps listed here: All versions - Sim freezes or crashes before loading fully
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