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Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) crashing to desktop on a Windows PC does not have one universal fix. The fastest route to a solution is to identify when the crash happens, then test add-ons, drivers, files, cache, graphics settings, memory, and background software in that order. Start with Safe Mode and Community-folder isolation before attempting a reinstall.
“MFS 2020” refers to Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020), not Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. The two products have different content, requirements, and troubleshooting paths.
Find your crash pattern first
A crash to desktop, or CTD, is a symptom rather than a diagnosis. The point at which MSFS closes narrows the likely causes:
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| Symptom | Start with |
|---|---|
| Crash before the main menu | GPU drivers, Windows updates, account validation, add-ons, startup conflicts, and installation repair |
| Crash after an update | Community-folder content, rolling cache, recently changed drivers, and corrupted packages |
| Crash while loading a flight | Aircraft or scenery add-ons, rolling cache, memory pressure, and graphics settings |
| Crash repeatedly in one area | Local scenery, aircraft content, or a simulator bug; record the GPS coordinates |
| “Your graphics device has encountered a problem” | GPU driver, overclock, overheating, or a DirectX/device failure |
| No error message | Safe Mode, add-on isolation, clean boot, driver testing, and Event Viewer |
| Crash disappears in Safe Mode | Community-folder or other third-party content |
| Crash begins after connecting hardware | Disconnect peripherals and reconnect them individually |
Also ask what changed immediately before the problem began: Windows, a GPU driver, an aircraft or scenery package, a peripheral, an overclock, antivirus, an overlay, or the simulator’s storage location.
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Check whether the PC is being pushed too hard
The published PC requirements for MSFS 2020 list these tiers:
| Tier | CPU | GPU | VRAM | RAM | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Ryzen 3 1200 or Core i5-4460 | Radeon RX 570 or GTX 770 | 2 GB | 8 GB | 150 GB |
| Recommended | Ryzen 5 1500X or Core i5-8400 | Radeon RX 590 or GTX 970 | 4 GB | 16 GB | 150 GB |
| Ideal | RTX 2080 or Radeon VII-class hardware | 8 GB | 32 GB | 150 GB SSD | |
See Microsoft’s official requirements and the Steam listing for the published specifications. These are baseline tiers, not a guarantee of stable high-setting performance in dense cities, complex aircraft, VR, multiple monitors, or heavy traffic.
Check the actual GPU and VRAM, installed RAM, CPU, free space on both the simulator and Windows drives, and whether a laptop is using its dedicated GPU rather than integrated graphics. Do not buy hardware before testing the software causes below.
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Fix 1: Start in Safe Mode and remove add-ons
Safe Mode temporarily prevents third-party content from loading. If the same activity works in Safe Mode, an add-on becomes the leading suspect—not proof that every other part of the simulator is healthy. Microsoft documents this approach in its crash checklist.
- Launch MSFS.
- If the post-crash prompt appears, choose Safe Mode, not Normal Mode.
- Repeat the activity that normally crashes.
- If it works, close the simulator.
- Move or rename the Community folder rather than deleting it.
- Launch normally and repeat the test.
If the crash disappears, restore add-ons in small groups. A binary-search method is quickest: move half the packages back, test, and keep narrowing the failing group. Prioritize recently installed or updated aircraft, airports, scenery libraries, traffic tools, toolbar utilities, weather tools, and camera mods.
An add-on can cause a crash even when it is not visibly related to the aircraft or location being loaded. Do not blindly copy a folder path from an MSFS 2024 guide into an MSFS 2020 installation; the package location differs between editions and installations. Microsoft’s loading guidance also recommends moving or renaming Community content.
If Safe Mode still crashes: Community-folder content is less likely, but official or Marketplace content, drivers, Windows, memory pressure, configuration, account validation, and hardware can still be responsible.
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GPU drivers are a major crash area, especially when the failure started after a Windows or driver update. The newest driver is not automatically the right answer for every GPU and Windows build.
- Identify whether the GPU is NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel.
- Download the driver from the manufacturer’s official support page.
- Install it, using a clean-install option when the installer provides one.
- Restart Windows.
- Test MSFS before restoring overlays and tuning utilities.
Use the official NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel download pages.
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- CHALLENGE LEAGUE: Compete against other pilots in the iconic Reno and Red Bull Air Races
- ADVANCED SIMULATION: Enhanced physics and aircraft systems and a groundbreaking flight planner create an unparalleled simulation experience
If the crash began immediately after a driver update, try Device Manager > Display adapters > your GPU > Properties > Driver > Roll Back Driver, if available. Otherwise reinstall the previous known-stable driver from the manufacturer. Test with default driver settings.
Temporarily disable NVIDIA or AMD overlays, Xbox Game Bar, Discord and Steam overlays, recording tools, GPU monitoring overlays, and VR software. These are diagnostic tests, not necessarily permanent changes. Microsoft’s current guidance covers driver troubleshooting and graphics-device errors in its general crash guide and graphics-device error guide.
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Install Windows updates
- Open Settings.
- Go to Windows Update.
- Select Check for updates.
- Install available updates and restart the PC.
Labels vary slightly between Windows 10 and Windows 11. Restart even if Windows does not strongly request it.
Steam edition
- Open Steam and select Library.
- Right-click Microsoft Flight Simulator and choose Properties.
- Open Installed Files.
- Select Verify integrity of game files.
- Wait for verification to finish, then relaunch.
Steam verification checks the Steam installation files; it does not repair every streamed simulator package, cache, configuration file, driver, or add-on.
Microsoft Store or Xbox app edition
Use the Xbox app or Windows app settings to find the game’s Repair option where available. Treat Reset as more destructive: it can make the application reinitialize data. Do not delete Packages, Official, or configuration folders unless you know exactly where your content is stored or Microsoft Support instructs you to do so.
For this edition, confirm that the Microsoft Store and Xbox app are signed in with the account that owns or provides access to MSFS. Account validation is part of Microsoft’s crash checklist.
Fix 4: Delete the rolling cache
A stale or corrupted rolling cache can contribute to loading and in-flight failures. Clearing it makes MSFS rebuild the cache.
If the simulator reaches the menu:
- Open Options > General Options > Data.
- Find Rolling Cache.
- Select Delete and confirm.
- Restart MSFS and repeat the failing test.
The exact label can vary slightly by build or language. Microsoft lists rolling-cache clearing in its basic crash troubleshooting.
If MSFS cannot reach the menu, use edition-specific Microsoft guidance to locate the LocalCache or package configuration area. Back up important configuration files first and remove only the rolling-cache file. Steam and Microsoft Store/Xbox installations do not necessarily use the same paths. Do not delete the entire Packages or Official folder as a guess.
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If the crash occurs at exactly the same location every time, cache clearing is worth testing, but also treat the repeatable coordinates as evidence of a scenery, aircraft, or simulator bug.
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Microsoft recommends the Low-end preset as a diagnostic test. If it prevents the crash, the trigger may be GPU load, VRAM or system-memory pressure, heat, or unstable tuning rather than damaged files.
- Open General Options > Graphics.
- Set Global Rendering Quality to Low-end.
- Select Apply & Save.
- Repeat the exact loading sequence or flight that crashed.
If Low-end works, raise settings gradually. Test terrain and object level of detail, texture resolution, render scaling, traffic, airport detail, HDR, VR, and any frame-generation or upscaling option one at a time. The available options depend on your simulator build and hardware.
You can also test the other available renderer, such as DirectX 11 instead of DirectX 12, or vice versa. Neither renderer is universally more stable; the useful result is whether changing it alters your specific crash.
Disable custom GPU, CPU, and RAM overclocks, undervolts, and aggressive memory profiles. Test default settings, as recommended in Microsoft’s performance guidance. A manufacturer’s factory-overclocked card is not automatically the same as a user-created overclock.
Fix 6: Restore automatic Windows pagefile management
MSFS can create substantial memory demand with complex aircraft, dense scenery, large airports, traffic, VR, and multiple monitors. Having 32 GB of RAM does not eliminate possible VRAM or pagefile pressure. Microsoft includes virtual-memory troubleshooting in its advanced crash guidance.
For most users, restore Windows’ automatic setting:
- Press Windows + R.
- Enter
sysdm.cpland press Enter. - Open Advanced.
- Under Performance, select Settings.
- Open the Advanced tab.
- Under Virtual memory, select Change.
- Enable Automatically manage paging file size for all drives.
- Select OK and restart Windows.
There is no universal pagefile number that guarantees stability. Manual sizing depends on installed RAM, workload, crash-dump settings, and available drive space. Keep the pagefile on a reliable drive and do not disable it simply because the PC has 32 GB or more RAM.
This is a memory-pressure test, not a cure for a defective GPU, corrupt driver, broken add-on, failing SSD, unstable overclock, or simulator bug.
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- CHALLENGE LEAGUE: Compete against other pilots in the iconic Reno and Red Bull Air Races.
- ADVANCED SIMULATION: Enhanced physics and aircraft systems and a groundbreaking flight planner create an unparalleled simulation experience.
Fix 7: Clean boot Windows and disconnect peripherals
Flight-sim setups often combine overlays, VR services, head trackers, hardware utilities, USB hubs, and several control devices. A background conflict can make MSFS crash without showing an error.
Clean-boot test
- Press Windows + R.
- Enter
msconfigand press Enter. - Open Services.
- Check Hide all Microsoft services.
- Disable the remaining non-Microsoft services.
- Open the Startup tab and select Open Task Manager.
- Disable nonessential startup applications.
- Restart Windows and test MSFS.
If the crash disappears, re-enable services and startup applications in small groups or one at a time until it returns. This identifies the conflict. Restore normal startup afterward; clean boot is a diagnostic state, not a permanent recommendation.
Test without flight hardware
For startup or control-profile crashes, temporarily disconnect the yoke, joystick, throttle quadrant, rudder pedals, head tracker, VR headset, USB hubs, panels, eye-tracking hardware, and gamepads. Launch MSFS, then reconnect one device at a time. If one device brings the crash back, investigate its driver, firmware, utility, or control profile rather than permanently abandoning all peripherals.
Fix 8: Reinstall only after the earlier tests fail
A reinstall is time-consuming and may not touch the actual cause. It is unlikely to fix a GPU driver, add-on, rolling cache, pagefile, overclock, Windows-service conflict, account problem, or location-specific simulator bug.
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Before reinstalling, record:
- Steam or Microsoft Store/Xbox edition
- Windows version
- GPU and driver version
- CPU and installed RAM
- Whether Safe Mode works
- Whether the Community folder was moved or renamed
- Whether the crash occurs at launch, menu, loading, or during flight
- Aircraft, airport, scenery, and route involved
- Any visible error message
- Recent updates, add-ons, drivers, peripherals, and hardware changes
If you reinstall, preserve information about your package location and configuration first. Do not delete random folders or use registry cleaners, driver boosters, or unofficial “crash-fix” executables.
Use the right branch for your symptom
Crashes before the main menu
- Restart Windows.
- Update or roll back the GPU driver.
- Update Windows.
- Confirm Store/Xbox sign-in for that edition.
- Launch in Safe Mode and isolate Community content.
- Disable overlays and background utilities.
- Repair or verify the installation.
- Test default GPU settings.
Crashes after entering the menu
- Delete the rolling cache.
- Set graphics to Low-end.
- Disable overclocks.
- Reduce terrain, object, and render-scaling settings.
- Restore automatic pagefile management.
- Test without VR, traffic tools, and third-party aircraft.
Crashes while loading a flight
- Remove the selected aircraft add-on.
- Remove scenery and airport packages.
- Test a default aircraft at a default airport.
- Clear the rolling cache.
- Lower graphics settings.
- Test with peripherals disconnected.
Crashes at one location
- Remove all add-ons and test a default aircraft.
- Try another nearby airport or route.
- Record the GPS coordinates.
- If the crash remains repeatable, submit a bug report with those coordinates.
When nothing fixes the CTD
At that point, the remaining possibilities include a hardware fault, unstable memory or GPU, a corrupt configuration, an account or launcher issue, an official-content problem, or a reproducible simulator bug. Check Windows Event Viewer for the application or faulting module, but treat it as a clue rather than definitive proof.
Contact the official Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 support category with your platform, Windows version, GPU and driver, RAM, crash timing, Safe Mode result, add-on status, error text, recent changes, and coordinates if the crash is location-specific. A precise reproduction is far more useful than simply reporting “the game crashes.”
Do not switch to or purchase MSFS 2024 solely as a crash fix. It is a separate product with different content, requirements, and compatibility considerations; consult its official FAQ before treating it as an alternative.
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