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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 crashes, freezes, stutters, or displays a black screen for several different reasons. The fastest way to narrow the problem down is to launch the simulator without Community-folder content, update the Xbox app or Steam and graphics drivers, remove stale streamed data, and test with a minimal hardware and software setup. Only after those checks should you change advanced Windows, memory, storage, or configuration settings.
The steps below apply to the PC version of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Microsoft Store/Xbox app and Steam installations use different folders, and several older troubleshooting guides incorrectly list Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 paths or instructions.
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Start with these fixes
- Restart Windows and launch MSFS 2024 with Continue in Safe Mode if that option appears.
- Temporarily rename the Community folder so the simulator starts without mods.
- Update Windows, your NVIDIA or AMD graphics driver, the Xbox app, and Gaming Services.
- Delete the
StreamedPackagesfolder and rolling-cache file while the simulator is closed. - Disconnect unnecessary USB devices and extra monitors, then test again.
If the game still fails, continue to the symptom-specific sections below rather than changing every setting at once.
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Microsoft Store and Game Pass versions
For a Microsoft Store purchase or Game Pass installation, launch the simulator from the Xbox app, not directly from the Microsoft Store or an old desktop shortcut. Confirm that both the Microsoft Store and Xbox app are signed in with the account that owns the game or the Game Pass subscription.
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- CONTENT IS PLAYABLE AT 6AM PST ON NOV-19-2024.**
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Open Microsoft Store > Library > Updates & downloads and install available updates for the Xbox app and Gaming Services. Microsoft also provides a Gaming Services Repair Tool, which can be run from the Xbox app or downloaded from its support instructions. These checks are especially important when the game fails immediately after selecting Play or Launch.
To reset the Microsoft Store cache:
- Press Windows key + R.
- Enter
WSReset.exeand press Enter. - Wait for the black window to close and Microsoft Store to open.
- Restart Windows and try MSFS 2024 again.
Also open Settings > Date & time, enable Set time automatically and Set time zone automatically, then select Synchronize your clock. In Settings > Time & language > Language & region, verify the country or region. MSFS requires the English (United States) Language Pack; Microsoft’s documented route is Language settings > Speech > Manage voice > Add voices, then search for and install English (United States).
These account, Gaming Services, time, and language checks are covered in Microsoft’s crash troubleshooting checklist and loading-issues guide.
Launch without mods and third-party content
If MSFS 2024 offers Safe Mode after a crash, select Continue in Safe Mode. This temporarily disables Community-folder mods and third-party Marketplace content. If the simulator works, close it and reactivate add-ons one at a time until the problem returns.
You can perform the same test manually by closing the simulator and renaming the Community folder to something such as Community_Test. The current default locations are:
| Version | Community folder |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Store, Xbox app, or Game Pass | C:Users[Your Username]AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalCachePackagesCommunity |
| Steam | C:Users[Your Username]AppDataRoamingMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2024PackagesCommunity |
Do not substitute the older Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe package path from MSFS 2020 guides. Microsoft’s current MSFS 2024 loading documentation uses Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe for the Xbox app and Microsoft Store version. The official locations are listed in Microsoft’s MSFS 2024 loading-issues article.
For a deeper “vanilla” test, an empty Community folder may not be enough. Remove or undo configuration-file edits, plug-ins, Navigraph and its database, Marketplace third-party content, modified hosts-file or Bing Maps settings, and other software additions. Disconnect nonessential peripherals and clear cached data before testing again.
Delete stale streamed data and the rolling cache
Remove StreamedPackages
Cached or old streamed data can stop updated content from loading correctly. With MSFS 2024 closed, delete the StreamedPackages folder, then relaunch the simulator:
| Version | Folder |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Store or Xbox app | C:Users[Your Username]AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalStateStreamedPackages |
| Steam | C:Users[Your Username]AppDataRoamingMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2024StreamedPackages |
Windows recreates required data as the simulator downloads it again. Do not delete these folders while the game is running.
Delete the MSFS 2024 rolling-cache file
Microsoft’s current PC procedure for MSFS 2024 does not use an in-game Delete button. Close the simulator and delete ROLLINGCACHE.CCC from the default or configured cache location. Restart MSFS 2024 and it will recreate the file automatically.
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- CONTENT IS PLAYABLE AT 6AM PST ON NOV-19-2024.**
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- FLY WITH PURPOSE: Pursue your aviation career throughout the world with dynamically generated missions ranging from Medevac and Search & Rescue to Aerial Firefighting and Passenger Transport
- CHALLENGE LEAGUE: Compete against other pilots in the iconic Reno and Red Bull Air Races
The path shown in many older articles—Options > General > Data > Delete Rolling Cache File—is documented for Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, not the current MSFS 2024 PC procedure. If you changed the cache location, use that configured location instead of assuming the default.
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Fix crashes, CTDs, freezes, and severe stuttering
Update or roll back the graphics driver
Install the latest available Windows updates and the current NVIDIA or AMD graphics driver. If the crashes began immediately after a graphics-driver update, Microsoft recommends testing the previous driver instead. A driver rollback is more useful than repeatedly reinstalling the same new driver when the timing clearly points to that update.
For a diagnostic test, open General Options > Graphics, set Global Rendering Quality to Low-end, and select Apply and Save. If the simulator becomes stable at Low-end, the problem may be related to graphics load, driver behavior, overclocking, thermals, or system stability. This setting is a test, not necessarily a permanent recommendation.
Disable overlays and background utilities
Temporarily close overlays, monitoring tools, capture software, and hardware-control utilities. Microsoft specifically lists Steam, Discord, GeForce Experience, OBS, Xsplit, MSI Afterburner, RivaTuner Statistics Server, EVGA Precision, Logitech G Hub, Wallpaper Engine, Process Lasso, FRAPS, Citrix, Nahimic, Asus Sonic Studio 2, Garmin Express, WD Backup, Seagate Toolkit, and some antivirus products as examples of software that can interfere with loading or stability.
To isolate a startup conflict, search Windows for Task Manager, select Open, open the Start-up tab, disable non-Microsoft applications, and restart Windows. Test MSFS 2024. If it works, re-enable applications one at a time, restarting and testing after each change. This identifies the conflicting program without permanently removing everything.
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Reconnect only the required peripherals
Unplug flight controls, USB hubs, head-tracking devices, audio hardware, and other peripherals that are not needed for the test. Connect the controls you do need before starting MSFS 2024; Microsoft notes that devices connected after launch can contribute to crashes.
Custom controller profiles can also crash the simulator when you select Fly. Open Options > Controls Options. For each peripheral using a custom profile, select Preset Manager > Delete > Yes, then test Fly. Export or record important bindings first if you need to recreate them.
Return hardware to stock settings
Disable user-configured CPU and GPU overclocks while diagnosing the problem, including custom XMP or memory profiles. This does not mean that factory-overclocked graphics cards are automatically at fault; the relevant test is whether you changed the hardware settings yourself.
Microsoft also identifies unstable or insufficient virtual memory, incompatible RAM speed, inadequate power-supply capacity under full load, and installation on an exFAT drive as possible crash factors. If the simulator is installed on exFAT, move it to an NTFS-formatted drive or format the installation drive as NTFS after backing up anything important.
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If the simulator crashes at the same airport, terrain area, or geographic position every time, treat it as a localized issue rather than a general PC failure. Record the crash location and the zone’s GPS coordinates for a bug report. That information gives support a much more useful reproduction target than a generic “the game crashed.”
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- FLY WITH PURPOSE: Pursue your aviation career throughout the world with dynamically generated missions ranging from Medevac and Search & Rescue to Aerial Firefighting and Passenger Transport.
- 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.
What to do about a black screen
First test the simplest causes
A black screen immediately after Play or Launch is often connected to missing application updates, Gaming Services, outdated add-ons, account authentication, firewall access, or display configuration. Complete the launcher and mod checks above, update Windows and the graphics driver, and test with only one monitor and the essential input devices connected.
Disconnect additional monitors and nonessential USB devices. If the simulator starts with one monitor, switch MSFS 2024 to Windowed mode before reconnecting the other displays.
Skip the intro video
Microsoft documents a -FastLaunch option for bypassing the intro. On Steam, open Steam Library, right-click Microsoft Flight Simulator, choose Properties > General, and enter:
-FastLaunchFor the Microsoft Store version, close MSFS, search Windows for PowerShell, select Run as administrator, and run:
cmd.exe /C start shell:AppsFolderMicrosoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App -FastLaunchMicrosoft’s documented command uses the legacy app identifier shown above, even though its current MSFS 2024 package and cache paths use Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe. If that command does not launch your installation, use the Xbox app launch route and continue with the other black-screen fixes rather than changing the current package folder name.
Check audio output
In some black-screen cases, the selected audio device is involved. Right-click the taskbar audio icon and open Playback devices. Choose your monitor when audio is connected through HDMI or DisplayPort. Choose Speakers when using a 3.5-mm connection with DVI or VGA.
If spatial audio is disabled, Microsoft also documents Settings > System > Sound > Device properties > Spatial sound format > Windows Sonic for Headphones.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsTest administrator mode and display scaling
For the Microsoft Store version, search Windows for Flight Simulator and choose Run as administrator. For Steam, open Steam Library, right-click the game, select Properties > Local Files > Browse Local Files, right-click FlightSimulator.exe, choose Properties > Compatibility, enable Run this program as an administrator, and select Apply.
Reset Windows display scaling for the launch test. Search for Display Settings, open the Display tab, and under Scale and Layout select the recommended resolution and scaling, such as 1920 x 1080 (Recommended) where appropriate.
If Windows itself is blank
If the entire Windows desktop is blank rather than only the simulator, press Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B to reset the graphics driver. Press Windows key + P, press P again, and press Enter to cycle display modes.
If you can see a cursor, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Restart Windows Explorer. If it is not listed, choose File > Run new task, enter explorer.exe, and press Enter.
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Repair Windows system files
Use these commands when other applications also behave strangely, Windows components appear damaged, or the simulator continues failing after the game-specific checks. Open Command Prompt with Run as administrator, then run:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealthsfc /scannowexit
Run sfc /scannow only after DISM reports “The operation completed successfully.” DISM repairs the Windows component store that System File Checker uses; SFC then scans and repairs protected system files. Microsoft’s current instructions are in its System File Checker guide.
Microsoft’s MSFS loading guidance also names cleanmgr.exe, Windows Disk Cleanup, for removing obsolete or corrupted files. Search Windows for Disk Cleanup, choose the relevant drive, select removable categories carefully, and complete the cleanup before restarting the simulator.
Use the correct 2024 folders
For reference, the default MSFS 2024 package and cache locations are:
- Microsoft Store/Xbox app/Game Pass:
C:Users[Your Username]AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbweLocalCache - Steam:
C:Users[Your Username]AppDataRoamingMicrosoft Flight Simulator 2024
The corresponding Community folders are under PackagesCommunity. If you moved your packages or cache, use the location configured in the simulator rather than these defaults. Microsoft’s current loading-issues page is the best reference for the 2024 paths.
Last-resort recovery: cloud saves and a full vanilla test
If MSFS 2024 still crashes or cannot load after removing Community content and StreamedPackages, Microsoft’s current guidance identifies corrupted cloud-save data as another possible cause. Cloud-save deletion is a later recovery step, so use it only after the less destructive tests have failed and understand that saved settings or progress associated with that data may be affected.
Before taking that step, make the simulator as vanilla as possible: remove third-party Marketplace content, plug-ins, modified configuration files, Navigraph data, nonessential peripherals, cached data, and any network or hosts-file changes that affect Bing Maps. The goal is to establish whether the base simulator can load before restoring custom content.
A practical order for troubleshooting
- Account and launcher: sign in to the correct account, launch from the Xbox app when applicable, and update Gaming Services.
- Windows basics: update Windows, synchronize time and region, install the US English language pack, and check firewall access.
- Clean content: use Safe Mode or rename Community, then remove stale StreamedPackages data.
- Cache: close the simulator and delete
ROLLINGCACHE.CCC. - Graphics: update or roll back the driver and test Global Rendering Quality at Low-end.
- Isolation: disable overlays and startup applications, disconnect extra devices and monitors, and test stock hardware settings.
- Configuration: delete faulty controller profiles and test the correct audio, display, and administrator settings.
- Windows repair: run DISM followed by SFC, then use Disk Cleanup.
- Advanced recovery: perform a full vanilla test and consider cloud-save recovery only afterward.
After each successful test, restore one change at a time. That makes it possible to identify whether a specific mod, overlay, peripheral, driver, cache, or Windows setting is responsible instead of losing track of the cause.
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