MSFS 2024 install location: how do I find or change it?
Find the MSFS 2024 install path on Steam or Xbox app, locate user data and Community folders, set SimApp Pro, and move it safely.
On PC, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 uses two main install locations: the Steam or Xbox app folder containing the simulator application, and the Packages path containing Community add-ons and locally stored content. Find the active Packages path in UserCfg.opt; move the app and Packages folders by different methods.
Where is MSFS 2024 installed on PC?
MSFS 2024 is installed in an application folder managed by Steam, the Xbox app or Microsoft Store, but its downloaded content and add-ons can be stored elsewhere.
| Location | What it contains | How to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Application folder | The simulator executable and platform-managed files | Use Steam or Xbox app installation controls |
| Packages folder | Community add-ons and locally stored simulator packages | Read InstalledPackagesPath in UserCfg.opt |
| Community folder | Manually installed aircraft, scenery and other add-ons | <InstalledPackagesPath>\Community |
| User data and configuration | UserCfg.opt and local configuration files | Depends on the Steam or Xbox app edition |
| Rolling cache | Temporary streamed world data | Managed through the simulator's data settings |
The application folder is not automatically the correct place for add-ons. A mistake we see constantly is creating a Community folder beside the Steam executable; MSFS 2024 ignores it because it uses the Community folder beneath the configured Packages path.
Steam install path
The reliable Steam install path is the folder opened through the game's installed-files browsing control.
- Open your Steam library.
- Open MSFS 2024's properties.
- Select the installed-files section and use Browse. The folder that opens is the core application location.
Steam normally places games beneath <SteamLibrary>\steamapps\common, but the library itself can be on any drive. Use the browsing control rather than assuming the simulator is on C:.
Xbox app and Microsoft Store install path
The Xbox app installation is found through the game's management and files controls.
Open the game's management page and use the available browse or files option. Depending on how Windows and the Xbox app installed it, the application may be in a chosen Xbox games directory or within the protected WindowsApps structure. Do not take ownership of WindowsApps merely to move or inspect the simulator.
Our default-path reference for Steam, Microsoft Store and the Xbox app provides a more detailed platform breakdown.
What is the MSFS 2024 user data path?
The MSFS 2024 user data and configuration path differs between Steam and Xbox app installations.
- Steam:
%APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\ - Xbox app or Microsoft Store:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\
The relevant configuration file is UserCfg.opt. These locations are not the Community folder, and platform-synchronised profiles or account data may be managed separately rather than stored as ordinary files beside UserCfg.opt.
How do I find the MSFS 2024 Packages and Community folders?
The authoritative Packages location is the path written after InstalledPackagesPath in the active UserCfg.opt file.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Allow it to finish closing before editing its configuration.
- Open the correct configuration file. For Steam, enter
%APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\UserCfg.optin File Explorer. For the Xbox app or Microsoft Store, enter%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\UserCfg.opt. - Open the file in a plain-text editor. Find
InstalledPackagesPath, usually near the bottom. - Copy the path between the quotation marks. Paste it into File Explorer's address bar.
- Confirm the folder structure. The active Community folder should be directly beneath that path as
<InstalledPackagesPath>\Community.
The configured directory does not have to be named Packages. If UserCfg.opt is missing, launch MSFS 2024 once, complete the initial setup and close it normally. Check that you opened the 2024 file for the correct Windows account rather than an old MSFS 2020 configuration.
For the role of this file and its other settings, see our explanation of how UserCfg.opt selects the active package location.
Which MSFS 2024 install path should I use in SimApp Pro?
For SimApp Pro, select the core application folder when it asks for the game or install path, but select the active Packages or Community directory when the field explicitly asks for add-on content.
| SimApp Pro field or purpose | Path to select |
|---|---|
| Game, simulator, executable or install path | The application folder opened through Steam or the Xbox app; if asked for a file, select the simulator executable inside it |
| Packages or content path | The exact InstalledPackagesPath value from UserCfg.opt |
| Community or add-on path | <InstalledPackagesPath>\Community |
SimApp Pro's labels can vary between releases, so identify what the field is intended to locate rather than selecting the first folder containing “Microsoft Flight Simulator”. Do not supply the user-data folder merely because it contains UserCfg.opt.
For an Xbox app installation protected by WindowsApps, do not change Windows permissions to force access. Use SimApp Pro's packaged-app detection when available, or provide the Packages or Community path if that is what the integration requests.
How do I install MSFS 2024 on the drive I want?
For a fresh PC installation, choose the application drive in Steam or the Xbox app first, then choose the Packages or content drive during MSFS 2024's initial setup if that choice is offered.
- Prepare the destination. Create or select a Steam library, or choose the required installation drive in the Xbox app.
- Install the simulator application. Let the platform client manage its own application files.
- Launch MSFS 2024. During initial setup, select the intended content location if the simulator presents that option.
- Verify the result. After closing the simulator, inspect
InstalledPackagesPathto confirm where local packages and Community add-ons will go.
Do not point MSFS 2024 at an existing MSFS 2020 Packages folder. The two simulators should have separate package and Community directories even if both are installed on the same drive.
How do I change the MSFS 2024 install location?
Move the core application with Steam or the Xbox app, but move the Packages folder by copying it and updating InstalledPackagesPath.
Move the Steam or Xbox app installation
The core application must be moved with the platform that installed it.
- Steam: create or select a library on the destination drive, then use Steam's installed-files option to move the game.
- Xbox app or Microsoft Store: use the game's management or files control to change its drive. If no move option is offered, use the platform's supported uninstall-and-reinstall process.
Dragging the application folder manually can break permissions, platform registration and future updates. Moving it also does not guarantee that the Packages folder or rolling cache will follow.
Move the Packages folder without downloading everything again
The Packages folder can be relocated safely by copying it first and changing the path only while the simulator is closed.
- Exit MSFS 2024 completely. Back up
UserCfg.opt. - Create a simple destination folder. A path such as
D:\MSFS2024\Packagesavoids unnecessary nesting and restrictive system folders. - Copy the complete active Packages folder. Keep the old copy until the new location has been tested.
- Edit
UserCfg.opt. Change the line to the new parent folder, for exampleInstalledPackagesPath "D:\MSFS2024\Packages". Do not point it at the Community subfolder itself. - Launch and test MSFS 2024. Confirm that installed content and Community add-ons are recognised and that an unexplained full download does not begin.
- Remove the old copy only after testing. This preserves a quick recovery route if the path is wrong or the copy is incomplete.
Use an internal SSD where practical. An external drive can work, but MSFS 2024 will lose access if the device is disconnected or Windows assigns it a different drive letter. Move or recreate the rolling cache through the simulator's own settings rather than dragging an active cache file.
Our app-versus-Packages moving walkthrough covers the storage choices and recovery precautions in more detail.
Why does MSFS 2024 download again or lose my add-ons after moving?
A large unexpected download or missing add-ons usually means MSFS 2024 cannot find the complete folder recorded in InstalledPackagesPath.
- The path is one level too high or too low.
- Copying created an extra level such as
Packages\Packages. - You edited the MSFS 2020 file or another Windows user's configuration.
- The destination drive is disconnected or its drive letter changed.
- The simulator was still running and restored the previous setting.
- Only part of the original package structure was copied.
- Add-ons were placed inside an extra nested folder such as
Community\Community\addon-name.
Exit the simulator before accepting an unexplained full download, compare the configured path with the real directory and verify that Community sits directly inside it. A routine simulator update can also download data, so the presence of a download alone does not prove that the move failed.
Once the active path is confirmed, our guide to the correct Community folder structure for MSFS 2024 scenery explains how to avoid add-on nesting errors.
Can I change the MSFS 2024 install location on Xbox or PS5?
On Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro, use the console's storage-management controls to move the complete game to supported storage.
Consoles do not expose UserCfg.opt, a Windows-style Packages path or a user-accessible Community folder. SimApp Pro paths and manual Community add-ons are PC-specific, and console rules determine whether a particular external device can run the game or only store it.