How do I clear or manage the MSFS rolling cache?

To clear the rolling cache in Microsoft Flight Simulator, return to the main menu, open the simulator's Online or Data settings, find Rolling Cache, choose Delete or Clear, then recreate or re-enable it if required. Use the in-sim control first; manually delete the cache file only when the menu cannot remove it.

Clearing the rolling cache removes locally stored streamed scenery so the simulator can download fresh data. It does not uninstall aircraft, airports, World Updates or Community add-ons, and it does not erase control bindings or the logbook. Our explanation of what the rolling cache stores covers those boundaries in more detail.

How do I clear the rolling cache from the simulator?

The safest method is to use Microsoft Flight Simulator's own Rolling Cache controls while no flight is running.

1. Return to the main menu. Finish or exit the flight and allow any active content downloads to complete.
2. Open the cache settings. In MSFS 2020, go to Options > General Options > Data. In MSFS 2024, look under Settings > General > Online. Wording and layout can vary slightly between platforms and simulator updates.
3. Find Rolling Cache. Select its Delete or Clear control. Do not choose Manual Cache in MSFS 2020 unless you deliberately want to remove regions saved through that separate feature.
4. Apply the change. Save or apply the settings before leaving the page.
5. Recreate the cache if wanted. Enable Rolling Cache, select an appropriate size and, on PC, confirm its storage location. Restart the simulator if the cache does not recreate correctly.

MSFS 2024 users who encounter a disabled button, failed deletion or console-specific problem can follow our detailed MSFS 2024 cache rebuilding procedure.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released on PlayStation; PlayStation cache instructions apply only to MSFS 2024.

Can I delete the rolling cache manually on PC?

You can manually remove the rolling cache on PC, but only after completely closing Microsoft Flight Simulator.

1. Record the configured location. Check the Rolling Cache path in the simulator before exiting rather than assuming it uses the default installation drive.
2. Close the simulator fully. Make sure it is no longer running in the background.
3. Delete only the cache file. It is commonly named ROLLINGCACHE.CCC. Do not remove the Packages, Official or Community folders.
4. Start the simulator again. Choose a valid location, set the required size and enable the cache if you still want to use it.

If you need to find, move or resize the file, use our platform-specific rolling cache location guidance. Moving the cache through the simulator is safer than dragging its file between drives while MSFS is open.

On Xbox and PlayStation, use the in-sim cache control. Deleting console saved data or reserved storage is not an equivalent first step and may remove other local content or force downloads that have nothing to do with the rolling cache.

Should the MSFS rolling cache be on or off?

Keep the rolling cache enabled when you revisit the same areas or have an inconsistent connection; disable it when storage is tight, your connection is fast and stable, or the cache repeatedly causes problems.

• Keep it on to reduce repeat scenery downloads around airports and regions you fly over regularly.
• Turn it off if you rarely revisit an area, need the disk space or are diagnosing cache-related stutters and scenery corruption.
• Resize it when the configured file consumes too much storage. A larger cache does not automatically improve frame rate.
• Move it on PC when another local SSD has more free space. Avoid removable, network or synchronised locations that may disappear or change drive letter.

There is no universal best cache size. Choose one that fits your repeated flying area while leaving comfortable free space on the drive. MSFS 2020 users can compare the trade-offs in our rolling-cache on-or-off decision guide.

When should I clear the rolling cache?

Clear it when the symptoms point to stale or damaged streamed scenery, not as routine maintenance after every update.

• Photogrammetry or ground textures remain malformed in a location that previously displayed correctly.
• Terrain or scenery corruption persists after restarting the simulator.
• The simulator reports that it cannot read, create or write the rolling cache.
• You are changing the cache drive or recovering from an unavailable storage path.
• Streaming-related pauses began after a cache failure or an interrupted shutdown.

The first flight after clearing may download more data and show extra texture loading or pop-in while the cache is rebuilt. Clearing it will not fix low bandwidth, an online-service outage, a conflicting scenery add-on, insufficient graphics memory or a general performance bottleneck.

Why does the rolling cache fail to recreate?

A failed rebuild usually means the selected drive is unavailable, lacks free space or does not permit the simulator to write the new file.

• If the Delete control is unavailable, confirm that a cache exists and that Rolling Cache is enabled.
• If the file returns to another drive, reselect the location in the simulator and check that the intended drive is mounted before launching MSFS.
• If creation stops immediately, reduce the requested size and verify available storage.
• If corrupted scenery remains, confirm that online data and the relevant streamed-scenery options are enabled before deleting the cache again.