Clear or disable the MSFS 2024 and 2020 rolling cache safely, fix a greyed-out Delete button, and learn what scenery cache deletion removes.
To clear the scenery or rolling cache in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, return to the main menu, open Settings > General > Online, select Delete or Clear under Rolling Cache, apply the change and restart. To disable it, switch Rolling Cache off and save; neither action removes aircraft, airports or add-ons.
How do I clear the rolling cache in MSFS 2024 or 2020?
Use the simulator's own Rolling Cache control while no flight is running; manual file deletion should be a fallback for PC users.
| Simulator and platform | Menu location | Action |
|---|---|---|
| MSFS 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X|S or PS5 | Settings > General > Online | Open Rolling Cache and select Delete or Clear |
| MSFS 2020 on PC or Xbox | Options > General Options > Data | Find Rolling Cache and select Delete |
- Return to the main menu. Exit the flight and let any active content downloads finish.
- Open the appropriate settings page. Wording and layout can vary slightly between platforms and simulator updates.
- Select Delete or Clear. Confirm the warning if one appears. Do not select Manual Cache in MSFS 2020 unless you also intend to remove regions saved through that separate feature.
- Apply or save the setting. Some builds save immediately; others display an Apply and Save control.
- Restart Microsoft Flight Simulator. If you still want a rolling cache, enable it again and choose its size and, on PC, storage location.
If the control is missing, disabled or unable to create a new file, follow our detailed MSFS 2024 cache rebuilding procedure. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was never released on PlayStation, so PlayStation instructions apply only to MSFS 2024.
What does clearing the scenery cache remove?
Clearing the Rolling Cache removes local copies of streamed terrain, aerial imagery and photogrammetry, allowing Microsoft Flight Simulator to download fresh data.
| Content | Removed? |
|---|---|
| Cached streamed scenery and imagery | Yes, until downloaded again |
| MSFS 2020 Manual Cache regions | No; manage these separately |
| Marketplace, Official or Community packages | No |
| Aircraft, installed airports and World Updates | No |
| Controller profiles and logbook data | No |
| SceneryIndexes data | No |
The next flight over an uncached area may use more network data and initially show texture sharpening or photogrammetry pop-in. Our breakdown of what the rolling cache stores explains why installed scenery and add-ons are unaffected.
Does clearing Rolling Cache also clear Manual Cache?
No. In MSFS 2020, areas downloaded through Manual Cache are allocated and managed separately. Deleting the rolling cache will not remove those regions or release their disk space.
Should the MSFS rolling cache be on or off?
Keep Rolling Cache enabled when you revisit the same regions or have an inconsistent connection; disable it when storage is limited, your connection is fast and unrestricted, or cached scenery repeatedly becomes corrupted.
- Keep it on to reduce repeat downloads around airports and regions you visit regularly.
- Turn it off while diagnosing stale streamed scenery or when you rarely return to the same area.
- Delete it as well if you need the disk space or suspect corruption. Switching the feature off may leave its existing file allocated.
- Resize it if it consumes too much storage. A larger cache does not automatically improve frame rate.
- Move it on PC through the simulator when another local SSD has more space. Avoid removable, network or synchronised locations that can become unavailable or change drive letter.
There is no universal best cache size. Leave comfortable free space on the selected drive rather than trying to cache every region you might visit. MSFS 2020 users can compare the trade-offs in our guidance on when to enable or disable its rolling cache.
Disabling Rolling Cache is not the same as disabling Online Functionality: the simulator can continue streaming fresh scenery without retaining it in the rolling-cache file. If no world data streams at all, check the simulator's Online Functionality controls separately.
When should I clear the MSFS scenery cache?
Clear it when symptoms point to stale or damaged streamed scenery, not as routine maintenance after every simulator or world update.
- Photogrammetry shows repeatable spikes, melted structures or outdated tiles in one location.
- Terrain or aerial imagery remains corrupted after restarting the simulator.
- MSFS reports that it cannot read, create or write the rolling-cache file.
- The cache was moved between drives and the simulator still refers to the old location.
- Streaming-related pauses began after a cache failure or interrupted shutdown.
- The cache file is occupying disk space required elsewhere.
Clearing the cache will not fix slow streaming, an online-service outage, low terrain-detail settings, insufficient graphics memory, an incorrectly installed airport or a conflicting scenery add-on.
Why is the Delete button greyed out or stuck?
A greyed-out Delete control usually means no cache file exists, Rolling Cache is already disabled, the file remains in use or its configured drive is unavailable.
- File still in use: return to the main menu, close MSFS completely and reopen it.
- Custom drive unavailable: reconnect the drive or choose an available local location.
- Control remains disabled: if a cache is listed, toggle Rolling Cache off, apply the setting, restart and check the page again. Controls differ slightly between builds.
- Rebuild stops immediately: request a smaller cache and verify that the drive has enough free space and permits MSFS to write to it.
- Cache reappears on the wrong drive: reselect its location inside the simulator and ensure the intended drive is mounted before launching MSFS.
Can I delete the rolling-cache file manually on PC?
Yes, but only after Microsoft Flight Simulator has closed completely and only when the in-sim control cannot remove it.
- Record the configured path. Check the location shown in Rolling Cache settings rather than assuming the file is on the installation drive.
- Close MSFS fully. Confirm that it is no longer running in the background.
- Delete only the cache file. It is commonly named
ROLLINGCACHE.CCC. Do not delete the Packages, Official or Community folders. - Launch MSFS again. Select a valid location, set the required size and enable Rolling Cache if you still want to use it.
On Xbox and PlayStation, use the in-simulator control. Deleting saved data or reserved storage is not equivalent to clearing Rolling Cache and can remove other local content or trigger unrelated downloads.
What if scenery is still missing or corrupted?
A cache reset cannot repair disabled online services, broken scenery indexes, package conflicts or an interrupted add-on installation.
Confirm that Online Functionality, world-data streaming and photogrammetry are enabled where applicable, and check that a data limit has not stopped streaming. If installed airports or packages have disappeared, troubleshoot their installation and scenery-index data instead of repeatedly clearing Rolling Cache.