Find the MSFS 2024 shader cache on Windows, learn how to clear it safely, and know when rebuilding shaders helps crashes or stutter.
MSFS 2024 does not have one user-facing shader-cache folder. On Windows, its DirectX shaders are mainly cached in %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache, alongside separate GPU-driver caches. It is safe to clear them while the simulator is closed; Windows and the driver rebuild them, though the first flights may stutter while shaders compile again.
Where is the MSFS 2024 shader cache?
The main Windows DirectX shader cache is C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\D3DSCache. Entering %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache in File Explorer or the Run box opens the correct folder without needing your Windows username.
This location applies to Microsoft Store, Xbox app and Steam installations because it belongs to the signed-in Windows profile, not the simulator package. It is shared with other DirectX applications, so clearing it can make other games rebuild shaders too.
| Cache | Location or control | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Windows DirectX shader cache | %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache | Compiled DirectX shader data used by MSFS 2024 and other applications |
| GPU-driver shader cache | Vendor-managed folders under %LOCALAPPDATA%; NVIDIA commonly uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\NVIDIA\DXCache | Driver-optimised shader and pipeline data |
| MSFS rolling cache | Managed inside the simulator | Streamed scenery data, not shaders; see how to clear or disable the separate scenery cache |
Do not delete the Community, Official or aircraft package folders when trying to reset shaders. They contain add-ons and simulator content, not the Windows DirectX cache.
How do I safely clear the MSFS 2024 shader cache?
The safest method is Windows built-in storage cleanup, which removes disposable DirectX cache files without touching the simulator installation.
- Close MSFS 2024, its launcher and any other game or graphics application.
- Open Windows Storage and go to
Settings > System > Storage > Temporary files. Allow Windows time to scan the drive. - Select DirectX Shader Cache. Review every other selected category before continuing, particularly Downloads, so unrelated files are not removed.
- Remove the selected files, then restart Windows.
- Launch MSFS 2024 normally. Expect extra loading time or intermittent stutter while shaders are compiled again.
If DirectX Shader Cache is not shown, it may already be empty. The older Disk Cleanup utility offers the same named category on Windows versions where the Storage page does not display it.
Manual deletion is a fallback: open %LOCALAPPDATA%\D3DSCache and remove its contents while the simulator is closed. Skip any file Windows reports as in use rather than changing permissions or forcing its deletion. Our complete DirectX 12 cache-and-driver recovery sequence covers the wider process when clearing the cache is part of error diagnosis.
What happens after the shader cache is cleared?
No aircraft, control bindings, graphics settings, add-ons or saved flights are removed. Windows and the graphics driver create fresh cache files as MSFS 2024 encounters different aircraft, airports, weather effects and cockpit displays.
The first launch is not always the end of rebuilding. New shader combinations can compile over several flights, producing temporary pauses or micro-stutter in situations not visited since the reset. Clearing the cache therefore is not a routine FPS optimisation; it can briefly make frame delivery worse.
If the cache folder reappears immediately, that is normal. Windows or another running DirectX application has started repopulating it.
When should I clear the MSFS 2024 shader cache?
Clear it when troubleshooting a graphics or DirectX problem, not as regular maintenance.
- MSFS 2024 begins crashing or showing graphical artefacts after a graphics-driver change.
- A D3D12 renderer or shader-compilation error persists after a normal reboot.
- Materials, lighting or cockpit displays remain corrupted across multiple simulator restarts.
- A driver installation was interrupted or rolled back and the problem began immediately afterwards.
If crashes started after changing the NVIDIA App or its driver, follow the NVIDIA-update crash recovery steps rather than repeatedly deleting caches. Cache clearing cannot repair an unstable GPU overclock, damaged driver installation, incompatible add-on or graphics setting that exceeds available video memory.
These locations and steps apply only to Windows PCs. Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro manage shader caches internally and do not provide access to an individual MSFS 2024 shader-cache folder.