Completely uninstall FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, remove leftover add-ons and settings, and prepare Windows for a genuinely clean reinstall.
To uninstall Microsoft Flight Simulator X completely, remove third-party add-ons first, uninstall FSX through Windows or Steam, restart the PC, then delete the remaining installation, configuration, scenery and saved-flight folders. Back up anything you may reuse, and leave shared SimConnect, DirectX and Visual C++ components installed unless a specific fault requires their removal.
This procedure covers legacy FSX and FSX: Steam Edition. If you mean Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, use our complete PC simulator removal procedure; those releases use different package and data locations.
What should I back up before removing FSX?
Back up personal files and add-ons before running the uninstaller, because a complete removal deliberately deletes settings that a normal uninstall leaves behind.
- Saved flights, flight plans and
Logbook.BINfrom theFlight Simulator X Filesfolder in Documents. - Custom aircraft, gauges, effects, sounds and scenery from the FSX installation folder.
- Scenery installed outside FSX, including its original installer and any activation details.
- Your configuration folder if you want a reference copy of
fsx.cfg, control assignments,dll.xmlorexe.xml.
Do not restore an entire old configuration or installation folder after reinstalling. That commonly puts the original crash, bad path or incompatible module straight back into the new installation.
How do I completely remove FSX step by step?
The reliable order is add-ons, simulator, residual folders and then a final restart.
- Close FSX and related programs. Exit FSX, Steam where applicable, weather tools, traffic programs and any add-on manager using the simulator folder.
- Uninstall third-party add-ons first. Use each add-on's own uninstaller while the original FSX path and installation records still exist. Remove separately installed scenery managers, aircraft packages and the FSX SDK if you no longer need them.
- Uninstall the simulator. For boxed FSX, open Windows Installed apps or Programs and Features. If Acceleration appears separately, remove it before the base simulator, then uninstall Microsoft Flight Simulator X. For FSX: Steam Edition, open the Steam Library, select FSX and use Manage, then Uninstall.
- Restart Windows. This releases files that were locked by FSX, an add-on service or the installer.
- Delete the remaining installation folder. Steam and boxed uninstallers remove managed files but often leave manually installed aircraft, scenery and gauges behind. Delete only the FSX folder, not its parent Steam library or
Microsoft Gamesfolder. - Remove the configuration and user-data folders. Check the locations listed below. Enable hidden items in File Explorer to see AppData and ProgramData.
- Inspect external add-on locations. Delete scenery libraries, texture packages and utilities stored outside FSX only when you are certain they are not shared with another simulator.
- Empty the Recycle Bin and restart again. FSX is then ready for a clean reinstall.
Which FSX folders should I delete after uninstalling?
A complete FSX uninstall requires removing the main simulator folder plus the configuration and data folders that Windows uninstallers normally preserve.
| Location | What it contains |
|---|---|
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X | Typical boxed-edition installation, including add-on aircraft, gauges, effects and scenery. |
SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\FSX | FSX: Steam Edition files. The Steam library may be on another drive. |
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX or FSX-SE | Configuration files, controls and module-loading files. The folder name depends on the edition and whether boxed FSX has also been installed. |
%PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\FSX or FSX-SE | Shared simulator data such as scenery configuration. |
Flight Simulator X Files inside Documents | Saved flights, flight plans and the logbook. |
Press Windows key and R, paste an environment path such as %APPDATA%\Microsoft, and inspect both FSX and FSX-SE if they exist. Do not delete the whole Microsoft folder. If Documents is redirected through OneDrive or another storage location, remove the corresponding Flight Simulator X Files folder there as well.
Should I remove SimConnect or FSX registry entries?
No—shared runtimes and registry data should not be removed routinely just to obtain a clean FSX reinstall.
Different SimConnect versions may be required by FSX add-ons, Prepar3D or other software. DirectX and Microsoft Visual C++ runtimes are also shared Windows components. Removing them can break programs unrelated to FSX without making the simulator uninstall any cleaner.
The standard uninstaller should handle the main FSX registry entries. Avoid registry-cleaning utilities and do not delete every entry containing “Flight Simulator”. Manual registry editing is justified only when an installer keeps detecting the wrong FSX path or a broken uninstall entry remains; export the relevant key first and remove only data clearly pointing to the abandoned installation.
Why does FSX remember old settings after reinstalling?
FSX usually remembers old settings because its AppData configuration folder survived the uninstall or was restored from a backup or synchronised Documents folder.
- Check both
FSXandFSX-SEunder%APPDATA%\Microsoft. - Confirm that you deleted the configuration belonging to the Windows account that runs FSX.
- Look for a redirected Documents folder containing old saved flights or flight plans.
- If an add-on reappears, check for scenery and utilities installed outside the main FSX directory.
If the uninstaller fails because installation files are already missing, reinstall or repair the same FSX edition in the same location, then run its uninstaller again. After the clean reinstall, obtain fresh packages from our FSX add-on library and introduce them one at a time; this makes an incompatible aircraft, gauge or scenery package much easier to identify.