Fix Aerosoft VDGS Driver download failures and the “application is already running” error with safe process, permission and reinstall checks.
To fix Aerosoft VDGS Driver errors in Microsoft Flight Simulator, close the simulator and Aerosoft One, end any leftover VDGS process in Windows Task Manager, then restart the PC. If the driver will not download, check Aerosoft One’s sign-in, install path, free space and security permissions before repairing or reinstalling the package.
Which Aerosoft VDGS failure are you seeing?
The symptom tells you which layer to fix; reinstalling scenery will not resolve a background-process conflict.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Correct action |
|---|---|---|
| Download will not start or repeatedly fails | Aerosoft One session, storage, permission or extraction problem | Fix Aerosoft One before changing the simulator |
| Package appears installed but the driver is missing | Incomplete extraction, security quarantine or wrong simulator target | Repair or reinstall the VDGS component |
| “Application is already running” | An existing or stranded VDGS process is active | Use the existing instance or end that process |
| Driver stays open but VDGS boards remain blank | Simulator connection, airport compatibility or scenery conflict | Check SimConnect and the simulator-side package |
How do I clear “application is already running”?
The message normally means VDGS has passed its single-instance check and found another copy running, sometimes hidden in the Windows notification area. It is not usually a download or Community-folder error.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator and Aerosoft One. This prevents either programme from relaunching or updating the driver while you troubleshoot it.
- Check the notification area. Expand the hidden icons beside the Windows clock and look for an existing VDGS instance. If it is responding normally, use that copy instead of opening another one.
- Open Task Manager. End only the process clearly associated with Aerosoft VDGS. Do not terminate unrelated Windows services or SimConnect components at random.
- Check other Windows sessions. A copy may be running under another signed-in user. Log that user out rather than trying to run a second instance.
- Restart Windows. This clears a stranded process when no visible window or tray icon remains.
- Launch VDGS once. Give it time to initialise. Repeatedly pressing the shortcut can create the same message again.
If the warning returns immediately after a clean restart, inspect Windows Startup Apps and any manually created shortcuts. Keep one launch method only. A mistake we see often is allowing the installer-created auto-start entry to run and then opening VDGS manually as well.
When no process is visible after a reboot but the message persists, repair or reinstall the driver. Avoid deleting unrelated airport scenery; use our safe VDGS removal and disabling steps if you need to isolate the component first.
Why won’t Aerosoft VDGS Driver download or install?
Most VDGS download failures originate in Aerosoft One, the selected storage location or security software rather than Microsoft Flight Simulator itself.
- Close the simulator and VDGS. Open files can prevent an installer from replacing an existing driver.
- Refresh the Aerosoft One session. Sign out, close the application fully, reopen it and sign in with the account that owns the product.
- Confirm the simulator target. Select the intended MSFS 2020 or MSFS 2024 installation only where the package explicitly supports it. Do not force an older component into MSFS 2024.
- Check both drives for free space. The destination needs room, but temporary extraction data may also use the Windows system drive.
- Inspect security controls. Check antivirus quarantine and Windows Controlled Folder Access for a blocked Aerosoft executable or installer. Restore or permit a file only when its source and publisher are verified; do not disable protection wholesale.
- Use repair or verification if offered. If Aerosoft One reports VDGS as installed but the executable is absent, repair it. Otherwise uninstall only the affected VDGS package, restart Windows and install it again.
If every Aerosoft package fails, concentrate on Aerosoft One, the account session, network and storage path. If only VDGS fails, a partial package or locked extraction is more likely. Our Aerosoft One download and extraction checks cover those application-level failures without disturbing the simulator.
Running Aerosoft One as administrator once can identify a permissions problem, but it should not be the permanent fix. If elevation makes the download work, correct access to the chosen installation folder. Also avoid cloud-synchronised or network locations while diagnosing failed extraction.
Do not wipe the entire Community folder or download a replacement driver from an unofficial source. VDGS may involve both a Windows driver and simulator-side content, so deleting one part indiscriminately can turn a download problem into a missing-package problem. Follow the correct simulator selection and VDGS driver setup when reinstalling.
What if the driver runs but the VDGS display stays blank?
A blank display means the download and single-instance problems are probably solved; the next checks are the simulator connection, airport support and scenery installation.
- Run Microsoft Flight Simulator and VDGS at the same privilege level, preferably both normally rather than one as administrator.
- Confirm the simulator-side package is in the active packages location for the version you launched.
- Test at an airport and stand known to include compatible Aerosoft VDGS guidance.
- Temporarily remove duplicate airport scenery or another VDGS implementation affecting the same stand.
- Check that security software is not blocking the driver’s local communication with the simulator.
For that separate fault path, use our VDGS connection, SimConnect and blank-display checks rather than repeatedly reinstalling the driver.
Can I fix Aerosoft VDGS Driver errors on Xbox or PlayStation?
No Windows-driver fix applies to the console editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator. Xbox Series X|S and PS5 or PS5 Pro cannot run an external Windows VDGS executable or use Task Manager, so only a console-compatible in-simulator package can work there. These process, permission and Aerosoft One instructions are for Windows PC.