How do I fix FSX 'Please insert Disc 1' on Windows 10 or 11?

In FSX on Windows 10 or 11, “Please insert Disc 1” usually means the boxed DVD installer is opening instead of the installed simulator, a boxed repair needs its source disc, or retail and Steam Edition files have been mixed. Check the edition and shortcut first; FSX: Steam Edition never needs a disc.

Is boxed FSX supposed to need the DVD every time?

No. Once correctly installed and activated, the boxed-disc version of Microsoft Flight Simulator X should start without its DVD. Disc 1 is the first installation DVD and is normally required only when installing, changing or repairing the boxed release.

Disc 2 and the separate boxed Acceleration DVD are not substitutes for Disc 1. Use the disc specifically requested by the installer.

How do I remove the FSX Disc 1 prompt?

The fix is to launch the installed executable for the correct FSX edition, then repair only that edition if the prompt remains.

1. Identify what produced the message. If it appears during boxed FSX setup, maintenance or repair, insert the original Disc 1. If it appears while starting a completed installation, close the prompt and continue below. When an add-on installer produces the message, cancel it and check that it has detected the installed FSX folder rather than an old DVD or removed installation.
2. Launch the installed simulator directly. For normal boxed-FSX use, eject the DVD so AutoPlay cannot open its installer. Browse to fsx.exe and run that file. A common boxed location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\fsx.exe. A default Steam installation is commonly under C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\FSX\fsx.exe, although either edition may be installed elsewhere. Our FSX folder and executable guide covers custom locations and edition identification.
3. Replace the faulty shortcut. Right-click the desktop shortcut, open Properties and inspect its Target. It must point to the installed fsx.exe, not setup.exe, autorun.exe or the DVD drive. If running fsx.exe directly works, delete the old shortcut and create a new one from that executable. For Steam Edition, launching from the Steam library is the safest initial test.
4. Repair the matching edition. In Steam, open FSX: Steam Edition's Properties, select Installed Files and verify the game files. For boxed FSX, use its Change or Repair option in Windows Programs and Features if one is offered; this process may legitimately request Disc 1. Verification and repair can replace modified stock files, so back up intentional aircraft, scenery or gauge changes first. See our instructions for repairing FSX files without mixing editions.
5. Complete boxed-FSX activation. Start the installed boxed fsx.exe as administrator once and complete any activation screen it presents. Base FSX and boxed Acceleration can have separate activation stages. A Steam licence cannot activate the boxed release, and a boxed product key cannot activate Steam Edition.
6. Remove mixed retail and Steam files. The editions may coexist, but they must use separate folders. Do not install boxed service packs or the boxed Acceleration expansion over Steam Edition; Steam Edition already contains its own updated executable and Acceleration-era content. If the wrong files have been copied into Steam's folder, remove the incompatible addition and verify the Steam files again.
7. Repair stale installation records only if necessary. If fsx.exe starts but installers keep finding an old folder or DVD path, follow our FSX registry-path repair procedure. If neither direct launch nor the correct repair process works, back up add-ons and saved flights before using the clean FSX installation order for Windows 10 and 11.

Why does FSX: Steam Edition ask for Disc 1?

FSX: Steam Edition has no DVD, so a Disc 1 request means that Steam's normal executable is not being launched or that a boxed installer is producing the message.

• Start FSX from the Steam library rather than an old desktop or taskbar shortcut.
• If that works, remove the old shortcut and let Steam create a replacement.
• Verify the installed files to restore Steam's official fsx.exe.
• Remove boxed service packs, boxed Acceleration files and retail executables copied into the Steam folder.
• If both editions are installed, confirm that each has its own directory and that add-on installers are targeting the intended one.

Inserting a boxed FSX DVD will not repair Steam Edition. It can instead start the retail installer and make the edition conflict worse.

What if Windows cannot read the original FSX DVD?

If File Explorer cannot display the contents of Disc 1, the fault is with the DVD or optical drive rather than the installed FSX shortcut.

• Check that the disc is labelled as the FSX installation Disc 1, not Disc 2 or the separate Acceleration DVD.
• Clean the readable surface from the centre outwards and inspect it for scratches, cracks or delamination.
• Try the disc in another known-good DVD drive. An external USB DVD drive is suitable.
• If another computer can read the disc but the FSX computer cannot, replace or troubleshoot the optical drive before changing the simulator installation.
• If the source DVD is permanently unreadable, the product key alone cannot recreate its installation files. You will need legitimate replacement installation media or a separately licensed digital edition.

Avoid no-DVD executables and unrelated fixes

Do not install a third-party no-DVD executable. A properly activated boxed installation does not need one, while Steam Edition never uses a disc in the first place. Modified executables may contain malware, mismatch the installed service pack and break activation or add-ons.

Deleting FSX.cfg, changing graphics settings or applying fullscreen fixes will not resolve a Disc 1 request. Restore the official executable, correct the shortcut and repair the appropriate edition instead.