How do I fix an FSX video replay error?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) and FSX: Steam Edition, a video replay error usually means the .FSR recording is incomplete, depends on an aircraft or add-on that changed, or cannot be read from Documents. Make a short test recording with a default aircraft; if it plays, the original file is damaged or incompatible.

Is FSX Flight Video the same as Instant Replay?

Flight Video saves simulator data as an .FSR file; it is not an encoded video such as AVI or MP4. Installing media codecs, changing the default video player or renaming the extension will not fix it.

Instant Replay instead replays data retained during the current flight. If Instant Replay alone produces an error, restart the flight with a default aircraft and test it before loading any add-ons. If it runs but looks uneven, that is a replay or performance limitation rather than a damaged file.

How do I identify the cause of an FSX replay error?

A clean test with a stock aircraft quickly separates a damaged recording from a wider FSX problem.

1. Back up the recording. Copy the affected .FSR file before changing anything. Flight Video files are normally kept in the Flight Simulator X Files folder within Documents, although Windows or OneDrive may redirect that location.
2. Check that the file contains data. A zero-byte recording cannot be recovered. An abnormally small file may have been cut short by a crash, forced shutdown or an interrupted save.
3. Create a control recording. Load a default FSX aircraft at a stock airport, record about 20–30 seconds, stop the recording normally and play it immediately through FSX's Flight Video command.
4. Test the old file from inside FSX. Start the simulator first and open the recording through the Flight Video interface rather than relying on a Windows file association. Try a copy placed in the normal Flight Simulator X Files folder with a short, simple filename.
5. Restore missing dependencies. If the recording used a third-party aircraft or repaint, reinstall the same package and configuration. A changed or removed title= entry in aircraft.cfg can stop FSX finding the expected aircraft variant.
6. Match the original simulator environment. Try the same FSX edition, expansion level and add-on version used to make the recording. Do not assume recordings will transfer reliably between boxed FSX, Acceleration and Steam Edition installations.

What if every FSX video recording fails?

If newly created stock recordings also fail, troubleshoot FSX rather than the individual replay file.

• Rebuild fsx.cfg. Close FSX, rename the active configuration file and let the simulator create a clean one. Boxed FSX normally uses the FSX folder under %APPDATA%\Microsoft; Steam Edition may use either FSX or FSX-SE, depending on the installation history. Use the file with the latest modified date, and keep the original so you can restore it.
• Check Documents access. Confirm that FSX can create and modify files in Flight Simulator X Files. Resolve Controlled Folder Access or OneDrive permission problems rather than disabling Windows security permanently.
• Repair the core installation. Steam users can verify the installed files through Steam. Back up deliberate modifications to default files first. With boxed FSX, use the installer’s repair facility and then restore the same service-pack or Acceleration level.
• Investigate crashes separately. If playback freezes or closes the simulator instead of displaying a simple file error, use our FSX crash-isolation procedure to check modules, aircraft, configuration files and memory pressure.

Can a damaged FSR recording be repaired?

There is no dependable editor or repair process for an incomplete .FSR file. It is a binary simulator-state recording, so editing it as text, changing its extension or installing a video codec cannot reconstruct missing data.

The best recovery attempt is to open a copy using the original aircraft, add-ons and FSX edition. If it still fails while new recordings work, restore an earlier copy or regard that recording as lost.

Preventing future replay errors

Short recordings saved and checked before leaving the flight are less likely to be lost than one long session.

• Stop Flight Video normally before changing aircraft, ending the flight or closing FSX.
• Replay important files once immediately after saving them.
• Keep backups outside the working Flight Simulator X Files folder.
• Avoid removing the aircraft or changing its aircraft.cfg identity until the recording is no longer needed.
• For longer captures, repeatable playback or recorded AI traffic, use the more capable FSX Recorder module instead of the built-in Flight Video feature. It provides an alternative recording format but cannot repair an existing .FSR file.