Fix “GSX has been disabled by user settings” by re-enabling the airport, resetting its profile and checking scenery or Couatl conflicts.
The message means a GSX user configuration has marked that airport as disabled; it is not usually an installation failure. Open the GSX airport customisation editor, clear the Disable GSX option, save the change, then restart Couatl. If the message returns, reset the airport’s user profile.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 with GSX Pro, and in the FSX or Prepar3D versions of GSX, this is normally an airport-specific setting. First check whether it affects one airport or every airport, because the fixes are different.
How do I re-enable GSX at the airport?
- Load the affected airport. Place the aircraft at a recognised stand and allow Couatl to finish loading the airport data.
- Open the airport editor. In MSFS, open the GSX toolbar panel and select the airport customisation command. In FSX or Prepar3D, use the GSX entry under the simulator’s add-ons menu. The wording can vary slightly, but it is normally labelled Customize Airport Positions.
- Clear the disable setting. Find the airport-level Disable GSX option and untick it. Make sure you are changing the whole-airport setting rather than a setting for one parking position.
- Save and reload GSX. Apply the change, then use the GSX or Couatl restart command. If no restart command is available, close the simulator fully and launch it again.
- Test the menu again. Return to the same stand and request a normal service. If the warning remains, confirm that the customisation editor detected the airport and scenery package you intended to edit.
A mistake we see often is editing the correct ICAO but the wrong scenery version. Duplicate airport packages or old airport data can cause GSX to load a different configuration from the one just changed.
Why does the disabled message keep returning?
A persistent warning usually means another profile is restoring the setting, GSX cannot save the change, or the simulator is supplying duplicate airport data.
- Downloaded or old airport profile: An airport-specific
.iniprofile can override the editor setting. With the simulator closed, rename the affected profile rather than deleting the whole profile folder. Our guide to checking and resetting MSFS GSX profile files explains how to find the active configuration. - Prepar3D profile or cache conflict: Legacy GSX installations can retain airport customisations after scenery changes. Check the relevant profile and rebuild the airport data only after confirming the scenery-library order; see our Prepar3D profile and cache guidance.
- Duplicate scenery: Disable the unwanted copy of the airport, correct the scenery priority where the simulator supports it, then restart Couatl. Do not leave both the default replacement and two versions of the same add-on airport active.
- Profile folder is not writable: Read-only permissions or security software can stop GSX from saving the cleared checkbox. Restore normal write access to the GSX user-profile folder instead of running every simulator component permanently as administrator.
- Couatl was not reloaded: Closing the editor does not always refresh the running airport session. Restart Couatl or the complete simulator before deciding that the change failed.
Is this an airport setting or a complete GSX failure?
The number of affected airports is the quickest way to separate a profile problem from a broken GSX or Couatl installation.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Best next step |
|---|---|---|
| Only one airport is disabled | Airport disable flag or conflicting profile | Clear the flag and reset that airport’s profile |
| Only airports using downloaded profiles are affected | Profile content or wrong scenery match | Temporarily rename the imported profiles and retest |
| Every airport is affected | Couatl, package activation or installation problem | Test a stock airport, verify Couatl and repair GSX |
| Ground services work but jetways do not | Jetway exclusion or airport compatibility issue | Do not reset GSX globally; troubleshoot the jetway separately |
What should I do if GSX is disabled everywhere?
If every airport shows the warning or the customisation command is unavailable, treat it as a wider GSX problem rather than an airport preference.
Test at a default airport with no downloaded profile, confirm that Couatl is running, and verify that the GSX package is installed and enabled. If the toolbar menu itself is missing, our GSX menu and Couatl troubleshooting notes cover the common installation and start-up faults.
For Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, also check package links, Safe Mode, security-software blocks and add-on conflicts using our MSFS 2024 GSX fault checklist. Reinstalling should be a later step: an airport-level disable flag will survive a routine application repair if its user profile remains in place.
Is disabling GSX the same as excluding GSX jetways?
No. Excluding an airport from GSX replacement jetways is intended to preserve the jetways supplied by some third-party scenery packages; it should not disable all GSX ground services. If catering, boarding and pushback work but a jetway does not move, leave the airport enabled and investigate the jetway or scenery configuration instead.