Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator update errors on PC, Xbox and PS5 with safe steps for stuck downloads, package loops, account faults and error codes.
To fix Microsoft Flight Simulator update errors, fully close the sim, update it through the same store or launcher that owns it, confirm the correct account is signed in, free space on the system and package drives, temporarily remove Community add-ons, then restart the download. Do not reinstall or delete official packages first.
Which part of the MSFS update is failing?
The correct fix depends on whether the storefront, simulator launcher or an individual content package is failing.
| Symptom | Likely cause | First action |
|---|---|---|
| No update appears | Wrong launcher, account or update queue | Check the store or platform that owns the licence |
| Stuck on Checking for Updates | Account, cache, network or package-path problem | Restart the launcher and test without Community add-ons |
| Download restarts or loops | Insufficient space, unstable connection or incomplete package | Check both storage locations and remove the partial-download cause |
| Error 0x80070005 | Access denied by permissions, security software or Gaming Services | Repair the account and Windows gaming components |
| Update completes but MSFS crashes | Outdated add-on, livery, navdata or cached data | Start in Safe Mode or with an empty Community folder |
If the screen never progresses beyond the update check, follow our focused steps for resolving an MSFS 2020 Checking for Updates loop rather than repeatedly restarting the same download.
How do I fix an MSFS update error on PC?
On PC, fix the launcher and entitlement first, then troubleshoot the simulator’s separate content download.
- Use the owning platform. Launch a Microsoft Store or Game Pass installation through the Microsoft Store and Xbox app environment; update a Steam copy through Steam. Files from one platform cannot update an installation owned by another.
- Close every related process. Exit Microsoft Flight Simulator and its launcher completely, close the storefront, then restart Windows. Merely closing the simulator window may leave a download or gaming service running.
- Update the launcher and platform components. Check the Microsoft Store library, Xbox app or Steam download queue before opening MSFS. Microsoft Store installations also depend on working Xbox and Gaming Services components. For the newer simulator, our platform-specific MSFS 2024 update procedure covers PC and console update routes.
- Confirm the account and clock. Sign into the account that owns the game or subscription. On Microsoft installations, check both the Store and Xbox app accounts. Set Windows date, time and region automatically because incorrect system time can break authentication.
- Check all storage locations. Leave free space on the Windows system drive as well as the drive containing the simulator packages. Downloads may be staged on the system drive even when the main content is elsewhere.
- Remove add-ons temporarily. Move the contents of the
Communityfolder somewhere safe; do not delete them. If MSFS offers Safe Mode after a failed start, use it. Add packages back in small groups only after the update and first clean launch succeed. - Stabilise the connection. Disable VPN or proxy routing, avoid a metered connection and use Ethernet where possible. Restart the router if other downloads are also unstable. Keep the firewall enabled, but make sure the simulator and its launcher are allowed through it.
- Retry without interrupting package processing. Progress can pause while a large archive is unpacked. Check disk activity before assuming the updater has frozen, and avoid repeatedly pausing or killing it during that stage.
What if the Microsoft Store or Xbox app will not update MSFS?
Repair the Store and Xbox delivery components before resetting or reinstalling Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- Install pending Windows, Microsoft Store, Xbox app and Gaming Services updates, then reboot.
- Run
wsreset.exeto clear the Microsoft Store cache, reopen the Store and check its library again. - Use Windows app settings to try Repair before Reset. Reset can remove local app data and require another sign-in.
- Do not run the launcher permanently as administrator; inconsistent privilege levels can stop the Store, Gaming Services and simulator from accessing the same files.
If the updater reports access denied or displays the corresponding code, use the account, permissions and security checks in our guide to repair MSFS error 0x80070005.
Should I verify MSFS files in Steam?
Steam file verification should be a later step because it checks the Steam-managed launcher files, not every package downloaded inside Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Record the location of the simulator’s Packages folder before verification. Afterward, make sure the installer still points to that existing location; choosing a new empty folder is a common reason MSFS appears to demand the entire content download again.
How do I fix update errors on Xbox or PS5?
On console, fully quit the simulator, restart the console, install system software updates and check that enough internal storage is available.
- Xbox: Remove MSFS from Quick Resume, check the game’s update queue and perform a full restart. These steps apply to MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024.
- PlayStation 5: These steps apply to MSFS 2024; MSFS 2020 was never released on PlayStation. Close the game rather than suspending it, then use the console’s update check.
- Both platforms: Do not delete saved data, reserved content or installed add-ons as an initial fix. Those actions can trigger large downloads and will not repair a storefront or network fault.
Why does the same package keep downloading?
A repeating package normally means the updater cannot finish, validate or write that particular download.
Check free space and connection stability first. Do not delete the entire Official packages directory: that turns one failed archive into a complete reinstall. Mandatory-content failures need more targeted handling, covered in our safe repair steps for the MSFS 2020 Essential Packages error.
Once the base simulator opens, check its content management screen for pending aircraft, airport or world updates. Storefront updates and in-simulator content updates are separate, so completing one does not guarantee that every installed package is ready.
Should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Reinstall only after the launcher, account, storage, network and add-on checks have failed.
On PC, back up the Community folder and record the existing Packages location first. Reinstalling only the launcher may allow MSFS to recognise intact official packages; deleting or pointing it at a new empty location forces a much larger download. For the first launch after repair, keep Community add-ons out until the simulator reaches the main menu successfully.