Fix the MSFS 2020 Essential Packages update error or loop with launcher updates, package checks, storage fixes and safe repair steps.
To fix the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Essential Packages update error, close the simulator, update MSFS through Microsoft Store or Steam, restart the PC, move Community add-ons out, and retry with ample free space. If it still loops, remove only incomplete download files from the active Official folder so MSFS can reacquire them.
What causes the Essential Packages update error?
Essential Packages are mandatory first-party files that must match the installed MSFS 2020 client. If the executable and package versions differ, the simulator cannot continue to the main menu.
The usual causes are:
- A pending Microsoft Store or Steam client update.
- An interrupted download leaving an incomplete package or patch file.
- Insufficient space on the Packages drive or Windows system drive.
- MSFS reading an old Packages folder rather than the active installation.
- A Community add-on interfering with the package scan.
- Microsoft account, Gaming Services, network or file-permission problems.
This update is separate from optional aircraft and scenery updates shown later in Content Manager.
How do I clear the Essential Packages update loop?
- Quit MSFS completely. Exit the simulator and its owning app, then restart the PC. Do not end the simulator while the installer is unpacking data merely because the progress display pauses.
- Update the simulator client first. For the Microsoft Store or Game Pass edition, check the Microsoft Store library for an MSFS update and install any offered Xbox app or Gaming Services updates. For Steam, check Downloads and the MSFS library entry. Launch the simulator from the account that owns it.
- Check both drives for free space. The Packages location needs room for the new content, while the Windows drive may also hold temporary data. The required headroom varies with the update, so do not rely only on the advertised download size. Our MSFS storage and package-size breakdown explains what can safely consume that space.
- Isolate the Community folder. Move its contents to a temporary folder outside the MSFS Packages directory. Do not move the Official folder. If the update succeeds, restore add-ons in batches so an obsolete package is easy to identify.
- Retry on an unrestricted connection. Disable a VPN or proxy, remove any simulator download bandwidth limit you previously set, and allow MSFS through security software. Avoid permanently disabling antivirus protection.
- Repair only the failed download. If the same package repeatedly fails, close MSFS and use the package procedure below. This is safer than deleting the entire Official folder or reinstalling everything.
Which MSFS package folder should I repair?
The correct folder is the path named by InstalledPackagesPath in the active UserCfg.opt file, not necessarily the default location or the protected Windows application folder. Multiple abandoned package directories are common after moving MSFS to another drive; our guide to finding the active MSFS installation and Packages path shows how to identify the one the simulator actually uses.
Once you have confirmed that path:
- Close MSFS and its launcher. Confirm that the simulator is no longer running before changing package files.
- Open the active Official folder. Microsoft Store and Game Pass installations normally use
Official\OneStore; Steam installations normally useOfficial\Steam. - Quarantine the named package. If the installer identifies a specific failed package, move that package's folder outside the Packages directory rather than deleting it. MSFS should download a clean copy on its next run.
- Remove incomplete temporary files only. If no package is named, sort by modification time and move loose files from the failed attempt whose names contain
.fspackageor.fspatch. Keep them in a temporary folder until the update succeeds. - Launch MSFS and let the download finish. Expect the removed package to be downloaded again; its displayed progress may pause while files are decompressed.
Can I delete the entire Official folder?
No. Deleting or renaming the whole Official folder forces MSFS to reacquire its core content and every installed Marketplace package, often turning a small repair into a very large download. Never remove fs-base directories at random; target the package named by the installer or clearly incomplete files from the failed attempt.
What if the Essential Packages update still fails?
If package cleanup does not work, repair the platform layer that owns the simulator before reinstalling MSFS.
| Platform | Next repair | Key caveat |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store or Game Pass on PC | Sign into Microsoft Store and the Xbox app with the correct account, run wsreset.exe, then use Windows' Repair option for the Xbox app, Gaming Services and MSFS where available. | Choose Repair before Reset; Reset can remove settings or require the package path to be selected again. |
| Steam on PC | Verify the simulator's local files, restart Steam and sign into the same Microsoft account inside MSFS. | Steam verification checks the launcher installation, not every streamed file in the Official Packages folder. |
| Xbox Series X|S | Install the console game update, perform a full restart and temporarily remove optional add-ons through Manage game and add-ons. | PC folder-repair instructions do not apply on Xbox. |
If the error includes 0x80070005 or “access denied”, use our permission-specific repair steps for error 0x80070005. That code points to account, security or folder-access trouble rather than a normal download interruption.
Reinstallation should be the last step. First confirm the active Packages path, because removing only the small launcher while leaving a damaged Official package behind can reproduce the same failure. If MSFS no longer reaches the installer at all, follow our broader MSFS 2020 launch and Gaming Services checks instead.