MSFS 2020 crashing even in Safe Mode? Learn what Safe Mode excludes, how to isolate the fault, clear caches, repair files and test drivers.
MSFS 2020 can still crash in Safe Mode because Safe Mode mainly suppresses third-party packages; it does not repair damaged official files, caches, graphics drivers, Windows components or unstable hardware. Test a stock flight, clear the rolling cache, repair simulator files, disconnect peripherals and overlays, then check drivers and system stability.
What does MSFS 2020 Safe Mode actually rule out?
Safe Mode rules out most package-based third-party content, not the rest of the PC or console. It temporarily disables third-party packages from the Community folder and Marketplace, but official simulator files and many settings remain active.
It also leaves external utilities, device drivers, VR software, overlays, controller software and hardware overclocks untouched. Files manually copied over an official package may remain a problem because Safe Mode cannot restore the original files.
| Test result | Most likely fault area |
|---|---|
| Normal Mode crashes, Safe Mode works | A third-party aircraft, scenery package, livery or shared dependency |
| Both modes crash before the main menu | Base files, drivers, external software, Windows or hardware stability |
| Safe Mode reaches the menu but every stock flight crashes | Rolling cache, official content, graphics settings, memory or drivers |
| Only one aircraft or location crashes | The associated aircraft, airport or regional scenery package |
The Safe Mode prompt itself is not the fault. MSFS 2020 displays it after an abnormal shutdown; choosing Safe Mode simply provides a cleaner diagnostic session.
How do I fix an MSFS 2020 Safe Mode crash?
Fix it by using the crash point to test caches, base files, external software and system stability in that order.
- Establish a stock baseline. Restart the computer, choose Safe Mode and avoid resuming the previous flight. Load a default aircraft at a default airport with preset weather and online traffic temporarily disabled. If the simulator crashes before reaching the menu, follow our startup-crash diagnostic sequence instead.
- Clear the rolling cache. If the menus remain accessible, open the simulator's Data settings, delete the rolling-cache file and leave rolling cache disabled for the next test. Clear any manual cache as well if one was configured. Do not delete the
Officialfolder or random package files. - Repair the installation. Close MSFS and use the platform's Verify or Repair function. Restart the simulator and allow mandatory content updates to finish before testing. Verification may repair only the launcher or core application, so check Content Manager for incomplete official packages once the menus work.
- Remove external variables. Disconnect non-essential USB controllers and temporarily close VR runtimes, head-tracking software, telemetry tools, frame-rate overlays, graphics injectors and hardware-monitoring utilities. Safe Mode does not stop these programs. Restore them one at a time after a successful stock flight.
- Test the graphics driver and stock clock speeds. Install a stable graphics driver, or roll back if the crashes began directly after a driver change. Temporarily return CPU, GPU and RAM settings to stock, use a system-managed Windows page file and confirm that the simulator drive has free space.
- Reinstall only the content implicated by the test. If one default aircraft, airport or region consistently triggers the crash, remove and reinstall its optional package through Content Manager where that option is available. A full simulator reinstall should come after cache clearing, file repair and driver testing, not before them.
If the problem began immediately after a simulator or World Update, keep third-party content disabled until a stock flight works. Our post-update crash repair order covers partial updates, stale caches and incompatible packages without mixing all three causes together.
On Xbox, skip the PC driver and overlay steps. Fully quit MSFS rather than leaving it in Quick Resume, restart the console, test default content, then inspect or reinstall suspect packages through the console and Content Manager.
What if Safe Mode crashes only when loading a flight?
A flight-loading crash usually points to the selected aircraft, airport, cached scenery or the workload created as the flight enters the 3D world. Test a default aircraft at a small default airport; then change only one variable per attempt.
- If one location fails, clear the rolling cache and test another region.
- If one aircraft fails everywhere, repair or reinstall that aircraft's package.
- If every stock combination fails, lower graphics and terrain settings temporarily, repair base files and test the graphics driver.
- If the crash starts only with live weather, multiplayer or traffic enabled, test those online services separately rather than blaming the aircraft.
For crashes that occur at the final loading bar or immediately after entering the cockpit, use our more focused flight-loading crash checklist.
What if Safe Mode works but Normal Mode crashes?
If Safe Mode works reliably, the base simulator is probably sound and a third-party package is the leading suspect. Close MSFS, empty or rename the active Community folder, then restore packages in small batches until the crash returns.
A mistake we see constantly is clearing the wrong Community folder, especially after moving the package directory or using symbolic links. Verify the active path with our Community-folder location and package-structure checks before concluding that add-on isolation failed.
Do not erase the folder permanently. Once the faulty batch is identified, test its aircraft, scenery, livery and shared-library packages individually, checking dependencies as well as the visible add-on itself.