Fix the MSFS 2020 'Please insert game disc' error by restoring Store, Xbox, Steam or Game Pass licence checks without reinstalling the sim.
The “Please insert game disc” message in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 usually means the launcher cannot verify your licence; it does not mean a digital copy needs a disc. Sign into the owning Store, Xbox or Steam account, restore the platform’s entitlement services, and relaunch online. Boxed DVD copies genuinely require Disc 1.
What the game-disc message actually means
On a digital PC copy, this is an ownership-authentication failure rather than a request for physical media. MSFS 2020 displays the same message for several different licence problems, so the correct fix depends on where access came from.
| MSFS 2020 edition | Disc required? | Licence MSFS must verify |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store or Xbox app purchase | No | The Microsoft account that bought the simulator |
| PC Game Pass | No | An active subscription on the signed-in account |
| Steam purchase | No | The purchasing Steam account, with Steam running online |
| Boxed PC DVD edition | Yes | A readable Disc 1 in an optical drive |
Fixing the MSFS 2020 licence check
The fastest fix is to refresh the original storefront entitlement before repairing or reinstalling any simulator files.
- Confirm how you own MSFS 2020. Use the account and platform on which it was purchased. An installation left by another account does not prove that the account now signed in owns it. If this began after changing computers, follow our account-and-entitlement checks for reinstalling on another PC.
- Restore an online connection. Disable offline mode, set Windows date, time and time zone automatically, then restart the relevant launcher. Incorrect system time can invalidate account tokens. A temporary platform authentication outage can also produce this message even when ordinary websites work; in that case, retry after the service recovers.
- Sign out and back in. For a Microsoft Store installation, the Store must use the account that owns the purchase or subscription. Check the account shown in the Xbox app as well; signing both apps into the owning account temporarily is a useful way to rule out an account mismatch. Steam owners should restart Steam in online mode and sign into the Steam account that bought MSFS 2020.
- Update the entitlement components. Use the Microsoft Store library to update the Store, Xbox app and Gaming Services. If your library lists a Digital Ownership component for MSFS 2020, ensure it is installed or recognised. It belongs to eligible digital editions; do not buy another copy merely to clear the prompt.
- Clear the Store cache. Close MSFS and the Xbox app, run
wsreset.exe, allow the Store to reopen, and restart Windows. This refreshes the Store cache without deleting the large MSFS package folders. - Repair the platform apps. In Windows Installed apps, use Repair for Microsoft Store, Xbox and Gaming Services where the option is available. Use Reset only if Repair fails, and avoid resetting MSFS itself at this stage.
- Launch through the owning platform. Start Store and Game Pass installations from the Xbox app or their normal installed entry. Start the Steam edition from the Steam library; if Steam does not recognise its launcher files, verify their integrity there first. Do not launch a copied executable or an obsolete shortcut.
If the licence is visible but MSFS still closes or never reaches the main menu, work through our broader PC launch checklist covering Xbox sign-in and Gaming Services.
Common fixes that waste time
Deleting flight-simulation content rarely fixes this particular message because the failure occurs before MSFS validates its aircraft and scenery packages.
- Do not empty the
Communityfolder solely for a game-disc error; add-ons do not grant or remove the base-game licence. - Do not insert an unrelated game or Windows disc. Digital editions never use physical media for authentication.
- Do not create a new Microsoft account unless ownership was actually registered to it.
- Do not repurchase MSFS until you have checked the original Store, Xbox, Steam or Game Pass account.
Does the boxed DVD edition need Disc 1?
Yes. The boxed PC edition uses Disc 1 as its play disc, so digital-account repairs do not remove that physical-media requirement.
- Insert Disc 1, not one of the later installation discs, before starting MSFS.
- Check that Windows can see the disc in File Explorer and allow the optical drive time to spin up.
- If it remains unreadable, inspect the disc and test another compatible optical drive. A downloaded package installation does not by itself convert the boxed licence into a digital one.
Should I reinstall MSFS 2020?
No—not until the account, subscription and platform services have been verified. Reinstalling the simulator’s large content packages usually leaves the broken licence token untouched.
If the licence prompt disappears but the installer cannot find content already on the drive, do not delete the Official or Community folders. Use our instructions to locate the existing MSFS package folder and configuration path before downloading everything again.
What if it sticks at Checking for Updates afterwards?
A Checking for Updates hang is a separate package, cache or connectivity problem that can appear after licence authentication succeeds. Follow the targeted steps to repair an MSFS 2020 Checking for Updates hang rather than repeating the disc-error fixes.