How do I fix “Please insert game disc” in MSFS 2020?
Fix the MSFS 2020 “Please insert game disc” error by restoring Store, Xbox, Game Pass or Steam licensing, plus the boxed DVD Disc 1 check.
The “Please insert game disc” message in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 usually means the launcher cannot verify your licence, not that a digital copy needs physical media. Sign into the account and platform that owns it, repair entitlement services, then relaunch online. Only the boxed PC DVD edition requires Disc 1.
What causes the MSFS 2020 game-disc error?
The error appears when MSFS cannot confirm a valid digital entitlement or detect the boxed edition’s play disc. It normally occurs before the simulator checks its aircraft, scenery and other large content packages.
| MSFS 2020 licence | What must be verified | Common failure |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store or Xbox app purchase | The Store account that owns MSFS, plus working Xbox authentication and Gaming Services | The Store and Xbox app are using different accounts |
| PC or Xbox Game Pass | An active eligible subscription on the entitled account | The subscription has expired or belongs to another profile |
| Steam purchase | The owning Steam account, with Steam online, plus a valid Microsoft/Xbox profile sign-in | Steam is offline, using the wrong account or bypassed with a direct executable |
| Boxed PC DVD edition | A readable Disc 1 in an optical drive | A later installation disc is inserted, or Disc 1 is missing or unreadable |
Other frequent causes include an expired authentication token, incorrect Windows time settings, damaged Gaming Services, an unrecognised Digital Ownership component, a VPN or proxy blocking authentication, and a temporary platform service interruption.
How do I fix “Please insert game disc” in MSFS 2020?
Restore the licence through the platform where MSFS 2020 was obtained before repairing or reinstalling the simulator itself.
- Confirm where you own MSFS 2020. Open the Microsoft Store, Xbox app or Steam library and check that the simulator appears as owned or included with an active subscription. An installation left by another account does not give the account now signed in a licence, so do not repurchase MSFS merely because the prompt appears.
- Restore a clean online connection. Disable offline mode and temporarily turn off any VPN or proxy. Set Windows to adjust its date, time and time zone automatically, because an incorrect clock can invalidate account tokens. If platform authentication is unavailable, ordinary websites may still work; wait for the service to recover and try again.
- Refresh the account session. Close MSFS completely. For Store and Game Pass installations, sign out of both the Microsoft Store and Xbox app, restart Windows, and sign back into the account that owns the purchase or subscription. Using that account in both apps temporarily rules out the mismatch we see most often. Steam owners should restart Steam online and use the account that bought MSFS.
- Update the entitlement components. Check the Microsoft Store library for updates to the Store, Xbox app, Gaming Services and MSFS launcher. If your eligible digital edition lists a Digital Ownership component, make sure it is installed or recognised; do not buy another edition to obtain it.
- Clear the Store cache and repair its apps. Close MSFS and the Xbox app, run
wsreset.exe, let the Store reopen, then restart Windows. Under Windows Installed apps, use Repair for Microsoft Store, Xbox and Gaming Services where available. Use Reset only if Repair fails, and follow our targeted steps to repair Gaming Services when it will not load. - Launch through the owning platform. Start Store and Game Pass installations from their normal installed entry or the Xbox app. Start a Steam purchase from the Steam library; the Microsoft/Xbox profile used inside MSFS does not also need to own a Store copy. Verify Steam’s launcher files if necessary, and avoid copied executables or obsolete shortcuts.
- Restart and test once. Reboot after completing the repairs, then launch normally. Repeatedly opening MSFS while switching accounts can leave another stale authentication session. On Xbox, restart the console and use the entitled profile or a console with valid home-console sharing.
What if a different authentication error appears?
A “Waiting for Authentication” screen means the licence check has reached the Xbox sign-in stage but that session is not completing. Close MSFS, refresh the Store and Xbox app sessions, then retry with the owning account.
Error 0x80070005 while updating Gaming Services or ownership components indicates a Windows Store permissions or security problem, not missing simulator content. Repair the affected platform apps and resolve that access error before touching the MSFS package folders.
Which common fixes waste time?
Deleting simulator content will not normally repair a licence failure that happens before the content is validated.
- Do not empty the
Communityfolder solely for this error; add-ons neither grant nor remove the base-game licence. - Do not insert a Windows disc or an unrelated game disc. Digital editions never authenticate with physical media.
- Do not create a new Microsoft account unless the licence was actually registered to it.
- Do not reset MSFS or delete its
Officialpackages as an early troubleshooting step.
Does the boxed DVD edition need Disc 1?
Yes, the boxed PC edition normally requires Disc 1 whenever Microsoft Flight Simulator starts. The remaining DVDs contain installation data and cannot satisfy the launch check.
- Insert Disc 1 before launching MSFS and allow the optical drive time to spin up.
- Confirm that Windows can see and open the disc in File Explorer.
- Inspect an unreadable disc and, if possible, test it in another compatible optical drive.
Installing all the DVD content does not convert the boxed licence into a digital, disc-free entitlement. Our boxed-edition installation and Disc 1 checks cover incorrect, damaged and missing media in more detail.
Why can the disc error appear after an update?
An update can expose a stale account token or update the launcher before Gaming Services and its ownership components have finished updating. It does not usually mean the aircraft, scenery or other main packages were deleted.
After authentication succeeds, MSFS may stop at Checking for Updates while it reconciles the installed packages. That is a separate cache, package or connectivity fault; use the focused steps for repairing a stalled Checking for Updates screen instead of repeating the licence fixes.
Can MSFS 2020 run offline without asking for a disc?
A digital edition can run offline only after it has authenticated online and the platform’s offline permissions have been prepared. Going offline before that successful check can trigger the disc message even when every simulator package is installed.
Reconnect, launch successfully at least once, and configure offline access while still online. Offline mode does not make streamed scenery and other online services available without a connection.
Should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Reinstallation should be a last resort because downloading the large content packages rarely changes a broken account token or storefront entitlement. Consider it only after the correct platform confirms ownership, authentication works, Gaming Services has been repaired and the launcher itself is demonstrably damaged.
Start with the platform’s launcher repair or file-verification option. If MSFS authenticates but cannot find content already on the drive, do not delete Official or Community; first locate the existing package and configuration paths so the installer can be pointed back to them.