How do I fix the “You are missing packages” MSFS error?
The “You are missing packages” error in Microsoft Flight Simulator means required core or add-on content cannot be found, verified or licensed. Close the sim, remove Community add-ons temporarily, update the game and platform client, confirm the package path and account, then download the missing items through the simulator’s Installation Manager or content library.
What does the MSFS “You are missing packages” error mean?
It means the simulator’s package catalogue expects content that is absent, outdated, stored in the wrong location or unavailable under the signed-in account. A “package” may be part of the core simulator, an aircraft, scenery, a livery or a dependency required by another add-on.
| Where the error appears | Likely cause | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Before the main menu, or alongside a large download request | Mandatory update missing or the package path points to an empty folder | Update the platform client and check the existing package location |
| When selecting one aircraft, airport or activity | Optional content or a required base package is absent | Install or update that item through the in-sim content library |
| Immediately after adding a mod | Bad folder structure, incompatible package or unmet dependency | Remove that add-on and test again |
| Previously owned content appears missing or locked | Account, entitlement or online-service problem | Confirm the purchasing account and internet connection |
How do I repair missing MSFS packages?
Work through these checks in order; deleting the entire installation is rarely the right first move.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator completely. Also close any add-on manager that creates symbolic links or copies packages into the Community folder.
- Test with an empty Community folder. Move its contents to a temporary folder rather than deleting them. If the error disappears, restore add-ons in small groups until the faulty package is identified.
- Update the base application. On PC, check the client from which MSFS was installed. Microsoft Store and Xbox-app installations may also require updates to the Xbox app and Gaming Services; Steam installations must be updated through Steam. On consoles, check for a game update through the system interface.
- Confirm the correct accounts. Sign in with the platform and in-sim accounts that own the simulator and affected content. If many owned packages suddenly disappear without any file changes, an entitlement service may be unavailable; retrying after service access returns is safer than reinstalling.
- Check storage and the package location. Make sure the drive is connected and has enough free space. If MSFS suddenly offers to download the whole simulator despite the files still existing, stop and inspect the package path before accepting the download.
- Repair the named content. If the simulator reaches its main menu, open its content manager or library, show available updates and not-installed items, then install the affected package and any prerequisites. Restart MSFS after the installation completes.
- Repair the base app last. A platform-client verify or repair can replace damaged launcher files, but it does not necessarily validate every package downloaded from inside MSFS. Run the simulator afterwards so its own installer can complete the content repair.
Why does MSFS ask for a full download when packages already exist?
An incorrect InstalledPackagesPath commonly makes Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 treat an existing installation as missing. This often follows a drive-letter change, a manual folder move, a Windows reinstall or selecting the default path while updating the launcher.
On PC, close MSFS and locate the active UserCfg.opt for your edition. Its final package-path entry should point to the parent folder containing Official and Community, not directly to Official, Official\OneStore or Official\Steam. If it references an old or empty location, correct it to the folder where the packages actually reside, save the file and relaunch the simulator.
Do not rename OneStore to Steam, or vice versa, merely to follow instructions written for another edition. Once the right package root is selected, the installer should scan what is present and download only missing or damaged files.
What if only one aircraft or scenery package is missing?
Reinstall only the affected item and its required base content. Liveries commonly depend on a specific aircraft, while scenery may require an accompanying library or package supplied with the download.
For a Community add-on, extraction should normally leave manifest.json and layout.json inside the package folder, not buried under an extra wrapper folder. Our worked MSFS package-installation example shows how to check the extraction depth and restart the simulator correctly.
If the item came from the in-sim Marketplace, reinstall it from the owned-content library while using the account that purchased it; do not copy its protected files into Community. We explain the ownership and installation considerations in our guide to choosing and managing Marketplace content.
Does the fix differ between MSFS 2020 and 2024?
The diagnosis is similar, but package storage differs between the two simulators and platforms.
| Edition and platform | What to check |
|---|---|
| MSFS 2020 on PC | Mandatory updates, InstalledPackagesPath, the local Official packages and Community add-ons |
| MSFS 2020 on Xbox | Game updates, owned content and console-managed storage; PC folder edits do not apply |
| MSFS 2024 on PC, Xbox Series X|S or PS5 | Game version, account entitlement, network access, streamed content and any optional locally installed packages |
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released for PlayStation. On PS5, this error therefore concerns MSFS 2024; update the game, confirm the owning PlayStation account and restore content licences through the console if ownership is not being recognised.
When should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Reinstall only after confirming the account, service access, package path, free storage, updates and Community add-ons. A launcher reinstall alone may leave the large package store untouched and reconnect to the same damaged or incorrectly referenced files.
Before a clean reinstall, move Community content outside the MSFS package root and record where the existing packages are stored. Do not delete the entire Official folder merely because one package fails; repairing or redownloading the named item is faster and less likely to create another missing-packages error.