Find why FSX is ignoring add-on scenery and fix nested folders, inactive library entries, layer conflicts and scenery database refresh failures.
FSX usually ignores installed add-on scenery because the Scenery Library points to the wrong folder, the area is inactive, the archive created an extra folder level, or a higher-priority layer is overriding it. Point FSX at the folder containing Scenery, activate it, set its priority, and accept the change to rebuild the scenery database.
What folder should FSX scenery point to?
FSX must see a Scenery subfolder immediately inside the scenery area added to its library. The usual structure is:
Addon Scenery\My Airport\Scenery\airport.bglAddon Scenery\My Airport\Texture\texture files
Select My Airport in the Scenery Library—not its Scenery subfolder and not a folder above it. A mistake we see constantly is an extra extraction level such as My Airport\My Airport\Scenery. Either select the inner folder or remove the redundant outer one.
The Texture folder is optional, but when supplied it normally sits beside Scenery, not inside it. Loose BGL files must be inside an active area's Scenery folder. Our standard FSX scenery installation procedure covers the supported folder arrangements in more detail.
How do I force FSX to recognise installed scenery?
Re-adding the correct parent folder and committing the Scenery Library change fixes most scenery that appears to be installed but is not loading.
- Extract the complete archive. FSX cannot read scenery directly from a ZIP or other compressed file. Confirm that actual
.bglfiles exist; files renamed with extensions such as.offor.bakare disabled. - Check the simulator installation. If boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition have both been installed, an automatic installer may have selected the wrong FSX folder or configuration. Launch the edition you use and browse to the package from that simulator's own Scenery Library. Our missing FSX add-on troubleshooting checklist explains how stale installation paths cause this problem.
- Add the scenery area. Open
Settings > Scenery Library > Add Areaand choose the package folder containingScenery. On some older boxed-FSX folder selectors, selecting a folder opens it instead of accepting it; select the intended folder, click an empty part of the file list, then confirm. - Make it active and set its priority. Tick the area's active box and place a local airport above regional, global and default scenery that covers the same location. If the package supplies several layers, preserve the order stated in its documentation.
- Commit the change. Press
OKand allow FSX to rebuild its scenery database. If no rebuild occurs, deactivate the entry and confirm, then reactivate it and confirm again before restarting FSX. - Test the exact location. Load the airport or coordinates named by the package and look for a specific changed runway, building or coastline. Some add-ons alter only a small part of an airport and will not produce an obvious difference from a distant starting position.
Why is active FSX scenery still not visible?
An active library entry only proves that FSX is scanning the selected folder; conflicts, missing dependencies and display settings can still prevent the expected result.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| No visible change anywhere | Wrong folder level, no usable BGL files or wrong airport | Confirm that Scenery is directly below the selected folder and verify the package's ICAO code or coordinates. |
| Default airport remains or duplicate runways appear | Another airport or AFCAD file covers the same location | Move the new airport above competing entries, then disable other third-party scenery for that location one area at a time. Do not delete default FSX files. |
| Runways change but buildings are absent | Missing object library or low Scenery Complexity | Install any libraries named in the documentation and temporarily raise Scenery Complexity to test. Autogen Density normally does not control custom runways. |
| Terrain shape does not change | Mesh resolution, coverage or competing higher-resolution mesh | Use the package's recommended terrain settings and check our mesh-specific installation and priority guidance. |
| Objects appear but are white or untextured | Missing or misplaced texture files | Confirm that the package's Texture folder is beside Scenery and that all archive parts were extracted. |
Format and package compatibility
A scenery area can be active yet contain files FSX cannot use. Select the FSX version when an installer offers separate FSX and Prepar3D options. FS2004 scenery may work only partially, Prepar3D compatibility depends on how the package was built, and Microsoft Flight Simulator Community packages are not compatible with FSX.
Boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition use broadly the same scenery format, but their installation folders and active configuration profiles can differ. A package found under one installation is not automatically registered in the other installation's Scenery Library.
Could FSX be reading the wrong scenery configuration?
Suspect the active scenery.cfg only when an entry disappears after restarting FSX, its active state or priority will not save, or the scenery database repeatedly fails to rebuild.
- Close FSX and confirm that the configuration location is writable and the scenery path still exists. Disconnected external drives and renamed folders leave library entries pointing nowhere.
- Make changes through the in-simulator Scenery Library before editing files manually. The
FSX.cfgfile is not the scenery library, and ascenery.cfgbeside the simulator executable may be a template rather than the active copy. - Side-by-side or previously installed boxed and Steam editions can use differently named profile locations. Verify which configuration changes when you add a temporary scenery area.
- Back up the active
scenery.cfgbefore repairing it. Do not delete the whole file merely to fix one entry, because it also defines FSX's default scenery layers.
If the scenery entry remains active after a restart and FSX rebuilds its database, the configuration is probably working. Return to the package structure, coverage area, dependencies and layer order rather than repeatedly reinstalling the simulator.