Fix a missing or unresponsive Add-ons menu in FSX Steam Edition by checking DLL.xml, trust prompts, install paths and dependencies.
In FSX: Steam Edition, the Add-ons menu appears only when at least one loaded module creates a menu entry. If it is absent or unresponsive, the usual causes are a hidden main menu bar, an add-on installed to the wrong FSX path, a disabled or malformed DLL.xml, a rejected trust prompt, or a failed dependency.
Does FSX always show an Add-ons menu?
No. A clean FSX: Steam Edition installation may have no Add-ons heading at all. FSX creates it when a loaded extension—such as a utility, complex aircraft module or developer tool—registers a menu command.
Ordinary aircraft, repaints, scenery and texture packages do not automatically create entries there. Some utilities also run as separate applications and never use the FSX menu, so first confirm that the particular add-on is supposed to provide one.
Read the symptom before editing files
| Symptom | Likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| The entire FSX menu bar is missing | Full-screen mode or a hidden menu bar | Press Alt or switch temporarily to windowed mode |
| The menu bar is visible, but Add-ons is absent | No menu-capable module has loaded | Check the installation path, DLL.xml and trust status |
| Other add-ons appear, but one is missing | A fault confined to that add-on | Check its individual XML entry and dependencies |
| Add-ons opens, but a command does nothing | A hidden dialogue, missing companion process or SimConnect problem | Load a flight, switch to windowed mode and check the add-on's external component |
How do I restore the Add-ons menu in FSX: Steam Edition?
- Reveal the main menu bar. Press Alt while FSX is running. If the bar appears but Add-ons does not, the display mode is not the underlying problem.
- Confirm that the add-on should create a menu entry. Check its documentation and make sure you installed the FSX-compatible edition rather than a version intended for Prepar3D or another simulator. Older installers can also require special handling, covered in our FSX and Steam Edition add-on compatibility checks.
- Find the active FSX profile and installation. Steam installations normally use a directory ending in
steamapps\common\FSX, but the Steam library itself may be on another drive. Configuration files are usually under%APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX; systems with boxed FSX installed alongside Steam Edition may instead use%APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX-SE. To identify the active folder, change a harmless FSX setting, exit normally and see whichfsx.cfgwas updated. - Back up and inspect DLL.xml. Close FSX first, then copy
DLL.xmlsomewhere safe. Each in-process module should have a<Launch.Addon>block, a valid<Path>and<Disabled>False</Disabled>. The whole document must be valid XML; one misplaced closing tag can prevent every module in the file from loading. Never replace it with somebody else's copy because it may contain unrelated modules and machine-specific paths. - Check EXE.xml when the add-on uses a companion application.
DLL.xmlstarts modules loaded inside FSX, whileEXE.xmlstarts external components. Some products depend on both. A disabled, malformed or incorrectly pathed entry in either file can leave a menu command absent or ineffective. - Reset a rejected trust decision. Back up
fsx.cfg, find its[Trusted]section and remove only the line containing the affected module's DLL name or path. Start FSX in windowed mode so the security prompt cannot hide behind it, then approve the module only if it came from a source you trust. - Repair the module's prerequisites. FSX is a 32-bit application, so any DLL loaded directly into it must also be 32-bit. Re-run the add-on's supported installer to restore its required SimConnect and Visual C++ components rather than downloading individual DLL files. Also check whether security software quarantined the module.
- Isolate the last module installed. If every Add-ons entry disappeared immediately after adding one product, restore the previous XML backup. If the file is structurally valid, disable individual
<Launch.Addon>entries one at a time by changing their own setting toTrue. Our FSX startup-module troubleshooting steps cover the same isolation method when a bad entry also causes crashes or hangs.
A common mistake is editing the boxed-FSX profile while Steam Edition is reading the FSX-SE profile, or the reverse. Mixed installations and protected-folder permissions can also redirect an old installer; use our Windows permissions and mixed-install checks for FSX if the installer repeatedly writes to the wrong location.
Why does the Add-ons menu open but its commands do nothing?
A visible command means its module has loaded far enough to create the menu item, so deleting DLL.xml is usually the wrong first move. Load an actual flight because some commands remain greyed out or inactive on the opening screen, and use windowed mode to expose any dialogue hidden behind FSX.
If the add-on relies on an external application, confirm that its EXE.xml entry is enabled and that the process has started. FSX and the companion application should run at the same Windows privilege level; running one as administrator and the other normally can prevent communication. A failed SimConnect connection or missing runtime is the next likely cause.
Will Steam file verification restore the Add-ons menu?
Steam's file-verification function repairs core FSX files, but it does not normally recreate third-party DLL.xml or EXE.xml registrations. Use it only when the simulator itself may be damaged, then repair or reinstall the affected add-on so its installer can register the module again.
Should aircraft and scenery appear under Add-ons?
No. Aircraft are chosen through the aircraft selector, while scenery is installed or enabled through the Scenery Library and appears in the simulated world. The Add-ons menu is for extension commands, not a list of everything installed in FSX.