How do I install mods and add-ons in Prepar3D?

To install mods and add-ons in Prepar3D, first confirm they support your exact P3D version, close the simulator, then use the supplied installer or register its add-on.xml package. Install older aircraft and scenery manually only when their instructions require it; preserve the archive’s folder structure and keep a backup.

Which Prepar3D installation method should I use?

Use the method specified by the add-on publisher rather than converting everything to one folder layout. Prepar3D supports several installation systems, and mixing them often produces duplicate aircraft, missing textures or scenery that cannot be removed cleanly.

How do I install a Prepar3D add-on step by step?

1. Check compatibility. Match the add-on to your Prepar3D version, not merely to “P3D”. Prepar3D v4 and later are 64-bit, so older 32-bit gauges and DLL modules cannot load even when the aircraft model itself appears.
2. Read the included instructions. Look for a readme and identify whether the package uses an installer, add-on.xml or legacy folders. Our Prepar3D freeware catalogue provides a starting point for compatible aircraft, scenery and utilities, but each package can still have its own requirements.
3. Close Prepar3D. Also close any weather engine, flight planner or add-on manager connected to it. Installing while files are in use can leave a partial installation.
4. Extract compressed downloads first. Unpack the archive to a temporary folder instead of running installers or copying files directly from a ZIP. Check for an extra wrapper folder before copying anything.
5. Back up files that will be changed. This matters most with legacy packages that replace configuration files, effects or textures. An add-on.xml package is easier to remove because it normally leaves the core installation untouched.
6. Install using the intended method. With an installer, choose the folder containing Prepar3D.exe when a path is requested. With a package, retain its original internal structure. With a manual add-on, align its folders with the matching Prepar3D folders.
7. Start Prepar3D and enable the add-on. Accept the enable or trust prompt only for content you recognise. Then test it in a simple default scenario before adding other new packages.

Installing an add-on.xml package

For Prepar3D versions supporting add-on packages, the usual per-user location follows the pattern Documents\Prepar3D vX Add-ons\Package Name\add-on.xml. Replace vX with the folder belonging to your installed version. Some publishers specify another location and provide registration instructions; follow those instead.

Keep add-on.xml beside the folders supplied with it. Moving the aircraft, scenery or effects elsewhere can break relative paths inside the XML. If Prepar3D detects a new package, it may ask whether to enable it during startup.

Installing legacy aircraft and scenery manually

A legacy aircraft folder normally belongs under <Prepar3D>\SimObjects\Airplanes and should contain files such as aircraft.cfg plus its model, panel, sound and texture folders. Do not create an accidental double folder such as Airplanes\AircraftName\AircraftName\aircraft.cfg. Our separate instructions explain the complete Prepar3D aircraft installation process.

Legacy scenery generally contains scenery and, where needed, texture subfolders. It must also be added to the scenery library unless its installer or XML package handles registration. Use our step-by-step scenery add-on instructions for folder layouts, library entries and scenery priority.

Some older packages include folders named Effects, Gauges or Sound. Copy their contents only when the readme explicitly says to do so, and merge them with the matching folders rather than replacing those folders wholesale.

Where should Prepar3D add-ons be installed?

The correct location depends on the package type: modern packages usually belong in the version-specific Prepar3D Add-ons folder under Documents, while legacy content may go into the simulator root containing Prepar3D.exe. External utilities normally install in their own application folder.

A mistake we see constantly is copying a top-level folder called P3D or Prepar3D into the simulator directory. Open that wrapper first; if it contains SimObjects, Effects or other standard folders, those inner folders are what must align with their counterparts in the installation.

If Prepar3D is under Program Files, Windows may request administrator approval for a legacy file copy. Do not routinely run Prepar3D as administrator unless an add-on specifically requires it, because external applications running at a different privilege level may then fail to communicate with the simulator.

Why is my Prepar3D add-on not showing?

Missing add-ons are usually caused by the wrong version, an incorrect folder level, a disabled package or incomplete registration. Check these points before reinstalling:

• Wrong simulator selected: the installer may have targeted FSX or another installed Prepar3D version.
• Nested folder: confirm that aircraft.cfg, add-on.xml or the scenery folders are at the level expected by Prepar3D.
• Package not enabled: check Prepar3D’s add-on management controls and re-enable the entry if it was declined at startup.
• Scenery not registered: legacy scenery must be present and active in the scenery library, with a sensible priority.
• Unsupported gauge or DLL: an old 32-bit module will not work in 64-bit Prepar3D versions. Use a release built for the installed simulator generation.
• Missing dependency: reinstall prerequisites supplied by the add-on publisher rather than downloading individual DLL files from unrelated sources.
• Duplicate installation: remove either the legacy copy or the XML package if the same content was installed both ways.

Utilities such as weather tools, moving maps and hardware interfaces may be installed correctly yet remain disconnected. In that case, check the required client and connection settings using our Prepar3D SimConnect setup guidance.

Can I install FSX add-ons in Prepar3D?

Some simple FSX aircraft and scenery can work in Prepar3D because the simulators share technical ancestry, but compatibility is never guaranteed. Installers, gauges, DLL modules, materials and scenery techniques may depend on a specific simulator or rendering engine.

Prefer a package explicitly released for your Prepar3D generation. Never point an FSX-only installer at the Prepar3D directory merely to bypass its version check; that can overwrite default files or create configuration entries Prepar3D cannot use.