How do I install scenery add-ons in FSX?

To install scenery in Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX) or FSX: Steam Edition, extract the add-on, place its parent folder—containing Scenery and usually Texture—where you want to keep it, then add that parent folder under Settings > Scenery Library. Installer packages may do this, but verify their path and library entry.

How to install FSX scenery manually

For most freeware airports and local scenery, a manual, self-contained folder is the safest installation method and the easiest to reverse.

1. Read the included instructions before moving anything. Some packages require an object library, an elevation correction or a particular library order.
2. Extract the archive completely into a temporary folder. FSX cannot load scenery from a ZIP or other compressed archive.
3. Select the FSX files if the download contains separate versions for FSX, Prepar3D or other simulators. Where several optional BGL files are supplied, install only the combination specified by the author.
4. Find the scenery area folder. This is normally the folder directly containing Scenery and, when required, Texture.
5. Copy that complete folder into FSX\Addon Scenery or a dedicated add-ons directory elsewhere on the drive. Keep each package in its own clearly named folder.
6. Install any additional components exactly as directed. A package may include Effects, Sound or a separate object library; these are not registered as scenery areas unless the instructions explicitly say otherwise.
7. Open the Scenery Library from Settings > Scenery Library, choose Add Area, and browse to the scenery area folder.
8. Select the parent folder, not its Scenery subfolder. On some older FSX and Windows combinations, the dialogue opens the selected folder instead of accepting it. With the intended folder open, clicking or right-clicking the blank white area may make the dialogue accept the selection; otherwise, return one level, highlight the folder once and confirm.
9. Check the new entry is enabled and place it at the required priority. Areas nearer the top of the list have higher priority.
10. Allow FSX to rebuild its scenery data, then restart the simulator if necessary and load a flight at the affected airport or coordinates.

Our full walkthrough of FSX's Add Area dialogue and manual folder installation covers the standard process in more detail.

Which folder should I add to the FSX Scenery Library?

Add the directory immediately above the package's Scenery and Texture folders.

For example, if the files are arranged as D:\FSX Add-ons\My Airport\Scenery and D:\FSX Add-ons\My Airport\Texture, select My Airport. Do not select Scenery, and do not automatically select the archive's top-level folder.

Downloads often contain extra wrapper folders such as Download Name\FSX Version\My Airport\Scenery. In that case, My Airport is the folder to register. Selecting the wrong level is the most common reason an enabled scenery entry produces no visible change.

If the package contains only loose .bgl files, create a named parent folder with a Scenery subfolder and place the BGL files inside it. Create a sibling Texture folder only when texture files are supplied. A texture folder is not mandatory for BGL-only scenery.

Where should I store FSX scenery add-ons?

FSX can load a registered scenery folder from inside or outside the simulator directory, so choose the location according to how you maintain your library.

The installation notes for scenery kept in a dedicated folder outside FSX provide a practical example of the first method. Avoid mixing unrelated airports in one generic folder: stale BGL files become difficult to identify when an update or conflict appears.

Do not place files in core locations such as Scenery\World\Scenery unless the package instructions require it. Airport elevation corrections sometimes belong there, but ordinary airport BGL files generally do not.

How do installer-based scenery add-ons work?

An installer can copy and register the scenery automatically, but its simulator path and resulting library entry still need checking.

1. Select the correct simulator when the installer offers several targets.
2. Verify the destination points to the intended FSX installation, normally the folder containing fsx.exe. Older installers may detect boxed FSX when you intend to use Steam Edition, or miss a custom installation drive.
3. Install only the required options. Do not enable several alternative airport layouts, runway configurations or mesh files unless the documentation permits it.
4. Open FSX and inspect Scenery Library. If the new area is absent, find the installed package folder and add it manually.

When FSX is under Program Files, Windows may block or redirect an older installer's file writes. Confirm that the files actually reached the selected folder. Run an installer with elevated permission only when it is trusted and genuinely needs to write to a protected directory.

Do boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition use the same scenery method?

Yes. Boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition use the same Scenery/Texture structure and Scenery Library workflow; their installation paths and legacy installer detection are the main differences.

A scenery-only FSX package often works in Steam Edition, but add-ons that also install old modules, gauges or executables need closer checking. Our guidance on FSX add-on compatibility with Steam Edition explains those wider compatibility limits.

Why is my FSX scenery not showing up?

Missing scenery is usually caused by the wrong folder level, an inactive entry, a path error or a conflicting BGL file.

Also verify the ICAO code or coordinates, especially when several airports have similar names. After changing folders, BGL options or priorities, close FSX completely and start it again.

How should FSX scenery priority be set?

Local airport scenery should normally sit above broader regional, terrain and default layers when it is intended to override them.

In the Scenery Library, entries nearer the top have higher priority. Do not move every package to the top indiscriminately: overlapping airports, landclass and exclusion files can produce unexpected results. Follow the author's stated order whenever one is supplied.

Do mesh, landclass and photo scenery install differently?

They use the same basic folder registration system, but their options, dependencies and layer order require more care.

• Airport scenery usually needs enough priority to override default or regional airport data.
• Landclass controls the type and placement of terrain textures. Two products covering the same area may conflict even though both are installed correctly.
• Terrain mesh changes ground elevation. FSX normally favours the finest available mesh resolution, so moving a mesh layer to the top is not a universal fix; follow package-specific instructions for overlaps and elevation corrections.
• Photo scenery may contain a very large texture folder and associated placement BGL files. Keep its folder structure intact.
• Object libraries supply reusable buildings and other models. Install each required library once rather than copying duplicate versions into several airport folders.

How do I update or uninstall FSX scenery cleanly?

Disable or remove the scenery library entry before deleting or replacing its files.

1. Open Scenery Library and disable or remove the package entry.
2. Close FSX before changing files.
3. Replace rather than merge versions unless the update instructions explicitly say otherwise. Leftover BGL files from an older release can create duplicate runways and elevation problems.
4. Delete the self-contained package folder, or use the supplied uninstaller for installer-based scenery.
5. Remove shared or core-folder files only when identified by the package documentation or installation manifest. Other add-ons may depend on shared object libraries.
6. Re-add the updated folder if its name or location changed, check its priority and allow FSX to rebuild the scenery data.