Install SkunkCrafts Updater in X-Plane 11 or 12, update compatible aircraft safely, and fix missing packages, failed scans and locked files.
Install SkunkCrafts Updater by extracting its plugin folder into X-Plane 11/Resources/plugins or X-Plane 12/Resources/plugins. Start X-Plane with a default aircraft, open the updater from the Plugins menu, scan for supported packages, then update or repair them. Never update the aircraft that is presently loaded.
SkunkCrafts Updater installation steps
The updater is a global X-Plane plugin, not a plugin to place inside an individual aircraft folder.
- Obtain the correct updater package. Use the release supplied or recommended by the aircraft developer. Avoid retaining an old updater merely because it still appears in X-Plane’s Plugins menu.
- Quit X-Plane completely. Back up any aircraft you intend to update, especially if you have modified cockpit textures, sounds, scripts or configuration files.
- Find the active X-Plane folder. Steam, standalone and duplicate installations can exist on the same computer. Our guidance on how to identify the correct X-Plane installation on PC or Mac helps prevent installing the plugin into a copy you are not running.
- Extract the updater into the global plugin directory. Preserve the archive’s folder structure and place its updater folder directly inside
Resources/plugins. - Check the final path. A common layout is
X-Plane 12/Resources/plugins/skunkcrafts_updater/. Avoid a doubled folder such asskunkcrafts_updater/skunkcrafts_updater/, and do not install it underAircraft/[aircraft name]/plugins. - Launch X-Plane with a stock aircraft. The default Cessna or another aircraft unrelated to the package being updated is suitable. Loading the target aircraft can lock its plugin and data files.
- Open the updater window. Use X-Plane’s Plugins menu and select the SkunkCrafts Updater command. The exact show, hide or scan wording can differ between updater releases.
- Scan and update. Check the recognised packages, select the required aircraft, then run the update or repair operation. Do not close X-Plane while files are being downloaded or replaced.
- Restart X-Plane. A full restart ensures that updated plugins, sounds and aircraft systems are loaded from disk rather than retained in memory.
Can SkunkCrafts Updater install an aircraft from scratch?
No, not normally. You must first install the base aircraft or add-on, which includes the developer’s updater configuration. SkunkCrafts then maintains that supported package; it is not a catalogue that discovers and installs unrelated aircraft.
A compatible aircraft normally contains a file named skunkcrafts_updater.cfg in its main folder. If that file is missing, renamed or separated from the files it describes, the aircraft may not appear. Do not copy a configuration file from another product. For the initial package, follow the correct X-Plane aircraft and plugin folder structure before running the updater.
Should I choose update or repair?
Choose update for a newer release and repair when the installed release has missing, damaged or modified managed files.
| Operation | Use it when | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Check or scan | You only want to compare the installed package with its available files | Reports package status without intentionally replacing aircraft files |
| Update | A newer supported release is available | Downloads and replaces the files changed by that release |
| Repair | The aircraft reports errors, files are missing, or an update was interrupted | Restores managed files even when the reported version has not changed |
Repair can overwrite deliberate edits to files covered by the package manifest. Custom liveries stored in their normal separate folders are generally safer than edits made directly to the aircraft’s core textures, but the developer controls which files are managed. Back up anything irreplaceable and use the standard X-Plane livery folder layout.
Do X-Plane 11 and 12 need separate updater installs?
Yes. Install SkunkCrafts Updater separately in each simulator’s own Resources/plugins folder, because the running copy only scans and updates packages available to that installation.
Use the aircraft edition intended for that X-Plane generation. The updater can maintain files supplied through a developer’s configured channel, but it does not automatically convert an X-Plane 11 aircraft into an X-Plane 12-compatible aircraft or provide a paid cross-grade.
Why is SkunkCrafts Updater not working?
Most SkunkCrafts failures come from an incorrect folder, a missing configuration file, insufficient write access or trying to update the loaded aircraft.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No SkunkCrafts entry in the Plugins menu | Nested plugin folder, installation in the wrong X-Plane copy, or an operating-system security block | Verify the direct Resources/plugins path and inspect Log.txt in the X-Plane root for SkunkCrafts loading errors. On macOS or Linux, also check the trusted package’s security approval and executable permissions. |
| The updater opens but the aircraft is absent | The product is unsupported, its skunkcrafts_updater.cfg file is missing, or the aircraft is installed in another simulator copy | Confirm the base package and configuration came together, then rescan or restart X-Plane. Reinstall the original package if its configuration was deleted. |
| Files are locked or the package is reported as in use | The target aircraft is loaded, or one of its plugins remains active | Load a stock aircraft and retry. Restart X-Plane with the stock aircraft selected if the files remain locked. |
| Write errors or a repeating repair loop | The aircraft folder is read-only, X-Plane is in a protected location, security software is blocking trusted files, or another application is synchronising them | Restore normal ownership and write permission, close applications using the folder and allow the official updater package through the operating system’s security controls. Do not rely on running X-Plane as administrator every time. |
| The update completed but the aircraft still behaves like the old version | Previously loaded plugins or data remain in memory | Exit X-Plane fully and launch it again before troubleshooting the aircraft itself. |
| Checking or downloading fails | The connection was interrupted or the update service is unavailable | Keep the existing package intact and retry later. Do not delete a working aircraft merely because one update check failed. |
If repair repeatedly fails, preserve a backup, install a fresh copy of the correct base aircraft into a new folder, and then run SkunkCrafts from a stock aircraft. This avoids carrying damaged files, stale plugins or metadata from an older installation into the repaired copy.