Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator not downloading on Steam by checking its download stage, storage, account sign-in and existing package location.
Microsoft Flight Simulator may appear not to download through Steam because Steam installs the launcher and core client, while Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 downloads most packages after launch. Check Steam’s queue and free space, complete Microsoft/Xbox sign-in, preserve the existing Packages path, and repair the stalled stage rather than reinstalling everything.
Is the download stuck in Steam or Microsoft Flight Simulator?
The correct fix depends on which of the two download systems has stopped. A common mistake we see is treating the large in-simulator package download as though Steam should be handling it.
| What you see | Where the problem is | First action |
|---|---|---|
| Steam shows Queued, Paused, Disk Write Error or no network activity | Steam client or Steam library | Check the Downloads queue, storage and library permissions |
| Steam says Play after a relatively small download | Usually expected, especially with MSFS 2020 | Launch the simulator and continue its package installation |
| Waiting for Authentication or a Microsoft/Xbox sign-in prompt | Account authentication | Complete sign-in before retrying the download |
| Checking for Updates, Mandatory Update or a package progress bar that repeats | Microsoft Flight Simulator’s installer | Keep the existing package path and troubleshoot the in-simulator update |
This split is most obvious in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 uses a different, more streaming-dependent content system, but Steam still installs the client while Microsoft services handle account authentication and streamed simulator data.
How to fix Microsoft Flight Simulator not downloading through Steam
- Close both programs completely. Exit Microsoft Flight Simulator, quit Steam from its menu and restart the PC. This clears a suspended Steam task or package installer process that may survive after closing the visible window.
- Inspect Steam’s Downloads page. Resume the entry if it is paused, remove any scheduling restriction and allow pending Steam client updates to finish. If Steam reports a disk write error, confirm that the selected library exists, is writable by your Windows account and is not on a disconnected or failing drive.
- Check free space on both relevant drives. The Steam client and the simulator’s Packages folder can be stored in different places. Downloads also need temporary working space, so having only enough room for the quoted final size may not be sufficient. Our guide to finding the Steam installation and separate MSFS Packages folder explains which location is consuming the space.
- Clear Steam’s download cache if Steam itself will not transfer data. Open Steam’s Downloads settings, use the option to clear the download cache, then sign back in. This does not normally remove installed games, but it resets the queue and download-session data.
- Verify the Steam-managed files. Open Microsoft Flight Simulator’s Steam properties, select the installed-files section and run file verification. This repairs the launcher and files managed by Steam; it does not fully validate the large package library downloaded from inside MSFS.
- Launch Steam online and finish Microsoft account authentication. The Steam edition still requires Microsoft/Xbox services. A stalled sign-in can leave the simulator looking like a failed download. If it remains on an authentication message, follow our checks for MSFS stuck at Waiting for Authentication.
- Reuse the correct package location. In MSFS 2020, select the existing package root containing the
OfficialandCommunityfolders. Do not selectOfficial\Steamitself, create an extra nested Packages folder or point the installer at an empty directory unless you intend to download everything again. - Remove network interference. Pause a VPN or proxy, allow Steam and Microsoft Flight Simulator through security software, and restart the router if other downloads also fail. Do not permanently disable antivirus protection; test an exception for the legitimate Steam and simulator executables instead.
Why does Steam say MSFS is installed when the main download is missing?
Steam can mark Microsoft Flight Simulator as installed once its Steam-managed client is present. In MSFS 2020, launching that client opens the Installation Manager, which retrieves the much larger simulator package library separately.
Let the simulator reach its package installation screen and verify the proposed content path before pressing the update or install button. If it repeatedly returns to a Mandatory Update screen, use the targeted steps for repairing an MSFS mandatory update loop rather than repeatedly verifying Steam files.
Why does the MSFS download restart from zero?
A download that appears to restart is often using a new or empty Packages path, failing to recognise incomplete package data, or retrying one damaged package rather than downloading the entire simulator again. Compare the selected path with the folder that already contains Official\Steam before deleting anything.
Do not remove the complete Official folder as a first response. That forces a full package download. If progress is continuing but transfer speed is unusually poor, the separate fixes for slow Microsoft Flight Simulator downloads cover bandwidth limits, delivery optimisation and network checks.
Should you reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?
Reinstallation should be the last step because reinstalling the small Steam client may leave the actual package problem untouched. It can also make MSFS ask for a new content location, causing an existing package library to be overlooked.
Reinstall only after Steam cache clearing, file verification, account authentication and package-path checks have failed. Before uninstalling, record the existing package location and preserve any Community add-ons; after reinstalling, point the simulator back to the package root so it can detect reusable files.