How do I move FSX and its add-ons to another drive?

To move FSX and its add-ons to another drive safely, back up the installation, reinstall boxed FSX in the new location, or use Steam’s built-in move function for FSX: Steam Edition. Do not drag the folder manually: registry entries, add-on installers and scenery paths may still reference the old drive.

Choose the correct FSX move method

The right method depends on your FSX edition and which files are consuming the space.

A fixed internal drive is the least troublesome destination. An external drive can work, but it must remain connected and retain the same drive letter or every absolute add-on path will break.

Back up FSX before moving it

Make a recoverable backup before uninstalling FSX or asking Steam to move it.

• The complete FSX installation folder, including SimObjects, Addon Scenery, Effects, Gauges, Modules, Scenery and any manually added folders.
• %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX and, if present, %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX-SE.
• %PROGRAMDATA%\Microsoft\FSX and any corresponding FSX-SE folder.
• %USERPROFILE%\Documents\Flight Simulator X Files, which can contain saved flights, flight plans and logbook data.
• External scenery folders, add-on installers, configuration files and licence details.

FSX: Steam Edition may use folders labelled either FSX or FSX-SE, particularly where boxed FSX has also been installed. Our explanation of how boxed and Steam Edition add-on paths differ will help you identify which folders belong to the active installation.

Take screenshots of the Scenery Library order as well. Its priority matters, and a backup of the files alone does not record the intended layering clearly.

How do I move FSX: Steam Edition?

Move FSX: Steam Edition through Steam rather than cutting and pasting its FSX folder in Windows Explorer.

1. Close FSX and related utilities. Exit weather engines, traffic tools, flight planners and any other program accessing the simulator.
2. Create or select a Steam library on the destination drive. Use Steam’s storage or library management controls; the wording can vary between Steam client layouts.
3. Use the move installation function. Select FSX: Steam Edition and move it to the destination library.
4. Launch FSX once through Steam. Confirm that the simulator reaches the free-flight screen before restoring or reinstalling add-ons.
5. Reinstall path-dependent add-ons. Run their original installers and make sure they detect the new FSX location.

Steam’s move function does not relocate files stored in Documents, AppData, ProgramData or independent add-on directories. It also cannot update every third-party configuration containing an old absolute path.

How do I move boxed FSX?

Boxed FSX should be reinstalled to the new drive because manually moving it leaves the original installation path registered in Windows.

1. Back up everything listed above. Do not assume the FSX uninstaller will preserve manually installed aircraft or scenery.
2. Remove installer-based add-ons first. If an add-on provides a deactivation facility, use it before uninstalling.
3. Uninstall FSX through Windows. Keep the backed-up old folder until the replacement installation has been tested.
4. Reinstall FSX to a simple custom path. A location such as D:\FSX is easier to manage than manually copying the old Program Files installation.
5. Restore the same update level. Install Acceleration or the appropriate service-pack configuration used by your previous setup, then launch FSX once.
6. Reinstall add-ons in stages. Test FSX after complex aircraft, gauge packages, traffic products or utilities rather than installing everything in one batch.

Changing a single registry value after dragging the folder is not a reliable substitute. Individual add-ons can record the old location independently, and some install shared components outside FSX.

Restore add-ons and user data carefully

Reinstall complex add-ons, but copy self-contained manual packages only after checking where all their supporting files were placed.

Scenery folders

Self-contained FSX scenery can remain outside the main simulator installation and is often the best material to move when freeing disk space.

Deactivate the old entry, move the complete scenery package, and add its new parent folder through the Scenery Library. Preserve the original library priority and do not leave old and new copies active together. Our separate-folder scenery installation procedure covers the activation process in detail.

Configuration files and saved flights

Let the relocated or reinstalled simulator create a fresh configuration before restoring old FSX settings.

An old fsx.cfg may contain obsolete SimObjectPaths. Likewise, scenery.cfg, dll.xml and exe.xml can reference programs or folders on the previous drive. Restore saved flights and plans directly, but inspect these configuration files and correct their paths rather than overwriting the fresh versions blindly.

Why do FSX add-ons break after the move?

Most post-move failures come from an old absolute path, a missing shared file or an add-on that needed reinstalling.

• FSX opens from the old drive: remove obsolete shortcuts and start it through Steam or the newly installed fsx.exe.
• Scenery is missing: remove its broken Scenery Library entry and add the folder from its new location.
• An aircraft does not appear: check for an extra nested folder and confirm that its model, panel and aircraft.cfg files were copied.
• Gauges or cockpit screens are blank: reinstall the aircraft or gauge package; copying only its folder under SimObjects\Airplanes often omits shared gauges and modules.
• FSX stalls or crashes during startup: inspect dll.xml and exe.xml for utilities still pointing to the old drive. Temporarily renaming those files can help isolate the entry.
• An installer cannot find FSX: launch the new installation once, close it, and rerun the installer. Avoid creating an empty folder at the old path merely to satisfy detection.

If Steam file verification becomes necessary, back up modified default files first. Verification can replace altered simulator files even though unrelated add-on files normally remain.

Can I move only scenery and large add-ons?

Moving only large scenery packages is usually safer than relocating the whole FSX installation when the goal is simply to recover space.

1. Deactivate the scenery in the FSX Scenery Library.
2. Close FSX and copy the complete package to a stable folder on the other drive.
3. Add the new folder to the Scenery Library and restore its previous priority.
4. Test the area before deleting the original copy.

Advanced users can also define external aircraft folders through SimObjectPaths in fsx.cfg, but many aircraft installers still place gauges, effects or modules inside the main FSX tree. We recommend keeping complex aircraft in their expected location unless the package explicitly supports a custom folder.

An NTFS junction can make moved files appear to remain at the old path, but it adds another failure point for installers, Steam repairs and later uninstallation. It is useful for carefully managed scenery collections, not our default method for moving an entire FSX installation.