Why won’t Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 launch on PC?
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 usually fails to launch on PC because of one of five things: a bad Community add-on, corrupted cache or packages, Xbox or Microsoft Store sign-in and Gaming Services problems, graphics-driver or overlay conflicts, or a PC that is short on memory, storage or stability.
Where does MSFS 2020 stop?
The point where it stops is the fastest clue. A sim that never opens at all is usually a platform, permissions or security-software problem. A sim that reaches the splash screen and then hangs is more often an add-on, cache or package issue.
| Symptom | Most likely cause | Best first check |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing happens when you launch | Xbox app, Store sign-in, Gaming Services, antivirus or permissions | Sign out and back in, repair the platform components, then launch from the platform that installed it |
| Splash screen appears, then closes | GPU driver, overlay, overclock or corrupted package | Disable overlays, return clocks to stock, verify files |
| Loading bar stalls for a very long time | Community add-on conflict or damaged cache | Empty the Community folder and clear the rolling cache |
| Stuck on Checking for updates | Account mismatch, networking block or broken Gaming Services | Use the same Microsoft account in Xbox app and Store, then repair services |
What should I try first if MSFS 2020 will not launch?
Start by stripping the sim back to a clean state. These are the fixes that solve the most launch and loading failures without wasting hours on a full reinstall.
- Use Safe Mode if MSFS offers it. After a crash, the sim may offer Safe Mode on the next launch. Take it. Safe Mode skips third-party content and tells you straight away whether your base install can still open.
- Empty the Community folder. Rename the folder to something like
Community.disabledso the sim cannot load any add-ons. If you are not sure where that folder lives on your PC, our guide to installing MSFS mods and finding the correct Community-folder path helps. A bad livery, scenery package, traffic add-on or utility can stop the sim dead at the loading screen. - Disable overlays and hardware tweaks. Recording overlays, FPS counters, monitoring tools, reshade-style injectors, GPU undervolts and RAM overclocks can all crash MSFS before the main menu. Test with everything back at stock settings.
- Clear cache and check free disk space. If you can reach the menus, clear the rolling cache in the sim. If you cannot, remove the cache file from the sim's local cache area. Also make sure both your Windows drive and the drive holding the Packages folder have plenty of free space, because MSFS needs working room for updates and decompression.
- Repair or verify the installation. On Steam, use file verification. On Microsoft Store or Game Pass, repair or reset the app components, then sign back into the Xbox app and Microsoft Store using the same account.
- Reboot and launch it normally. Fully close the Xbox app, Microsoft Store and the sim, reboot the PC, then launch the sim from the platform that owns the installation. This matters because Steam and Store builds handle entitlement checks differently.
Why are add-ons so often the cause?
Out-of-date add-ons are the single most common reason Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 gets stuck on the loading bar. Sim updates change aircraft systems, scenery libraries and dependencies, and older packages can break startup even if they worked perfectly before.
A mistake we see constantly is extra folder nesting: the actual package folder sits inside another folder, so MSFS reads it badly or not at all. Duplicated liveries, old toolbar utilities and scenery that replaces core files are also frequent offenders. If one of your aircraft or packages never appears correctly, compare it with our page on why add-on aircraft do not show after installation, because the same path and folder-structure mistakes can also cause startup hangs.
- Test with an empty Community folder.
- If the sim launches, add your packages back in small batches.
- When the problem returns, the fault is in the last batch you restored.
- Then split that batch down until you find the exact package.
What if it hangs on Checking for updates?
A hang on Checking for updates is usually an account or service problem, not a graphics one. MSFS 2020 relies on Microsoft account services even on PC, and the Steam version still needs the Xbox sign-in step to complete properly.
- Use the same Microsoft account in the Xbox app and Microsoft Store.
- Repair Gaming Services if it is damaged or stuck.
- Turn off VPNs, proxies and aggressive web filtering while testing.
- Check Windows Security for Controlled Folder Access or antivirus rules blocking the Packages location.
- Watch for a hidden sign-in window behind the launcher or on another monitor.
If the sim updates a little, then loops or restarts the download, low free space and blocked write permissions are high on the suspect list.
Could my PC or driver setup be the reason?
Yes, especially when MSFS 2020 starts to open and then drops back to desktop. The usual culprits are an unstable GPU driver, a laptop using the integrated GPU instead of the dedicated one, too little RAM headroom, or a disabled page file.
If you are not sure whether your machine is in the right range, compare it with our breakdown of the PC specs needed for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Even a system that meets the minimum can fail badly if background apps have already eaten most of the available memory.
What about a black screen after launch?
A black screen after the intro usually points to graphics, cache or content trouble rather than a total install failure. Test with the Community folder empty, overlays off and the GPU driver updated. If the sim opens but only the cockpit displays are dead, that is a different problem; our fix for blank avionics screens in MSFS covers that separate issue.
When should I reinstall MSFS 2020?
Reinstall only after you have ruled out add-ons, cache corruption, file verification and sign-in services. A full reinstall is slow, and it often does not fix the real cause if the bad package or broken account component is still sitting there afterwards.
A clean reinstall makes sense when the base files cannot be repaired, the Packages location has become unusable, or the install was interrupted and now fails before core content loads. If you do reinstall, keep your Community add-ons out of the sim until the first clean launch succeeds. That one step avoids a lot of false starts.