Why is MSFS 2024 stuck loading at 97%, and how do I fix it?

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 usually sticks at 97% or “Loading Packages Content” because it cannot finish reading an add-on, cache, official package, profile or online entitlement. Start in Safe Mode or empty Community; then clear rolling cache, verify the installation, and repair Xbox app or Steam components only when the symptoms point there.

What does 97% or Loading Packages Content mean?

A 97% stop is a late-stage loading failure, not a precise diagnosis. MSFS 2024 may be cataloguing packages, applying account entitlements, loading controller profiles or waiting for streamed content at this point, so the progress percentage alone does not identify the faulty component.

If you searched for “Flight Simulator 97”, this page concerns Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 stopping at 97% of its loading process; 97% is the progress reading, not the product name.

What should you try first when MSFS 2024 is stuck at 97%?

Use the least destructive tests first and change one thing at a time. Reinstalling immediately is a common mistake: it takes time, may preserve the faulty profile or add-on, and makes the original cause harder to identify.

1. Allow one genuinely long first load. Package changes and major simulator updates can make the next start unusually slow. If disk or network activity continues and Windows still reports the application as responsive, let that attempt finish; a repeated stop at exactly the same place needs investigation.
2. Restart Windows fully. This releases locked package files and restarts platform, network and controller services that closing the simulator may leave behind.
3. Use Safe Mode if MSFS offers it. Safe Mode temporarily suppresses third-party content. A successful Safe Mode launch is strong evidence that an add-on, rather than the base simulator, is responsible.
4. Disconnect non-essential USB hardware. Keep the keyboard, mouse and one primary flight controller attached. Reconnect other yokes, throttles, panels and adapters only after the simulator loads.
5. Close overlays and external utilities. Stop recording overlays, hardware monitoring tools, traffic injectors and other applications that hook into the simulator.
6. Restart the router or network connection. MSFS 2024 depends heavily on online authentication and streamed content, so a network or service failure can resemble a damaged local package.

How do you test whether an add-on is causing the 97% hang?

Safe Mode or an empty active Community folder is the cleanest add-on test. Aircraft, airports, liveries, toolbar utilities, sound packs and symbolic links created by add-on managers can all be involved.

1. Close MSFS 2024 completely. Confirm that its process has ended before moving package folders.
2. Find the active Community folder. Use the package location selected by this installation, not a similarly named folder left by MSFS 2020 or an earlier drive location.
3. Move its contents to a temporary folder. Do not delete them, and disable any add-on manager links that would repopulate Community.
4. Launch the simulator again. If it still hangs, leave Community empty while completing the cache and repair checks.
5. Restore packages in small batches if it loads. Test after each batch. When the fault returns, divide that batch until the individual package is identified.
6. Check the package structure. An add-on nested one folder too deep may not expose its manifest and content files where the simulator expects them.

Safe Mode is a broader test than merely emptying Community, because it can also suppress optional third-party content installed through the simulator. If Safe Mode works but an empty Community folder does not, remove or disable recently installed optional packages from the in-sim content manager once you can reach it. Do not start by deleting the whole Official folder.

What if only one airport or saved flight stops loading?

A location-specific freeze usually points to scenery, the selected aircraft or data stored in that flight rather than a general start-up fault. Test a new flight with a default aircraft, default airport, clear preset weather and no imported route.

If that works, disable overlapping airport packages, nearby scenery and the aircraft used by the failed flight. Our guide to finding conflicting or incomplete airport scenery covers the same package faults that can make an airport disappear or stop loading.

How do you clear the MSFS 2024 cache safely?

Delete the rolling cache first; do not erase the complete package library under the vague instruction to “clear cache”. Rolling-cache scenery can become stale or corrupt, while official packages, cloud saves and controller profiles are separate data.

1. Open the simulator’s online or data settings if the menus remain accessible. Delete the rolling cache using the control provided there.
2. Close and restart MSFS 2024. Leave the rolling cache disabled for the first test, or create a fresh cache afterwards.
3. If the menus are inaccessible, close the simulator before touching files. Locate only the configured rolling-cache file in the simulator’s data location, back it up and remove that file so MSFS can rebuild it. Folder locations vary by installation type and any custom path chosen by the user.
4. Keep Community empty for the test. Otherwise a broken add-on can make a successful cache reset appear ineffective.

Clearing rolling cache will not repair an incomplete official package or fix account authentication. Likewise, clearing Steam’s download cache does not repair MSFS streamed scenery once the simulator is already open.

Can an online or account problem cause Loading Packages Content?

Yes. MSFS 2024 uses the signed-in Microsoft account to determine entitlements and relies on streamed data, so a failure while retrieving the content catalogue can hold the loading screen even when local files are intact.

• Use the same intended Microsoft account in the simulator and the platform components involved in launching it.
• Sign out and back in if account prompts, missing ownership or repeated authentication errors accompany the hang.
• Set Windows date and time automatically. A significantly incorrect system clock can break secure authentication.
• Temporarily remove VPN or proxy connections and allow the simulator through the firewall. Do not leave security software disabled permanently.
• Try a different stable connection if practical. A mobile hotspot is a useful short test, but streamed content can consume substantial data; see our explanation of MSFS 2024 bandwidth use and data-saving settings before using a metered connection for longer.

If start-up works but a flight hangs only with live weather or other online data enabled, separate that from the package problem. Our live-weather connection checks explain how to distinguish a service or network fault from an add-on conflict.

When multiple clean launches fail at the account or content-catalogue stage but local checks pass, repeated reinstalls are unlikely to help. Wait and retry after restarting the platform client and network equipment rather than deleting the package library.

Does the Xbox app matter on PC?

The Xbox app matters when the PC installation cannot launch, authenticate or locate its files correctly. If MSFS opens normally and then stops at 97%, add-ons, cache, online content and profile data remain more likely than the Xbox app itself.

1. Update the Xbox app and its Windows gaming components. Complete any pending Windows app updates, then restart the PC.
2. Use Repair before Reset. In Windows installed-app settings, repair the Xbox app and Gaming Services. Reset is more disruptive and may require another sign-in.
3. Check the reported installation drive. A manually moved folder, disconnected secondary drive or changed drive letter can leave the app pointing at the wrong location.
4. Sign in consistently. Resolve any mismatch between the account expected to own the simulator and the account used by the launcher.
5. Retest with Community empty. Repairing the launcher does not make an incompatible add-on compatible.

On an Xbox console, direct access to the Community folder is not available. Power-cycle the console and remove recently installed optional content through the simulator’s own content management tools if accessible; avoid deleting cloud-synchronised save data as an early troubleshooting step.

Why are Steam downloads slow during a repair?

A Steam repair can appear slow while files are being unpacked or written, even when the network is not the bottleneck. Check whether disk activity continues before cancelling it, because repeatedly stopping verification can extend the process.

• Use Steam’s file verification when the problem began after a failed platform update or local file damage.
• Pause other downloads and confirm that the installation drive has ample working space.
• Distinguish platform files from simulator content. Steam verifies the files it manages; it cannot repair every streamed entitlement, rolling-cache entry or Community package.
• Clear Steam’s download cache only for a stuck Steam transfer. It is not a general fix for a 97% loading hang and may sign you out of the client.

Could controllers, cloud sync or Windows storage be responsible?

Controller presets, synchronised profile data and inaccessible storage can cause a late loading failure after add-ons and cache have been ruled out. These causes become more likely when the simulator loads under another Windows account or with one particular device disconnected.

• Controller test: start with only one primary controller, then reconnect devices individually. Rebuild the affected preset rather than deleting every control profile.
• Cloud-data test: read every local-versus-cloud prompt carefully. Restoring the damaged copy can immediately restore the hang, while deleting synchronised data may remove bindings, settings or progress.
• Storage test: confirm that the package drive is connected, awake, writable and has free space for updates and temporary files.
• Package-path test: if content was moved, make sure the active installation points to the new location and that a stale Community folder is not being edited by mistake.
• Security test: check whether anti-virus protection or controlled-folder access is blocking writes. Allow only trusted simulator folders and executables rather than disabling protection permanently.
• Stability test: remove CPU, GPU and memory overclocks while diagnosing the fault. Borderline memory or storage errors often appear under the simulator’s heavy loading workload.

When should you reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024?

Reinstall only after an empty Community folder, a fresh rolling cache, account checks and platform file repair have all failed. It is justified when the repair tool cannot replace damaged files, the package path is irreparably confused, or the installation drive has been changed incorrectly.

Back up trusted add-ons and record any custom package locations before uninstalling, but do not copy the entire old installation straight back. Test the clean simulator first, then restore add-ons in batches; otherwise the original fault may return before the reinstall proves anything.

If the loading stop changes into a freeze, out-of-memory error or desktop crash, use our broader MSFS 2024 crash and freeze checks for driver, memory-pressure and system-stability troubleshooting.