Why does MSFS crash on startup, and how do I fix it?

Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) usually crashes on startup because an incompatible add-on loads before the main menu, especially after a simulator update. Other common causes are damaged package or cache data, a faulty graphics driver, overlay software, account-service problems, or unstable hardware settings. Start in Safe Mode and test with no third-party content.

What causes MSFS to crash before the main menu?

The point at which MSFS closes usually identifies the type of fault.

A loading pause is not necessarily a crash. A true crash to desktop closes the process; an endless update or sign-in screen needs account and connectivity checks rather than repeated graphics-setting changes.

How do I fix an MSFS startup crash?

1. Record the exact failure point. Note the last visible screen, any error code and what changed before the first crash. A simulator update, new aircraft, graphics-driver update or moved package drive gives you a much better starting point than reinstalling everything.
2. Perform a full restart. Shut down the PC or console rather than merely suspending it. On PC, confirm that the drive containing the simulator packages is connected, writable and has free space. If the problem began after connecting a new controller or USB device, unplug that device for one test.
3. Select Safe Mode when MSFS offers it. Safe Mode prevents third-party packages from loading. If the main menu opens in Safe Mode but Normal Mode crashes, the core simulator is probably intact; an add-on or external program is the leading suspect.
4. Test with an empty Community folder. Close MSFS and its launcher, then move the Community folder's contents to a temporary location. Do not delete the Official folder or the whole Packages directory. A mistake we see constantly is emptying the wrong folder: use our instructions to identify the Community folder MSFS 2020 is actually using, or verify MSFS 2024's active package and storage paths. Remove symbolic links created by add-on managers as well.
5. Isolate the offending package. If an empty Community folder fixes the crash, return half the packages and test again. Continue dividing the failing group until one package remains. Keep required libraries with their parent add-on during testing. If Safe Mode works but an empty Community folder does not, inspect recently installed third-party Marketplace content and external tools.
6. Rebuild only safe caches. Clear the Windows DirectX shader cache, then let it regenerate. If you can reach the simulator's data settings, disable or delete its rolling cache and recreate it later. Do not remove unknown files from the Packages directory; a full content redownload is rarely the right first response.
7. Test the graphics stack. Disable ReShade, overlays, monitoring hooks, frame-generation injectors and other programs that attach to the simulator. Install the graphics driver cleanly, or roll it back if crashes began immediately after a driver or companion-app update. NVIDIA users can follow our driver and NVIDIA app rollback checks.
8. Repair before resetting. Use the platform launcher's built-in Repair or Verify function. On Windows, check security-software quarantine and Controlled Folder Access if MSFS cannot write its configuration or package data. Repair gaming and sign-in services when the simulator fails before displaying a window. Avoid Reset until settings and add-ons are backed up, because it can remove local data.
9. Read the crash evidence. Windows Event Viewer and Reliability Monitor can reveal whether the faulting module belongs to the graphics driver, an add-on, a runtime component or MSFS itself. Our guide explains how to locate and interpret MSFS crash records. An exception such as 0xc0000005 is generic and does not, by itself, prove that RAM or the simulator executable is defective.
10. Return the hardware to stock settings. Temporarily remove CPU, GPU and memory overclocks, including aggressive memory profiles or undervolts. MSFS stresses storage, memory, CPU and GPU together, so a setting that appears stable in another application can still trigger startup crashes.

How do I know whether an add-on caused the crash?

If Safe Mode works and Normal Mode fails, third-party content or an external injector is almost certainly involved.

• Empty Community folder fixes it: a Community package, dependency or symbolic link is responsible.
• Safe Mode fixes it, but empty Community does not: check Marketplace packages and programs that inject graphics, traffic, weather or other data.
• Safe Mode also crashes: concentrate on the installation, graphics driver, account services, storage and hardware stability.
• Only one flight crashes: test another aircraft and airport. That is a flight-loading problem rather than a general startup failure.

Do not restore every add-on at once after a successful test. Add packages in controlled batches and restart MSFS between them, otherwise the culprit becomes hidden again.

What if MSFS started crashing after an update?

A crash immediately after a simulator update most often means that an older add-on is no longer compatible with the updated simulator.

• If only MSFS changed, begin with Safe Mode, Community packages and recently updated Marketplace content.
• If the graphics driver or its companion software changed, disable overlays and try a clean installation or rollback.
• If the operating system changed, rebuild the shader cache and repair the simulator's gaming and sign-in components.
• If packages are stored on another drive, confirm that the same drive letter or mount point is still available.

Complex aircraft deserve particular attention because they may load compiled modules before a flight begins. Update the aircraft and all required libraries together; mixing an updated aircraft with an old dependency can reproduce the startup crash.

Does the fix differ on Xbox or PlayStation?

Console users cannot edit a Windows Community folder, so they should concentrate on cached data, installed add-on content, storage and account state.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released on PlayStation. Console users should avoid following PC guides that instruct them to delete package folders; those locations are not exposed in the same way.

Should I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator?

Reinstall MSFS only after Safe Mode, add-on isolation, cache checks, driver testing and file repair have failed.

On PC, the Community folder and package data may sit outside the base installation, so reinstalling the application can leave the original faulty add-on untouched. Move third-party content aside first, note any custom package and rolling-cache locations, then test the clean simulator before restoring anything. On consoles, allow the base simulator to start before downloading optional content again.

Do not delete cloud saves or synchronised profiles merely as a general troubleshooting step. That is destructive, may not address the startup fault and can remove control bindings or progress without proving what caused the crash.