What is MSFS exe.xml, and how do I edit it safely?

The exe.xml file is a PC-side Microsoft Flight Simulator configuration file that starts user-approved external programs—such as SimConnect clients—when the simulator launches. Edit it only with MSFS closed, back up the original, preserve its XML structure, and add or disable one <Launch.Addon> block at a time.

It does not install aircraft, scenery or Community packages. MSFS reads each enabled entry, finds the specified Windows executable and launches it with any listed command-line arguments. Companion utilities often create or update the file through their own installers.

This is a Windows PC feature. Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 players cannot access exe.xml or use it to launch Windows applications.

Where is exe.xml in MSFS 2020 and 2024?

The active exe.xml normally sits in the simulator's per-user configuration folder, not the main installation, Community or Packages folder.

Paste the relevant path into File Explorer's address bar; the percentage-wrapped variables expand to your Windows profile. A custom content installation does not normally move this configuration file.

If exe.xml is absent, that can be normal: no external utility may have created it yet. Prefer the utility's maintained installer when it can create or merge the entry itself. Do not copy an exe.xml from another MSFS version or Windows account without checking every path.

How do I edit exe.xml safely?

The safest method is to back up the active file, change one entry in a plain-text editor and test that single change before doing anything else.

1. Close MSFS and its utilities. Do not edit the file while the simulator or an installer that manages it is running.
2. Confirm the active file. Check the simulator version, store edition and Windows account. A common mistake we see is editing the MSFS 2020 file while launching MSFS 2024, or vice versa.
3. Make an external backup. Copy the file somewhere safe as exe.xml.bak. Turn on file-name extensions in File Explorer so the edited file does not become exe.xml.txt.
4. Use a plain-text editor. Windows Notepad is sufficient; a word processor is not. Preserve the existing XML declaration and encoding rather than reformatting the whole document.
5. Change one Launch.Addon block. Add it immediately before the final </SimBase.Document> tag. Never paste a second XML declaration or create another <SimBase.Document> root.
6. Save and restart MSFS. The simulator reads this file during start-up, so reopening a utility without restarting MSFS is not a valid test.

Before giving any downloaded executable automatic start-up access, use our checks for assessing flight-sim freeware and utilities. The XML file is harmless text, but an enabled entry can run whatever program its path identifies.

Example Launch.Addon block

A basic entry resembles this:

<Launch.Addon> <Name>Approved utility</Name> <Disabled>False</Disabled> <Path>C:\Tools\Utility\Utility.exe</Path> <CommandLine></CommandLine> </Launch.Addon>

• <Name> is a descriptive label.
• <Disabled>False</Disabled> enables the entry. Change only that entry to True when troubleshooting instead of deleting it immediately.
• <Path> must contain the full path to the actual .exe, not its folder or a desktop shortcut. Spaces do not require quotation marks inside the XML element.
• <CommandLine> contains optional arguments, not the executable path. Preserve any arguments supplied by the utility.

XML tag names are case-sensitive, and special characters in text must be escaped; for example, an ampersand becomes &. Some utilities add fields such as console or manual-load controls. Leave those vendor-specific fields intact unless the utility's instructions explicitly say otherwise.

Why does exe.xml not launch my utility?

When a utility does not start, the cause is usually the wrong exe.xml, an invalid executable path, malformed XML or a disabled entry.

• Run the executable manually. If it fails outside MSFS, repairing XML will not fix the application.
• Check both Disabled settings. The document itself and the individual add-on entry can each be disabled.
• Check the closing tags. Every opening tag needs a matching closing tag, and all <Launch.Addon> blocks must remain inside the single root document.
• Verify the path after updates. Reinstalling or moving a utility may leave exe.xml pointing to an obsolete location.
• Look for duplicate launch methods. A program that opens twice may be listed twice, enabled in Windows start-up and exe.xml, or configured to start itself.
• Avoid unnecessary administrator mode. Running MSFS and its companion tool at different privilege levels can create connection or interaction problems.

Can a broken exe.xml cause MSFS to crash?

Yes, although malformed XML is often simply ignored; the external application launched by it is more likely to cause a hang, start-up conflict or crash-related symptom.

1. Close the simulator.
2. Rename exe.xml temporarily to exe.xml.disabled.
3. Launch MSFS again. If the fault disappears, restore the backup and re-enable one utility at a time.
4. Inspect Windows records. Our guide to finding MSFS crash evidence in Event Viewer explains how to identify the faulting application or module without altering the simulator.

If MSFS still fails with exe.xml sidelined, the file is not the immediate cause. Continue with the wider MSFS start-up and random-crash checks rather than reinstalling solely to replace this small configuration file.