How do I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC?
Reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC without buying it again. Move MSFS 2020 packages, restore add-ons and fix licence errors.
Reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC through the same PC storefront account that owns the licence. Launch it once without add-ons, let it download or verify its content, then restore Marketplace purchases, Community packages and controls. You normally need neither a new purchase nor an uninstall on the old PC.
What should I check before reinstalling Microsoft Flight Simulator?
A successful move depends on using the correct simulator version, storefront account and package location.
Microsoft Store or Xbox app: sign into the Microsoft Store and Xbox app with the account associated with the licence. Mismatched accounts are a common reason MSFS appears unowned.
Steam: use the Steam account that owns the simulator. A Steam base licence cannot be installed through the Microsoft Store simply by signing into the same Microsoft/Xbox profile inside MSFS.
PC Game Pass: the subscription must remain active unless you bought the simulator separately.
PlayStation 5: an MSFS 2024 PlayStation licence does not supply a PC copy. MSFS 2020 was never released for PlayStation.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are separate products. Install the version you own; MSFS 2024 is not an updated launcher for an MSFS 2020 installation.
Before wiping or selling the old computer, preserve the Community folder, locally saved flight plans, third-party installers, licence details and any custom configuration you cannot recreate. Our checklist of simulator files worth backing up before replacing a PC covers the material that cloud synchronisation may not protect.
Copy the old Official packages only if you use MSFS 2020, the installation was complete and stable, and avoiding a large download matters. Do not preserve rolling-cache or shader-cache files; they are disposable and can carry old faults onto the new machine.
How do I reinstall MSFS on the new PC?
The safest order is to install and test an unmodified simulator before restoring aircraft, scenery or utilities.
Confirm the owning account. Open the original PC storefront and make sure Microsoft Flight Simulator appears in its library. You should not need to buy the same base edition again.
Install the base application. Use the Microsoft Store or Xbox app for a Microsoft licence, or Steam for a Steam licence. For a closer look at package locations and first-launch downloads, follow our complete MSFS 2020 installation procedure.
Start with no Community add-ons. Launch the simulator and allow it to create its folders and initialise the account. Do not fill a newly created
Communityfolder yet.Select the content location. In MSFS 2020, choose a fast SSD with enough room for the package library, updates and add-ons. If you retained a healthy package tree, select its root rather than creating another folder inside it.
Complete required downloads. Allow the simulator to verify copied data or download a clean package set. MSFS 2024 uses its own streaming and content system and must not be pointed at an MSFS 2020
Officialfolder.Test a stock flight. Reach the main menu, select a default aircraft and load a default airport. This proves the base installation works before third-party content complicates diagnosis.
Restore owned content and add-ons. Reinstall Marketplace items through the simulator, then add compatible Community packages and installer-based products.
Check controls and graphics. Review every connected yoke, stick, throttle, pedal set and button box. Configure graphics for the new PC rather than copying an old hardware-specific preset.
Can I copy MSFS from the old PC instead of downloading it again?
You can often reuse an intact MSFS 2020 package library, but you must still install and register the base application through its original storefront.
| Method | Choose it when | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|
| Reuse MSFS 2020 packages | The old installation was updated, complete and working correctly | MSFS may still verify or replace changed files |
| Download a clean copy | The old installation crashed, looped during updates or contained damaged files | Uses more time and bandwidth |
| Fresh MSFS 2024 installation | You are moving MSFS 2024 or changing from MSFS 2020 to 2024 | Official MSFS 2020 packages cannot be reused |
To reuse MSFS 2020 content, close the simulator and storefront on both computers. Install and start the base application on the new PC until it reaches the package-location stage, then close it before copying the old package data.
The selected package root should contain Official and Community directly. For example, D:\MSFS Packages\Official is correctly placed, while D:\MSFS Packages\Packages\Official is one level too deep and can trigger a full download.
Leave Community empty for the first launch. Reopen MSFS, select the copied package root if requested and allow verification to finish. Reuse packages only between matching MSFS 2020 installations, preferably from the same storefront; copying the protected application directory alone does not register the simulator.
Can MSFS 2020 package files be used in MSFS 2024?
No, MSFS 2020 Official files cannot be turned into an MSFS 2024 installation by copying or merging folders.
Content owned through the linked account may appear in the MSFS 2024 library when the product is supported there, but compatibility is decided by the simulator and add-on publisher. Do not assume every MSFS 2020 aircraft, livery or scenery package works unchanged in MSFS 2024.
How do I restore Marketplace purchases and Community add-ons?
Marketplace ownership may synchronise through the correct account, but locally installed files and third-party add-ons do not all restore automatically.
Marketplace and edition content: open the simulator's library or content manager and install owned items that are not present locally. Availability can differ by simulator version and platform.
Manual Community packages: extract compatible add-ons into the active
Communityfolder. Do not leave them as ZIP files, and avoid an extra nested folder above the package files.MSFS 2024 add-ons: let the simulator create its active path before copying anything. Our guide to creating and verifying the MSFS 2024 Community folder explains how custom package locations affect it.
Installer-based products: rerun their installers so supporting applications, services and paths are created correctly. Copying only a visible aircraft or scenery directory may omit required components.
External utilities: reinstall them separately and review their connection, firewall and simulator-path settings.
A mistake we see constantly is restoring the entire old Community folder before the first stock flight. Add packages back in small groups. If loading failures or crashes return, the last group gives you a practical set of suspects.
Will my controls, settings and logbook transfer?
Some account-linked data may synchronise, but the new computer should still be treated as a fresh hardware configuration.
Controller profiles: confirm that the expected profile is active for each device. Windows may identify reconnected hardware differently.
Axis assignments: remove duplicate throttle, rudder, brake and camera bindings. Duplicate axes often look like an aircraft or calibration fault.
Sensitivity settings: check dead zones, response curves and reversed axes before flying.
Graphics options: select settings for the new processor, graphics card, display resolution and available memory.
Online data and caches: review streamed scenery and online-functionality settings, then create a new rolling cache only if you intend to use one.
Logbook and assistance options: verify them in the simulator rather than assuming every cloud record and preference transferred.
Do I need to uninstall MSFS from the old PC first?
No, Microsoft Flight Simulator normally does not need to be removed from the old PC before installation on the replacement computer.
Keep the old installation until the new one launches, displays the expected purchased content and can load a flight. Before disposing of the old machine, deactivate any third-party add-ons that impose their own device or activation limits.
Why is the Microsoft Flight Simulator reinstall not working?
Most failed moves are caused by the wrong account, an incorrect package root, damaged copied files or add-ons restored before the stock simulator was tested.
Why does MSFS say I do not own it?
An ownership error usually means the PC is using the wrong storefront or account.
Check the purchasing account in Steam or the Microsoft Store, the profile signed into the Xbox app and the Microsoft/Xbox profile used inside the simulator. Game Pass users must also confirm that their subscription is active. If the licence remains missing, work through our account and reactivation checks for Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC.
Why is MSFS downloading everything after I copied it?
A full download after copying packages usually means MSFS cannot recognise the selected package root.
Confirm that Official sits directly inside the chosen root, the destination is writable and the files match the installed simulator version and storefront. If the old installation was incomplete or trapped in an update loop, discard it and download a clean copy instead of repeatedly restoring damaged data.
Why are aircraft, airports or scenery missing?
Missing content is usually uninstalled, placed in the wrong Community folder, nested too deeply or incompatible with the installed simulator.
Check the in-simulator library for owned content, confirm the active package path and inspect manually installed add-ons for an extra directory level. A package restored to an old or inactive Community folder will not be detected.
Why does MSFS crash after restoring add-ons?
A crash that starts only after add-ons are restored points to incompatible or conflicting content rather than a failed base installation.
Empty Community, close external utilities and test a stock flight. Restore add-ons in small batches until the fault returns, then isolate packages from the last batch one at a time.