How do I reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC?

To reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC, sign into the account and storefront that own your licence, install the simulator launcher, then download its content or point MSFS 2020 to copied package files. Restore Marketplace content, Community add-ons and control profiles only after the unmodified simulator has launched successfully.

Before you reinstall: check the account, version and storage

The new PC must use the same purchase platform and owning account as the old installation. Buying Microsoft Flight Simulator through one storefront does not give you a licence for another.

• Microsoft Store or Xbox app: check that the Microsoft Store and Xbox app are signed into the Microsoft account that owns the simulator. Different accounts in the two apps are a common cause of missing ownership and content.

• Steam: install through the Steam account that owns the simulator, then use the same Microsoft/Xbox account inside MSFS if you want its associated cloud data and Marketplace entitlements.

• PC Game Pass: the account needs an active subscription unless you bought the simulator separately.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are separate products. Install the version you own; do not treat MSFS 2024 as a replacement launcher for an MSFS 2020 installation.

Check the new machine has enough SSD capacity for the simulator, updates and add-ons before choosing a package location. Our overview of suitable PC hardware and storage for Microsoft Flight Simulator will help if the new system has several possible drives.

Before retiring the old PC, record the existing package location and back up your Community folder, third-party installer files, custom configurations and any locally saved material you need. Preserve the old Official folder only if that installation was complete and working correctly.

How to reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator on a new PC

1. Confirm the simulator and storefront. Use the Microsoft Store/Xbox app for a Microsoft purchase or Steam for a Steam purchase. You should not need to buy the same edition again when the correct account is recognised.

2. Install the base simulator app. Start the installation from your library. With MSFS 2020, this initial storefront download is not the complete simulator; most aircraft, world and other package data are handled after launch.

3. Start MSFS without add-ons. Allow the simulator to initialise and reach its package installation stage. Do not copy mods into a newly created Community folder yet.

4. Choose the package location. For MSFS 2020, select a fast SSD with sufficient free space. If you retained a healthy package folder from the old PC, point the installer to the root containing its package data rather than creating another nested folder.

5. Download or verify the main content. Let MSFS download everything if you want a clean installation. If you copied valid packages from the old computer, allow the simulator to inspect them and download only missing or changed files.

6. Complete all mandatory updates. Keep the simulator unmodified until it can reach the main menu and load a default aircraft at a default airport.

7. Restore owned and third-party content. Reinstall Marketplace items through the simulator, copy compatible manual add-ons to the active Community folder and rerun installers for products that use one.

8. Review settings and controls. Check graphics options, online data, cache settings, assistance options, sensitivities and every connected flight-control device.

If you are installing the newer simulator, use our dedicated checklist for setting up Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on a PC. Its streamed-content model and first-run choices differ from MSFS 2020.

Can I copy MSFS from the old PC instead of downloading it again?

You can often reuse an MSFS 2020 package installation, but you must still install the simulator app through its original storefront. Copying the protected app or launcher directory by itself does not register the simulator on the new PC.

1. Close MSFS and its storefront launcher. Do not copy package files while either installation is updating.

2. Install and start the base app on the new PC. Continue until MSFS shows or creates the package location, then close it before copying large folders.

3. Copy the old Official folder. Place it in the selected package root. If the packages are already on a separate SSD, you may be able to connect that drive and select the existing root instead.

4. Check the folder depth. The package root should contain Official and Community directly. A path such as Packages aPackages aOfficial is one level too deep and will normally trigger another download.

5. Leave Community empty for the first test. Start MSFS, allow verification and confirm that a stock flight loads before restoring manual add-ons.

Reuse packages only between matching installations of MSFS 2020, preferably from the same storefront. Do not merge MSFS 2020 package files into MSFS 2024 or mix copied Microsoft Store and Steam package trees as an installation shortcut.

Do not copy rolling-cache files, shader caches or every old configuration folder indiscriminately. Those files are machine-specific or disposable and can reintroduce faults that a new installation should eliminate.

Can MSFS 2020 package files be used for MSFS 2024?

No. MSFS 2024 is a separate installation with a different content-delivery model, so its package location should not be pointed at an MSFS 2020 Official folder. Eligible owned content may appear through the account-linked library, but compatibility and availability are determined inside MSFS 2024 rather than by manually combining the two installations.

What happens to Marketplace content and Community add-ons?

Ownership can follow the correct account and platform, but installed add-on files do not all rebuild themselves automatically.

• Edition and Marketplace content: allow the simulator to synchronise with the owning account, then use its content manager or library to install items that are owned but not present locally. Storefront and simulator-version restrictions still apply.

• Community aircraft, liveries and scenery: copy compatible packages into the new installation's active Community folder. The folder may be in a different place from the old PC, particularly if you selected another package drive. Our Community-folder installation and troubleshooting instructions explain the required package structure.

• Installer-based add-ons: run the original installer again so it can create the correct paths, services and supporting files. Copying only the visible aircraft or scenery folder may omit required components.

• External utilities: reinstall them separately and check their connection settings. They are not part of the simulator's package folder.

The mistake we see most often is restoring the entire old Community folder before testing the stock simulator. Add packages back in small batches instead. If a crash or loading problem returns, the last batch gives you a manageable group to inspect.

Will settings, controller profiles and the logbook transfer?

Some account-linked data may synchronise, but a new PC should be treated as a fresh hardware configuration. Do not assume every control profile, logbook entry or preference has transferred until you have checked it in the simulator.

• Controls: inspect yokes, joysticks, throttles, pedals and button boxes for default or duplicate bindings. Windows can identify the same hardware differently after a move.

• Sensitivities: verify dead zones, response curves and axis reversal before flying. Duplicate throttle, rudder or brake axes can make an aircraft appear faulty.

• Graphics: choose settings for the new CPU, GPU, display and resolution rather than copying an old graphics configuration.

• Online data and cache: check online functionality, photogrammetry or streamed scenery options where applicable, then create a new rolling cache only if you use one.

• Assistance and realism: review these manually because a synchronised or default preset can alter aircraft handling.

Do I need to uninstall MSFS from the old PC first?

No, uninstalling Microsoft Flight Simulator from the old PC is not normally required before installing it on the new one. Ownership is verified through the account and storefront, not by checking that the previous files have been removed.

Keep the old installation until the replacement launches, your purchased content appears and your important add-ons have been recovered. Before wiping or selling the old computer, use any deactivation function provided by installer-based add-ons that impose device activation limits.

Why is the reinstall not working?

Most failed MSFS moves are caused by the wrong account, the wrong storefront, an incorrect package path or incompatible add-ons restored too early.

MSFS says I do not own it

An ownership error usually means the new PC is using the wrong account or storefront. Check the purchasing account in Steam or the Microsoft Store, the account shown in the Xbox app and any Microsoft/Xbox profile requested inside the simulator. Game Pass users should also confirm that the subscription remains active.

MSFS downloads everything after I copied the packages

A complete redownload usually means the selected package root is wrong, the folders are nested one level too deeply or the copied data does not match the simulator version and storefront. Confirm that Official sits directly inside the selected root and that the destination is writable.

If the previous installation was interrupted or corrupt, stop trying to preserve it and use a clean package download. Repeatedly moving incomplete files back into place can cause another verification or update loop.

Aircraft, airports or scenery are missing

Missing content generally has not been installed from the account library, is in the wrong Community folder, is nested incorrectly or is incompatible with the installed simulator. Test with an empty Community folder, confirm the active package path and reinstall owned content through the simulator.

For scenery-specific diagnosis, follow our checks for an airport that is missing after an MSFS installation or update.

MSFS crashes after the add-ons are restored

A crash that begins only after restoring add-ons points to incompatible or conflicting content rather than the base reinstall. Empty Community, disable external utilities and confirm a stock flight works, then restore packages in small groups until the problem returns.

The new PC performs badly or the controls are wrong

Poor performance or strange handling does not usually require another reinstall. Reset an over-ambitious graphics preset, check render scaling and online data, then remove duplicate axis assignments and verify each device's active profile.