Learn how to report a Microsoft Flight Simulator bug or technical problem, choose the right support route, and provide evidence that helps.
Report a Microsoft Flight Simulator bug through the official Bug Reporting Hub when it is reproducible and affects the simulator. For crashes, installation, account, purchase or platform-specific faults, submit a support request instead. Include the simulator edition, platform, build, reproduction steps, expected result, actual result and supporting logs.
Where should I report a Microsoft Flight Simulator problem?
The correct destination depends on whether you have found a repeatable simulator defect or need help with an individual technical problem. The Bug Reporting Hub is public and designed to consolidate reproducible defects; the official Support portal handles private cases and troubleshooting.
| Type of problem | Use this route | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A repeatable aircraft, airport, avionics, graphics, weather or gameplay defect | Official Bug Reporting Hub | Other users can confirm the behaviour, add evidence and support an existing report. |
| Crash to desktop, installation failure, update loop, login fault or unusual performance problem | Official Support portal and its Submit a request option | A private case allows diagnostic files and system-specific troubleshooting. |
| Missing entitlement, Marketplace download or simulator account problem | Official Support portal | These cases may require private account or purchase information. |
| Payment, refund or platform account problem | The support route belonging to the platform or seller that processed the transaction | Simulator developers cannot normally change transactions handled elsewhere. |
| A defect confined to one third-party aircraft, livery or scenery package | The add-on's publisher | Report it to simulator support only when the fault concerns Marketplace installation, licensing or the simulator itself. |
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 have separate categories, so select the correct edition. Also choose the actual platform: PC, Xbox or PlayStation where applicable. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 was not released for PlayStation.
How do I submit a useful bug report?
- Search for the symptom first. Use the aircraft, airport, feature and exact error text as search terms. If an active report describes the same defect, support that report and add genuinely new reproduction details instead of opening a duplicate.
- Record the environment. State whether this is Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024, the platform, installed simulator build, PC launcher where relevant, aircraft and content version. Do not write only “latest version”; the reader may inspect the report after another update has appeared.
- Test without optional content. Restart the simulator and try a default aircraft, airport and livery where possible. On PC, move third-party packages out of the
Communityfolder temporarily, or use Safe Mode when the simulator offers it. This separates a core bug from an add-on conflict. - Reduce the fault to short steps. Begin from a known state and list every action needed to trigger it. Include location, runway, aircraft state, weather, live-service settings and control input only when they affect the result.
- Describe expected and actual behaviour. “Autopilot broken” is not diagnostic. Explain which mode was selected, what you expected the aircraft to do, what it did instead and whether the problem happens every time.
- Submit one problem per report. Choose the closest category in the Bug Reporting Hub, or sign in to the official Support portal and use Submit a request. A focused title such as
MSFS 2024 – PC – [feature] fails after [action]is easier to triage than a list of unrelated complaints.
A concise report template is: Edition and build; platform; aircraft and location; add-ons removed or retained; reproduction steps; expected result; actual result; frequency; error text; attached evidence.
What evidence should I include with an MSFS report?
The best evidence proves when the problem occurred, how to reproduce it and which component failed. Attach only material relevant to that single issue.
- The exact error message or code, copied verbatim rather than paraphrased.
- A screenshot or short video showing the final steps and fault.
- The date, local time and time zone of a crash or failed online request.
- PC diagnostic information requested by support, such as Windows event data and hardware details.
- The name and version of any aircraft, scenery, livery or utility involved.
- Whether the fault remains with the
Communityfolder emptied and external utilities closed. - How often it happens: every attempt, intermittently, or only after a particular flight state.
Do not publish passwords, product keys, email addresses, order numbers or unredacted personal data in the public Bug Reporting Hub. Supply private account information only through an official support case and only when requested.
What if Microsoft Flight Simulator crashes or will not update?
A crash or update failure should usually be isolated before it is filed as a simulator bug. Add-ons, damaged cache data, drivers, overclocks and background utilities can produce the same visible symptom as a core defect.
For repeated crashes, first work through our MSFS crash-isolation checks. If the crash remains, collect the crash time, exception code and faulting-module evidence before opening a support request.
For download loops, package failures or installation error codes, use our steps to diagnose Microsoft Flight Simulator update errors. Record the stage at which the update fails, the displayed package name and the exact message; “the update is stuck” gives support little to investigate.
After submitting the report
A public bug report is not a private support ticket and may not receive an individual reply. It may be combined with an older report, moved to a better category or held until other users provide enough evidence. Votes indicate how many users want attention on an issue, but they do not guarantee a particular priority or repair date.
A support request should generate a case reference. Keep replies and new evidence in that case rather than opening several tickets for the same problem. If an update fixes the fault, retest with add-ons still removed and update the original report so developers and other simmers know the result.