Searching for ResetPermission.exe in FSX? See what ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe repairs, how to run it safely and when another fix is needed.
ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe is a Windows permission-repair utility for Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX). It reapplies access permissions to the FSX installation folder. It may help FSX and FSX: Steam Edition “Access denied” errors, but it does not reinstall the simulator, replace corrupt files, reset settings or remove add-ons.
What exactly does ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe reset?
The utility resets Windows access-control permissions on the FSX program directory and its contents. This can restore access when your Windows account, an installer or an FSX component cannot read, create, modify or replace files in that directory.
It does not reset aircraft, scenery, saved flights, control assignments, the logbook or fsx.cfg. Those items may be stored in several user-profile and shared-data folders rather than beside fsx.exe.
Nor does it repair missing DLLs, replace damaged aircraft files, restore registry entries, recover a product key or reactivate boxed FSX. It also does not merge or remove files that Windows has redirected beneath %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore, a complication sometimes created by older add-on installers.
Is ResetPermission.exe the correct FSX filename?
No. The FSX utility covered here is named ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe, not ResetPermission.exe. Searches for “resetpermission exe” often refer to the same type of Windows permissions problem, but filenames from unrelated software are not interchangeable.
Use only the copy installed with your edition of FSX. It is normally found in the main simulator directory beside fsx.exe; our guide to finding the FSX installation folder on Windows covers the common boxed and Steam library locations. Do not download an executable with a similar name or rename another utility to match.
When should you run the permission repair?
Run ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe only when the error points to damaged permissions in the FSX installation directory.
| Symptom | Best action |
|---|---|
| “Access denied” names a file or folder beneath the FSX installation directory | Run the utility after closing FSX and any add-on installers. |
| An add-on installer cannot replace an aircraft, scenery or gauge file inside the FSX directory | Confirm that the file is not locked, then repair the folder permissions. |
| FSX was copied, restored from backup or moved between Windows accounts | The utility may repair inherited permissions, but it will not restore missing registry or licensing data. |
| The folder’s Properties window shows a filled or read-only box | Do not use that indicator alone. The folder read-only display does not prove that its access-control permissions are damaged. |
| An aircraft, DLL or other simulator file is missing or corrupt | Use an installation repair or Steam file verification instead. |
| Graphics settings, controls or saved flights do not persist | Check the relevant user-profile or Documents folder; resetting the program directory is unlikely to help. |
| FSX crashes or performs poorly without an access error | Do not run it as a general crash or performance fix. |
If you are unsure whether the error really concerns permissions, follow our diagnosis for access-denied errors when editing FSX files before changing directory security.
How do you run ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe safely?
Run the installed copy with administrator rights while FSX and every programme that could have its files open are closed.
- Read the original error path. Confirm that it points inside the actual FSX installation folder rather than Documents, AppData, ProgramData or a separate add-on directory.
- Close FSX and related tools. Exit the simulator, add-on managers, configuration utilities and installers. Restart Windows first if a file remains locked.
- Locate the installed executable. Find
ResetXDirectorySecurity.exein the FSX directory, normally besidefsx.exe. If it is absent, do not substitute a downloaded copy. - Run it as administrator. Use the Windows context menu and approve the User Account Control prompt.
- Let the utility finish. Its window may close quickly and provide little visible confirmation; that alone does not mean it failed.
- Repeat the failed operation. Test the same installer or file action before changing other settings, so you can tell whether the permission reset worked.
There is no benefit in running the utility routinely. On a work, school or otherwise managed PC, the administrator should handle it because it deliberately changes directory access-control entries.
Should FSX: Steam Edition users run it?
FSX: Steam Edition users should treat this as a directory-permissions repair, not as a Steam repair or licensing tool. Do not assume every Steam installation includes the executable; if it is absent after verifying the installed files, do not copy the boxed-FSX version into the Steam directory.
For missing or altered core files, use Steam’s installed-file verification. For an access error, confirm which Steam library contains FSX and whether the affected add-on actually resides inside it; our explanation of FSX: Steam Edition add-on and payware locations helps identify the directory that needs attention.
The utility cannot repair Steam account access, download manifests or platform licensing. It is also unrelated to Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.
What if ResetXDirectorySecurity.exe does not fix the problem?
An unchanged error usually means that installation-directory permissions were not the underlying cause. Recheck the full path and exact Windows message rather than running the utility repeatedly.
- Missing or damaged files: verify Steam files or repair the boxed installation. Use our FSX file-repair guidance to distinguish file corruption from a permissions fault.
- A file is in use: close FSX and related utilities or restart Windows. A permissions reset cannot replace a file locked by another process.
- The error names another folder: repair that folder’s access or correct the installer’s destination. Resetting the FSX directory will not change permissions elsewhere.
- Security software blocked the change: inspect its protection history or quarantine rather than repeatedly running both FSX and the installer as administrator.
- The FSX folder was copied from another computer: restore the installation properly. Permissions repair does not recreate registry entries, activation data or prerequisites.
- VirtualStore contains an older copy: compare the redirected file with the real FSX file before deleting or moving anything. Editing one copy while FSX reads the other can make a successful permission repair appear ineffective.
Avoid making “Run this programme as an administrator” a permanent compatibility setting unless the software genuinely requires it. That can mask the original fault and leave files created under mixed permissions, causing the next installer or standard Windows account to fail again.