Restore lost MSFS 2020 saved data safely: recover cloud saves, local flight plans, settings and controls without overwriting the good copy.
To restore lost saved data in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, first sign in with the same Microsoft/Xbox and platform account, then allow cloud synchronisation to finish. If the cloud copy is intact, remove only the local save and resynchronise it. Locally saved flight plans and add-ons require a backup.
What MSFS 2020 data can actually be restored?
Cloud synchronisation can recover account-linked profile data, but it cannot reconstruct every file stored on the old PC or console.
| Data | Usual storage | Recovery method |
|---|---|---|
| Logbook, profile and activity progress | Microsoft/Xbox cloud profile | Sign in with the original gamertag and resynchronise, provided the cloud copy still exists |
| Custom controller profiles and some options | Account-linked profile data | Resynchronise and check that the correct device profile is selected |
Graphics settings, UserCfg.opt and rolling cache | Primarily local configuration | Restore a backup or let MSFS recreate them; the rolling cache itself is disposable |
Saved .PLN flight plans and .FLT flights | The folder selected when the file was saved | Restore from that folder, File History, cloud-drive storage or another backup |
| Community add-ons | Local Community folder | Copy them back or reinstall them |
| Marketplace purchases | Account entitlement; package files are local | Sign in with the purchasing account and redownload missing packages |
A common mistake is treating the entire MSFS installation as saved data. Aircraft and scenery packages can usually be downloaded again, but a manually saved flight plan cannot be recreated unless another copy exists.
How do I force the MSFS 2020 cloud save to restore?
The safest method is to preserve the remaining local files, verify the account, attempt a normal sync and only then replace the local save.
- Close MSFS and protect what remains. Quit the simulator and its launcher completely. Copy the configuration, save and Community folders rather than moving them. Our guide can help you identify the correct installation and package folders before making a backup.
- Check every account. On the Microsoft Store/Xbox version, confirm the Xbox app uses the original gamertag and that the Store account authorises the licence or subscription. On Steam, check both the Steam account and the Microsoft/Xbox identity used inside MSFS. A different gamertag produces what looks like a new, empty profile.
- Attempt a normal cloud sync. Confirm the system is online, start the platform client and launch MSFS. Let any “syncing data” process finish without cancelling it. If the client offers a local-versus-cloud conflict, select only the copy known to contain the missing progress. A newer timestamp is not proof: a newly created blank save may be the newer file.
- Refresh only the local copy if the cloud save is known to be good.
- On Windows installations managed through Microsoft Store or Xbox, try the app’s Repair option first. If that fails, back everything up before using Reset, which removes local application data and may also forget the existing package path.
- On Xbox, use the game’s saved-data management screen and choose Delete from console for the local copy. Never choose Delete everywhere, because that also removes the cloud copy.
- On Steam, copy the local configuration and user-data folders before acting on a cloud conflict. Verifying game files repairs the programme installation; it does not restore an overwritten pilot profile or local flight plan.
- Launch MSFS and wait for synchronisation. Do not change settings or create new progress while the old profile is still downloading. Once the main menu appears, inspect the logbook, control profiles and activity progress before continuing.
- Restore local files separately. Copy saved flights, flight plans and add-ons from the backup into their appropriate locations. Do not replace the newly synchronised cloud cache wholesale with an older opaque cache folder.
If resetting the application makes installed content appear missing, MSFS may simply be looking at the wrong Packages directory. Check the package path stored in UserCfg.opt before downloading the whole content library again.
Why did my data disappear after reinstalling or changing PCs?
After a reinstall or PC move, missing data usually means the wrong account was used, cloud synchronisation was interrupted, or locally stored files were left on the old drive.
MSFS can redownload account-owned content, but the Community folder and manually saved files are not guaranteed to follow the account. Package storage may also be on a separate drive even though the launcher is installed on the system drive. If the old computer or drive remains accessible, preserve its files before launching and synchronising a blank installation; our reinstallation and PC-move precautions cover what should be copied.
What if only my controller profiles or graphics settings are missing?
Missing controls or graphics settings do not necessarily mean the full MSFS save has been erased.
In Control Options, select each joystick, yoke, throttle and keyboard in turn and inspect its profile selector. MSFS may have selected a default profile, or Windows may be presenting changed hardware as a different device. If the original cloud profile is gone, use our controller-binding recovery and reset steps before rebuilding every assignment.
Graphics settings are separate from controller profiles. A reset, driver change or replacement UserCfg.opt can return them to defaults without affecting the logbook. Restoring a known-good configuration backup is appropriate; copying an unknown cloud-cache file is not.
Can an overwritten or deleted cloud save be recovered?
Usually not through MSFS itself, because Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 does not provide a user-facing history of previous cloud-save versions.
If a blank local save has already replaced the cloud copy, check backups, Windows File History and any storage service that held the original local files. Marketplace ownership and platform achievements are separate account records, but redownloading the simulator will not recreate deleted logbook entries, activity progress or unsynchronised flight plans.