Start MSFS 2024 in Safe Mode, see what it disables, and identify add-ons behind crashes, freezes or slow loading.
To start Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 in Safe Mode, relaunch the simulator after the previous session ended unexpectedly, then select Safe Mode on the recovery prompt. There is no normal menu switch: MSFS 2024 offers Safe Mode automatically after it detects a crash, freeze or forced closure.
How to launch MSFS 2024 in Safe Mode
Safe Mode is selected from the recovery prompt shown on the first full launch after an abnormal shutdown.
- End the failed session: if MSFS 2024 has frozen, close it through your operating system or console interface. If it already crashed to the desktop or dashboard, continue to the next step.
- Launch the simulator again: perform a full restart rather than resuming a suspended console session.
- Select Safe Mode: choose it when MSFS reports that the previous session ended unexpectedly. Do not select Normal Mode for this diagnostic run.
- Repeat the original test: load the same aircraft, airport, weather and flight that caused the problem. Changing the scenario makes the result much less useful.
A clean exit does not produce the prompt, and there is no supported always-on Safe Mode setting inside the simulator. We do not recommend deliberately terminating a healthy session merely to trigger it, because doing so can interrupt data being written.
What does MSFS 2024 Safe Mode disable?
Safe Mode temporarily prevents third-party packages from the Community folder and third-party Marketplace content from loading.
- It does not delete, move or uninstall those packages.
- It does not reset control bindings, assistance settings or your cloud profile.
- It is not Windows Safe Mode and does not automatically reduce graphics settings.
- It does not close external utilities, hardware drivers or standalone applications that connect to the simulator, so stop those separately when testing.
The normal content set returns after you close the simulator cleanly and launch it normally.
How do I use Safe Mode to find a faulty add-on?
The comparison between Safe Mode and Normal Mode tells you whether third-party simulator content is the likely cause.
| Test result | Likely meaning | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Safe Mode works, Normal Mode fails | A Community or Marketplace add-on is the leading suspect. | Disable recently added content, then restore packages in small batches until the fault returns. |
| Both modes fail at the same point | The base simulator, stock aircraft, cache, graphics driver, network connection or an external utility may be involved. | Follow our Free Flight crash checks for aircraft, scenery, avionics and cache faults. |
| Safe Mode loads much faster | One or more add-ons are delaying package discovery or initialisation. | Use our MSFS slow-start diagnostic checklist to narrow down the package. |
On PC, move packages out of the Community folder rather than deleting them. Test Normal Mode with that folder empty, then return half the packages at a time. Disable suspect Marketplace packages through the simulator's content library. This batch method is much faster than checking a large collection one file at a time.
A mistake we see constantly is declaring Safe Mode successful after loading a different aircraft or airport. Use the same conditions that caused the crash; otherwise a scenery, livery or aircraft-specific fault may never be loaded.
Why does the Safe Mode prompt not appear?
The prompt appears only when MSFS 2024 records an abnormal end to the previous session.
- The previous exit was clean: this is expected, and Safe Mode will not be offered.
- The game was suspended rather than closed: fully quit it through the platform interface, then launch it afresh.
- The simulator fails too early: if it never reaches its recovery system, work through our launch and loading checks instead.
- A Safe Mode session ended normally: the recovery state is cleared, so the next start should be normal.
PC users who cannot obtain the prompt can still perform the main Community-package test by moving all files out of the Community folder. That does not disable separately installed Marketplace content, so it is not a complete substitute for Safe Mode.
How do I leave Safe Mode?
Close MSFS 2024 normally and launch it again; Safe Mode applies only to that diagnostic session. If another crash causes the recovery prompt to return, select Safe Mode again while troubleshooting or choose Normal Mode when you are ready to retest your enabled add-ons.