How do I switch FSX between windowed and full screen?

In Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX and FSX: Steam Edition) on PC, click inside the simulator and press Alt+Enter to toggle between windowed and full-screen mode. The same shortcut switches back. If nothing happens, use the left Alt key with the main Enter key and make sure FSX has keyboard focus.

FSX windowed mode and full screen: step by step

The standard FSX display-mode toggle is Alt+Enter, and it works in both directions.

1. Save the flight if necessary. Switching modes should not disturb it, but saving is sensible if FSX has already shown graphics problems.
2. Give FSX keyboard focus. Click inside the simulator rather than on the desktop, an overlay or an external add-on window.
3. Press the shortcut. Hold the left Alt key, tap the main Enter key once, then release both.
4. Wait for the display to settle. A brief black screen or flicker is normal while Windows and the graphics driver change display mode.
5. Repeat to switch back. Pressing Alt+Enter again returns FSX to its previous windowed or full-screen state.

For a cockpit-side reminder, our printable FSX shortcut reference includes Alt+Enter alongside the simulator’s other keyboard commands.

Is there another way to change FSX display mode?

Yes. FSX also exposes the same full-screen toggle through its Views menu.

In windowed mode, open Views > Full Screen. If the menu bar is hidden in full-screen mode, press and release Alt to reveal it, then select the same command to return to a window.

This menu route is useful when another application intercepts the keyboard combination. It still invokes the same FSX display change, so it will not bypass an incompatible resolution or graphics-driver fault.

One mistake we see often is treating the Windows maximise button as another full-screen control. Maximising makes the FSX window fill most of the desktop, but the title bar or borders can remain. FSX has no built-in dedicated borderless-window mode.

What if Alt+Enter doesn’t work in FSX?

When Alt+Enter does nothing, FSX usually lacks keyboard focus or another program has captured the shortcut.

• Click inside the main FSX view: an open menu, Steam overlay, recorder, add-on utility or second-monitor window may hold focus.
• Use the left Alt key: the right key can act as AltGr on some keyboard layouts. Use the main Enter key rather than a compact keyboard’s remapped layer.
• Hold the keys together: keep Alt down while tapping Enter. If only the menu bar appears, release both keys and try again.
• Test the Views menu command: if the menu works, an overlay, hotkey utility or remote-desktop session is probably consuming the shortcut.
• Temporarily close conflicting software: disable overlays and hotkey tools one at a time so you can identify the actual conflict.

Resetting aircraft controls or joystick assignments is unlikely to help. The display toggle is an application command rather than a normal flight-control assignment. If neither the shortcut nor the menu command works, treat it as a display problem rather than a keyboard problem.

Should I run FSX windowed or full screen?

Use windowed mode for easy task switching and multiple displays; use full screen when you want an uncluttered single-monitor view at FSX’s selected full-screen resolution.

Full screen is not guaranteed to produce a higher frame rate on every Windows and graphics-driver combination. Choose the mode that remains stable with your aircraft, scenery and add-ons rather than relying on the old assumption that full screen is always faster.

For the sharpest image, set FSX’s Full Screen Resolution to the monitor’s native resolution in the simulator’s Display settings. Windowed mode instead follows the size of the FSX window and the Windows desktop. Our guide to FSX graphics and display settings explains the related resolution choices.

FSX normally remembers the mode used when it closes cleanly. If it repeatedly forgets, exit through the simulator rather than Task Manager and check that its configuration is not read-only or being blocked from saving.

What should I do if FSX shows a black screen after switching?

A brief black screen is normal during the change, but a display that does not return usually indicates an unsuitable resolution, an overlay conflict or a graphics-driver problem.

1. Wait a few seconds. Do not press Alt+Enter repeatedly while the monitor is changing modes.
2. Toggle back once. Press Alt+Enter a single time and allow FSX to return to windowed mode.
3. Recover the desktop if necessary. Try Alt+Tab or the Windows security screen if the simulator remains on top and unresponsive.
4. Correct the display settings. Once windowed mode is visible, select the monitor’s native full-screen resolution and confirm that FSX is using the intended display.
5. Remove conflicts methodically. Turn off graphics overlays, recorders and similar utilities one at a time rather than changing several settings together.

If FSX remains black, opens at the wrong resolution or immediately minimises, follow our full-screen troubleshooting for Windows 10 and 11.

Is this the same shortcut for MSFS?

On a Windows PC, Alt+Enter also switches Microsoft Flight Simulator (MSFS) between windowed and full-screen display, but its graphics menus differ from those in FSX.

If “MSC” was intended to mean MSFS, use our separate MSFS display-mode instructions. The steps above are specifically for FSX and FSX: Steam Edition, both of which are Windows PC simulators rather than native macOS or console applications.