Can I transfer flight simulator add-ons between PCs?

Yes. For most PC flight simulators, transfer the original ZIP archive or installer to the new PC using an external drive or network, then extract and install it locally. Reinstalling from the untouched download is safer than copying an installed add-on, which may rely on licences, shared files and configuration entries elsewhere.

This general PC flight-simulator method applies to Microsoft Flight Simulator, FSX, X-Plane and Prepar3D. No special transfer utility is required, but the add-on must support the exact simulator generation and operating system on the destination PC.

How do I transfer a downloaded flight simulator add-on to another PC?

Move the complete original download, verify that it arrived intact, and perform the extraction and installation on the destination PC.

1. Check compatibility. Confirm the required simulator, simulator generation and operating system. An FSX aircraft will not work in Microsoft Flight Simulator simply because both run under Windows, while MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 packages are not automatically interchangeable.
2. Keep the complete download together. Transfer the original ZIP, RAR or 7z archive, or the installer and all accompanying data files. Multi-part archives need every numbered part in the same folder.
3. Choose suitable storage. A USB drive, external SSD, local network share or fully downloaded cloud folder will work. FAT32 cannot hold a single file of 4 GB or more, so use exFAT or NTFS when a large package refuses to copy.
4. Copy it to a local working folder. Do not extract from an online-only cloud placeholder or run an installer directly from removable storage. Local files are less likely to be interrupted or locked during installation.
5. Verify and scan the file. Compare its size on both PCs. If the source provides a checksum, compare that too; archive errors such as unexpected end of archive or missing volume usually mean the transfer is incomplete.
6. Extract before installing. Unpack archives into a temporary folder and inspect the contents rather than extracting blindly into the simulator directory. Our archive extraction and installation walkthrough covers doubled folders, incomplete archives and the correct order of operations.
7. Follow the included instructions. Use the documented folder or supplied installer. Run installers with normal permissions unless a trusted installer specifically requires administrator access.
8. Test one add-on first. Restart the simulator and check the transferred aircraft, scenery or plugin before moving an entire collection. This makes dependency and compatibility faults much easier to isolate.

Which add-on files should I copy, and where do they go?

Copy the original distribution package whenever possible; the destination on the new PC is determined by the simulator and add-on type.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and 2024

Manually installed MSFS packages normally belong in the active Community folder, not beside the simulator executable. Package locations vary according to the store installation and the content path selected by the user; for MSFS 2024, use our guidance to identify the active Packages and Community locations instead of guessing from the application folder.

A normal manual package has files such as manifest.json and layout.json at its package root. If those files sit inside another same-named folder, the add-on is nested one level too deep and will not load. Content installed through an in-simulator Marketplace should be restored through the same account rather than copied from an encrypted or managed cache.

FSX and Prepar3D

FSX aircraft and scenery can place components in several locations, including SimObjects, Gauges, Effects, Sound and scenery folders. Copying only the visible aircraft folder is a common cause of blank instruments, missing effects and absent sounds.

Installer-managed FSX products should be reinstalled from their original packages so the new PC receives all shared files and scenery-library entries. For a larger migration, our FSX backup and restoration guidance explains what can be copied safely and what should be reinstalled. Prepar3D add-ons should likewise use their supplied installer or documented add-on package method.

X-Plane

Self-contained X-Plane content is often easier to move. Aircraft generally go under Aircraft, scenery under Custom Scenery, and plugins under the documented plugin location. Preserve the complete folder and check scenery order after transfer; plugins may also contain operating-system-specific binaries that will not work after moving to a different platform.

Can I copy an already installed add-on or payware?

Copy an installed folder only when the add-on is self-contained and was originally designed for manual installation; otherwise, reinstall it from the original archive or installer.

• Manual freeware package: copying the complete package usually works if all required libraries and dependencies are also present.
• Installer-managed product: run the installer on the new PC. The visible aircraft or scenery directory may be only one part of the installation.
• Payware: expect to sign in, enter a serial or reactivate the product. Transferring the installer does not transfer its licence state, and the publisher's device limits still apply.
• Marketplace content: install it through the purchasing account. Do not attempt to copy protected content between accounts or bypass activation.
• Add-on manager or symbolic-link setup: transfer the source library if permitted, then recreate its links and paths on the destination PC.

If the entire simulator installation is moving, preserve more than the add-on folders. Installers, serial details, controller profiles, scenery configuration and settings may be stored elsewhere; our pre-move backup checklist for simulators and add-ons identifies the items people most often overlook.

Console editions are different

This manual process applies to PCs. Xbox editions and the PlayStation 5 or PS5 Pro edition of MSFS 2024 cannot install an arbitrary PC ZIP file from a USB drive. Console add-ons must come through the distribution system supported by that simulator and platform.

Why does the transferred add-on not appear?

Most failed transfers come down to an unextracted archive, incorrect folder depth, the wrong installation path, missing dependencies or an add-on built for another simulator version.

1. Confirm it was extracted. Simulators generally cannot load aircraft, scenery or plugins directly from a ZIP, RAR or 7z download.
2. Inspect the top-level folder. Remove an unnecessary wrapper folder if the actual package sits one level deeper. Do not scatter the package's internal files individually.
3. Check the active add-on location. Multiple simulator installations can leave old folders behind. An add-on placed in an unused Community, aircraft or scenery directory will never be seen by the active installation.
4. Recheck compatibility. Match the add-on to the exact simulator generation and platform. Updates can also expose faults in an older package even when the transfer itself succeeded.
5. Install required dependencies. Some aircraft need a separate base model, gauge package or avionics component; scenery may rely on an external object library.
6. Look for incomplete or blocked files. Compare file sizes, repeat the transfer if extraction failed, and check whether security software quarantined an executable, DLL or plugin.
7. Restore registration and activation. Re-run the original installer when scenery-library entries, configuration records, shared components or licence activation are missing.
8. Remove duplicate versions. Two copies of the same package can conflict. Keep one known-good version, start the simulator normally rather than in an add-ons-disabled safe mode, and test again.