How do I remove an add-on from Flight Simulator 2004?

To remove an add-on from Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 (FS2004), use its uninstaller if supplied. For a manual installation, close the simulator, back up the affected files, delete only the package’s own files, remove its Scenery Library or aircraft.cfg references, and restore any default files it replaced.

Remove an FS2004 add-on safely

The safest FS2004 uninstall reverses the original installation and changes one thing at a time.

FS2004 has no built-in add-on manager, and many older packages were installed by copying files into shared folders. A mistake we see constantly is deleting everything in Gauges, Effects or Scenery\World\Scenery because one add-on used that location. An unused file left behind is normally harmless; removing a shared file can break several aircraft or scenery packages.

1. Find the original installation instructions. Check the readme, installer notes and original ZIP archive for a list of folders and filenames. Modified dates can help when the documentation is missing, but they are only a clue because archives and installers may preserve older timestamps.
2. Make a temporary backup. Copy the add-on folder, any configuration files you intend to edit and all uncertain files to a location outside FS2004. Moving a suspect file out for one test is safer than permanently deleting it.
3. Run the supplied uninstaller first. Look for the package’s uninstall shortcut or an entry in Windows’ application list. Do this before manually deleting its folder, because an older uninstaller may need its original files or installation log. If it asks to remove a shared file, keep that file unless you know nothing else uses it.
4. Disable the add-on where practical. For scenery, deactivate or remove its Scenery Library entry and test once before deleting the files. For a self-contained aircraft, move its entire folder outside the FS2004 directory for a temporary test.
5. Close FS2004 completely. Do not edit aircraft configurations or remove scenery, gauges, effects or modules while the simulator is running.
6. Delete only the package’s files. Remove its dedicated aircraft or scenery folder and any additional files explicitly listed in the documentation. Never empty a shared folder.
7. Remove references and restore changes. Clean up the corresponding Scenery Library entry, repaint section, panel or sound alias, module configuration and any other reference created during installation. Restore backed-up stock files if the package overwrote them.
8. Restart and test. Load a default aircraft first, then test the aircraft, airport or feature affected by the removal. If something breaks, restore the last file removed rather than making several more changes at once.

Where are FS2004 add-ons installed?

FS2004 add-ons are normally placed in several predictable locations inside the folder containing fs9.exe, although utilities and installers may also write files elsewhere.

If FS2004 is installed under Program Files on Windows with User Account Control, edited files may have been redirected to a per-user VirtualStore location. Check both the visible FS2004 folder and its corresponding VirtualStore path when a configuration change appears to return or deleting a file has no effect. Compare the paths and contents; do not clear VirtualStore indiscriminately.

How do I remove aircraft, repaints and scenery?

Aircraft, repaints and scenery require different clean-up because FS2004 stores their menu and library references differently.

Complete aircraft and repaints

Remove a complete aircraft by deleting or moving its dedicated folder from Aircraft, then checking the package readme for gauges, effects or sounds placed in shared locations. Before deleting a base aircraft, check whether other repaints, panel aliases, sound aliases or AI traffic packages depend on it.

For a repaint, delete only its texture.* folder and the matching [fltsim.x] block in aircraft.cfg. Keep the remaining [fltsim.x] headings uniquely numbered in a continuous sequence, starting with [fltsim.0], so later liveries are not skipped. Our aircraft-specific uninstall checklist covers the dependencies to check before removing a complete model.

Scenery, airports, mesh and traffic files

Remove scenery by deleting or deactivating its Scenery Library entry before deleting the package folder.

If you delete the folder first but leave its library entry active, FS2004 may warn that the scenery path cannot be found. Scenery copied directly into an existing shared folder will not have a separate library entry; identify and remove only its own .bgl files.

Take particular care in Scenery\World\Scenery. One traffic file may contain many routes, while airport, landclass and exclusion files can affect areas well beyond the package’s named airport. Removing the wrong .bgl can make AI traffic disappear or restore conflicting airport layouts.

Gauges, effects, sounds and modules

Treat gauges, effects, sounds and modules as shared components unless the documentation confirms they belong to one package.

Leaving an uncertain gauge or effect behind is safer than deleting it. Modules and stand-alone utilities should be removed with their own uninstallers where possible, since deleting a file from Modules may leave companion configuration files or Windows settings behind.

Should I disable the add-on before deleting it?

Disable the add-on first when troubleshooting scenery, mesh, landclass or an uncertain conflict; a clearly self-contained aircraft can normally be removed directly.

• Deactivate scenery first to confirm that it is responsible for an airport, terrain or loading problem.
• Move an aircraft folder outside FS2004 for a reversible test. Merely renaming it inside Aircraft may not stop the simulator from scanning it.
• Do not disable shared folders wholesale. Moving Gauges, Effects or Scenery\World\Scenery will break unrelated content and obscure the original fault.

What if the add-on overwrote default FS2004 files?

Deleting an add-on does not restore any default texture, panel, sound or configuration file that it replaced.

Restore the original file from the backup made before installation. If no backup exists, use the FS2004 repair option if your installation provides one, or reinstall the affected simulator files. Back up personal aircraft, scenery and configuration changes before attempting a repair or reinstall.

If FS2004 itself is too damaged to repair cleanly, follow our steps for manually removing FS2004 before a clean reinstall. Removing the entire simulator should be a last resort, not the normal way to uninstall one add-on.

Why does FS2004 still show errors after removal?

Errors after an add-on is removed normally indicate a leftover reference, a deleted shared dependency or a second copy of the file.

• Missing scenery path at startup: the Scenery Library or scenery.cfg still refers to a folder that no longer exists.
• Aircraft or repaint still appears: another copy remains, its [fltsim.x] block is still present, or Windows is loading a redirected copy from VirtualStore.
• Another repaint has disappeared: the base aircraft was deleted, or the remaining [fltsim.x] headings are duplicated or no longer sequential.
• Blank panel or missing instruments: a shared gauge was removed. Restore it from the temporary backup.
• AI traffic has vanished: a shared traffic .bgl or an aircraft used as an AI model was deleted.
• An airport layout has changed unexpectedly: the removed package contained an AFCAD-style airport file, exclusion or landclass file used by that location.
• A utility warning appears during startup: a module, companion file or configuration reference remains after a partial uninstall.

Restore only the last item removed and test again. Working backwards one change at a time identifies the dependency far faster than deleting additional files and hoping the warning disappears.