How do I uninstall or remove an add-on in Flight Simulator 2004 (FS2004)?
To remove an FS2004 add-on, delete the files and folders that add-on installed, then remove any related entries from the Scenery Library or configuration files. If it came with its own uninstaller, use that first. Most FS2004 mods were installed manually, so safe removal depends on knowing exactly what was added or replaced.
How do you remove an FS2004 add-on safely?
FS2004 is old enough that there is no single built-in mod manager. Some add-ons used installers and can be removed through Windows, but a great many were copied into the simulator by hand. That means uninstalling is usually a manual job as well.
The safest rule is simple: remove only the files that belong to that specific add-on. Do not empty shared folders such as Gauges, Effects or Sound unless you are certain which files the package added.
- Find the package readme. The readme, original ZIP archive, or installer notes usually list every file path that was installed. If you still have the downloaded package, open it and note which folders and filenames it contained.
- Check for an uninstaller. If the add-on was installed with a setup program, look in Windows for an uninstall entry or check whether the package created its own uninstall shortcut. Use that before deleting anything manually.
- Close FS2004. Make sure the simulator is not running while you remove files, especially scenery, gauges, modules or traffic files.
- Delete the add-on files. Remove the aircraft folder, scenery folder, repaint texture folder, traffic file, gauge file or other items that belong to the package.
- Remove any menu or library entries. If the add-on added scenery, disable or delete its Scenery Library entry. If it added a repaint entry in an aircraft configuration file, remove that section as well.
- Check for overwritten defaults. If the add-on replaced stock files rather than adding new ones, restore your backup copies. If you did not make backups, you may need to repair or reinstall that part of FS2004.
- Start FS2004 and test. Load the simulator and look for missing-gauge messages, scenery errors, or an aircraft menu entry that should no longer be there. Those clues usually tell you what is left behind.
Where are FS2004 add-ons usually installed?
Most uninstall problems come from not knowing where the package put its files. These are the places we check first.
| Add-on type | Usual location | What to remove |
|---|---|---|
| Complete aircraft | Aircraft | The aircraft's own folder, plus any dedicated gauge or effect files it installed |
| Repaint only | Inside an aircraft folder | The repaint's Texture folder and its matching fltsim entry in aircraft.cfg |
| Scenery package | Addon Scenery or its own scenery folder | The package folder and its Scenery Library entry |
| AFCAD, traffic or landclass file | Often Scenery\World\Scenery | The specific .bgl file that came with the add-on |
| Gauges | Gauges | Only the exact gauge files the package added |
| Effects | Effects | Only the exact effect files the package added |
| Sound set | Aircraft sound folder or shared sound folder | The dedicated sound folder, or restore the original aliased sound configuration |
| Module or utility | Modules or its own folder | The module files, preferably via the package's uninstaller if one exists |
How to remove specific types of FS2004 mods
Aircraft
If you installed a complete aircraft, removal is often straightforward: delete its folder from Aircraft. The catch is that many aircraft also install shared gauges, effects, sounds or documentation elsewhere. If the readme lists extra files, remove those too.
If you only installed a repaint, do not delete the whole aircraft. Remove just the repaint's Texture folder and delete the matching repaint entry from aircraft.cfg. Leave the rest of the aircraft intact.
Scenery
Scenery usually lives in its own folder, commonly under Addon Scenery, with separate scenery and texture subfolders. Delete that folder, then remove the scenery's entry from the Scenery Library so FS2004 stops looking for it.
Some scenery packages also place files in shared locations, especially Scenery\World\Scenery. Those might be AFCAD files, excludes, landclass, or traffic files. Delete only the exact files that came with the scenery package.
Gauges, effects and sounds
These folders are shared by many add-ons, which makes them the riskiest part of any uninstall. If two aircraft use the same gauge or effect, deleting it can break the other aircraft as well.
We recommend checking the package contents or readme, then removing files by exact filename. If you are not sure whether a file is shared, it is better to leave it in place than remove it blindly.
AI traffic and AFCAD files
Traffic and airport layout files are often just one or more .bgl files. Remove those files from the folder where they were installed, commonly Scenery\World\Scenery for global traffic or airport files.
If you remove the wrong .bgl, you can lose other traffic or airport changes, so match filenames carefully.
What if the add-on overwrote default FS2004 files?
This is the awkward case. Older FS2004 packages sometimes replaced default textures, panels, sounds or configuration files instead of installing into their own folder. When that happens, deleting the add-on files alone will not restore the original simulator state.
If you made a backup before installing, restore the original files from that backup. If you did not, your cleanest fix is usually to use any repair option available from the original installation media, or reinstall the affected component. For heavily modified installs, a full reinstall can be quicker than chasing every replaced file one by one.
Do you need to remove the Scenery Library entry?
Yes, if the add-on added scenery through the Scenery Library. If you delete the folder but leave the library entry behind, FS2004 may show an error at startup because it is trying to load scenery that no longer exists.
You can either remove the entry entirely or disable it first if you only want to test whether the scenery is causing a problem. Disabling is a good halfway step when you are troubleshooting rather than fully uninstalling.
Common mistakes when uninstalling FS2004 add-ons
- Deleting a whole shared folder instead of the specific files added by one package.
- Removing a repaint but forgetting the matching entry in
aircraft.cfg. - Deleting scenery files but leaving the Scenery Library entry active.
- Forgetting about files placed in
Scenery\World\Scenery,GaugesorEffects. - Assuming every add-on has an uninstaller. In FS2004, many do not.
- Removing files without keeping a backup first.
If you are not sure what the mod installed
If you no longer have the readme or ZIP archive, inspect the add-on's main folder and filenames carefully before deleting anything. Aircraft and scenery packages usually identify themselves clearly by folder name. Shared files are harder, so proceed slowly.
When in doubt, disable scenery first, or move suspected files out of the simulator to a temporary backup folder rather than deleting them outright. If FS2004 loads normally and you do not miss the add-on, you can then remove those backed-up files permanently.
The short version
For most FS2004 add-ons, uninstalling means reversing the install by hand: delete the package's folders and files, remove any scenery or configuration entries it added, and restore any original files it replaced. If the add-on supplied an uninstaller, use it. If it overwrote stock files and you have no backup, repair or reinstall is usually the proper fix.