How do I update scenery add-ons in FSX?

To update scenery add-ons in FSX or FSX: Steam Edition, close the simulator, back up the active package, then apply the supplied patch to its required base version or replace the old package with the complete new release. Preserve the registered folder path, remove obsolete files and let FSX rebuild its scenery database.

Should I patch the old scenery or replace it?

Use an incremental patch only with the exact base version it was designed to update; use a clean replacement when the download is a complete package. A mistake we see constantly is merging a full release into an old folder, leaving outdated .bgl files active alongside their replacements.

If the documentation says to retain a particular configuration file or user option, save that item separately and restore only what is named. Do not carry the whole old Scenery folder into a clean release.

How do I update FSX scenery manually?

A safe manual update keeps a complete rollback copy while ensuring FSX can see only one active version of the scenery.

1. Read the included instructions before copying anything. Establish whether the download is a patch, full package or installer, and check whether it requires a particular earlier release. A small archive is not automatically a patch; inspect its documentation and folder contents.
2. Identify the active scenery folder. Open Settings > Scenery Library, find the package and record its area name, enabled state and priority. Inspect the folder associated with that entry rather than assuming it is under the default Addon Scenery directory. Our guide to checking and managing add-on areas in the FSX Scenery Library explains how to verify and re-register a path.
3. Record package-specific options. Note any selected seasons, runway configurations, static-aircraft choices or optional files controlled by a scenery configurator. A full replacement may reset those choices.
4. Back up the complete package. Copy its parent folder somewhere outside the simulator and every active scenery area. If the documentation identifies supporting files elsewhere, such as an airport elevation adjustment or a shared library component, back those up as well.
5. Close FSX and its scenery tools. The simulator, add-on managers and package configurators should not be running while files are replaced.
6. Apply the correct update method. For a patch, copy the supplied files over the supported base version exactly as directed. For a complete release, move or delete the old package and install the replacement into a clean folder. Never overwrite stock FSX scenery unless the package explicitly requires it and you have backed up every affected file.
7. Check the final folder structure. A registered package folder normally contains Scenery and, when needed, Texture. Register the folder immediately above them. Accidental nesting such as PackageName\PackageName\Scenery prevents FSX from finding the scenery.
8. Confirm the Scenery Library entry. Keep the existing entry if the replacement uses exactly the same folder path. If the path or package name changed, disable the old area before adding the new one. Do not create a second entry pointing to the same folder.
9. Restart FSX and test the location. Allow any scenery database update to finish. Check the airport or region for the expected runway layout, buildings, ground textures, terrain level and night or seasonal textures affected by the update.

FSX is not Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024: it does not use a Community folder or Content.xml. FSX scenery is loaded through its Scenery Library or by an add-on's own installer and configuration system.

What if the update uses an automatic installer?

An automatic installer must point to the same FSX installation that owns the active Scenery Library entry. This matters when boxed FSX and FSX: Steam Edition coexist, or when Steam is installed on a custom drive.

Do not trust a success message alone. Inspect the installed folder and confirm that the expected files and Library entry exist. If you cannot identify the destination, our explanation of where FSX: Steam Edition scenery and payware files may be stored covers custom Steam libraries and externally registered folders.

Use the installer's repair, update or removal function when its documentation requires it. Uninstalling a complete scenery product merely to apply a patch can remove shared object libraries or optional components that the patch expects to find.

Do I need to add the updated scenery to the Library again?

No, not if the updated files remain at the same registered path. A Scenery Library entry points to the package folder, so replacing files inside that folder does not normally require another entry.

If the replacement uses a differently named folder, disable the old area and add the new one. Airport scenery generally needs a higher priority than broad regional or base scenery covering the same location, but exclusions and terrain products can require a package-specific arrangement. Use our guidance on setting FSX scenery priority when packages overlap rather than moving entries at random.

Direct editing of scenery.cfg is rarely necessary for a routine update. If an entry disappears, will not remain enabled or has been removed with the old package, follow the steps for recovering missing FSX Scenery Library entries instead of adding several duplicates.

Why does FSX still show the old or broken scenery?

Old or damaged scenery usually means that another copy remains active, the update went to the wrong installation, or FSX cannot see the intended folder structure.

• No visible change: compare the update destination with the folder registered in the Scenery Library. Also check whether another version of the airport has higher priority.
• Double runways or buildings: two airport packages, AFCAD-style files or versions of the same scenery are active. Disable the known old area first; do not delete vaguely named .bgl files on a guess.
• Default scenery shows through: an exclusion or airport-layout file may be missing, nested incorrectly or overridden by a higher-priority package.
• Airport is sunken, raised or surrounded by a plateau: an old elevation-adjustment file may remain outside the package's main folder. Some legacy scenery places such files in a global scenery area. Remove or replace one only when the package documentation identifies it; never experiment on similarly named stock files.
• Black, white or missing textures: confirm that the required Texture folder is beside Scenery. The update may also depend on a separately installed object library or texture set.
• FSX crashes near the location: restore the backup before changing graphics settings. A patch applied to the wrong release, a mixed set of .bgl files or an incomplete dependency is the more likely cause.
• Options have reverted: run the package's configurator again and reselect the supported runway, season or static-aircraft options. Do this only after the update has finished.

Do not begin by deleting global scenery indexes. That cannot fix a duplicate active package or a bad folder path, and FSX will simply index the same conflict again.

How do I roll back a failed scenery update?

Close FSX, remove the failed update completely and restore the full backup to its original folder path. Copying the backup over the failed version is less reliable because obsolete update files can remain behind.

The existing Scenery Library entry can stay if the restored path is unchanged. If the update created a new area, disable or remove that entry and restore the old area's enabled state and priority. Reinstate any documented external elevation or configuration files that were changed with the package.

When an installer modified shared object libraries or files used by several products, use its repair or removal process. Deleting shared files manually can repair one airport while breaking several others.