What is FS Recorder, and how do I use it in FSX?

FS Recorder is a freeware module for Microsoft Flight Simulator X (FSX and FSX: Steam Edition) that records aircraft movement as replay data, not video. Install the module, record a flight from its Add-ons menu, stop and save it, then replay the file normally or as traffic you can fly alongside.

En breve: FS Recorder es un complemento gratuito para FSX que graba el movimiento del avión y lo reproduce dentro del simulador; no crea un vídeo.

What does FS Recorder actually record?

FS Recorder stores sampled aircraft movement and supported simulator data in a recording commonly saved with the .frc extension. During playback, FSX reproduces the recorded position, attitude and visible aircraft movement, letting you change views or watch the flight from outside.

It is not a screen recorder. An .frc file contains no finished video, commentary or general computer audio. It also does not preserve every cockpit switch, gauge value, weather condition or custom system used by a complex add-on aircraft.

A mistake we see constantly is treating the recorder file as though it were an MP4 or a saved FSX flight. These are three different things: an FSX flight restores a scenario, FS Recorder supplies movement for an in-simulator replay, and a video captures the pictures and sound produced while that replay runs.

Older references often write the name as FSRecorder without a space. In this context, that means the same FS Recorder module for FSX.

Does FS Recorder work with FSX: Steam Edition or MSFS 2020?

The module is designed for boxed FSX and can run in FSX: Steam Edition when installed against the correct simulator, but it cannot run in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

• Boxed FSX: yes. Use the FSX package and follow its instructions for the installed FSX service level.
• FSX: Steam Edition: yes, with installation caveats. The older installer may fail to detect Steam Edition or may register the module in a configuration folder left by boxed FSX.
• MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024: no. These simulators do not load FSX modules through dll.xml. If a search for an MSFS 2020 flight recorder brought you here, use a recorder explicitly built for MSFS 2020 and your platform; do not put this FSX module in the MSFS Community folder.
• Other simulators: do not assume compatibility. Recorder modules and their file formats are tied to particular simulator families and versions.

How do I install FS Recorder in FSX?

Install FS Recorder while FSX is closed, targeting the exact folder containing the copy of fsx.exe that you actually launch.

1. Get the FSX package. Our FS Recorder v1.3 download, installation notes and included manual provide the required module and its package-specific instructions.
2. Extract the archive first. Do not run the installer from inside the compressed download. Extract everything to a temporary folder so supporting files and documentation remain available.
3. Find the active FSX directory. Select the main folder containing fsx.exe, not Addon Scenery, the saved-flight folder or a similarly named directory from an older installation.
4. Use the supplied installer where possible. If manual installation is necessary, back up dll.xml before adding the module entry and copy the exact XML structure from the included manual.
5. Check the correct configuration folder. Boxed FSX normally reads %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX\dll.xml. Steam Edition may use that location or %APPDATA%\Microsoft\FSX-SE\dll.xml, depending on whether boxed FSX has also been installed on the computer.
6. Start FSX and review its security prompts. Approve the module only when its name and location match the package you intended to install.
7. Load a flight and inspect the menu. Press Alt if the FSX menu bar is hidden, then look under Add-ons for the FS Recorder submenu.

Save recordings somewhere writable, such as a folder under Documents. The FSX installation directory is often protected by Windows, so it is a poor location for files you expect to create and replace regularly.

How do I record and replay a flight in FSX?

Use the FS Recorder command shortly before the segment you want to keep, fly it at normal simulator rate, stop the recording through the module, and then load the resulting recorder file for playback.

1. Prepare the scenario. Select the aircraft, airport, parking position or runway, weather and time. Allow the aircraft and scenery to finish loading before recording.
2. Start recording. Open Add-ons, select FS Recorder and choose its recording command. Labels and options can differ slightly between package revisions.
3. Choose the recording options and file location. When prompted, use a recognisable name and a writable local folder. The save prompt may appear at a different stage depending on the module revision.
4. Fly the required section. Keep the simulator at normal rate. Avoid changing aircraft, entering Slew mode, reloading scenery or making other major changes to the simulation state.
5. Stop through FS Recorder. Do not simply close FSX. Stopping normally gives the module an opportunity to finalise the recording.
6. Load the saved file. Choose ordinary playback when you want to review the recorded aircraft. Choose traffic playback when you want the recording to appear as another aircraft while you keep control of your own.

The best results come from replaying with the same aircraft model and scenery. FS Recorder can reconstruct the aeroplane's path, but it cannot rebuild environmental or add-on system data that was never stored.

Which FSX replay method should I use?

Use FS Recorder for saved and reusable flight data, FSX Instant Replay for a quick review of the last few moments, and screen capture when the required result is a shareable video.

The FSX replay buffer is temporary and bounded. It is useful immediately after an event, but it cannot open an .frc recording or recover an earlier flight after the relevant replay data has gone.

Is FS Recorder the same as FSReplay?

No. FSReplay is a separate product name, while “FS replay” can also be a generic description of replaying a flight. Installation instructions, compatibility claims and recording files for one recorder should not be assumed to work with another.

Can FS Recorder create formation flights?

Yes. FS Recorder can play a completed flight as traffic while you fly another aircraft beside it, making it useful for formation passes and multi-aircraft displays.

1. Record the lead aircraft. Include a stable section before the formation begins so you have time to position the next aircraft.
2. Reset to a common starting situation. Keep the same scenery and simulator rate.
3. Load the lead recording as traffic. Confirm that it appears and moves correctly before beginning the next pass.
4. Fly and record the wing aircraft. Repeat the process if more aircraft are required.

These aircraft are replay objects rather than ordinary FSX AI following flight plans or ATC instructions. Every additional detailed model increases the rendering and processing load, so reduce unrelated AI traffic or scenery demand if playback becomes uneven. Disabling crash detection can also prevent a close formation pass from ending the session.

Why is FS Recorder missing or replaying incorrectly?

A missing FS Recorder menu usually means the module did not load; inaccurate playback more often points to changed aircraft, scenery, simulator rate or system state.

I cannot see the menu — “no veo el menú”

Press Alt to reveal FSX's menu bar; if FS Recorder is still absent under Add-ons, check the module installation rather than reinstalling the entire simulator.

• Wrong FSX folder: verify that the installer targeted the directory containing the active fsx.exe.
• Wrong dll.xml: boxed and Steam installations can read different configuration folders, particularly when both have existed on the same PC.
• Malformed XML: one missing or misplaced tag can stop FSX loading the recorder or modules listed after it. Restore your backup and reapply the manual's exact entry.
• Security prompt declined: use the package manual's trust-recovery procedure rather than deleting every FSX configuration file.
• File blocked or quarantined: check whether Windows or security software prevented the installer from copying or loading the module. Confirm the file came from the expected package before allowing it.
• Missing prerequisite or wrong build: use the FSX-specific module and satisfy any service-pack or legacy component requirement stated in the included documentation.

Why does the replay look different from the recorded flight?

Replay differences occur because FS Recorder reproduces stored movement but does not restore the entire simulator and aircraft state.

• Wrong model or animations: install and select the aircraft used for the recording. Custom gauges, doors, lights and systems may not return to their original positions.
• Aircraft floating or below the runway: restore the same airport scenery and terrain mesh. A changed runway elevation moves the ground but not the recorded flight path.
• Jerky or jumping playback: return to normal simulator rate and reduce demanding AI, scenery or aircraft settings so FSX can deliver steadier frames.
• Different weather or surrounding traffic: ordinary weather, ATC and unrelated AI are not necessarily included in the recorder data.
• Recording will not open: confirm that it is an FS Recorder file rather than a file from another replay product, copy it to a writable local folder and check that the recording was stopped normally before FSX closed.
• Cockpit indications are wrong: treat FS Recorder as a visual flight-path replay. Complex aircraft may need to be loaded and configured separately before their panels and systems look convincing.