Learn how to use PMDG Operations Center in MSFS to install, update, repair and manage liveries, plus fix wrong paths and missing aircraft.
Use PMDG Operations Center to install, update, repair and manage liveries for supported PMDG aircraft bought directly for Microsoft Flight Simulator. Close MSFS, sign in with the PMDG account that owns the product, confirm the active simulator and package path, select the aircraft, then apply the offered installation or update.
What PMDG Operations Center manages in MSFS
PMDG Operations Center is the product manager for supported PMDG aircraft, components and liveries; it is not a general MSFS add-on manager.
Operations Center 3.0 introduced a more modular distribution system, so supported aircraft and components can be downloaded and tracked through the application. Our coverage of the Operations Center 3.0 distribution changes explains how that generation differs from the older workflow.
The correct maintenance route depends on where you bought the aircraft:
| Purchase source | Initial installation | Aircraft updates |
|---|---|---|
| Direct from PMDG | Operations Center or the installer supplied with that product | Operations Center |
| MSFS Marketplace | MSFS library or content system | MSFS Marketplace or content update system |
Do not mix those methods. A Marketplace licence is managed through Microsoft Flight Simulator and may not appear as a direct-purchase entitlement in Operations Center. The application also does not normally maintain unrelated add-ons or external navigation-data subscriptions.
Do I need Operations Center for the first installation?
The first-install method depends on the aircraft and its distribution generation.
Some supported products can be installed in modules through Operations Center 3.0. Older downloads may begin with a separate PMDG installer that also installs or registers Operations Center. Follow the instructions attached to that specific product rather than assuming every PMDG aircraft uses the same sequence.
If you are unsure how an installer-based aircraft differs from a package copied into Community, see our explanation of where installer-managed MSFS aircraft belong.
How to install or update a PMDG aircraft
For a supported direct-purchase aircraft, complete the installation and update with MSFS fully closed.
- Exit Microsoft Flight Simulator. Wait until the simulator has completely shut down before changing aircraft files. Do not begin an update while MSFS is loading or saving a flight.
- Open the supported Operations Center version. Allow the utility itself to update if it offers an application update. If your product download includes a separate installer, run that first when its instructions require it.
- Sign in to the owning account. Use the PMDG account under which the aircraft was purchased. A different account can open the utility successfully while showing no entitlement for the product.
- Select the correct simulator. Where both Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 are offered, choose the installation for which that aircraft is licensed and supported. PMDG product support may be introduced separately for each simulator.
- Check the package path. The path must lead to the MSFS package location the simulator is actually reading, not the executable folder or an unused
Communityfolder from an older installation. If the field asks for the Packages root, select the parent containingCommunityand the simulator’s official packages; if it specifically asks forCommunity, select that folder itself. - Select the aircraft and its components. Review the installed status and version information, then install the base product, update or optional module offered for that aircraft. Do not interrupt the application while it is writing files.
- Install liveries through the product entry. Choose the exact aircraft and variant for which the livery was made. Only import third-party liveries when they are supplied in a format supported by that Operations Center version.
- Start MSFS in Normal Mode. Community add-ons are intentionally unavailable when MSFS is launched in Safe Mode. Load a supplied PMDG livery first and confirm the aircraft appears before adding older custom liveries.
Managing PMDG liveries safely
Use Operations Center to add and remove every livery it manages, rather than deleting individual texture files from an aircraft package.
A livery built for a different PMDG model, engine option or simulator version can produce missing textures or fail to appear. If trouble begins after an aircraft update, remove the suspect custom livery, test a supplied livery, and reinstall only a confirmed compatible package. Never overwrite the aircraft’s core files to make a livery work.
Why is PMDG Operations Center not seeing my aircraft?
Missing aircraft are usually caused by the purchase source, account, simulator selection or package path rather than a failed aircraft download.
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The product is absent from Operations Center | Wrong account, Marketplace purchase or wrong simulator selected | Confirm the purchase source, sign in again and select the intended MSFS version |
| Operations Center says installed, but MSFS does not show it | Wrong package path, Safe Mode or a disabled package | Verify the active Community location and start MSFS in Normal Mode |
| An update completes, but the old build loads | Duplicate package or update applied to another MSFS installation | Search your active add-on locations for a second copy and recheck the simulator path |
| Installation stops or files fail verification | Insufficient space, blocked write access or quarantined files | Free space, review folder permissions and check security protection without disabling it globally |
| Only one livery is broken | Outdated or incompatible livery | Remove that livery through Operations Center and test a supplied one |
A mistake we see constantly is choosing a convenient-looking Community folder rather than the one MSFS is using. This often happens after moving the package library, reinstalling the simulator or switching between MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024.
External add-on library tools can also create junctions or symbolic links into Community. Do not point Operations Center at an arbitrary storage library unless the utility explicitly asks for it; it needs the active MSFS destination it can recognise and write to.
Should I repair or reinstall the PMDG aircraft?
Use repair or verification first for missing, damaged or interrupted files; reinstall only when repair repeatedly fails or the package was installed to the wrong simulator location.
- Choose repair or verification after an interrupted update, a security quarantine or unexplained missing files.
- Reinstall a livery only when the fault affects one paint scheme but supplied liveries work.
- Reinstall the aircraft when its core package remains damaged, its path has changed, or Operations Center cannot reconcile the installed files.
Uninstall through Operations Center when that option is available, then restart the application before reinstalling. Do not delete the whole Community folder or any official package directory. Our safe aircraft removal procedure for MSFS covers the checks needed to avoid leaving duplicate packages behind.
Can I update PMDG aircraft from inside MSFS?
Direct-purchase PMDG aircraft should be updated through Operations Center, while Marketplace copies use Microsoft Flight Simulator’s own content update route.
Using the wrong channel can leave an old package untouched or create duplicate files. After updating, compare the version reported by Operations Center with any version information exposed by the aircraft, then test a supplied livery before restoring custom content.
Operations Center does not normally need to remain open while flying. Once installation and version checks are complete, close it and launch MSFS normally.