Find MSFS 2024 UserCfg.opt paths for Steam, Microsoft Store and Xbox app, then restore a missing file without redownloading packages.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 stores UserCfg.opt in your Windows profile, not beside the simulator executable. Steam uses %APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\UserCfg.opt; the Microsoft Store/Xbox app uses %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\UserCfg.opt. If it is missing, launch the sim, reach the main menu, apply one graphics change, then exit normally to regenerate it.
What are the exact MSFS 2024 UserCfg.opt paths?
The correct location depends on the PC platform from which Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 was installed.
| PC version | UserCfg.opt path |
|---|---|
| Steam | %APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\UserCfg.opt |
| Microsoft Store, Xbox app or PC Game Pass | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\UserCfg.opt |
Paste the relevant path into File Explorer's address bar. The environment variable takes you into the correct Windows account even though AppData is normally hidden. If Windows hides known file extensions, the file may appear simply as UserCfg.
Moving the simulator or its packages to another drive does not move this configuration file. UserCfg.opt remains under your Windows profile and records the separate InstalledPackagesPath. Our comparison of UserCfg.opt locations in MSFS 2020 and 2024 explains the difference if both simulators are installed.
How do I restore a missing UserCfg.opt file?
The safest restoration method is to let MSFS 2024 generate a fresh file rather than downloading or manually creating one.
- Close the simulator completely. Confirm that it is no longer running in the background before changing configuration files.
- Open the correct folder. Use the Steam or Microsoft Store/Xbox app path shown above.
- Restore a known-good backup if available. Copy it into this folder and name it exactly
UserCfg.opt. Avoid accidentally creatingUserCfg.opt.txt. - Otherwise, launch MSFS 2024. If it asks where to place packages, select your existing packages folder rather than accepting a new default location blindly.
- Reach the main menu. Open the graphics settings, change and apply a harmless option, then change it back if required. This forces a configuration write.
- Exit using the simulator's normal quit command. Reopen the configuration folder and check that
UserCfg.optnow exists with a new modification time.
Regeneration uses default local graphics values. If the file exists but appears corrupted, renaming it to UserCfg.opt.bak is safer than deleting it; follow our safe graphics-configuration reset procedure for the full process.
Why is UserCfg.opt not being recreated?
A missing file that never returns usually means MSFS cannot complete a successful configuration write.
- Wrong folder: Steam and Microsoft Store/Xbox app installations do not share the same configuration directory.
- Different Windows account: Each account has its own
AppDatafolders. - The simulator is crashing: MSFS may not save the new file if it closes during startup or is forcibly terminated.
- Write access is blocked: Check that your Windows account can modify the configuration folder and that security software is not blocking the simulator.
- The file only looks absent: Enable file-name extensions and look for a file displayed as
UserCfg.
If graphics and other preferences also revert after every launch, use our fixes for MSFS 2024 settings that will not save. Do not download another user's file: it can contain unsuitable graphics values and a packages path that does not exist on your PC.
Will restoring UserCfg.opt delete my packages or controls?
Regenerating UserCfg.opt does not delete installed aircraft, scenery or package files, but it can remove the pointer to a custom packages folder.
If MSFS suddenly proposes a large download after regeneration, stop and verify the existing package location instead of downloading everything again. You can find the active packages folder and check InstalledPackagesPath before continuing.
The file primarily holds local display, graphics and installation-path information; it is not the package store or the main controller-binding file. Restoring a backup can recover previous graphics values, but copying one from MSFS 2020 or another computer can introduce invalid paths and unsuitable settings.
Can console users access UserCfg.opt?
No. UserCfg.opt is part of the Windows PC installation. Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5 and PS5 Pro users cannot browse or replace it and must manage graphics or local data through the simulator and console interfaces.