Find the X-Plane 12 installation folder on Windows, macOS, Linux or Steam, confirm the active copy, and put add-ons in the right place.
X-Plane 12 does not have one universal installation path: the standalone installer puts it in the folder you selected, while Steam stores it in its library. The correct root folder contains the X-Plane executable alongside Aircraft, Custom Scenery, Output and Resources. Use the methods below to locate the active copy.
Where is X-Plane 12 installed?
The X-Plane 12 installation folder depends on the edition, operating system and destination chosen during installation. Unlike software that always installs under a fixed system directory, a standalone X-Plane installation can be placed almost anywhere.
| Installation | Folder pattern | Identifying executable |
|---|---|---|
| Standalone on Windows | The destination selected in the X-Plane installer | X-Plane.exe |
| Standalone on macOS | The selected folder containing the application and simulator folders | X-Plane.app |
| Standalone on Linux | The selected directory, commonly somewhere under the home folder | X-Plane-x86_64 |
| Steam on Windows | <Steam library>\steamapps\common\X-Plane 12 | X-Plane.exe |
| Steam on macOS or Linux | <Steam library>/steamapps/common/X-Plane 12 | The platform-specific X-Plane executable |
The Steam library itself may be on another drive, so searching only the system drive can miss it. On macOS, the installation root is the folder surrounding X-Plane.app, not the contents of the application bundle.
How do I find the X-Plane 12 installation folder?
How do I find X-Plane 12 through Steam?
Steam can open the exact folder it manages, making this the most reliable method for a Steam installation.
- Open the Steam library and select X-Plane 12.
- Open its properties by right-clicking the simulator or using the management menu.
- Find the installed-files or local-files page; the wording varies between Steam client versions.
- Select Browse to open the X-Plane 12 root folder in the operating system's file manager.
How do I find a standalone copy?
A standalone installation is best located through its running executable, shortcut or a direct file search.
- Windows: run X-Plane 12, open Task Manager, right-click the X-Plane process and select the command to open its file location. Alternatively, inspect the target shown in the properties of an X-Plane shortcut.
- macOS: search in Finder for
X-Plane.appand show its enclosing folder. Do not use “Show Package Contents” when looking for the root used by aircraft, scenery and global plugins. - Linux: search for
X-Plane-x86_64. If the simulator is under your home directory, the commandfind "$HOME" -type f -name 'X-Plane-x86_64' 2>/dev/nullwill return its location. Search the relevant mounted drive instead if you installed it elsewhere.
Linux users who have not yet chosen a destination can follow our Linux installation and directory guidance to avoid permissions and path problems.
How do I know which X-Plane 12 copy is active?
The active copy is the installation whose root-level Log.txt was rewritten when you last ran the simulator. This check distinguishes a full installation from an old copy, demo, backup or abandoned folder.
- Launch X-Plane directly from the executable inside the candidate folder.
- Close the simulator normally so its files finish updating.
- Check
Log.txtin that same root folder. Its modification time should match the run you just completed. - Repeat for another candidate if your shortcut or Steam entry appears to open a different copy.
We cover the same diagnostic in our Log.txt method for distinguishing active X-Plane installations. A mistake we see constantly is installing an add-on into the first folder named X-Plane 12 without checking which executable is actually being launched.
A genuine installation root should normally contain the executable and folders such as Aircraft, Custom Scenery, Output and Resources. Finding an installer or updater by itself is not enough: downloaded installer files can be stored separately from the simulator.
Where do X-Plane 12 add-ons go?
Add-ons are installed relative to the confirmed X-Plane 12 root, not beside a desktop shortcut or inside the downloaded archive.
- Aircraft:
X-Plane 12/Aircraft - Scenery:
X-Plane 12/Custom Scenery - Global plugins:
X-Plane 12/Resources/plugins - Preferences and generated files: under
X-Plane 12/Output
Aircraft-specific plugins should remain inside the aircraft package when its instructions place them there. Scenery must also be extracted at the correct depth; an extra wrapper folder can prevent X-Plane from finding files such as Earth nav data. Our guide to the correct folder structure and ordering for downloaded scenery covers that follow-up problem.
If an add-on fails to appear, first confirm the active root with Log.txt, then check that the archive has been extracted rather than copied intact. Also make sure it was not placed in an X-Plane 11 folder, a demo installation or inside X-Plane.app on macOS.