Microsoft goes global with its latest entry into the Microsoft Flight Simulator franchise, coming off a more than ten-year hiatus with a groundbreaking leap into virtual aviation. With every inch of the real world, fueled by satellite imagery and artificial intelligence, the title carries a unique premise with critical acclaim.
While Microsoft Flight Simulator proved to be an impressive leap, the release was not smoothly delivered. Debuting on Windows PCs saw issues affecting downloads and content delivery, making some troublesome get started next launch day. Microsoft was envious of tackling many, already rolling out multiple fixes behind the scenes, but is constantly following bugs and issues. We have packaged the most common so far, in addition to all the responses from the Microsoft Flight Simulator development team.
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Top bugs, issues and solutions for Microsoft Flight Simulator
With Microsoft Flight Simulator now available, some players may experience unexpected hiccups while trying to play. While the first post-launch update will be detailed on August 27, we’ve compiled the most common bugs and issues that are currently in effect.
Slow download speeds
The primary issue for new installations of Microsoft Flight Simulator depends on its content system, which downloads most game data outside of the Microsoft Store and Steam. While the initial download weighs only a few GB, the opening of the title presents a “Content Manager” with another 100GB to install on your PC. Although expected with a hefty 150 GB storage requirements, slow download speeds have caused havoc.
Microsoft has acknowledged reports because it suggests that users try a tool solution using Command Prompt. After a restart, many speeds have improved.
- Type Command in the Windows search bar. Look for Command Prompt.
- Select Run as an administrator in the side menu.
- Type
netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal - Parse Enter.
- Restart your PC.
After completing the steps, restart Microsoft Flight Simulator and continue your download.
Further steps to confirm your download speed of Microsoft Flight Simulator can be found through our dedicated troubleshooting guide.
Endless blue loading bar at startup
Microsoft has also recognized user reports for an infinite load bar when introducing Microsoft Flight Simulator for the first time. While a fix is still in place, it advises users to restart the game or restart the title as administrator, which the holdup sometimes loses.
Error message ‘Please insert’
Some Microsoft Flight Simulator players encountered an error message asking users to insert their disk, despite purchasing a physical version of a game. The issue has since been fixed.
Deluxe, Premium Deluxe content missing (fixed)
Those who purchased the editions of Microsoft Flight Simulator Deluxe and Premium Deluxe sometimes failed to access exclusive aircraft and airports bundled with their respective versions via Steam. Microsoft has acknowledged the issue by providing the following solution.
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- Unsubscribe from Steam.
- Restart Steam.
- Start Microsoft Flight Simulator.
- Try the in-game market. The Deluxe or Premium Deluxe content will be downloadable.
When downloading your own content, your bonus flights and airports should be accessible.
Other issues with Microsoft Flight Simulator
Developer, Asobo Studio, also gave an overview of other currently known bugs for Microsoft Flight Simulator at launch. These issues will be addressed with the release version, available from August 18th.
Black screen when pasted on the ‘Press any key’ screen
Black screen shows after downloading the extra data from the content manager.
When you click the Continue button after downloading Content Manager’s GiBs, a black screen will appear gray for a few moments. After that ends, the screen turns black for a few extra moments.
Stuck on the ‘Please’ screen
Some users are stuck on the Content Manager screen while trying to download the game. It will either be stuck on a particular file or stuck on “Please wait …”.
Restarting the app, reinstalling the game, or deleting the OneStore or Packages folder will repair the process for some users.
Microsoft Flight Simualtor download sticker on ‘pc-fs-base-bigfiles-0.1.59.fspackage’
The content manager is stuck in a download slot on the “pc-fs-base-bigfiles-0.1.59.fspackage” and is not progressing (about 17 GB in installation).
A potential job that works for some is to close Microsoft Flight Simulator, find the latest downloaded files on your designated drive: MSFS Official OneStore and delete them. Restart the title and it will try to download again.
Some have also downloaded the content from another machine and copied it locally. We are working on this issue and will keep you posted.
Unable to open Microsoft Flight Simulator with Windows Insider builds
This is an error where the launcher will produce an error code when attempting to install. We are working with the Windows Store team to resolve this issue.
Workaround: Try installing the Xbox App to launch the sim instead.
- Type in the Windows Search Bar in the Microsoft Store and click to open the Microsoft Store App
- Find ‘Xbox’ in the store’s search bar and click on the Xbox (Beta) App.
- Install this app, log in and try to start Microsoft Flight Simulator.
We will update this list in the coming days as new bugs surface and fixes arrive. Experiencing an issue that is not included in this list? Let us know in the comments section below.
