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Private, browser-local player worksheet

Build a precise Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) troubleshooting note

Record the variables that change the correct support route. Your entries stay in this page until you choose to copy the note; they are not uploaded or saved. Never enter passwords, recovery codes, payment details, or another player's personal data.

Suggested next step

Confirm the 2020 simulator and install source; move add-ons reversibly and avoid global Windows changes as a first step.

Game: Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020)
Guide: MSFS 2020 Won't Load: Isolate Add-ons Without Deleting the Original (microsoft-flight-simulator-2020-addons-vanilla-isolation)
Platform/storefront: Not recorded
Symptom category: Community add-on isolation
Displayed build/version: not recorded
Recent change: none recorded
Observed result (redact personal data): not recorded
Safe next check: Confirm the 2020 simulator and install source; move add-ons reversibly and avoid global Windows changes as a first step.

This is an editorial worksheet, not official support, automated diagnosis, a game-state check, or a promise of recovery. Use the guide's cited sources and current client as authority.

Run the least destructive isolation pass

  1. Record whether the failure occurs before the menu, during a flight load or only with one aircraft/airport.
  2. Identify MSFS 2020 and the installation type (Microsoft Store/Game Pass, Steam or disc); do not use a 2024 path.
  3. Close the simulator and copy or move the Community folder to a temporary backup location using the matching path from Microsoft's article.
  4. Launch the same aircraft/airport with Community content absent and compare the result once.
  5. If the base sim works, restore content in small groups; if it still fails, preserve the observation and continue to the official support route.

References: Microsoft Flight Simulator Support: Restore MSFS to vanilla state

Path and result matrix

Store/installCommunity folder starting point in Microsoft's articleInterpretation
Microsoft Store/Game Pass%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\CommunityMove only after confirming the actual custom install path
Steam%APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\CommunityDo not assume this matches Store files
Retail disc%LOCALAPPDATA%\MSFSPackages\CommunityCustom package folders may be on another drive
Still fails in vanillaAdd-ons were not isolated as the causeCapture exact build, log, peripheral and reproduction details
Works in vanillaA removed category changed the resultReintroduce in small groups; do not name a culprit without a repeatable comparison

References: Microsoft Flight Simulator Support: Restore MSFS to vanilla state

Restore carefully and escalate with evidence

The official checklist continues through plug-ins, content.xml, marketplace content and cache. Those steps can remove configuration or downloaded files, so do not skip backups or delete broad folders based on a forum comment.

  1. If the Community-only test changes nothing, follow the current official checklist in its listed order and confirm each file's exact path first.
  2. Record which single category changes the result; add peripherals, Community packages, plug-ins and marketplace content back in stages.
  3. Keep the original add-on folder untouched until the simulator is stable and the expected content is visible.
  4. If the problem persists in vanilla mode, use the official support/bugs route with MSFS 2020, store, build and reproduction steps.

References: Microsoft Flight Simulator Support: Restore MSFS to vanilla state · Microsoft Flight Simulator player Bugs & Issues forum

Before you play

  • I confirmed this is the 2020 simulator, not 2024.
  • I identified store/install type before opening a folder.
  • I preserved Community content before isolating it.
  • I changed one category at a time and recorded the result.
  • I treated Bugs & Issues as player reports, not verified fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Does moving Community prove an add-on is broken?

No. If the simulator changes behavior, the removed content category is implicated; test smaller groups to isolate it.

Can I use the 2020 paths for MSFS 2024?

No. These instructions explicitly concern Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020); use the 2024 support site for its separate version.

Will GamerWin inspect my installed folders?

No. The worksheet only formats what you type in the browser.

Sources & revision notes

Editorial revision: November 6, 2026; not a gameplay test date. The reference notes identify source limits and version differences.

  1. Microsoft Flight Simulator Support: Restore MSFS to vanilla state (Official)

    This support checklist is for Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020), with store-specific Community/Packages paths. It is not the separate 2024 edition's procedure; follow the staged, reversible portions and preserve add-ons before cleanup.

  2. Microsoft Flight Simulator player Bugs & Issues forum (Community)

    User reports may concern MSFS 2020 or 2024. State the exact title, build, store, package, peripherals and reproduction steps; a forum vote is not a verified fix.

What changed in this revision

November 6, 2026: first publication from Microsoft Flight Simulator Support; no simulator install or add-on folder was inspected.

How we research and correct guides

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