Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most popular and iconic flight simulator games available. But recently, the users of MSFS have been complaining about the flight simulator getting stuck.
It happens during gameplay and on the loading screen, causing frustration and interrupting the simulator experience.
So what should you do if the flight simulator is stuck?
Firstly, you can give Microsoft Flight Simulator admin privileges to get it running. Secondly, repair the corrupted game files of MSFS. Thirdly, updating OS and graphics drivers can also be a fix. Fourthly, clear cache files to fix this problem. Finally, whitelist MSFS on your security systems.
That’s not everything though. Read till the end to find out how to get it running smoothly again!
Microsoft Flight Simulator Stuck: Quick Fixes
Before heading on to the more complex problems, let’s traverse through some quick fixes. You may just get the stuck simulator running again by implementing these quick fixes!
Restart the Simulator:
This is quick fix 101 for any hardware/software-related problems. The Microsoft Flight Simulator getting stuck is part of the software metrics.
Simply restart the simulator for this. You can do it by pressing control + F4 on your keyboard. That will exit the simulator. After that, reopen the simulator again by launching the Microsoft Flight Simulator.
However, if the screen fails to respond, launch the task manager. Press control + alt + del and select ‘task manager’.
From there, select the process corresponding to the Microsoft Flight Simulator and hit ‘end task’. Doing so will forcefully close the application.
Restart the PC:
Rebooting your PC can also fix this issue. You can reboot the PC manually by hitting the ‘restart’ button on your CPU. But the safest way to restart your PC would be to restart it from the start menu.
Check Internet Connection:
In the majority of cases, the flight simulator gets stuck because of a poor internet connection. You can be sure of this by checking your internet connection for functionality.
You may just be disconnected from the internet itself. If the flight simulator’s live weather isn’t working, be sure there’s no internet.
Additionally, you can also check your internet connection speed on sites like fast.com. Your internet might be too slow to load up the necessary connections and materials. Microsoft recommends 50mb/s internet for a smooth flight simulator experience.
In both these cases, call your ISP and let them know the issue. They’ll fix it for you!
5 Reasons and Solutions behind Flight Simulator Getting Stuck
If the quick fixes aren’t working for you, don’t worry. There are a few common reasons that put the flight simulator into a loop. I’ve included the relevant reasons and solutions below, take a look!
Reason 1: Missing Administrator Privileges
Some applications of the Windows operating system need extra privileges to gain full functionality; especially game launchers. Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of them. It may be stuck because of the lacking administrator privileges.
Solution: Allow Administrator Privileges
You can solve this problem by giving administrator privileges to the flight simulator. If you’re launching the simulator from the MS store-
First, launch the MS store and search for ‘flight simulator’. A menu will appear on the screen. From the menu, select ‘Run as administrator’. This will launch the MSFS along with admin privileges.
If you launch the Microsoft Flight Simulator from steam, do the following-
- Firstly, launch steam and go to the library section.
- After that, right-click on the simulator and go to ‘properties’ and then click ‘local files’.
- Then, click on ‘Browse local files’ and find the FlightSimulator.exe file.
- Finally, right-click on it and go to ‘properties’ and then to ‘compatibility’. There should be a checkbox that says ‘Run this program as an administrator’.
Check this box and apply the settings. Now your flight simulator has administration privileges!
You can also do this via the search box on your taskbar. Search ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’. Then, right-click on it and select ‘Run as Administrator’.
Reason 2: Corrupted Game Files
Over time, files of your operating system may get corrupted. There are a few reasons behind corrupted files. Although it’s unfortunate, corrupted flight simulator files can make it stuck.
Solution: Repair Corrupted Files
Corrupted files of the Microsoft flight simulator can be repaired by scanning the game files on the disk. If you’re using steam,
- Start by following the first and second steps of the previous solution.
- Then, click ‘verify integrity of game files’. This will let steam scan the game files. If any files are missing or outdated, steam will download and update them!
If you’ve downloaded MSFS from the Microsoft store, you can attempt the scanning from the taskbar. To do so-
- Firstly, search ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’ on the taskbar.
- Secondly, press ‘app settings’. Then click on the ‘Repair’ option. Click on it to start the scanning and repairing process.
Both these approaches may take a minute or two. After the scanning is complete, restart the Microsoft Flight Simulator to put it into effect.
Reason 3: Out-of-Date Operating System and Drivers
Constant updates of Windows are released by Microsoft to increase features and fix issues. Additionally, the network and graphics driver also plays a very critical role when it comes to gaming.
If you’re not updating your Windows system/drivers regularly, it may create problems. For instance, for outdated graphics drivers, you may inspect the Microsoft Flight Simulator not using the GPU.
Solution: Update OS and Graphics Drivers
Updating the Windows OS is quite straightforward. To do that-
- First, go to the ‘Settings’ section of your PC.
- Then, click on ‘Update and Security’ and click ‘Check for updates’. If there are any updates to the current Windows version of your PC, it will download automatically.
The update will be installed right then as well. Still, if you want to reschedule the update for a later time, do that. Restart your computer after updating.
After updating the operating system, update the graphics and network drivers of your PC. To update the network and graphics driver-
- Start by searching ‘Device manager’ in the search box of the taskbar. Select device manager.
- Then, look for the ‘Network adapters’ and right-click on it. Select ‘Search automatically for updated driver software’ and then if there’s an update, select ‘Update driver’.
- After that, expand the section of ‘Display adapters’. It should show the graphics cards your PC is equipped with. Right-click on the graphics card and hit ‘Update driver’.
You can also update your graphics card driver from their respective applications. To update your Nvidia graphics card driver, do it from the GeForce Experience app.
This video can be the perfect tutorial to update the GPU driver via the app-
To update AMD graphics cards, use the Ryzen/Radeon software to do so. Always make sure to select the optimal resolution for gaming purposes!
Reason 4: Cache Problems
Although cache files fasten the loading, temporary cache data saved for the MSFS can make it stuck. In most cases, the simulator gets stuck on the loading screen because of the cache.
Solution: Delete the Game Cache Folder
Deleting the game cache folder and game data can offer a fresh launch for the flight simulator. To do that-
- Start by pressing the Windows key + R. This will open the Run dialog box. In the dialog box, type ‘%appdata%’ and hit enter.
- Then, look for the folder titled ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’. This folder contains the game data for the simulator. Delete this folder.
- After that, go to the settings of your PC. Then click on ‘System’ and then ‘Storage’.
- Then click on ‘This PC’ and select ‘Temporary files’. Remove the files by hitting the ‘Remove files’ button.
- Finally, reboot your PC.
If deleting the game data and cache isn’t working, reinstall the Microsoft flight simulator. This will forcefully erase and download the files.
Don’t worry about the game progress though. It’s all saved on your account, which won’t be reset.
Now before I explain the next reason check – 4 flight simulator rudder issues.
Reason 5: Blocked by Security Systems
In many scenarios, the processes of Windows defender/antiviruses can sometimes disrupt the ongoing connections of your PC. This results in the game and simulators being stuck.
Solution: Whitelist Microsoft Flight Simulator
You can whitelist the Microsoft Flight Simulator to stop antiviruses and Windows defender from interfering. To whitelist MSFS on Windows defender-
- First, search ‘Windows Defender Firewall’ in the search box of the taskbar and click on it.
- Secondly, select ‘Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall’. Click ‘Change settings’ and scroll down to look for ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’.
- Finally, check the ‘Private’ and ‘Public’ boxes beside the ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’ and hit ‘OK’.
If your antivirus is stopping the Flight Simulator from loading, try to add it to the ‘Exclusion list’. Alternatively, you can disable the antivirus temporarily.
Go to the software for your antivirus and disable it. However, don’t forget to enable the antivirus after you’re done spending your time on the simulator!
That’s all but flight simulator stuck. No I’ll discuss some FAQs but before that I am suggesting an article on – Black screen issue on Nintendo switch.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
What do I press when the Microsoft flight simulator freezes?
When Microsoft Flight Simulator freezes, you can press Alt + Tab to try switching to a different window. If there is no response on the screen, you have to force close the simulator. Try pressing the windows key to get out of the simulator. Alternatively, you may try restarting your computer.
How do I update the flight simulator?
You can update the flight simulator by the ‘Xbox Insider Hub’ app on your PC or Xbox. The app can be installed from the Microsoft store. From the app, click ‘Previews’ on the left panel. Then, select ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator Beta’ and select ‘Join’ or ‘Manage’. After that, select ‘MSFS sim update 10’ and click save to update it.
Can I play the Microsoft flight simulator offline?
Yes, you can play the Microsoft Flight Simulator offline. However, you need to install the offline mode to do that. Go to the Xbox app and select ‘Microsoft Flight Simulator’ from the top-right corner. Then, choose ‘Manage installation’ and select the checkbox for ‘World – Offline Mode’. Then, you can play MSFS offline!
The Final Words
Hopefully, now you are ready to troubleshoot the issue whenever you find your flight simulator stuck.
Always aim to keep your software and different drivers of your PC updated. Do it regularly to minimize a lot of other troubles as well!
Best of luck and see you soon.
