Workarounds for Microsoft Flight Simulator slow download times, launch error and others

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microsoft flight simulator 2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator VR

microsoft flight simulator 2020 Microsoft Flight Simulator VR

The most anticipated Microsoft Flight Simulator game was released yesterday. Unfortunately, some gamers are unable to play this game due to download and launch issues. Microsoft has recently posted some workarounds for some of the most common issues. Find the details below.

Stuck Loading on Blue Bar:

If your sim stops loading and the blue bar gets stuck, please try the following workarounds:

  • Exit out of Microsoft Flight Simulator (alt+F4) and relaunch the title one or two times
  • Try running the sim as an Administrator

180361: Unable to Launch Sim on Insider/Pre-release Version of Windows:

This is an error where the launcher will produce an error code when trying to begin installation. We are working with the Windows Store team to resolve this issue.

Workaround: Try installing the Xbox App to launch the sim instead.

  1. In the Windows Search Bar, type in Microsoft Store and click to open the Microsoft Store App
  2. Search โ€˜Xboxโ€™ in the search bar of the store and click on the Xbox (Beta) App.
  3. Install this app, sign in, and try to launch Microsoft Flight Simulator.

157881: Slow Download Times:

We are aware that many users are experiencing slow download times. We recommend the below steps to help increase speeds.

If you are experiencing slow download speed when downloading Microsoft Flight Simulator, please do the following:

  • In the Windows search bar, type Command and look for โ€˜Command Promptโ€™
  • In the menu select โ€œRun as administratorโ€
  • Enter:ย netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=normal
  • Pressย enter
  • Reboot your computer

We also recommend doing the following:

  • Close the app and restart it rather than letting it hang. Note: the download will resume from where it left off (you will not have to download from the start again)
  • Avoid using WiFi when updating. Try using an ethernet cable instead.
  • Turn off any security software that may be interfering (UAC, Antivirus, Firewall).
  • Change the installation repository (from C: to D: for instance) or try creating a new installation folder in the drive of your choice (for instance create “MSFS” in your C: drive)

If you want buy the Microsoft Flight Simulator game, check it out here.

Source: Microsoft

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