A lot of people have complained about how terrible the latest update has been for them, and hopefully now that we have the hot fix the sim will run as it should. But what I can't understand, and it seems to have happened to me every time there is an update or a hot fix, is why Microsoft have made it so difficult to find and download the hot fix? I thought it was just me, but it seems many have had to struggle to get what should be very simple accomplished. Why do we have to go to the Microsoft Store, sign in, then find the right page to get the hot fix, then find the right three little dots?? Creating, maintaining and upgrading a sophisticated complex simulation like MSFS2020 is no doubt difficult. But itt should not be that difficult to come up with a simple method for the users to download and install a hotfix. For example why not have it in the program itself, so that when you start the game you see a notice that a hotfix is available and have a simple "button" right on the screen to click?

37 minutes ago, AviatorMan said:

Why do we have to go to the Microsoft Store, sign in, then find the right page to get the hot fix, then find the right three little dots??

Because there are code changes and then content/data changes. My understanding is that the Store updates address application code changes. The updates in the game address the latter.

Not sure why people are having issues. The Store should look for and install updates to store managed apps every time you reboot. If needed, I go to “Store” from search and then click the ellipses, and then “Get Updates” and “Download and Install.”

All of that happens within a minute or two. 

Edited August 7, 20214 yr by neil0311

1 hour ago, neil0311 said:

I go to “Store” from search and then click the ellipses, and then “Get Updates” and “Download and Install.”

A great many of us do exactly the same, nothing to d/l so go to installed programmes click on MSFS, again no update, back to the 3 dots click on updates, nothing there, backwards and forwards until it actually finds an update. I can understand it being frustrating for some folk.

If you have a problem then obviously check the internet connection. It's not rocket science to update flight sim via the Store.  Don't post new threads on it.

It is absolutely possible to have the hotfix automatically recognized and installed when MSFS launches.   That's how it works with the Steam version.  I came home from work last night, clicked the desktop icon to launch MSFS, it went through the usual startup where it checks for updates, and voila, there I was running the 1.18.15 version.  Had a couple of great short flights to test it out before going to bed drunk in my underwear as usual. Easy peasy.

 

2 hours ago, AviatorMan said:

A lot of people have complained about how terrible the latest update has been for them, and hopefully now that we have the hot fix the sim will run as it should. But what I can't understand, and it seems to have happened to me every time there is an update or a hot fix, is why Microsoft have made it so difficult to find and download the hot fix? I thought it was just me, but it seems many have had to struggle to get what should be very simple accomplished. Why do we have to go to the Microsoft Store, sign in, then find the right page to get the hot fix, then find the right three little dots?? Creating, maintaining and upgrading a sophisticated complex simulation like MSFS2020 is no doubt difficult. But itt should not be that difficult to come up with a simple method for the users to download and install a hotfix. For example why not have it in the program itself, so that when you start the game you see a notice that a hotfix is available and have a simple "button" right on the screen to click?

Because Windows Store is badly designed.  Microsoft has user interface experts working there.  But somehow, the team in charge of Windows Store are terrible at designing a user interface and/or they didn't get proper consulting from the user interface experts working at Microsoft (or the user interface experts that work at Microsoft are absolutely garbage).

Compare Windows Store to the Apple App Store.  With the Apple App Store, when you open the app, you instantly know how many apps you need to update. It's very obvious with the Apple App Store.  With the Windows Store, it's one big mess and user are often forced to run circles before they can update a game.

Having said that, the original Apple's App Store had input from Steve Jobs I think (I don't know if Steve Jobs was the lead designer behind the Apple App Store, but he definitely had a huge say in it when the original IPhone came out).  Steve Jobs was a user interface design genius.

The Windows Store is so bad, there are multiple articles written about why it's so bad:

https://www.windowscentral.com/microsoft-we-need-talk-about-microsoft-store-windows-10
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3615279/windows-10s-terrible-store-app-might-finally-get-a-much-needed-overhaul.html

Edited August 7, 20214 yr by abrams_tank

15 minutes ago, Greazer said:

If you have a problem then obviously check the internet connection. It's not rocket science to update flight sim via the Store.  Don't post new threads on it.

You might find this thread useful:

How to deal with a user whose posts you can't tolerate - Microsoft Flight Simulator (2020) - The AVSIM Community

Although I have had no trouble with the simulator once it was installed, on each occasion I have had to go searching for the update. Logging out and back in to both the XBox app and the Microsoft Store still didn't work, nor did starting MSFS from either the XBox app or the Microsoft Store the first time. Finally, on the second attempt to start it from the Microsoft Store, it did download the update. It then closed and when restarted from the PC Start menu tile, it finally worked. It seems that for all of us, the experience of installing updates and then the consequences range from slightly to vastly different.

Edited August 7, 20214 yr by Reader

24 minutes ago, Espana Pete said:

A great many of us do exactly the same, nothing to d/l so go to installed programmes click on MSFS, again no update, back to the 3 dots click on updates, nothing there, backwards and forwards until it actually finds an update. I can understand it being frustrating for some folk.

I’ve never had an issue with the Store not seeing an update, so haven’t had that frustration.

I do think that some of the tinkering people do, the turning off services and tweaking registry settings, etc impacts things like this. I tend to leave my systems pretty default and vanilla, and never have these quirky issues. But that’s just a gut feeling.

Same goes for Flight Simulator. My gut says that a lot of the issues people experience are exacerbated by all the tinkering and “fixes” people read about and use. “Stand on one foot, close your eyes, say the alphabet backwards, and I swear you’ll gain 10 fps!”

I use the presets provided, only change options in the GUI, never tweak any config files, and I don’t get crashes. Coincidence? Maybe. 

MS has never been known for elegant Apple like interfaces.

It always cracks me up to quit you have to go to the start menu and then it is still a few steps. On a mac it is one mouse click.

Having said this MS has some fantastic apps like EXCEL, it can't be beat (IMHO).

I think the problems with updates and the store in general is that it is nerdy not elegant GUI.

With Microsoft we just have to live with that, unfortunately.

I love the way X-plane has everything in one folder and all you do is use that one folder to find everything. I know you can use symbolic links etc to have scenery ortho etc. on separate drives. But basically it is a very nice solution.

ORBX is another example of a pretty elegant GUI, the way it just manages everything for you in the one app.

Maybe ASOBO can start work on a better GUI and file system. But I can live with the quirks for now as long as they keep developing the may aspects of the sim that has to do with graphics, flight model, ATC, WX etc.. But it would be great at some point when things are pretty much worked out and running smoothly they could put a team on the GUI and file system. But it would not surprise me if that never happens, it is MS based after all. It works but is a pain and there are lots of potential problems.

Just my thoughts as I am waiting for lunch to served, between flights.

Edited August 7, 20214 yr by 177B