The woes of MSFS 2020

[The Flight Level 2,119]

@Ray56 Are you giving a suggestion(s) a try?

[Ray56 4]

Automatic downloads really have sorted out the problems on more than one occasion, its like MS are aware of the issues and correct them with an automatic download, its a mystery.

At the moment it looks like reinstall is my only option, but its a lot to download and install again, a daunting task.

My community folder is empty and clean, no add ons.

[Roy Warren 434]

Sometimes the World Updates can be confusing.  It seems they change the way it's done from time to time.

For instance, I downloaded and installed the new Oceania and thought I was finished.  Even tried a flight.

The next day I thought I would check the Marketplace to see what was new.  There was my Oceania World Update.  I clicked on it and it installed.  How was I supposed to know that?

Maybe Ray56 has not completed the download.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Roy Warren

[mickatmian 52]

On 4/28/2023 at 9:51 AM, mickatmian said:

Close Microsoft Flight Simulator
In the Cortana search box, type " CMD " then select Open to open a Command Prompt
In the window that appears, copy-paste the following command (without the quotes): "start shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App -DeleteCloudSaves"
then press Enter

This will return all controls to default so you may like to save your controls by going here and save the wgs folder first.

C:\Users\<yourname>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\SystemAppData\wgs

Did you try this? It could save a full reinstall. It worked for me.

Anyway if you are going for a full reinstall what is there to lose?

Mick

[Dominique_K 10,152]

13 minutes ago, Roy Warren said:

Sometimes the World Updates can be confusing.  It seems they change the way it's done from time to time.

For instance, I downloaded and installed the new Oceania and thought I was finished.  Even tried a flight.

The next day I thought I would check the Marketplace to see what was new.  There was my Oceania World Update.  I clicked on it and it installed.  How was I supposed to know that?

Maybe Ray56 has not completed the download.

It has been always the same as much as I recall. A two-step process 

- Mandatory and automatic download and install are imposed to the users when you launch the sim. It contains some patches to the sim core if I am not mistaken

- an optional download, the WU proper, that you fetch in the market place and that you have to install in the content manager.

It is actually quite logical. But a little confusing I agree.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Dominique_K

[Roy Warren 434]

6 minutes ago, Dominique_K said:

 

It is actually quite logical.

Thanks for explaining this.  Somehow I was able to download and installed every world update and don't remember ever going to the Marketplace to get them.  After the initial download and install, it directs you to the Content Manager or Go Back to the main menu.  No mention of the Marketplace.  I really thought the Marketplace was for payware addons, not free updates. Not very logical to me.

 

[Dominique_K 10,152]

31 minutes ago, Roy Warren said:

Thanks for explaining this.  Somehow I was able to download and installed every world update and don't remember ever going to the Marketplace to get them.  After the initial download and install, it directs you to the Content Manager or Go Back to the main menu.  No mention of the Marketplace.  I really thought the Marketplace was for payware addons, not free updates. Not very logical to me.

 

Logical might be too strong a word 😁. What I meant is that it is logical that the patches are mandatory and the WU optional. I have the Steam version and dont remember it to be any different than in the past,

Edited April 29, 2023 by Dominique_K

[blingthinger 659]

3 hours ago, Ray56 said:

At the moment it looks like reinstall is my only option, but its a lot to download and install again, a daunting task.

The only foolproof method that I've seen of installing Asobo's baby is Steam. Using the direct M$ methods all seem susceptible to various issues at some point.

It's rather embarrassing actually. When left to its own, the maker of the "one operating system to rule them all" is more prone to messing its own pants than when 3rd parties are involved. I've watched my own father go through this. All the fixes we could find on the interwebs either didn't work or were so convoluted that he didn't bother.

Also, there's no shame in buying discs. It's a good feeling to be able to actually own hard copies of the software you bought. +1 to M$ for that option.

Edited April 29, 2023 by blingthinger

[Ray56 4]

29 minutes ago, mickatmian said:

 

I tried Mickatmian suggestion to no avail, I didn't read the save controls bit till after that, but hey, that's the least of my worries, I don't mind resetting controls, I just want it to work.

I am sure that updates have done something to my pc which seems to affect some pcs, but not all. Everything was working fine, updates came, and now MSFS doesn't work.

I managed to download about half of the latest update, which left 3 more to download, approx 5.5 GB. The download bar across the bottom of the screen would advance so far, then drop back and then do the same thing over and over again. It was past 1am so I cancelled and turned off the pc. And that was it, no more flying for me.

After the previous update - New Zealand - the loading screen would stay on Activities while the blue loading bar crept ever so slowly to the end, then nothing.

The latest automatic download solved that problem. So I downloaded the latest update - Antarctica - and now it just crashes to my desktop after just a few seconds.

[Bobsk8 12,855]

8 minutes ago, Ray56 said:

I tried Mickatmian suggestion to no avail, I didn't read the save controls bit till after that, but hey, that's the least of my worries, I don't mind resetting controls, I just want it to work.

I am sure that updates have done something to my pc which seems to affect some pcs, but not all. Everything was working fine, updates came, and now MSFS doesn't work.

I managed to download about half of the latest update, which left 3 more to download, approx 5.5 GB. The download bar across the bottom of the screen would advance so far, then drop back and then do the same thing over and over again. It was past 1am so I cancelled and turned off the pc. And that was it, no more flying for me.

After the previous update - New Zealand - the loading screen would stay on Activities while the blue loading bar crept ever so slowly to the end, then nothing.

The latest automatic download solved that problem. So I downloaded the latest update - Antarctica - and now it just crashes to my desktop after just a few seconds.

If I was faced with all these issues that almost nobody else is experiencing, uninstall and reinstall MSFS would be my solution. 

[Ray56 4]

55 minutes ago, mickatmian said:

 

I appreciate and value the comments and suggestion to reinstall, but would that mean going to all that trouble after every update? Past experience says it would.

 

[Bobsk8 12,855]

5 minutes ago, Ray56 said:

I appreciate and value the comments and suggestion to reinstall, but would that mean going to all that trouble after every update? Past experience says it would.

 

Or you could spend the next few weeks, having the same problems, with no solution in site. 

[RJC68 823]

13 minutes ago, Ray56 said:

I appreciate and value the comments and suggestion to reinstall, but would that mean going to all that trouble after every update? Past experience says it would.

 

You haven't listed any PC specs/over clocking info/Windows version/ GPU driver?

How stable is your Windows version? How much junk has Windows accumulated over time? When was the last time you did a fresh install of Windows?

So many questions, you certainly do not have to re install at every update. I built my current PC in August 2022, never crashes, zero issues with MSFS 2020, this was the same for my previous PC and I fly at least 4 times a week. New GPU upgrade 1 week ago, New World update this week, again zero issues. Been using MSFS since it was released, yes the early updates were tricky sometimes but that is a thing of the past.

I would seriously look at your Windows installation before re installing MSFS

Edited April 29, 2023 by RJC68

[Bert Pieke 7,591]

10 minutes ago, Ray56 said:

I appreciate and value the comments and suggestion to reinstall, but would that mean going to all that trouble after every update? Past experience says it would.

 

I would expect you to have the same experience as the rest of us... ie a "no trouble" update process.

[Flyfaster_MTN002 412]

Have had nothing but problems with the updates. Looking at the 'official' ratings on Xbox it looks like a lot of others have and do as well....