After Steam updated MSFS 2024 to the latest SU3 beta build, I started the sim and tried to load a flight. It hung during “Starting Flight”, so I closed the sim and restarted Windows. Since then, MSFS 2024 no longer loads — it gets stuck at 97% on the main loading screen.

Troubleshooting I’ve tried (Steam version):

• Disabled Steam Cloud and deleted local cloud data (userdata\<SteamID>\2537590).

• Deleted the entire %AppData%\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 folder.

• Searched for and removed UserCfg.opt.

• Moved Community folder out and renamed it.

• Searched for Official\Steam folders to remove possible corrupted core files.

• Verified game files via Steam.

• Tried offline launch.

• Tried starting with empty Packages location.

• complete uninstall and clean install with empty Community folder

• synced the time in settings

• reverting to official SU2

Nothing has resolved the 97% loading hang.

Looking for advice from anyone who has experienced this after the latest beta update or knows of a fix.

Thanks

Oh man, sorry to hear you're going through that. Happened to me in the beta as well, not too long ago. The reinstall did the trick for me.

Try forcing a start in Safe mode using:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/663518-is-there-way-to-force-safe-mode-in-2024/#findComment-5359436

Edited August 16, 2025Aug 16 by jcomm

Have you tried installing to a different location?

9 hours ago, jcomm said:

Try forcing a start in Safe mode using:

https://www.avsim.com/forums/topic/663518-is-there-way-to-force-safe-mode-in-2024/#findComment-5359436

Since every time it hangs i have to kill the process in task manager, every time i try to restart it it anyway asks me whether i want o start normal or safe mode. both don't results in completing load....

anyway, tried your suggestion and it didn't do anything.....

you mean to install fs2024 on a different drive or a different location on the C drive? 

I also have a D drive but it is lower volume and guess I prefer msfs2024 to be installed in the same drive of the OS....  

What is weird, is that i installed also msfs2020 to get back to flying meanwhile, but msfs2020 fresh install CTDing on loading....

I dunno what else to try

Did you check if you have Win 11 updates waiting to be installed?

9 hours ago, jcomm said:

Did you check if you have Win 11 updates waiting to be installed?

yea.

Its all updated....

 

You never said where you were trying to install, default OS drive or different drive. Have you tried adding the flight sim .exe to the Windows defender white list? Also turn off any anti virus software.

After so many troubleshooting attempts also with msgs support, that suggested me after all the attempts to reinstall my OS, I did this small thing that solved this immediately don't ask me why and how it helped;

I installed Map Enhancement Tool and selected Google Maps instead of Bing and immideletely after that the sim loaded.

Thanks to all the people replied and tried to assist

Hmmm, strange?

Are you sure you didn't try to install this or a similar mod before, because one of the ways such alternative map sources work is by altering the OS DNS file, which in Win 11 is something like:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

If you edit that file, opening Notepad as Admin you will probably find the modified DNS entries...

If you later uninstall such a mod and try to run MSFS it'll probably cause problems, who knows a CTD...

3 hours ago, jcomm said:

Hmmm, strange?

Are you sure you didn't try to install this or a similar mod before, because one of the ways such alternative map sources work is by altering the OS DNS file, which in Win 11 is something like:

C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

If you edit that file, opening Notepad as Admin you will probably find the modified DNS entries...

If you later uninstall such a mod and try to run MSFS it'll probably cause problems, who knows a CTD...

Yea part of the troubleshooting is making sure that the hosts file was fine, making sure a certain lines weren't in it. they weren't....