How To Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator 2021 Crashing To Desktop/Flight Simulator 2021 Crash to Desktop

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is an awesome game if you want to tour the world virtually with full freedom that can be downloaded on Microsoft store. But just like any new game, it sometimes crashes unexpectedly. If you are experiencing crashing issues on Flight Simulator for Microsoft 2020 and you have no idea how to fix it, this article is for you.

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashing symptoms

Crashing issues on Flight Simulator for Microsoft can vary slightly in some situations. Some may experience the game crashing straight to the desktop while others may simply find the game freezing or unresponsive. So far, these are the three common forms of crashing issues on MFS2020 that we know of:

  • MFS2020 crashes to desktop
  • MFS2020 closes by itself and show “FlightSimulator.exe has stopped working” error
  • MFS2020 crashes and stops responding or stuck on loading screen

What causes Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashing issues?

There are a number of possible reasons for Flight Simulator on Microsoft Windows 10 2020 crashing issues. Let’s discuss each of them below.

Outdated GPU drivers.

This is a common reason why some may find that their computer won’t load Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, or encounters crashing troubles from time to time. The good thing is, issues arising from this situation can easily be fixed by simply updating the GPU drivers.

Random game bug.

Others, like myself, keep every game and software updated but still experience crashing problems. Since the game was released, I’ve only experienced a handful of game crashes, usually triggered when I played around with some cockpit options. 

The game is obviously not stable enough and glitches crop up sometimes.

Corrupted game files.

For some, the cause of the problem is more serious and is brought about by damaged game files. This can happen due to a number of things such as third party program interference, malware, or software glitches. 

Hardware limitations.

Flight simulation games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is a resource-heavy game and thus requires more than decent computer specs. Even if your PC meets the minimum requirements, it may strain and eventually reach a breaking point if you put the graphics settings higher than its capability. 

Below are the minimum system requirements for this game:

  • Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
  • OS: Windows 10
  • Processor: Intel i5-4460 | AMD Ryzen 3 1200
  • Memory: 8 GB RAM
  • Graphics: NVIDIA GTX 770 | AMD Radeon RX 570
  • DirectX: Version 11
  • Storage: 150 GB available space

If you want to enjoy good video settings, we highly recommend that you upgrade your PC something higher than the specs mentioned above. You can go up to 32GB Ram for a smoother experience.

Slow or intermittent connection.

Some players may experience keeps crashing issues with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 if their internet connection is slow or constantly disconnecting. Keep in mind that this game regularly downloads data from Microsoft servers while you’re at play. If your internet connection speed is not enough or keeps dropping, the system may hit a snag and crash unexpectedly.

How to fix Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashing issues

If you regularly find Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashing, these are the possible solutions that you can try to fix it:

  1. Keep everything up-to-date.

    The simplest way to fix Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 bugs is to ensure that the game is fully updated. Make sure that you let the system update the game before loading it again after a crash. 
    The game will normally run a quick update check before loading the main menu so all you have to do is to allow it to do so. 
    It’s also not a bad idea to make sure that you update the rest of your software (other apps and Windows OS) at this time.MFS2020 checking for updates

  2. Ensure your PC meets system requirements.

    Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is demanding game and requires a good graphics capable machine to run flawlessly. Make sure that your PC is equipped to handle it by checking the minimum and recommended system requirements.
    I personally find that the mid-ranged price RTX 2060 GPU runs the game in highest settings without any issues.

  3. Check for GPU drivers.

    It is very important that your graphics card has the most recent drivers when playing Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. NVIDIA has released a special update for new games such as Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, A Total War Saga: TROY, and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2. 
    How To Check For AMD GPU Driver UpdatesNVIDIA drivers for MFS2020

  4. Reboot your PC.

    Sometimes, a simple restart is enough to fix random bugs. Make sure that you shut the PC down for at least 30 seconds before playing the game again.

  5. Troubleshoot the Xbox one app.

    Some players have reached out to us to share that they were able to fix crashing issues on Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 by fixing the Xbox app. 
    These are the 4 things that you can do to troubleshoot the Xbox app:
    -Terminate
    -Repair
    -Reset
    -Uninstall.
    To access these troubleshooting options:
    -Press the Windows button at the lower left corner,
    -Search for the Xbox app,
    Right click on the Xbox app, and
    -Select App settings.
    The first thing that you want to do is to use the Terminate option. This will force close the Xbox app including all its related processes like a virtual memory for Xbox game. Because Microsoft Flight Simulator needs the Xbox app to be running in the background, this will also force the game to quit.
    If the Terminate option won’t help, the next thing that you can do is to try Repair. This is usually effective in fixing temporary or random bugs.
    In case there’s a problem with the Xbox app files, you can also try the Reset option. You must do this if the first two options mentioned above did not help.
    You should consider doing the Uninstall option if there’s still an issue with your game. As the name suggests, this one will delete the Xbox app from the system. You’ll need to install it again afterwards.Xbox app troubleshooting

  6. Verify Integrity of game files (if you’re on Steam).

    If you bought Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 from Steam, you should consider checking for possible damaged game files. You can do this by checking the integrity of the game files or manage paging file size for all drives.
    Check out this article on how to do that:
    How To Verify Integrity of Game Files To Fix Steam Issueverify game files

  7. Reinstall Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

    If none of the solutions mentioned in this guide has helped so far, you have no other choice but to try and delete and reinstall the game. This is usually effective in fixing deeper game file issues.

Suggested readings:

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One Comment

  1. LIES!!! I HAVE EVERY UPDATE! OH, IT’S YOUR PC, IT’S NOT AN i7, i9 or MORE, IT’S ALWAYS THE PC’S FAULT …THAT’S YOUR ALIBA.

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