Microsoft Flight Simulator is one of the most popular and realistic flight simulation games available today. It provides players with a incredibly detailed and realistic flight experience, allowing you to fly planes all around the world with accurate recreations of real world locations and physics.
The game is frequently updated by Microsoft with new features, improvements, and bug fixes. It’s important to keep your copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator up-to-date so that you have access to all the latest content. Plus, updates often include optimizations and fixes that improve the overall performance and stability of the game.
If you purchased Microsoft Flight Simulator from the Microsoft Store app on Windows 10 or 11, then updating the game is simple. The Microsoft Store will automatically download and install new updates in the background when they become available. All you need to do is launch the game every so often and the latest version will be ready to play.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about updating Microsoft Flight Simulator from the Microsoft Store, including:
Checking for Updates in the Microsoft Store
The easiest way to check if any new updates are available for Microsoft Flight Simulator is directly through the Microsoft Store app.
Here are the steps:
1. Open the Microsoft Store app on your Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC. You can find it in the Start Menu or search for ‘Microsoft Store’.
2. At the top right of the app window, click on the “…” button to open up your Library.
3. In your Library, find Microsoft Flight Simulator and click on it to open the game’s store page.
4. On the Flight Simulator store page, if any updates are available you will see a box that says “Update” or “Update Pending.”
5. Click the “Update” button to download and install the latest version of Flight Simulator.
Enabling Auto Updates
Instead of manually checking for updates, you can configure the Microsoft Store to automatically download and install them for Microsoft Flight Simulator in the background.
Here is how to enable auto updates:
1. Open the Microsoft Store app and click on the “…” menu button.
2. Select “Downloads and updates” from the menu.
3. On the Downloads and updates page, toggle the switch for “Update apps automatically” to the On position.
Setting | Status |
Update apps automatically | On |
With auto updates enabled, the Microsoft Store will now check for new Flight Simulator updates periodically and download them automatically without any extra steps on your part.
Manually Starting an Update Check
If you don’t want to wait for the periodic automatic check, you can also manually trigger the Microsoft Store to look for and install available updates:
1. Open the Microsoft Store app.
2. Click on the “…” menu button.
3. Select “Downloads and updates.”
4. On the Downloads and updates page, click the “Get Updates” button.
This will make the store look online and download any pending updates for your installed games and apps, including new versions of Microsoft Flight Simulator.
Checking for Updates in the Game Itself
In addition to the Microsoft Store update options, you can also check for the latest Microsoft Flight Simulator updates directly within the game itself:
1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator as normal.
2. In the main menu, click on the Marketplace icon in the top right.
3. In the Marketplace screen, click on the My Products tab.
4. On the My Products page, Microsoft Flight Simulator should be listed along with a button to “Update Now” if a new version is available.
5. Click the “Update Now” button to download and install pending game updates.
Installing Available Updates
Once the Microsoft Store detects an available update for Microsoft Flight Simulator, it will automatically begin downloading it in the background.
Here is how to complete the update installation process:
1. When the update is finished downloading, the Microsoft Store will display a box that says “Pending” with a Restart button. Click Restart to finalize the installation.
2. If your PC meets the system requirements, the Microsoft Store will then launch the update installer for Flight Simulator. Allow this installer to run.
3. The installer will apply the update changes directly to your Microsoft Flight Simulator installation. Be patient as this may take several minutes.
4. Once the installer completes, the updated version of Flight Simulator will launch automatically. You’ll now be running the latest release!
You can confirm the new version number in the main menu of Flight Simulator under the Marketplace > My Products page.
Troubleshooting Update Issues
In most cases, updating Microsoft Flight Simulator through the Microsoft Store is a smooth process. But occasionally you may encounter problems that interrupt the update installation.
Here are some tips for troubleshooting and resolving potential update issues:
– Check that your internet connection is working properly in the Microsoft Store app. Try restarting your network devices or PC.
– The Microsoft Store may sometimes get “stuck” trying to download an update. Reset the Microsoft Store app by going to Settings > Apps > Microsoft Store and then choosing “Advanced Options” > “Reset” to fix this.
– An update might fail to install with an error message about “malloc.” In this case, go to Settings > Gaming > Xbox Game Bar and disable the Game Bar. Then try the Flight Simulator update again.
– If an update is stuck in a loop failing to install, you may need to uninstall and reinstall Flight Simulator completely after backing up your data.
– As a last resort, uninstalling pending Microsoft Store updates from Settings > Windows Update > View update history can allow you to return to a working version of Flight Simulator while troubleshooting the issue.
– Check the official Flight Simulator forums and Reddit community, as people will often post about any major ongoing update issues.
Updating with Limited Bandwidth
Microsoft Flight Simulator updates can be very large, often multiple gigabytes in size. This may be prohibitive if you have limited internet bandwidth or data caps.
Thankfully, there are ways to minimize the amount of data you use when updating:
– In the Microsoft Store, click on the “…” and go to “Settings” > “Delivery optimization” and change it to “Only update when on wifi” so updates will not use cellular data.
– Under Download settings, enable “Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background.”
– Set your active hours to minimize updates during periods of high network usage.
– Pause an update download if you need to free up bandwidth temporarily and resume later where you left off.
– Visit places with free public wifi to download sizeable updates without using your own limited data.
– Delete old Windows 10 updates you don’t need anymore to free up space for new Flight Simulator updates.
– Let an update download overnight while you sleep when there may be less network contention.
With some careful bandwidth management, you can keep Microsoft Flight Simulator updated even with strict data restrictions.
Updating from Disc Instead of the Microsoft Store
If you originally purchased a disc copy of Microsoft Flight Simulator, then your updates do not come from the Microsoft Store app. Instead, you’ll get them directly through the game itself.
Here is how to update a disc copy of Flight Simulator:
1. Insert your Flight Simulator game discs if on DVD or provide the product key if downloaded.
2. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator normally through the Windows Start Menu or desktop shortcut.
3. Once in-game, click on Marketplace > My Products to check for new updates.
4. If an update is available, click the “Update Now” button and allow it to download and install.
5. The update process will be very similar to installing from the Microsoft Store once underway. Follow any prompts to finish.
Even without the Microsoft Store, the in-game update process for disc copies of Flight Simulator functions nearly identically. Just pop in your discs or enter your license info, then proceed as normal.
Backing Up Your Installation Before Updating
Major Microsoft Flight Simulator updates can sometimes introduce issues with save data, settings, or installed mods if not compatible. For that reason, it’s wise to make a backup of your current setup before updating.
Here are some tips for backing up your Flight Simulator installation:
– Make a copy of your entire “Microsoft Flight Simulator” folder. This contains all files for the sim. Store it somewhere safe like an external HDD.
– Use the in-game options to export your controls, settings, and saved flights so you have copies just in case.
– Write down or take screenshots of your graphics settings in case you need to reconfigure after updating.
– Remove or back up any installed mods, liveries, or third-party add-ons. They may need updating to work with the new version.
– Consider backing up your entire C drive if you want a foolproof and restorable snapshot before updating.
With a proper backup, you’ll be able to safely update Microsoft Flight Simulator knowing you can rollback if something goes wrong or data is lost unexpectedly.
Conclusion
Updating Microsoft Flight Simulator through the Microsoft Store is usually quick and painless, keeping you up-to-date with all the latest features, fixes, and improvements automatically. Just periodically launch the game and any available updates will be seamlessly applied in the background.
You also have the options to manually install updates, tweak bandwidth usage for large updates, and backup your current installation for safekeeping before updating. Following the tips in this guide, you’ll be able to keep your copy of Flight Simulator continuously up-to-date. Enjoy the latest and greatest the sim has to offer!