Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is one of the fan-favorite games that can be downloaded from Microsoft Store. But just like any other game, it can be crashing while launching or playing the game. If this issue happens to you, try the following troubleshooting methods and you will sort it out.

  1. Install Microsoft Store updates
  2. Synchronize time and region settings
  3. Check the Language Package
  4. Update your graphics driver
  5. Verify the integrity of game files
  6. Perform a clean reboot

Before we start troubleshooting, please make sure that your PC meets the minimum requirements of the game. You can check the minimum specs here. Also, do not plug in too many USB devices to your computer, as it’s known to cause a crashing issue to MSFS. Then, if there are any pending updates on your computer, install them and then perform the following steps.

1. Install Microsoft Store updates

It’s recommended to install Microsoft Store updates when you’re having problems with an app from the Microsoft Store. The Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 here, is no different. Follow the steps below to check for updates:

  1. Launch the Microsoft Store app.
  2. At the bottom left corner of the Microsoft Store, click on the library icon.
  3. At the top left corner, click Get Updates then Update all and wait for the updates to install.
  4. Once installed, click on your profile icon at the top right corner of the screen.
  5. Under your email address, click on Sign out.

When you sign out of your account, proceed with the following tip.

2. Synchronize time and region settings

If you’re using a brand new computer or a new Windows operating system, you might need to adjust your time and region settings to successfully launch the Microsoft Flight Simulator. For example, if you’re living in the UK, check that your time and region are not set to the USA or something. For further instructions, please do the following:

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and I together to open Settings.
  2. From the left sidebar, select Time & Language >> Date & Time.
  3. Toggle ON the “Set time automatically setting” and “Set time zone automatically”.
  4. Click on Sync now to synchronize your system’s clock with an Internet time server.
  5. Then, click Region, and double-check that your country or region is correctly set up.
  6. Restart your computer to apply changes.
  7. Launch your Microsoft Store again and sign in with the account you used to purchase MSFS.

Re-launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 and see if the issue persists.

3. Check the Language Package

According to Steam’s Community, Microsoft Flight Simulator cannot run without the English (United States) Language Package. So, if you encounter a crashing issue while launching MSFS, you can check if the Language Package is installed.

To do so:

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and I together to open Settings.
  2. From the left sidebar, select Time & Language >> Speech.
  3. Scroll down the setting page and check if you’ve installed the English (United States) Language Package.
  4. If not, click Add voices. In the search bar type “English“, and install the English (United States) Language Package.

Once installed, re-launch MSFS and see if it works properly. If the problem persists, try the next method.

4. Update your graphics driver

If your Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Keeps Crashing, one of the first things you should do is to update your graphics card driver, since an up-to-date graphics driver always ensures the best gaming performance and fewer bugs.

To update your display card driver, here’s what you can do (please note that the following screenshots are taken on Windows 11, but the instructions work on Windows 10 as well):

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows key and X at the same time, select Device Manager.
  2. Double-click to expand the category Display adapters. Then right-click your graphic card driver and click Update driver (the name of the device can be different on your computer).
  3. Then click Search automatically for updated driver software.
  4. Wait for Windows to find the latest driver available for you.
  5. When the driver update is done, restart your computer for the change to take effect.
  6. Then check and see if the problem is fixed.

If Windows says that it’s already found the latest driver for you, so no newer drivers are found, then you should consider updating your graphics driver in a different way with the help of Driver Techie.

Its ever-growing driver database allows you to always have access to the latest device drivers that you need. More importantly, Driver Techie simplifies the driver update process, so all it takes is just 3 clicks (for Pro users), and all your drivers are updated.

To use Driver Techie to find you the latest drivers:

  1. Download and install Driver Techie, then launch it.
  2. Click Scan Now.
  3. After the scan, select all the drivers you need to update and click Update All. Then all your drivers will be updated automatically without you having to do anything else.

Please note that Update All is available for Pro subscribers only, otherwise, you can only manually update the driver one at a time. To see how to manually update the drivers one by one, please check this post.

If you’re a Pro user of Driver Techie, and need our technical support to help with the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Crashing problem, please feel free to contact <support@drivertechie.com>.

5. Verify the integrity of game files

If there are corrupted or missing files in your Microsoft Flight Simulator, you’re likely to encounter the crashing issue very frequently. However, we’re not able to manually recognize what files are exactly going wrong. So, we can use Steam’s repair tool to verify the integrity of game files.

To do so:

  1. Go to Steam Library, right-click Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, and select Properties.
  2. Click the LOCAL FILES tab and click VERIFY INTEGRITY OF GAME CACHE…. Then, wait for the progress bar to finish.
  3. Re-launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020.

If nothing wrong is found, and the problem persists, try the next solution.

6. Perform a clean reboot

Sometimes a third-party software can cause your Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 to crash. In this case, a clean boot environment can ensure that there is no third-party software interfering with your game.

To do so:

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows logo key and R together to invoke the Run prompt. Type MSConfig and press Enter.
  2. From the top menu, select the Services tab, check Hide all Microsoft services, and then click Disable all.
  3. Now, click the Startup tab from the top menu and click Open Task Manager. Click each of the tasks and click Disable.
  4. Now, back to the System Configuration page and click the OK button to reboot your computer.

So, these are the six top tips we recommend. Please keep in mind to always keep your system and your drivers up-to-date. And, your Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 will be running properly. If you have any other workarounds to share, feel free to leave your comment down below.