Hi Captains, (you can use the Translate any page function)
many of you are struggling with an occasional or regular phenomenon: crash to desktop aka CTD. When this phenomenon occurs, the SIM shuts down just before the Welcome screen or in flight, but the PC continues to work. How do you get there and how do you get rid of it?
How to get there: (a) Windows 10 is not up to date; (b) You mess around in the community folder; (c) You do not follow the regulations of MSFS when setting up and updating the SIM. Even more? Yes, enough, but let’s get started. Shut down the sim. You are 10 steps away from the solution.
[1] Press START and select Settings; in Settings, choose Update & Security. In Windows Update: Press the button and let Windows do its work. If there is a need for a reboot, do so immediately. You run Windows Update daily before you fly. Deal?
[2] You have just been “cured” from your previous CTD, but there are more to come. Where can you find the damage report? Press START and type (without the quotes) “reliab” and hit ENTER. In the images below you see 3x a CTD on the same day. We take the bottom one from 07:34 AM.
[3] Double click this line FlightSimulator.exe -Stopped working and you will see the culprit. On the line Fault Module Name this is a dll file VCRUNTIME140.dll
We are going to remove these, but NOT by searching Windows/System, ..
[4] Press START and type (without the quotes) “appwiz.cpl” and hit ENTER. You get the overview of Programs and Features. [Windows Key + R and ENTER will do also]
[5] We are going to uninstall the “Redistributables” related to MSFS. Focus on the name of the file as shown in this image. Uninstall these files.
[6] Next step: installing the correct files, Download the most recent files of Microsoft Visual C++ from this page and then install it.
After installation it will look like this:
[7] Now let’s take a look at the community folder. Short and sweet: MOVE ALL the contents. Park these folders anywhere else… or a smart way to do is: rename the ../Community/ into ../xCommunity/. The sim will create an empty one after restart LATER!
The current Community folder is in:
From the Microsoft Store version: C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community
From the Steam version:
C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community
[8] Next step is to clean up the incorrectly read scenery and mod files. We are going to delete the Content.xml file. While you are in the Package folder with Windows explorer, go one level higher and delete Content.xml. The sim, will create a fresh and correct xml after restart. Not now …later!
For Microsoft Store that location is:
C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.WindowsStore_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache
For Steam it’s C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\
[9] Almost done..We removed the mods, ran Windows Update, replaced the Visual C++. Finally, check whether the Microsoft Store Updates have been done.
Press START and select the Microsoft Store briefcase. Go to the top right on the three dots (…) and choose Download and Updates. Finish this and set this update to be updated automatically.
Select the Start screen, then select Microsoft Store
click on the Arrow icon or the three-dot menu (top right corner of the screen)
Select Settings.
Under App updates, set Update apps automatically to On
[10] Testing your mod before to connect to the Community folder.
To avoid repetition of CTD it is recommended not to place unnecessary mods in the community folder. Use a mod manager for that. The ultimate solution is that mod manager (MM) who can search, sort, select the mod folders and deactivate a mod or a group of mods by choice. So far a mod manager has been found that activates/deactivates the mods using the Windows function “mklink /d”. Check your mod one-by-one before linking to the Community folder.
We prefer the mod manager MSFS_Addons_Linker. (See flightsim.to)
[11] What else could go wrong and what can you do?
- CTD caused by updating the sim? Start reading as from [1]
- CTD caused on loading -> Steam issue can be fixed
- CTD caused by missing Windows Services or Xbox credentials -> Update W10 and Store
- CTD caused by flying over specific stock scenery every time, same location- SIM issue-report to Zendesk
- CTD caused by absence of the correct language package -> Windows issue-can be fixed
- CTD caused by insufficient VRAM (pagefile) -> Windows issue-can be fixed
- CTD caused by insufficient user rights ->Windows issue-can be fixed
Your job:
- CTD caused by outdated mods
- CTD caused by non conformance of required PC or Windows specs
- CTD caused at startup by non Windows apps
- CTD caused by overclocking CPU
- CTD caused by insufficient power supply
- CTD caused by incorrect GPU driver versions
Thanks for reading and safe landings!
flightsim eindhoven 