Ok, seems like you’re onto something. Mine is installing now. What I did:
Uninstalled MSFS (although just the first 1.5GB were installed)
Installed MSFS through the MS Store (to C:, I previously had it installed to E: but I tried C: too earlier with the same error)
Started MSFS with “flightsimulator.exe -FastLaunch” from a PowerShell window
It did start the first “stub” launcher, then it gave me the same error message in the PowerShell Window. But then it proceeded to ask me to accept the firewall exception then it continued to the download window. At the moment it is installing and has downloaded 12GB of the roughly 150GB it needs.
I can’t really remember if there are any videos being played at the very beginning of the installation, but I guess it is and that the -FastLaunch flag made it past that.
Will wait for the install to finish, then try to move my installation to E: where I want it and play around with and without the -FastLaunch flag. At least I think I’ll be able to reinstall again should things stop working again.
But obviously, something needs fixing, I will update my ticket in Zendesk with my findings.
Come to think about it, I have a Codec pack from shark007.net installed, it’s updated quite frequently and it’s probably one of the few things that have changed on my PC since MSFS worked fine last week. It’s probably a longshot but do any of you have the same codec pack installed?
Did it not work from cmd but did work from PowerShell? Now that’s a little bit weird…
Unfortunately I don’t have the codec pack, my computer is fairly clean since it’s a recent build so unless some driver is causing problems, I’m really not sure where else the problem could be coming from… Might try to disable Hyper-V and see if that could have any impact?
I never tried in a command window, but since it worked from a PowerShell Window I assume it would have worked from a CMD window as well, there should be no difference. Well, I kind of did with my command above, but I had to uninstall then reinstall again for it to work. Also, I had the install on E: before I re-installed, but that should in theory not make any difference as the install will create the necessary symlinks.
So it’s probably not the Codec pack then, I don’t think it’s Hyper-V either as I don’t have that installed.
Now 40GB installed so still some time until I can do more testing. But I’m happy to at least be able to start the install process.
Ah, possible progress (?). Running the above-recommended and pasted-in-below command (I did it from a cmd instance, not from PowerShell) got me past the black screen and enabled me to see the installation manager UI for the first time, and to specify a download location. It’s downloading now.
I’m still downloading as well, 107.94GiB… I forgot how atrociously massive this sim is, even on a 100Mbps connection. Hopefully it’ll run normally once it’s downloaded! @chjohans There are “videos” before the stub launcher starts, the Xbox and Asobo logo animations. I’m guessing that’s what you’re referring to? And that’s what the flag would be bypassing.
Me too, my installation finished a couple of hours ago and MSFS now works fine if I launch it with the -FastLaunch flag to bypass the startup videos. Without it it will just hang with the same sad black window as before.
Since this issue started before the latest “World Update” it probably has nothing to do with that. I can’t say I’ve changed something major on my computer either and it’s a pretty recent build so it’s pretty clean. The only maybe a bit unusual thing is that I’m using the codec pack from shark007.net.
I moved my installation to my E: drive where I want it and it’s still working fine with the “-FastLaunch” flag. I just made a new shortcut like this:
cmd.exe /C start shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App -FastLaunch
and I’m using that to start MSFS.
I will update the ticket I created at https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/ with this info and so they can fix this. I would appreciate if those of you who created a ticket could do the same so they see that this affects many installations.
I really hop everyone with the “Black Screen on Launch” issue finds this -FastLaunch fix and tries it. A big thank you to all of you suggesting it!
I wasted at least two full days not getting a single step forward until I found this thread, and now, well, at least the sim is re-installing. I’m posting this with the hope of making this thread & solution even easier to find when searching the web, hopefully saving someone some time and frustration.
I have been having the same issue.
Never had a problem installing and running MSFS2020.
Then the dreaded black screen and quits to desktop.
This is the fix that works for me to install and now run the sim:
Start Task Manager
click on Services Tab
Right click Audiosrv and select Open Services
Right click on Windows Audio and select Properties
Stop Services
This gets me to be able to then start the sim normally. Once it’s up and running go back and select Start Services from the same location in Windows Audio.
This is a bit of a hassle and an extra step but until Microsoft or the developers catch on to this issue or someone has a better solution or fix, it will do.
Maybe try the solution from this thread instead, making a new shortcut with this target:
cmd.exe /C start shell:AppsFolder\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App -FastLaunch
That sounds like a easier workaround than what you are doing at the moment?
Very Bad Game , I have been having the same issue. I Need to Uninstalled and I lost the missions bush save , I can play just some days frustrated game
This solution work for me
-FastLaunch did not work for me. All I get is a windowed version of Flight Simulator, still black screen, audio playing in background, custom cursor, but no menu, graphics, etc.
I’ve been having this problem for a while. I did submit a zendesk ticket in January but MSFS marked it as ‘solved’ with a stock “Try these things” response containing a whole load of things I’d already tried.
I reinstalled Windows and MSFS worked fine for a few weeks, and then again yesterday I can’t start MSFS (black screen, spinner bottom right that stops after a couple of movements). I’ve reinstalled Windows 10 again today and MSFS briefly worked but now it doesn’t. I’ve installed nothing on the machine. Perhaps the NVidia drivers installing themselves in the background and messing with audio settings changed something?
-FastLaunch doesn’t help at all. I still get black screen, stuck spinner, no progress. I’ve raised another zendesk ticket.
I also on the installed insider preview of the version of Windows 10 build 21322 hung on the screen, launching from the attributes in the power shell helped
This bug is not fixed by today’s “hotfix” that I just installed through Microsoft Store, MSFS is now at version 1.13.17.0. The ticket I created in their ZenDesk were just closed too, they just added a comment that they would “monitor this” internally.
Someone must be paid to close tickets because it just does not make any sense to close open tickets for a bug like this.
Within a few hours of posting this here about ten people posted that they have the exact same issue. So since the majority of users won’t see this post, statistically this bu affects a lot of users. So it puzzles me that it seems to get no attention from Asobo/Microsoft.
