[BUG] MSFS 2024 SU5 — Crash Main_Z ProgramInit / VideoMemoryBudget=0 / RTX 5090 — Cannot launch sim

Sim Update 5.1 Beta | MSFS 2024 SU5.1 Beta Discussion
1

Platform: PC (Xbox/Microsoft Store version) MSFS Version: 1.7.28.0 (SU5.1) OS: Windows 11 Pro Build 26200 CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D GPU: ASUS ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5090 32GB OC RAM: 96 GB DDR5-6000 NVIDIA Driver: 32.0.15.9597 (596.97)

Issue Description:

Since SU5, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 fails to launch. The sim appears to start (loading screen reaches ~97%) then silently crashes back to desktop. No error message is displayed to the user.

Root cause identified in AsoboReport-RunningSession.txt:

/!/ CRASH /!/TOML
[LastKnownDump]
Where="Main_Z ProgramInit"

[Renderer]
EnableD3D12=true
Model="Nvidia"
VideoMemoryBudget=0
ActiveRenderSystem=0

VideoMemoryBudget=0 indicates D3D12 fails to initialize on the RTX 5090 GPU during ProgramInit. The sim crashes before any loading begins. FrameCount=0 and TimeSpentRunningMs=0.0 confirm the crash is instantaneous at startup.

Reproduction Steps:

  1. Launch MSFS 2024 version 1.7.28.0

  2. Sim reaches loading screen

  3. Sim crashes silently — AsoboReport shows VideoMemoryBudget=0 and Where="Main_Z ProgramInit"

Callstack:

[RawCallstackWin64]
0=["KittyHawkx64_PCSUB.pdb","E025CD44D2EE654C86063231F70DA540",1,66574156]
1=["KittyHawkx64_PCSUB.pdb","E025CD44D2EE654C86063231F70DA540",1,66582993]
2=["KittyHawkx64_PCSUB.pdb","E025CD44D2EE654C86063231F70DA540",1,66582783]
8=["kernel32.pdb","F3069B6303762202DC25A08D1F57CB93",1,190807]
9=["ntdll.pdb","E4BC4B79343CDE5A6883E3F78DC2928F",1,17020]

Troubleshooting already performed (all unsuccessful):

  1. Clean DDU uninstall + reinstall of NVIDIA driver 596.97

  2. Complete MSFS uninstall + reinstall on F:\FS2024

  3. Deletion of all user data (UserCfg.opt, wgs cloud saves, LocalCache, LocalState)

  4. Disabled DLSS Frame Generation (FrameGeneration NONE)

  5. Disabled HDR10 (HDR10 0)

  6. Disabled HAGS (HwSchMode=1)

  7. Disabled integrated AMD GPU

  8. Created minimal clean UserCfg.opt (47 lines)

  9. Windows System Restore to pre-SU5 date (May 12, 2026)

  10. Disabled all add-ons including FlyByWire

  11. Tested at 1280x720 windowed, non-borderless

  12. Disabled VSync, Reflex, all NVIDIA features

None of the above resolved VideoMemoryBudget=0.

Additional observations:

  • The RTX 5090 has 32 GB VRAM. Windows reports only 4 GB via WMI (AdapterRAM=4293918720) — possible detection issue

  • CurrentGPUDriverVersion=0.0.0 in UserCfg.opt — MSFS never successfully detects the GPU driver version

  • The sim worked correctly before SU5 with the same hardware

  • MSFS 2020 is not affected

Expected behavior: MSFS 2024 launches normally and D3D12 initializes correctly with RTX 5090

Actual behavior: Instant crash at Main_Z ProgramInit with VideoMemoryBudget=0

Request: Please investigate D3D12 initialization failure on GeForce RTX 50xx series (Blackwell architecture) in MSFS SU5.

2

Is that a beta Nvidia driver? The latest is 596.49. Perhaps fall back on the Nvidia driver.

3

595 not 596.

I’ve noticed that recently a lot of users are running into performance issues. I’ve also seen that many of them are on the latest NVIDIA drivers.

I’m not saying this is caused by the driver - I don’t want to jump to conclusions. Personally, I rolled back to an older version, specifically 577.00, because the newest ones just don’t feel quite right to me; something seems off. I also have an ASUS ROG Astral RTX 5090 OC

Of course, I’m not claiming the driver is the problem, but it might be worth testing MSFS on that older 577.00 version just to see if it makes any difference.

Download NVIDIA driver 577.00
https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/details/250995/

It’s important to perform a clean driver installation so that any leftover files from the newer driver don’t affect the older version.

Below, I’ve described how to do a clean installation of the driver. Keep in mind that you are not downloading the latest version - you should download version 577.00, which I linked above.

How to perform a clean installation of NVIDIA drivers

How to perform a clean installation of NVIDIA drivers.

First things first: a proper clean installation of a GPU driver does not delete your games, apps, or wipe your C drive. It simply removes old driver files, registry leftovers and related components so the new driver installs on a clean base.

First, download the latest NVIDIA driver and the DDU - Display Driver Uninstaller software.

Latest NVIDIA drivers
GeForce Game Ready Driver 596.36 | Windows 11 | NVIDIA

DDU
Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU) V18.1.5.2 Released. - Wagnardsoft Forum

NVIDIA driver removal is best done in Windows Safe Mode - I’ve been saying this for a long time and I’m not changing that opinion. The only exception is when Safe Mode doesn’t work properly on someone’s system.
So before proceeding with any further steps, make sure that Windows Safe Mode is working correctly.

Also, there’s no real need to disconnect from the internet or disable your internet connection during driver uninstall or installation. What actually matters is Windows behavior - just set it so it doesn’t automatically install devices or pull drivers on its own. That alone is enough to prevent conflicts during the process, without having to unplug anything or go offline.

If you’re not an advanced user, don’t feel confident digging deep into Windows settings or simply don’t want to bother, there are easier alternatives.

You can just unplug the Ethernet cable, turn off WIFI or disable your network adapter directly in Device Manager.
In that case, if your PC case is pushed against the wall or placed under a desk, disabling the network adapter is usually the quickest option. Just right-click the network card in Device Manager and disable it.

Right-click “Start” icon and select Device Manager.
Expand Network adapters
Then right-click your network adapter and select Disable device.

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Disabling the network adapter in Device Manager is the most convenient and fastest method.

You can also, after launching DDU in normal Windows mode, go into the DDU settings and enable “Prevent downloads of drivers from Windows Update when Windows searches for a driver for a device”
While still in the settings, also enable “Enable Safe Mode dialog”
// Also, as I mentioned above, make sure to check that Safe Mode is actually working on your system before proceeding.

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Under General Options and Specific Options, you can select the same settings that I have enabled here

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Be careful with “Remove present and non-present monitors” - this setting removes monitors and their drivers. After a restart, they will still work, but Windows will not have proper drivers installed for them, so you may need to reinstall the monitor drivers.

Also note that after removing monitors and restarting the PC, Windows may change the refresh rate settings. Go to Windows Settings > System > Display > Advanced display. Check if “Choose a refresh rate” is set to the maximum Hz of your monitor - if not, change it to the max or set it to your preferred value (for example 120Hz instead of 240Hz).
I once forgot about this and Windows set my monitor to 60Hz instead of 165Hz. As a result, I had stuttering in MSFS 2020/2024 and couldn’t figure out why. It turned out the cause was exactly the refresh rate.

So now you already have DDU configured and know a bit more - it’s time to prepare for reinstalling the driver. Before switching to Safe Mode, download the NVIDIA driver you want to install. After downloading it, you can launch DDU and under “Launch option” click Normal and select "Safe mode (recommended).

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After the system switches to Safe Mode and DDU is launched, select the GPU you want to uninstall, in this case NVIDIA.
Then click “Clean and restart”.

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After the restart, you can install NVIDIA driver. I recommend installing the minimal version, meaning only the driver and PhysX - this way you can make sure everything works properly without NVIDIA app.

So run the previously downloaded installer, select “NVIDIA Graphics Driver”, then click “Agree and Continue”.

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On the next screen of the installer, select “Custom (Advanced)” and click “Next”.

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On the next screen of the installer, uncheck “HD Audio Driver” and make sure “PhysX” and “Perform a clean installation” are selected, then click “Next”.

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After NVIDIA driver installation, restart PC. After reboot, I remind you to install the monitor drivers if needed and check the monitor refresh rate (Hz) in Windows settings, as mentioned above.

If you have checked in DDU
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and want Windows to install other drivers again, launch DDU in normal mode and under “select device type” click
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Now you can enable your network adapter in Device Manager. Open Device Manager, right-click the network adapter you disabled, and select “Enable device”.

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Restart PC.

Now you can open the NVIDIA Control Panel and set a profile for MSFS according to your preference. The only important thing is not to change settings in the global profile unless you really need to.

After setting up the MSFS profile, check how the game performs. If everything is fine and you need the NVIDIA app instead of the NVIDIA Control Panel, you can download and install it.

Download NVIDIA App

Fly safe.

EDIT

I just launched MSFS 2024 SU5.1 beta without any issues, so I can’t confirm any CTD during loading MSFS

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@BlocLune4982329
Also, reset windows hosts file. How to reset the Hosts file back to the default - Microsoft Support

4

Google AI had a good response:

These are results for what is the best nvidia driver for 50 series cards
Search instead for what is the best nvidia driver for 50 serires cards

AI Overview

For RTX 50 series cards, the 591.86 (released January 2026) is widely considered the most stable, trouble-free driver by the community. If you are experiencing instability or fan-curve bugs on newer versions, rolling back to this release or exploring Studio Drivers is highly recommended.

Top Driver Picks for RTX 50 Series

  • Best for Stability (Game Ready): Version 591.86

    • Why: Widely regarded as the most stable release for 50-series GPUs. It avoids many of the fan-control bugs, performance drops, and random black screens seen in the subsequent 595.xx branches.

  • Best for Stability (Studio): Version 591.44

    • Why: If you use your PC for heavy rendering or gaming and want the highest level of stability, the latest R591 branch Studio Drivers undergo more rigorous validation.

  • Best for Multi-Monitor & VSync: Version 596.49

    • Why: If you are playing games using DLSS Frame Generation and VSync, this update fixes a long-standing frame-pacing issue and resolves multi-monitor visual quirks.
5

I’ve been using the 59x.xx series for a while and found them to be just fine for me (I have a 5080 and a 9800X3D). Whenever I have configuration questions, I use AI a lot these days because it’s been more accurate than any other source I’ve found.