I had a similar problem after a clean install, although for me the sim was crashing every time as soon as the desert image appeared after the checking for updates dialogue (so might not be the same). The solution was to unplug all usb controllers, flight sticks, yokes, pedals etc. and start the sim. After starting the first time successfully, shut down the sim and plug everything in again. Restart PC and the Sim should start ok after that with the devices plugged in. If you plug in the devices while the sim is running it will probably freeze and eventually crash.
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