[GUIDE] How to extract base Packages from Windows Store installation directory

Discussion Hub Tools & Utilities
1

If you use the Steam version of the game, application files for FlightSimulator.exe are accessible. This guide does not apply to you.

If however you installed from the Windows Store, you’ll find that the base packages in the game installation directory are not accessible through normal tools like File Explorer.

These files (especially those in .\Packages) are useful to read for the purposes of building addons and extending the game. This tool (graciously built by @WithinRafael) does not enable piracy and does not give you access to the deluxe aircraft files.

NEW METHOD
See below for a much faster way: [GUIDE] How to extract base Packages from Windows Store installation directory - #7 by duesen

  • Enable developer mode
  • Using the Open Project dialog, copy the files from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps as desired

ORIGINAL METHOD

Prerequisites
Install node v12.13.0. nvm (node version manager) is recommended for switching node versions. Only v12.13.0 has been tested at this time.

Install
npm install @withinrafael/anzu -g

Prepare a location to copy files
mkdir "C:\MSFS Base"
icacls "C:\MSFS Base" /grant "ALL APPLICATION PACKAGES":(OI)(CI)F

Copy files
Start FlightSimulator.exe and load into the main menu or a flight. Use Task Manager or another tool to get the PID for FlightSimulator.exe. For a PID of 12345, run this command to begin copying files:
anzu 12345 "C:\MSFS Base"

You should see progress as it copies. It will take about a minute and as of the current latest game update copies less than 2GB.

NOTE: You must look up the PID for FlightSimulator.exe, using the process name will not work.

NOTE: Use cmd instead of powershell, to avoid problems with the icacls command.

More information: https://github.com/riverar/anzu

All credit goes to @WithinRafael for building the anzu tool.

4 Likes
2

sorry my English is not perfect. I contact you because I try to install this to be able to take advantage of your work on the possibility of having the GX3 on chrome externally. But I can’t get the files of the basic package of MSFS 2020 to be dumped in the file c:-MSFS Base that I create well. If you can help me. cordially

1 Like
3

Where did you get stuck / which part of this are you unfamiliar with? Is it the use of dev tools?

Note that even if you get all this working, it’s still a developer experience tool right now and you won’t have the entire functionality of the G3X. So if you just want to fly, you may want to wait a little longer. At some point I might be able to avoid using this tool entirely.

4

I am stuck on installing Anzu, in the command prompt it does not want to installing. Yes I am aware that it is in development, but I am looking for this type of solution for my homecockpit and therefore I want to test to be sure that this corresponds to what I am looking for.

5

Maybe a screenshot would help?

6

anzu2
anzu2708×341 20.3 KB

Anzu
After I think I’m not doing things right.
otherwise I would wait for an executable. but it’s a shame to get stuck on it. I like to understand what’s wrong.

7

There is a much easier way to copy the files out of the Windows Store installation of MSFS; there is no need to install anything.

  • Start the sim and enable the Developers Mode via Options > General
  • From the dev menu at the top, try to open a project. You will be presented with the standard Open dialog.
  • Using that dialog, you can copy any directory in your MSFS installation via right-click, then using the same dialog, navigate to the target directory of your choice and paste the copied content there.

That’s it!

1 Like
8

Hello, thank you for this info. But once in developer mode I don’t know where I need to retrieve these files. Would it be possible to tell me that they are the files to recover. cordialy

9

The path is something like C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_1.14.5.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe

image
image1186×541 55.5 KB

1 Like
10

Ok, thank you

11

You can also use IOBit Unlocker to extract any folder/file from WindowsApps

12

A third alternative much faster : this does not even need to start the sim, or enable dev mode, or load a flight.

Just simply start the Windows Command Prompt “cmd” with right click “Run as Administrator”
and execute “robocopy <source_folder> <destination_folder>”

Note:
robocopy is a Microsoft Windows tool.
If you do not know the path, use “dir” and “cd” to navigate into folders.
Also, use the TAB key to autocomplete the ugly folder name : e.g. type robocopy "C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.F and press TAB
Look at robocopy’s help to see the supported options (e.g. “/mir”)

I guess you can also use third party tools like TreeSize with run as Administrator so you can browse and copy these folders using a GUI.