The causes of ntdll.dll error messages can vary greatly and it can be hard to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem without proper investigation. However, most of them result from a corrupt or damaged version of the ntdll DLL file itself, corrupt hardware drivers, or conflicts between Windows and other programs.
Please use the following checklist to eliminate potential causes.
STEP 1 — CONFLICTS WITH COMMUNITY CONTENT
Before starting the tests, you need to rule out the possibility that a mod or add-on is causing the sim to crash. Do not continue the tests below before moving the community folder and disabling apps such as navigraph, littlenavmap etc…
- Close Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Navigate to the Community Folder that is located by default at the following location:
MICROSOFT STORE VERSION
C:\Users*YourUsername*\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages
STEAM VERSION
AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages
BOXED VERSION
C:\Users*YourUsername*\AppData\Local\MSFSPackages
NOTE: If you have installed the packages on a different drive than C: you’ll need to look inside your custom installation folder instead.
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Copy-cut (CTRL + X) the Community Folder
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Paste (CTRL + V) the Community Folder on your desktop
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Relaunch the sim and try again.
If the issue stops, you’ll need to investigate which add-on is not compatible anymore with the base sim. To do so, move each add-on one by one in the Community folder until you find the add-on causing the problem.
STEP 2 — CONFLICTS WITH PROGRAMS
Disable ALL non-essential apps on startup and disable ALL non-Windows apps and processes from running in the background before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator.
See the list below for the programs and processes that are known for creating problems.
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Seagate Toolkit
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Nahimic service
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Asus Sonic Studio 2
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Windows Audio Service
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Garmin Express
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WD Backup
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Logitech G Hub
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MSI Afterburner / Riva Tuner Statistics Server
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EVGA Precision
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OBS
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Xsplit
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Discord
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MacType
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Warsaw Banking App
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Wallpaper Engine
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A-Volute Sound studio
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Malwarebytes
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Trend Micro Maximum Security
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Comodo Antivirus
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Sophos
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Emisoft Anti-Malware
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Avira
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Avast & Avast Cleanup
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Bullguard
To disable apps on startup
- In the Windows Search bar, type “Task Manager”
- Select Open
- Go to the Start-up tab
- Disable all non-Microsoft applications and services
- Reboot the computer
- Try launching Microsoft Flight Simulator again
To disable apps from running in the background wasting system resources
- Open Settings.
- Click on Privacy.
- Click on Background apps.
- Under the “Choose which apps can run in the background” section, turn off the toggle switch for the apps you want to restrict.
If the sim stops crashing
To find out which application causes the sim to crash on start-up:
- Enable one non-Microsoft application
- Reboot the computer
- Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator
- Enable a second non-Microsoft application
- Reboot the computer
- Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator
Repeat this process until you find the application that is causing the crash. You can then disable this application or stop the process in the task manager before launching Microsoft Flight Simulator.
STEP 3 — SCAN WINDOWS
Use the System File Checker tool to repair missing or corrupted system files
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In the Windows Search Bar, type cmd
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Select “Command Prompt” then “Run as Administrator”.
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Select “Yes” if prompted
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Type sfc /scannow and hit enter
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Wait until the verification is complete. NOTE: Do not close this Command Prompt window until the verification is 100% complete.
The sfc /scannow command will scan all protected system files, and replace corrupted files with a cached copy that is located in a compressed folder at %WinDir%\System32\dllcache.
- After the process is finished, you may receive one of the following messages:
- Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations.
This means that you do not have any missing or corrupted system files. - Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.
To resolve this problem, perform the System File Checker scan in safe mode, and make sure that the PendingDeletes and PendingRenames folders exist under %WinDir%\WinSxS\Temp. - Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.
To view the detail information about the system file scan and restoration, go to How to view details of the System File Checker process. - Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them. Details are included in the CBS.Log %WinDir%\Logs\CBS\CBS.log.
To repair the corrupted files manually, view details of the System File Checker process to find the corrupted file, and then manually replace the corrupted file with a known good copy of the file.
STEP 4 — CLEAN INSTALL
We recommend doing a clean install of the drivers of your GPU. To do so, follow the instructions from the manufacturer of your Graphics Card.
AMD
- Remove old drivers: AMD Cleanup Utility
- Download and install the most recent drivers: AMD Drivers and Support
NVIDIA
Follow: How do I manually install the NVIDIA driver for my graphics card?
Please also update or reinstall the drivers of your Audio devices and peripherals.