MSFS 2024 does not create HOTAS profile container (T.Flight Hotas X)

Bug Reporting Hub Hardware & Peripherals
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ISSUE DESCRIPTION

Description of the issue:Complete Technical Submission – Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 HOTAS Profile Issue

Date:6 August 2026 Subject: MSFS 2024 does not create HOTAS profile container (T.Flight Hotas X)

1. Technical Report – Detailed Analysi s

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 fails to create the required HOTAS profile container for the Thrustmaster T.Flight Hotas X. As a result, all profile‑related UI elements and functions are missin g:

  • No three‑dot menu in the Controls scr een
  • No profile name displayed
  • No duplicate/reset options
  • No aircraft‑specific profiles
  • No input popup when pressing but tons
  • No saving of any control map pings

The HOTAS hardware is detected correctly (axes, buttons, device image, categories), but MSFS 2024 cannot create or store any configuration pro files.

Symptoms and Obser vations

HOTAS detection works corr ectly:

  • Device appears in the control de vice list
  • Axes register input (e.g., JOYSTICK LAXIS Z‑)
  • Buttons register input
  • HOTAS image is displayed
  • Categories load normally

Profile management does NOT work:

  • Missing three‑dot menu
  • Missing preset/profile name
  • No duplicate/reset options
  • No aircraft‑specific profiles
  • No input popup
  • No saving of changes

Profile container is missing:

The required MSFS UWP package folder is not cre ated:

Code

C:\Users\\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_ 8wekyb3d8bbwe\

Expected subfolders such as:

  • InputProfiles
  • ControlProfiles
  • UserProfiles
  • AircraftProfiles

are absent.

Troubleshooting Already Performed

1. MSFS interface verificationHOTAS selected, device detected, prof ile UI missing.

2. Xbox App resetSigned out/in, restarted app, no effect.

3. First full MSFS reinstallUninstalled via Xbox App, reinstalled on drive F: , issue persists.

4. Xbox Live login error Error e ncountered:

Code

0x80004005 – Cannot sign in to Xbox Live

5. Microsoft Store authentication resetSigned out/in, restarted Store and Xbox App, error persisted.

6. Gaming Services repair (successful )PowerShell (Admin):

Remove Gaming Services:

Code

get-appxpackage *gamingservices* | rem ove-appxpackage -allusers

Reinsta ll Gaming Services:

Code

start ms-windows-store:/ /pdp/?productid=9MWPM2CQNLHN

Gaming Services reinstalled, reboo ted, Xbox App login restored.

7. Second full MSFS reinstallUninstalled via Xbox App , reinstalled, issue pe rsists.

Technical Conclusion

All systems function correctly (HOTAS hardware, MSFS UI, Xbox Live, Gaming Services, Microsoft Store, installation path, Community folder).However:

  • MSFS 2024 does not create the UWP profile container
  • Required subfolders are missing
  • Profile management remains unavailable
  • HOTAS profiles ca nnot be created, loaded, or saved

This indicates a failure in the MSFS 2024 UWP package r egistration or container creation.

Recommend ed Next Steps for Microsoft Support

This report demonstrates:

  • The issue is reproducible
  • The issue persists after full reinstall
  • The issue is not cau sed by hardware or user configuration
  • The issue is not caused by Xbox App or Gaming Services
  • The issue is not caused by installation location
  • The issue is caused b y missing UWP profile container creation

Potential support‑level solutions:

  • Manual UWP package re‑registration
  • Forced rebuild of MSFS package containe r
  • DISM‑based repair of AppX manifests
  • Permission reset on AppData\Local\Packages
  • Reinstallation of Windows Gaming Stack
  • Verification of MSFS 2024 AppX deployment

2. Zendesk Ticket Text (Main Submission)

Subject:MSFS 2024 does not cr eate HOTAS profile container (T.Flight Hotas X)

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 fails to create the HOTAS profile container for the T.Flight Hotas X. Profile management UI is missing (no three‑dot menu, no profile name, no duplicate/reset options, no aircraft‑specific profiles, no input popup). HOTAS detection works cor rectly, but no profiles can be created or saved.

All trou bleshooting steps have been performed, including:

  • Two full MSFS reinstalls
  • Xbox App reset
  • Microsoft Store authentication reset

Gaming Services removal/reinstall via PowerShell

  • Xbox Live login repair
  • Verification of correct HOTAS detection

The MSFS UWP package folder under AppData\Local\Packages is not create d. This prevents MSFS from generating HOTAS profiles.

Assistance with UWP package re‑registration or container rebuild may be required.

3. Attac hment Description (Screenshots)

The screenshots show:

  • HOTAS device selected
  • HOTAS image displayed
  • Axes and buttons detected
  • Categories loaded
  • Profile management UI mi ssing
  • Keyboard profiles visible (confirming UI w orks)
  • Issue persists after all repairs and reinstalls

These images confirm that MSFS detects the HOTAS correctly but fails to create t he profile container.

4. Additional Notes (Short Version)

Screenshots confirm:

  • HOTAS detection works
  • Profile management UI is missing
  • Keyboard profiles appear normally
  • Issue persists after two reinstalls, Gamin g Services repair, Xbox Live repair, and Store re‑authentication

This strongly suggests the MSFS 2024 UWP package did not create the required profile container. S upport assistance is needed to repair or rebuild the UWP package.

FREQUENCY OF ISSUE

How often does this occur for you (Example: Just once, every time on sim load, intermittently)?

REPRODUCTION STEPS

Please list clear steps you took in order to help our test team reproduce the same issue:

  1. msfs-2024

  2. ms-store

  3. peripherals

YOUR SETTINGS

If the issue still occurs with no mods and add-ons, please continue to report your issue. If not, please move this post to the User Support Hub.

What peripherals are you using:

[PC Only] Are you using Developer Mode or have you made any changes to it?

[PC, MSFS 2020 Only] Are you using DX11 or DX12?

[PC Only] What GPU (Graphics Card) do you use?

[PC Only] What other relevant PC specs can you share?

MEDIA

Please add a screenshot or video of the issue occurring.

2

This is the wrong path for the MSFS2024. It is the MSFS2020 Path. The MSFS2024 path is

C:\Users\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_ 8wekyb3d8bbwe\

None of these folders will appear. The folder structure is completely different.

Right now, you’re completely off track. Maybe you should show screenshots of what happens and what you expect. But currently your expectations seem to be far away from reality. At least I have no clue what you are searching for.

3

Thanks for your reply.

I’m not looking for the MSFS2020 folder structure. The issue is that MSFS 2024 does not create any HOTAS profile container at all, even after a full clean reinstall.

Because the profile container is missing:

  • no profile name appears

  • no three‑dot menu

  • no duplicate/reset options

  • no input popup

  • no mappings can be saved

  • cockpit controls do not respond to HOTAS input

So the problem is not the folder path — the problem is that MSFS 2024 never generates the required profile data in the first place.

I have already escalated this through Zendesk as a potential container initialization bug.

4

I know. But the folders you mentioned are the 2020 folders.

What is the HOTAS profile container? Never heard of that.

As I said: show screenshots.

So where do you know this from?

5

I know this from direct testing inside MSFS 2024 and from verifying the simulator’s data folders. The T.Flight Hotas X is detected by the sim and the axes move in the Controls menu, but MSFS 2024 never creates the required HOTAS profile container. Because of that, the entire profile UI is missing (no preset name, no three‑dot menu, no duplicate/reset options, no save function).

I also checked the MSFS 2024 package directory (Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe) and it contains no InputProfiles, ControlProfiles, UserProfiles or AircraftProfiles at all. External tools like IslandSimPilot Profile Manager confirm the same: MSFS 2024 reports “0 profiles found” even though the simulator is detected correctly.

So the information comes from hands‑on testing, folder inspection, and verification using third‑party tools .

6

PLEASE show screenshots. Nobody knows what this profile container is you are talking about.

Yes, mine also not, but my control profiles are working. The reason is, that control profiles are stored in the wgs folder for cloud sync. You will never see the folders you are expecting. Nobody has them. Why do you think they should be there?

7

The WGS folder only stores theuser‑specificcloud‑synced bindings. But the issue here is not WGS — it’s that MSFS 2024 never initializes thelocal profile containerthat the simulator needs to generate the profile UI.

This is why the entire profile interface is missing:

· no preset name

· no three‑dot menu

· no duplicate/reset options

· no save function

I checked the MSFS 2024 package directory (Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe) and it containsno InputProfiles, ControlProfiles, UserProfiles or AircraftProfiles at all. This is not normal — and it is not how MSFS 2020 behaves.

External tools confirm the same: MSFS 2024 reports0 profiles found, even though the simulator is detected correctly and UserCfg.opt exists.

So the problem is not cloud sync. The problem is that MSFS 2024never creates the required local profile data in the first place, which is why the UI cannot appear .

8

Again: What is this local profile container? Show me one from an existing control device, the keyboard for example.

My Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe does also NOT contain these folders and all control devices are working as expected. Maybe the FS2020 behaves different, but this does not matter. The FS2024 does not use these folders. The only folder below Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe with control profiles is the wgs folder. There is a folder with Default Profiles in the installation path of the FS2024, but this is read only - nothing can be created there, in particular no profile containers.

There is no local profile data except the data in wgs. As long as the default profile is used for a control device, the one from the installation folder is used. As soon as you start to modify it, a corresponding profile in the wgs folder is created.

You are still on the complete wrong path. Your expectations have nothing to do with they way the FS20204 is dealing with control profiles.

9

Hi Frank,

Thanks again for your reply and for sharing your perspective.

It seems that we are simply looking at the situation from different angles, which is perfectly fine. What matters most is not who is right or wrong, but that the underlying issue is properly investigated and resolved .

Our report has now resulted in the following official respons e:

“We have requalified your ticket into a Bug Report.This means that your issue will now go through the Bugs and Issues Review Proces s.”

That is the important part for us: the issue is now formally recognized as a bug and will be reviewed by the MSFS t eam.

We wish the team the best of success in identifying the root cause and resolving it. In the end, the goal is simply to get the simulator working correctly for everyone — the rest is secon dary.

Kind regards, Mente