MSFS 2024 Freezes at "Start" Screen

Bug Reporting Hub Crashes (CTDs)
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1

Description of the issue:

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 freezes on the “Start” screen after launch. The background music continues, and the mouse remains active, but the Start button becomes unresponsive and the sim does not progress. This occurs consistently when using my main Xbox/Microsoft account.

Troubleshooting I’ve already done:

Reset settings – Deleted UserCfg.opt, cache, and local config files.

Reinstalled MSFS 2024 completely via Microsoft Store.

Created a new local Windows user – the sim launched properly at first, then froze again after launching in VR.

Created a brand new Microsoft/Xbox account – MSFS 2024 works perfectly under this new account.

Confirmed it’s not a hardware or install issue – same install works fine under a different user/account.

Tested with and without VR (Mixed Reality Portal) – confirmed that VR launch can trigger freeze.

Logged out and back in to Xbox and Microsoft Store apps multiple times.

Disabled online features / VR settings where possible.

No success resetting or clearing Xbox Cloud Save data tied to my main account.

Main finding:

The issue only affects my main Xbox/Microsoft account.
When using a brand new Microsoft/Xbox account, MSFS 2024 functions correctly. (just a few times, now its stuck again, even with the new user)
This points to a corrupted cloud save or profile sync issue on the Xbox side.

Edited after

I have an important update that further confirms the issue is tied to my Microsoft/Xbox account:

After encountering consistent freezes at the “Start” screen in MSFS 2024, I decided to reinstall MSFS 2020, which I had previously removed.

During the loading process in MSFS 2020, the sound began stuttering, the loading progress slowed, and the simulator eventually closed itself without any error.

This occurred on the same PC, with the same hardware and install environment, using my original Microsoft account.

MSFS 2020 had previously worked without issues before the installation of MSFS 2024.

This clearly indicates that both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 are now affected, and the common factor is my Microsoft/Xbox account.

This strongly points to cloud profile corruption, sync issues, or other account-level problems that are now impacting multiple versions of the simulator.

this is no longer isolated to one game or one install.

I also ask: how can I reset/clear all MSFS cloud data linked to my Microsoft account?

Any Help

Thank you

1 Like
2

Hi have same issue since the beginning of the week. Sometimes I arrive to the menu but it freeze. I tried the same option that you without result. Hope to help.

The last time it works, I remember a crash to the desktop when I select the aircraft Cessna Skywagon. Since this event impossible to restart whihout freeze after launching.

I also have doubts if it is links with the simupdate2?

Thanks!

3

My sim freezes for a good 3 seconds every time i’m clicking start when it’s done loading at startup.
Also experiencing freezes while browsing the menus.

It usually comes back, but it’s very annoying.

4

@Chewwy94 Are you guys are looking this bug?

7

I had this problem as well in 2020, for me the sim would crash at startup not fully booting even after reinstall. Finally got it working by uninstalling video drivers with DDU then reinstalling. (PLENTY OF YOUTUBE VIDEOS FOR INSTUCTIONS) First try starting sim in safemode to make sure it’s not any of your 3rd party apps, if it is you have to turn off one app at a time to figure out which one is causing the problem. Good Luck

8

Same problem for me on xbox

9

I’m having this issue as well, just beginning this week

10

Had the same problem. XBOX App install on PC not Steam. Solved it by running Gaming Services Repair Tool in Xbox app. ( It’s under Profile/Support)

11

I tested it for a long time and finally found “one of” the reasons.
I can enter in safe mode. I can also enter with community contents enabled. But some contents of the upgrade package cannot be entered. If I don’t enable it I can get in. Hope this helps. It took me a long time to find this. This doesn’t affect me much as I usually only fly the A350, PMDG or Fenix ​​or something like that on FS24.

2025-05-29 221336
2025-05-29 2213361170×563 41.8 KB

12

Tested in SU3 Beta. Sim still hangs for 5 seconds when clicking on “Start” after booting up.

2 Likes
13

Tested in SU3 beta and still getting freezes at the start screen on my Lenovo Legion 5 PC with a i9-14900HX with RTX 4060 8GB with latest BIOS and drivers, have to close MSFS via Task Manager and start again.

14

I don’t have issue (currently SU2 w/ all contents enabled) with NVIDIA DLSS. But I got freeze w/ AMD FSR3. Maybe that’s helpful for y’all.

15

Very likely related issue…

Decided to see if this CTD issue exists on another system I have (AceMagic Tank 03 i7 12700H, RTX 3060 12GB VRAM, 32GB DDR5, 1TB nVME, 4TBnVME) Windows 11 Home 24H2 26100.4770) This is a clean install of MSFS 2024 with no add ons. Also, a clean install of GPU drivers 580.88 (No NVIDIA app).

It does indeed exist. Did the same flight scenario (free flight) KLAX 25L and when I click start flight it freezes then shortly thereafter CTD.

This is in the event log…

Log Name: Application
Source: Windows Error Reporting
Date: 8/6/2025 8:40:10 PM
Event ID: 1001
Task Category: None
Level: Information
Keywords:
User: WIN-GT3FKBOQ8N7\Joji
Computer: WIN-GT3FKBOQ8N7
Description:
Fault bucket 1715554555539998470, type 5
Event Name: MoAppCrash
Response: Not available
Cab Id: 0

Problem signature:
P1: Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
P2: praid:App
P3: 1.4.20.0
P4: 00000000
P5: FlightSimulator2024.exe
P6: 1.4.20.0
P7: 00000000
P8: c0000005
P9: 0000000002b1a165
P10:

Attached files:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.0df8b474-3f3b-41f6-9389-e92548e8dc92.tmp.dmp
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.6eb4f2b2-8c78-48f3-a781-45d74e1f60a7.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.ed004abe-d3fd-474b-a16f-807980ec4cc9.tmp.csv
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.e629355f-43b4-483d-9b25-4027c5b815b0.tmp.txt
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.bb16ceff-bf78-48d9-ac46-e654c369eb2e.tmp.xml

These files may be available here:
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_Microsoft.Limitl_4f984e99b8de362bd7f357ff89bdf6b98734a_fea788ec_de8e46d6-e498-441a-b540-a0266a3cc728

Analysis symbol:
Rechecking for solution: 0
Report Id: e992b220-b24e-48aa-9569-f19e33407be2
Report Status: 268435456
Hashed bucket: 4448d15109f5be4e87cedfc763c3c706
Cab Guid: 0
Event Xml:

1001
0
4
0
0
0x8000000000000000

17565

Application
WIN-GT3FKBOQ8N7

1715554555539998470
5
MoAppCrash
Not available
0
Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
praid:App
1.4.20.0
00000000
FlightSimulator2024.exe
1.4.20.0
00000000
c0000005
0000000002b1a165

\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.0df8b474-3f3b-41f6-9389-e92548e8dc92.tmp.dmp
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.6eb4f2b2-8c78-48f3-a781-45d74e1f60a7.tmp.WERInternalMetadata.xml
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.ed004abe-d3fd-474b-a16f-807980ec4cc9.tmp.csv
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.e629355f-43b4-483d-9b25-4027c5b815b0.tmp.txt
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\Temp\WER.bb16ceff-bf78-48d9-ac46-e654c369eb2e.tmp.xml
\?\C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\WER\ReportArchive\AppCrash_Microsoft.Limitl_4f984e99b8de362bd7f357ff89bdf6b98734a_fea788ec_de8e46d6-e498-441a-b540-a0266a3cc728

0
e992b220-b24e-48aa-9569-f19e33407be2
268435456
4448d15109f5be4e87cedfc763c3c706
0

16

Along with this…

Log Name: Application
Source: Application Error
Date: 8/6/2025 8:40:05 PM
Event ID: 1000
Task Category: Application Crashing Events
Level: Error
Keywords:
User: WIN-GT3FKBOQ8N7\Joji
Computer: WIN-GT3FKBOQ8N7
Description:
Faulting application name: FlightSimulator2024.exe, version: 1.4.20.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Faulting module name: FlightSimulator2024.exe, version: 1.4.20.0, time stamp: 0x00000000
Exception code: 0xc0000005
Fault offset: 0x0000000002b1a165
Faulting process id: 0x4A1C
Faulting application start time: 0x1DC074AB358A469
Faulting application path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\FlightSimulator2024.exe
Faulting module path: C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\FlightSimulator2024.exe
Report Id: e992b220-b24e-48aa-9569-f19e33407be2
Faulting package full name: Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Faulting package-relative application ID: App
Event Xml:

1000
0
2
100
0
0x8000000000000000

17564

Application
WIN-GT3FKBOQ8N7

FlightSimulator2024.exe
1.4.20.0
00000000
FlightSimulator2024.exe
1.4.20.0
00000000
c0000005
0000000002b1a165
0x4a1c
0x1dc074ab358a469
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\FlightSimulator2024.exe
C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe\FlightSimulator2024.exe
e992b220-b24e-48aa-9569-f19e33407be2
Microsoft.Limitless_1.4.20.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
App

17

Hi all,

I wanted to share a fix that worked for me after struggling for several days with MSFS 2024 freezing at the “Start” screen — the one right after the loading bar completes, where you see the “Start” button (with the arrow) on the bottom right.

Issue:

  • The sim would fully load to the welcome screen (with the Cirrus Jet and the “Start” button).

  • After clicking “Start”, nothing would happen — just an indefinite freeze on that screen.

  • No CTD, just a frozen interface. Music keeps playing, but no access to the main menu.

  • This happened even after a full clean reinstall, deleting all Community and Packages folders, clearing caches, removing peripherals, and resetting user config files (UserCfg.opt, Content.xml, etc.).

Solution that worked for me:

The freeze was caused by OpenXR Tools and OpenXR API Layers, even though I wasn’t using VR at the time.

Here’s exactly what I did:

  1. completely disabled the following components:
  • aLL OpenXR-API-Layers-GUI ( USING de OpenXR Toolkit and the OpenXR-API-Layers-GUI.exe)
  1. Launched MSFS 2024 — and it went straight into the main menu after pressing “Start”, without any freeze.

:tada: Problem solved!

System context (for reference):

  • MSFS 2024 (Microsoft Store version)

  • Windows 11 Pro

  • NVIDIA 4090 … I9 64GB ram

  • No VR headset connected

  • Clean install of the sim, no addons in Community

Recommendation:
If you’re stuck at the Start screen and have OpenXR tools installed (even if you don’t use VR), try disabling or uninstalling them completely. It may be interfering with the sim’s initialization process, especially during profile or rendering setup.

I hope this helps others who are pulling their hair out like I was!

Cheers,
jagarridoan

2 Likes
18

Thanks for pointing in the right direction, for me it was just XR Necksafer. All the other layers don’t cause the problem. The funny thing is I do not use XRNecksafer in MSFS at all. It was there just for DCS