This is emerging as a major problem. I tried the “deleting your cloud save” via the Command Prompt as you suggested but it just restarted MSFS with the same problem.
I have executed a Windows System Restore back to 12 March - I think this is before the latest Mandatory update - but in any case it is back where I was flying happily with no problem.
I seriously suggest that this is a new Xbox issue.
The reason I say that is because on all my laptop when opening to this FS forum, I had to “sign in” whereas I have not needed to sign in for months. When I signed in an Xbox window opened asking me for permission to let this app access… or something like that.
Then I got an email telling me that MSFS forums had access to my Xbox data and a link to “manage” this permission.
I clicked on “Remove these Permissions”
Does this sound any alarms?
I am making a full disk backup of my C: Drive at the moment so I can recover to this condition if System Restore fails (which it has before).I have not opened MSFS yet since the System Restore. I just want to check everything else on my dedicated flight sim PC is in order.
MSFS should start and I should be able to fly, but I will note if any update occurs and then see if the issue returns on a restart of MSFS.
I am going to Pause Windows Updates for a few weeks to prevent Xbox updating (in case that is what it is).
Is there a way to pause MSFS updates?
To a point there is. As the sim is mainly streamed to you, you must be on the same release as the server files, or the sim won’t work.
Therefore Sim Updates (SU) are mandatory as these affect the base sim, World Updates (WU) though are optional extras.
The issue will also compound itself, as the sim makes accommodations for Windows updates, and Windows also plans their updates to work around the sim to a degree. Therefore updates to one or the other, if not applied, will eventually cause issues.
I know this is probably an Xbox issue but it happened in association with MSFS.
My PC is set up for one purpose. To fly on the MS Flight Simulator Anniversary Edition Premiere. I flew on Friday night with no problem. I go to fly it on Saturday, and I get and endless loop of Press Any Key / Xbox Login screen. The screen recognizes my login information. When I click Let’s Go, it takes me back to the Click Any Button screen. I tried to log into the Xbox app on the PC and it will not log me in. I can log into the Microsoft store on the PC app and through a web browser. I can also log into the Simulator on my Xbox console. I can also log into the Xbox app on my iPhone, and I can log into Xbox on my PC through a web browser. This appears to more of an Xbox problem and not a MS Flight Simulator problem.
I have made sure all programs/computer is up to date.
I have made a second Microsoft account and tried logging in with it - same problem.
I have tried repairing all apps involved.
I have gone into setting and made sure the gaming and Xbox items are set to automatic and running.
I have reinstalled the Xbox app.
I have restored the Xbox app.
I have cleared the cache in the Microsoft store.
I have made sure that I was logged off of everything and the tried logging in one thing at a time.
Thanks again. Please note again that this is becoming a “major issue” around the world.
We are powerless to contact MSFS so hopefully the Forum team can represent us.
I will try the solution above by @dTwotonemurphy and see if it is a permanent fix.
But if thousands of MSFS users get stuck, MSFS needs to contact everyone with the solution.
UPDATE
I tried the fix recommended by @dTwotonemurphy
It worked initially although because MSFS shut down incorrectly via Task Manager previously I was greeted with this window.
I continued in Normal mode - although I tried Safe Mode too after the following happened. After clicking “Fly” it got to about 75% loaded and would not go any further… so I had to shut down again.
The “press any button” problem was solved but now I had a different problem to solve. After a couple of tries, I gave up and did a System Restore forward to the 18th March where I was before all this started.
After that, a Windows Update kicked in and I let that complete hoping it might solve the new problem.
It didn’t, but at least I was not getting the “press any button” problem.
I think the current issue is to do with MSFS not knowing where my data is - or a problem with the Rolling cache.
LOL “Illegal Mod”??? It may be ‘unapproved’ by MSFS, but it is not ILLEGAL. No one can be prosecuted for installing mods that MSFS does not like just because we prefer better images than Bing maps.
The BOTTOM LINE is that the method suggested by @dTwotonemurphy seems like it will work if you don’t have any other problems crop up.
You might need to repeat the process a couple of times and restart.
That’s about all I can report.
Hope some of this is helpful.
One other thing you can do is to enter a “Submit a Request” for direct support from Zendesk.
Click the support tab at the top of any forum page, and select “Submit a Request” from the top menu bar of the support screen.
I have a related issue I think.
For the past 4 or 5 days I cannot run MSFS at all. The Xbox app won’t open at all and so all GamePass games are disabled.
After trying everything I and Google could think of, like someone above, I system-restored to a point last Friday. All working OK again. Until I rebooted and then everythings broke again. Looking at event viewer, it auto updated Gaming Services so I deduce that must be the cause.
Over the past week I’ve tried almost everything. Resetting, Repairing, Reinstalling apps. Regedits. Tweaks and powershell stuff. No joy.
I’m 99% sure this is Gaming Services service at fault.
TBH I’m kinda relieved to see other people having issues as I thought it was just me at one point.
My options at the moment seem to be to either wait until the next Gaming Services update and hope the bug is fixed… or to try a Windows repair or even Reinstall… A bit drastic and might not even work if GamingServices is still knackered.
I did
Doesn’t work for me as my issue is related but slightly different I think.
My GamingServices service will not start at all. Event viewer just shows it constantly trying to start and failing. So I can’t go into task manager and restart it. It just won’t start fullstop.
Restart the PC, open the Microsoft store and go to your library, then go to check for updates.
This will cause an application to download, this may take a while.
This seems to work pretty well, in case you want to automate it, copy the following in to a file stop_gaming_services.bat and whenever you run it, it will do everything for you.
@echo off
net stop GamingServices >nul 2>&1
net stop GamingServicesNet >nul 2>&1
net start GamingServices >nul 2>&1
net start GamingServicesNet >nul 2>&1
taskkill /f /im gamingservices.exe >nul 2>&1
taskkill /f /im gamingservicesnet.exe >nul 2>&1
Good and - well - obvious idea i did not think about. Second time now in 2 weeks that something messes with msfs. Press button and insert disc messages. Out of the blue. This time I cannot log into xbox app. Logged out and in into everything, store, win itself and xbox but no cure. Will try to reinstall xbox app next. Just happy that when this occurred the first time ever I did not follow msfs service desk advice to manually delete my cloud save…
The “press any button to continue” cropped up again.
I tried the following suggestion but it did not work for me.
.
I was going to repeat this fix that DID work…
…but I tried this instead.
I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND YOU DO THAT!!!
It totally corrupted my Xbox app and MSFS.
MSFS was “grayed out” in the Start Menu and would not start.
XBox app would not start either… so I could not repair MSFS.
I could not uninstall the XBox app, and it would not reinstall either.
Fortunately I had just previously created a System Restore point so I was able to Restore to where I started up today.
Finally I was able to get MSFS to start up.
I have ALSO now solved the “freezing” at 75% after clicking “FLY”
I found that if went Off-Line in the MSFS Graphics options, I could start a flight.
That was a BIG CLUE
After a bit of a search I found this.
There is a file called “hosts” that is used by a “Mod” (that we cannot name).
The Mod adds entries to the hosts file to direct the map source away from the official maps. If the Mod is not uninstalled or updated properly or something gets messed up in MSFS, the entries in “hosts” file can cause the flight loading to “freeze” at about 75% along.
There is a fairly simple solution
Just delete the “hosts” file and restart your computer
(You should make a copy of the “hosts” file first and save it on a stick just in case)
(Also create a System Restore point - just in case)
The “hosts” file is located here:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
You will need to be logged in as Administrator to delete the file.
Alternatively you can make another copy on the desk top and open it with a simple note pad.
Then delete any entries under the example lines # # - see below.
Save the file as “All Files” with the same name (with no extension)
When You restart, the flight will start normally and not freeze at 75%.
You will have your Rolling Cache on and set at plenty of GB
If you happen to reinstall or restart the “Mod” (that we are not naming), there will be new entries made in the “hosts” file but the SIM will not freeze because it will be redirected correctly.
Cheers
BlackSwan
This is a known issue, and is one of the principle reasons that MSFS does not recommend using mods that alter the core sim files, and thus why it isn’t allowed to be discussed in these forums.
Yeah. But the better informed we are about things like this the better it is for everyone. If someone gets stuck, they do not need to suffer punishment by finding it hard to get a solution.
