Does someone know if it’s possible to transfer your MSFS2020 license from the MS Store to Steam?
Reason for my question is I’ve had constant issues with receiving updates for MSFS2020 where I’ve ended up having to do a complete reinstall every time a new version has been released and I’m getting quite fed up with that.
I cannot help you but yours is but one of several topics discussed at length on this forum.
Sometimes I just wish I could go sit with someone having problems and go through it with them. I’ve not had a single installation problem and many who have, are PC savvy.
I just wonder what’s going on, and I’ll probably never know, but it’s a terrible experience for some and you have my sympathy.
I had the same problem with the steam version on launch lucky enough i got it refunded and got the MS store version instead and iv never had a problem
Steam and MS Store Version are the same except for the launcher.
So if you have troubles downloading in the launcher or in game it doesn’t matter which verision you are using
Hmm…guess I’m a bit confused. Are you saying as long as I bought the license, regardless where I bought it from, I should be able to download and install it both in MS Store and via Steam?
I bought a Microsoft Flight Simulator Premium Deluxe Bundle license via MS Store and checking in Steam, I do find the title but it’s not within my library but appears as a title I can buy. And I’m not very tempted to pay those 120 Euros a second time.
To me it makes sense I don’t see it in my Steam library. Because, how would Steam know I bought a license for this title in MS Store? Or is it supposed to be a connection between MS Store and Steam I’m not aware of? Linked to my email address or whatever?
That would have been really sweet if that was the case!
No. 2 different vendors and licenses.
What he is saying is that the actual installer is the same. Both install the same way.
Ok, so with that said I guess the simple answer to my initial question is ‘No’.
I’m not fully sure what you mean by the installer being the same? I don’t use MS Store or Steam just to launch the game but also to download and install it. As well as downloading and installing updates. And that’s where things fail in the MS Store as explained in the initial post.
Steam is a vendor. They supply the same installer exe as MS Store does. Steam issues different licenses as they also take a cut in sales.
When MSFS downloads the core, it’s also the same core as Steam and MS Store.
The only difference is licenses. So, you are correct, you would have to purchase again unless you are in a time frame it can be refunded.
When you bought the Premium Deluxe bundle from MS Store (which you should have done from Steam since you bought the core from Steam), you probably bought the entire game. How much did you pay for this Bundle?
Steam or MS Store will make no difference to your in-game download experience. The only difference is where you receive that initial small update from (so far always less than 1 GB). That seems to be a fast download regardless where you get it from.
Once that’s installed, we all get our main in-game updates from the same place.
As for myself, I have it on Steam. Typically, I’ve gotten 300-400 Mbit speeds downloading the updates in game (I have 1 Gbit fibre). This last update, I couldn’t break 40 Mbit.
The problem is with their content delivery systems. It has nothing to do with MS Store or Steam.
OK guys, I think there’s some confusion here right now. Maybe I wasn’t clear in my initial post.
I have never bought anything related to MSFS2020 from Steam. I bought the Deluxe package directly from the MS Store and paid I think it was 120 Euros IIRC.
My problem has never been download speeds or anything like that. The problem has been whenever a new version for MSFS2020 has been released, I’ve never seen this update. I thought I would get the update via the MS Store in the same way any other applications in MS Store is updated. However, after reading what you’ve said here, it seems I should have been notified about these update inside MSFS2020 - is that correct?
Either way, when I had MSFS2020 bought and installed via the MS Store, I never saw any new versions. Not in MS Store nor in-game. Even when it was announced a new version had been released. The only way I found to get the new version was to completely uninstall MSFS2020 and then reinstall it via the MS Store. Meaning I ended up having to go through that HUGE download over and over again. To stay on the latest version. This is what I got fed up with. And the reason I decided to get rid of MSFS2020 for the time being.
No big deal really since I will wait for this title to turn into a proper simulator from now being more of a game IMO. Was just curious if there was a way for me to transfer the license I bought in the MS Store to Steam. To have it downloaded and installed within Steam instead. Since I never had any of these issues in Steam where new versions of titles I own aren’t updated properly when released.
You can “trick” MSFS into doing forced download. This will also verify existing files. Remove all mods from the Community Folder.
Step 1: Close Microsoft Flight Simulator and navigate to the UserCfg.opt file that you can find at the following location by default: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache
Step 2: Create a new folder. For instance “Package 2”
Step 3: Open the UserCFG.opt file with Notepad, scroll down to the bottom of the page, and change the following line to point to the new folder: InstalledPackagesPath “C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages 2”
Step 4: Relaunch the Microsoft Flight Simulator
Step 5: Sign in with the the Microsoft account used to purchase Microsoft Flight Simulator
Step 6: The update screen should now be available again
Step 7: Make sure that the installation path points to the original/correct installation folder (in this case “packages” and not packages 2" for instance)
Many thanks buddy for this detailed workaround! Will keep it handy for next time I decide to install MSFS2020.
At the same time, I think it’s quite poor how end users should have to go through these kind of steps simply to get an update for payware products. But hey, looking at it from the bright side…room for improvement 
That didn’t work for me. It did bring up an update screen which disappeared after a few seconds, then the sim loaded with the old version. This is maddening…
Interesting. That means it detected what is in your main “Packages” folder as current.
Did the MS Store (or Steam) download the initial installer at first?
Correction…I might have mistyped the first time. I tried again, and it did do a download of abiout 500MB (not the full package), but it left my system back at the same version I had before…my original was MS download of the Standard package, then I purchased the Premium Deluxe after about a month.
And that content you were able to download then? (It’s installed)?
Did the MS Store download the initial installer?
I had some issues with my purchase on Windows store where the installation wasn’t stable, I had some kind of corrupted files on the second/third install attempt, and then I couldn’t get access to the deluxe content. The store wouldn’t let me install it, despite seeing it in my library. I tried for a few hours to resolve it through support but gave up, knowing that one shouldn’t have to work for hours to get a purchase working.
I went nuclear and got a refund, bought it on Steam and the whole situation was resolved immediately. Installed first time and was good to go.
So from my particular experience, I found Steam to be a better outcome. I am not a fan of Windows Store. I’d much prefer a downloadable installer on purchase and not have to negotiate the store at all. I’m sure others have had opposite experiences with Steam but that’s my take. 
I am back to where I started tongiht with version 1.10.11 and the Core Components showing up to date, but all the new content showing a dependency on 1.11.2 Yes the initial install was from MS store (standard edtion). I later upgraded to Deluxe Premium
This is nutz…
Did the MS Store download the initial install for the update that came out on 24 November?
I am actually not 100% sure. MS did a download of much content (airports, etc), which I bellieve set up my issue. The code base is 1.10, but the new content depends on 1.11, which I can’t get installed. All my downloads have been from MS Store (no Steam on my computer)