Why Does MSFS-2024 Take Forever to Load Main Menu

[CmderShepard]

Hi all,

I held off on playing MSFS 2024 until now. Figured there would be bugs and issues and I wanted to give them time to get fixed.

Fast forward to this week, I finally got everything setup and ready to go, and I’m wondering where the community is at with the insane loading times when first starting up the sim. I browsed the forums a bit but couldn’t find solid information.

The sim boots up no problem, but as soon as I press “Start”, it’ll sit here frozen for about 30 minutes before actually getting to the main menu. I would think after 10 months an issue like this would’ve been ironed out by now.

That said, I’m running from a fresh install with zero add-ons, so maybe this is a problem the community has resolved in the last 10 months, and I’m curious if anyone has a fix.

Screenshots below of where my sim freezes and my speed test. Currently, I start up the sim, click “Start” then walk away and do something for an hour before coming back to actually play.

[BRANDYDOG01]

Something isn’t right. My load time from desk top icon to main splash screen is 2 minutes. When I click the start box down on the bottom right, it loads into the first menu almost instantly. Less than a second.

[TRANSAIR4045]

yeah agree…..under 2 minutes each time. Something is amiss…

[CurrentFoil3744]

Yes, something with your system is definitely wrong. Startup times for MSFS have been reduced significantly from MSFS 2020.

Some questions and things to get closer to the root of the problem:

1. Make sure your Community folder is empty.
2. Clear your MSFS cache.
3. Go to Windows System, Apps and find Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024. Click on it. Now click options, then Repair.
4. Are you using a hard disk drive or an Ssd to store MSFS? If an HDD, you might open a command prompt with administrative rights and then run: sfc /scannow

Let us know if any of these actions helped your situation. If not, we’ll suggest some other things. Good luck!

UPDATE: Here are some details on the use of scannow and an additional repair tool you might try: DISM: DISM and scannow

BTW, the very first time you run the sim it takes quite a while to start. Subsequent startups go much faster.

[Wingman7768]

Did you download much content instead of streaming? This is increasing the loading time tremendously.

[TheM00ps]

It does, but not 30 minutes like the OP is reporting. I’ve downloaded all the core content, aircraft and world updates and mine still starts up in a couple of minutes.

[SanMan140579979]

Also experiencing long pause after clicking start. Doesn’t matter if community folder is empty or full.

[TheSevenflyer]

There is also this FS2024 support article that could be some help: https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/17268168854044-Loading-issues

[Wingman7768]

You are correct. Just a bit longer, for sure not 30 min.

[CurrentFoil3744]

Here are several other suggestions, directly copied from search results (some are discussed in previous posts; I apologize for the overlap):

Potential Causes of Slow Startup

1. Out-of-Sync System Time: One common issue leading to long initial load times is an incorrect system date and time. Ensure that your system’s time and region settings are synchronized. You can do this by going to Settings > Date & Time and enabling the options for automatic time and time zone settings.

2. Internet Connection Speed: Since MSFS 2024 relies heavily on streaming data, a slow or unstable internet connection can significantly impact loading times. Check your connection speed and ensure that your ISP is not throttling your bandwidth.

3. Hardware Limitations: The performance of your hardware can also affect loading times. Using older spinning hard drives instead of SSDs can slow down the loading process. Ensure that your game is installed on a fast SSD for optimal performance.

4. Background Tasks: Close any unnecessary background applications that may be consuming system resources. Running in-game mode on Windows can also help prioritize the simulator’s performance.

5. Add-ons and Community Folder: If you have many add-ons installed, they can slow down the startup process. Consider disabling or managing your community folder to reduce the number of active add-ons, especially after updates.

   3 Sources

Troubleshooting Steps

• Synchronize Time Settings: As mentioned, ensure your system time is accurate to avoid loading issues.

• Check Internet Connection: Use online tools to test your connection speed and stability.

• Manage Add-ons: Move or rename your community folder to troubleshoot loading issues related to outdated or incompatible mods.

• Delete Cached Data: If problems persist, consider deleting old cached data or cloud saves that may be causing conflicts.

Please don’t be hesitant to let us know the results and seek further help. The people on this forum are usually very willing and able to help!

[Asjemenou62]

I encounter more or less the same issues as the OP.
What I did notice though is that when I start MSFS24 on the xbox s/x it loads within the 2 minutes like someone already said but on my Highend laptop (I9 13900HX + 4090) not. It even showing (sometimes) bandwith issues but both are on the exact same network.

I tried realy all tips but nothing helping. Its even a fress install and 0 add-ons.

Atm I trying an free flight and waiting already over 20 minutes to even get it loaded to the plain.

Im connected to the Westen servers, i’m from Holland, EU.