It really was dead easy for me. I opened msfs and it downloaded the update. I think I had to click a button in the app, but that was it.
Then the world update files were a separate download. I nearly didn’t bother because I’ve yet to fly in Iberia, but I thought I might as well. It downloaded, it installed. It was simple and seamless.
And it was snowing! 
The update process is a bit strange with this game.
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Yup, another clumsy update for me too.
If you want to avoid user error it’s not necessery as windows knows where MSFS is installed. It would be easy for the devs to use this already existing path info to automatically pick the correct path. No reason to ask the user for it…
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A world update as made available to us today is effectively just that, free updated/improved/additional content.
Don’t forget Asobo/MS are now releasing World Updates and Sim Updates separately. Personally I would rather they do keep on developing, fixing issues, adding content, improving features and supporting the sim as they expected to for approx 10 years. An unfortunate consequence of this has and is likely to happen again that sometimes fixes are not fully robust or indeed other problems arise as a result.
The alternative is Asobo/MS draw a line under the sim as it is and only ever issue patches for security/vulnerability issues that come to light. I would rather imagine there would be uproar if they took this route as well.
Additional content provided with world updates are to a degree optional so you do not have to download and install the additional content if you do not wish to, I.e. perhaps you would opt to do that in the hope your Community folder content if unaffected.
Indeed very much a first world problem, particularly it’s all that has happened in the real world since this sim was launched. We are in fact really quite privileged….
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Definitely this.
And yet, it is uniquely convoluted for an Xbox Games Studios production, where updates tend to be mandatory but automated and bonus content tends to be a one click install.
It is definitely not something people figure out intuitively on their first try. By now, most of us are seasoned pros. But it is 2x as complex as other downloads on the platform, and it is worth typing about here while waiting for the process to complete.
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Don’t get me wrong, it certainly is not an intuitive process. At least for me it now seems to work reliably whereas in year one an update would pretty much always get stuck at 95%+ and pausing/restarting would result in usually a much larger update to download. Or worse still would cause a complete reinstall to kick in.
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The fact that every month there are posts like this should prove that the update process is not smooth or intuitive for everyone. The last few updates needed to be done through the XBOX app but this month it was through the MS Store.
Surely even the most ardent MS fan should understand that having two apps to update MSFS and not knowing which one will work this month can get a wee bit confusing?
As for me, I only knew something was up when I tried to compile a development project using the fspackagetool and it ran Steam client updater. I don’t have the Steam version of MSFS.
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Interesting. I have the PC version and the update was completely performed in MSFS software. Didn’t have to go to the Microsoft Store or XBox app at all.
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Like everything else in the sim, updates seems to behave differently for different people. Both on PC and xBox.
One of the updates should be dedicated to the update process itself!
For me it seems to behave somewhat different every time.
At first it would initiate it on it’s own. After that I had to go to the Microsoft Store, but that stopped working and then I had to download xBox App and go to the xBox store to start it.
Oh and don’t forget, move all your Community items, If you have a Navigraph subscription you have to disable that.
And after that, don’t forget to go to your Content manager and download more updates.
And don’t forget to delete and redefine your Rolling Cache and re-enable you Navigraph subscription, and slowly move things back to the Community folder.
Yes, the process does need some improvements.
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The game should automatically start the update on it’s own without have to go to the Microsoft or xBox Store.
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The Community Folder should automatically be renamed.
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Navigraph subscription should automatically be disabled.
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The Rolling Cache should automatically reinitialize.
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At the end of the update the user should be taken to the Content Manager so they can download what else is needed.
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Navigraph Subscription Re-enabled.
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A reminder to slowly move mods/add-ons back to the Community folder.
So yes the updates are convoluted and need a little TLC. Mine today started on it’s own. But I did the Navigraph, community folder and rolling cache manually.
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And we did even have shoes
It has taken me literally HOURS to get the sim to even update itself and launch. I ultimately resorted to nearly every step on three pages of the official installation troubleshooting process, up to and including using PowerShell to enter command lines to uninstall and reinstall Gaming Services. After that, the XBox App finally allowed me to download a little ~500MB update, then the sim itself downloaded another ~2GB update, and now I’m in the Content Manager updating all my content.
Seriously, someone … ANYONE … grab Jorg by shoulders, look into his eyes, and tell him, “THIS IS CRAZY!” I have 3 TB of SSD storage on this PC, and literally dozens of games installed locally in my Steam library ranging from small indies to huge AAA titles; I have another 8-10 installed in my GOG library, and 2-3 in my Epic library. Heck, I even had no issues installing a 2.5GB for ASTRONEER this afternoon from the XBox App!
This is the ONLY program I have ever encountered that seems to go out of its way to make simply installing and updating it a rite of passage. Hell, I currently have 85 hours in ELDEN RING in the last 3 weeks and as notoriously hard as that game is, it’s still easier to beat a dungeon mini-boss than just updating this sim.
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I once had to go to an app or a store, but every other update just happened in-game. I wonder why other people don’t get such a slick, simple update?
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I wish it was that simple?
In my case it did not stop to tell it what drive to install it on?
Then when I went to Market place to install the free Iberia it told me your version of the flight simulator is not up to date? The one I just downloaded.
So my choice is use the old simulator or do a complete new install.
Many different problems by many users.
That’s because Steam is good. The whole MS ecosystem is a ■■■■ show to say the least. It requires multiple loosely connected external applications, all of which need to be updated, logged in and working correctly for the sim update process to work. If anything is off, the update doesn’t work.
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LOL, that says it perfectly.
Today I wanted to fly the sim, Windows 11 update that failed, rolled back to previous Windows 11 install, now sim is updating.
Downloads run 1/10th the speed of my internet.
It can take hours sometimes to launch the sim.
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its truly a royal pain.
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my issue with this ‘update’ is I ‘can’t’ update because it states I need a ‘new’ version of the ‘last’ version?.. and have two items that are necessary for it to download?.. DA 62 which is there and another which I forget… so confusing… liked it better when it just loaded from the program. I dread these updates. Gotta clear out your ‘community’ folder… another pain… I mean REALLY…
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Open MS Store and on the left you’ll see pinned icons. Go into library near the bottom and at the top just click Get Updates.