Whenever you jump into a new game, the last thing you want is launch problems. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crash to desktop, startup, or failed to launch has become a common issue with the game. For players on PC, crashing is nothing out of the ordinary and the most probable cause of the error is an outdated graphics card driver and third-party software and features such as the MSI Afterburner, Steam & Discord Overlay, and sometimes even the GeForce Experience.
Hence, as a first step in resolving the error we will terminate all useless applications running on the PC before launching the game and hopefully, the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashing to desktop will be fixed by that.
Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Crash to Desktop, Startup, or Failed to Launch
Fix 1: Terminate Unnecessary Applications
With so many games, third-party software that forcefully inject themselves between operations cause crash in the game. Hence, the first thing we must do to resolve the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashing on PC or failed to launch error is suspend all unnecessary programs and then launch the game. Here are the steps you can follow.
- Press Windows Key + R and type msconfig, hit Enter
- In General tab, uncheck Load startup items
- Go to the Services tab
- Check Hide all Microsoft services
- Now, click Disable all
- Click on Apply and OK.
Try launching the game, check if the error still occurs. In order to locate the specific program that’s causing the crash, you will have to launch each program one at a time and check if the error occurs.
Fix 2: Update the Graphics Card Drivers
Although an outdated graphics card driver causes the most crashes, it’s a gamer’s modus operandi to keep all drivers and software updated on the system. This includes the OS, audio drivers, motherboards, processors, etc.
So, first update the graphics card drivers and check if Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crashes on startup or in-game. Nvidia recently released Game Ready Driver. Here are the link to both Nvidia and AMD drivers you need.
Select your OS and other specs and download and install the software. If the problem persists, update everything from OS to audio drivers and check again.
Fix 3: Don’t Hit Alt + Tab to Exit Fullscreen
A lot of users have complained that the game crashes when they use the Alt + Tab key to exit out of fullscreen. So, if that’s something you did and it led to the crash. Use other methods to exit out of the game.
Fix 4: Run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 As Admin
You must also provide the game with admin permissions. Sometimes, games without permission do not function desirably. Windows by default does not provide the admin permission to any software, so you have to do it manually and you should be doing it for any new games you install. To perform the steps – right-click on the desktop shortcut of the game and select Properties. Go to the Compatibility tab and check Run this program as an administrator. That’s it, launch the game and check if the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 crash still occurs.
If the game still crashes, wait for a few days as this problem is so widespread, the developers will soon release a patch to fix the Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 Crash to Desktop. As the game is still new, we can expect problems like these. Just wait a few days and you will be able to enjoy a seamless experience after a patch.