General manual guidance / MSFS 2024
Start with verified compatibility.
Use only the edition listed as compatible with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 on the product page and supplied readme. Product-specific folder names and prerequisites are not yet available for this catalogue; this is not a tested installation of an available SKU.
- Close the simulator before changing add-on files. Keep a backup of your downloaded archive and read the included instructions.
- Extract the archive to a temporary folder. Do not run unknown executables.
- Locate the simulator’s actual configured Community destination. It can differ by distribution, installation and custom packages path. Do not assume that an example path is correct on your PC.
- Identify the actual package root from its readme. For a conventional package, the folder containing its manifest.json and layout.json belongs directly inside Community, without an extra outer ZIP/extraction folder. Other layouts require their own instructions.
- If replacing a version, identify only that same product’s old folder using the readme and keep a backup. Never clear the whole Community or Official directory.
- Copy the compatible product’s package folder as directed, then start the simulator. An in-simulator content/load check remains necessary; copying files alone is not proof that an add-on works.
Safe manual uninstall.
Close the simulator. Remove only the exact folder you installed for the identified product. Preserve every unrelated package. If ownership or folder structure is unclear, stop rather than deleting by guesswork.
Official reference.
Microsoft’s edition-specific guidance explains the Community destination and installation checks: Community-folder guidance. Do not disable antivirus or change Windows security to install an add-on.