MSFS Community Folder Location: How to Find It on Windows

1. What Is the MSFS Community Folder?

The Community folder is the designated directory where Microsoft Flight Simulator reads all third-party add-on content. Anything you download outside the in-game marketplace — freeware aircraft, payware airports, custom liveries, weather utilities, scenery enhancements, and more — must be placed here for the simulator to recognize and load it.

Think of it as a plugin inbox: MSFS scans the folder every time it launches and activates whatever valid add-on packages it finds inside. Removing a folder from Community instantly disables that add-on; dropping it back in re-enables it on the next launch.

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Community vs. Official folder Add-ons purchased through the in-game Marketplace go into the Official folder — not Community. Only third-party content downloaded externally belongs in the Community folder.

2. MSFS 2020 Community Folder Location

The exact MSFS community folder location depends on how you purchased and installed the simulator. There are three main versions, each storing user data in a different place.

Microsoft Store / Xbox App (Game Pass)

If you installed MSFS 2020 via the Microsoft Store or a Game Pass subscription, the Community folder lives inside a sandboxed package directory under your user profile:

MS Store

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Packages\
                      Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\
                      LocalCache\Packages\Community

You can paste this shortcut directly into Windows File Explorer's address bar to jump there instantly:

Shortcut %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community

Steam Version

The Steam edition keeps its user-data files in the Roaming AppData folder instead:

Steam

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\
                      Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community

Shortcut %APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community

Retail Disc (Boxed Edition)

Owners of the physical boxed release will find their Community folder here:

Retail Disc C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\MSFSPackages\Community

Custom Install Location

If you chose a custom install path during setup (for example, on a secondary SSD), MSFS created a Packages\Community folder directly inside that chosen directory. Navigate to wherever you pointed the installer and look for the Community folder alongside the Official folder.

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Pro tip: Create a desktop shortcut Once you find the folder, right-click it and select Send to → Desktop (create shortcut). You'll never need to navigate deep AppData paths again.

MS Store Microsoft Store & Game Pass

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\
Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community

Steam Steam Version

%APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community

Retail Boxed / Disc Edition

%LOCALAPPDATA%\MSFSPackages\Community

3. MSFS 2024 Community Folder Location

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 follows the same Community folder concept, but the paths have changed to reflect the new version. The process for installing third-party content is identical to MSFS 2020.

Microsoft Store / Xbox App (Game Pass) — MSFS 2024

MS Store 2024

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Packages\
                      Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\
                      LocalCache\Packages\Community

Shortcut %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community

Steam Version — MSFS 2024

Steam 2024

C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Roaming\
                      Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\Packages\Community

Shortcut %APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\Packages\Community

⚠️

MSFS 2020 add-ons are not guaranteed to work in MSFS 2024 Officially, Asobo recommends verifying add-on compatibility before placing MSFS 2020 packages into your 2024 Community folder. Incompatible add-ons can cause stability issues or CTDs. Always check the developer's release notes.

4. Quick Reference: All MSFS Community Folder Paths

Use this table as a handy cheat-sheet. Replace [USERNAME] with your actual Windows username.

Sim Version	Platform	Community Folder Path
MSFS 2020	MS Store / Game Pass	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community`
MSFS 2020	Steam	`%APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community`
MSFS 2020	Retail Disc	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\MSFSPackages\Community`
MSFS 2024	MS Store / Game Pass	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community`
MSFS 2024	Steam	`%APPDATA%\Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024\Packages\Community`

5. How to Show Hidden AppData Folders

By default, Windows hides the AppData folder from File Explorer. If you're navigating manually rather than using the shortcut paths above, you'll need to reveal it first.

Open File Explorer

Press Win + E or click the folder icon in your taskbar.

Enable Hidden Items

In the View tab (Windows 10) or the View → Show menu (Windows 11), check Hidden items. The AppData folder inside your user profile will now become visible.

Navigate to the path

Browse to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData and continue to the appropriate sub-path from the table above.

Use the shortcut method (easier)

Alternatively, copy any of the %LOCALAPPDATA% or %APPDATA% paths from this guide, paste it directly into the File Explorer address bar, and press Enter. Windows will resolve the environment variable automatically.

6. Find the Community Folder Directly Inside the Sim

Both MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024 let you locate or change your Community folder from within the simulator itself — no file explorer digging required.

Method A: Via Developer Mode (MSFS 2020 & 2024)

Open Options

From the main menu, go to Options → General → Developers (MSFS 2020) or the Advanced Options tab (MSFS 2024).

Enable Developer Mode

Toggle Developer Mode to On. A new menu bar will appear at the top of the screen.

Check the title bar

Your current Community folder path is displayed in the Developer Mode title bar. You can also use the dev menu to open the folder directly.

Method B: Via My Library — MSFS 2024 (Recommended)

Go to Marketplace → My Library

Launch MSFS 2024 and navigate to the Marketplace section, then click My Library in the top-left corner.

Click the cog icon

Find the small cogwheel icon next to the search bar (not the larger cog near your username) and click it.

View or change the location

A pop-up will display your current Community folder path and storage usage. Click Browse to select a new location, then click Confirm.

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Make a shortcut now, thank yourself later Once you've located the Community folder, right-click it → Pin to Quick Access in File Explorer. It'll always be one click away in the sidebar.

7. How to Install Add-ons into the Community Folder

Once you know your MSFS community folder location, installing add-ons is straightforward. Here's the correct process:

Download the add-on

Download the ZIP or RAR file from your chosen source (e.g., flightsim.to, developer website, Orbx, etc.).

Extract the archive

Right-click the downloaded file and choose Extract All, or use a tool like 7-Zip or WinRAR. Extract to your desktop or a temp folder first.

Find the correct add-on folder

Inside the extracted files, look for the folder that contains a manifest.json file. This is the actual add-on folder MSFS reads. Some downloads have one extra wrapper folder — dig one level deeper if needed.

Copy to Community

Copy (or move) the add-on folder — the one with manifest.json — directly into your Community folder. Each add-on gets its own subfolder. Do not paste files directly into the Community root.

Restart MSFS

If the simulator is already running, close it fully and relaunch. MSFS scans the Community folder at startup, not while running.

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Don't rename add-on folders Some add-ons rely on their specific folder name internally. Renaming the folder can break loading. Leave folder names exactly as provided by the developer.

8. Moving the Community Folder to Another Drive

Add-ons accumulate fast. If your C: drive is filling up, here are your options for relocating the Community folder without breaking MSFS.

Option A: Change the path in MSFS 2024 (Easiest)

In MSFS 2024, use the in-game My Library → cog icon method described above to point the simulator to a Community folder on any drive. Create an empty folder on the target drive first (e.g., D:\MSFS2024\Community), then browse to it and confirm.

Option B: Edit UserCfg.opt (MSFS 2020)

For MSFS 2020, you can edit the UserCfg.opt configuration file. Find the line that reads InstalledPackagesPath and update it to point to your preferred drive. This changes where MSFS looks for both the Official and Community folders.

Option C: Symbolic Link / Junction (Advanced)

You can keep the Community folder at its original path while its contents live on another drive, using a Windows symbolic link (junction point). This is transparent to MSFS — it reads the original path but the data is stored elsewhere:

PowerShell (Admin)

# Move the folder to D: drive first, then create a junction
                      Move-Item "C:\...\Community" "D:\MSFS\Community"
                      New-Item -ItemType Junction `
                      -Path "C:\...\Community" `
                      -Target "D:\MSFS\Community"

Option D: MSFS Addons Linker (Recommended for Power Users)

The free tool MSFS Addons Linker is the community's most popular solution for managing add-on storage locations. It creates symbolic links from a staging folder into your Community folder, letting you organize, enable, and disable add-ons without moving files manually. It also supports multiple Community folder targets for MSFS 2020 and 2024 simultaneously.

9. Troubleshooting: Add-ons Not Showing Up

Installed an add-on but it's not appearing in the sim? Work through this checklist:

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Check 1 — Correct Community folder? You must use the correct path for your specific installation method. A common mistake is putting add-ons in the MSFS 2020 folder when running 2024, or vice versa.

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Check 2 — Correct folder structure? The add-on's root folder (the one containing manifest.json) must be placed directly inside Community. If you accidentally added a wrapper folder, MSFS won't recognize the package.

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Check 3 — Did you restart the sim? MSFS only scans the Community folder at startup. If you added an add-on while MSFS was open, fully close and relaunch it.

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Check 4 — Is the add-on compatible with your sim version? An MSFS 2020 add-on is not guaranteed to work in MSFS 2024. Check the developer's compatibility notes. Incompatible add-ons are silently skipped or can cause CTDs.

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Check 5 — Test with an empty Community folder If you're experiencing crashes, try moving all add-ons out of Community and loading MSFS with a clean folder. If the issue disappears, re-add add-ons in batches to identify the culprit.

Frequently Asked Questions

QWhere is the MSFS community folder location on Windows 11?

The paths are identical on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Use the same paths listed in this guide — AppData is always at C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData regardless of Windows version. Remember to enable hidden items in File Explorer if you can't see the folder.

QCan I use the same Community folder for MSFS 2020 and MSFS 2024?

Not directly — each simulator version reads its own Community folder by default. However, you can use MSFS Addons Linker to create symbolic links from MSFS 2024's Community folder pointing to MSFS 2020 add-ons, avoiding duplicate files. Just note that compatibility is not guaranteed, and Asobo recommends verifying each add-on individually.

QHow do I find which Community folder MSFS is currently using?

In MSFS 2024, go to Marketplace → My Library and click the cogwheel icon to see the active path. In MSFS 2020, enable Developer Mode in the sim settings — the current path is shown in the developer title bar. Alternatively, open UserCfg.opt and look for the InstalledPackagesPath value.

✓ Key Takeaways

The MSFS community folder location differs by sim version (2020 vs 2024) and by install method (MS Store vs Steam vs Retail).
Use %LOCALAPPDATA% or %APPDATA% shortcut paths in File Explorer to jump there instantly.
AppData is hidden by default — enable "Hidden items" in File Explorer View settings.
The add-on folder containing manifest.json goes directly inside Community — one folder per add-on.
MSFS must be fully restarted after adding or removing files from the Community folder.
MSFS 2024 lets you change the Community folder location via Marketplace → My Library → cog icon.
Use MSFS Addons Linker to manage large collections and save drive space.