MSFS 2020 mods extracted to Community folder but aircraft/scenery not showing

Hello,

First of all, welcome to the world of modding! It can be a bit tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, you'll find it greatly enhances your MSFS2020 experience. I'll be more than happy to provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to install mods correctly. Let's go through it together.

Step-by-step guide to installing mods in MSFS2020:

1. First, locate your MSFS2020 Community folder. It can be found in the installation directory of your Microsoft Flight Simulator. If you've installed the simulator through Microsoft Store or Game Pass, the default path should be:
   C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community
   If you have the Steam version, the default path is:
   C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages\Community
   Please replace YOUR_USERNAME with your actual username on your computer.

2. Once you've located the Community folder, make sure you've unzipped the mod files you've downloaded. Most mods come in a compressed format, like .zip, .rar, or .7z. You can use tools like WinRAR, 7-Zip, or the built-in Windows utility to extract these files.
3. After extracting, you should see a folder (or multiple folders) that contain the mod content. Make sure that these folders do NOT have any extra parent folders. The mod folders should directly contain files such as layout.json, manifest.json, and the ContentInfo folder.
4. Now, copy or move the extracted mod folder(s) to the Community folder you located in step 1. Ensure that you place the mod folder(s) directly into the Community folder and not within any subfolders.
5. Finally, launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. Once the simulator has loaded, you should see the new aircraft or scenery in the respective selection menus. Keep in mind that some mods might require additional configuration steps, so it's a good idea to double-check the mod's documentation or readme files for any specific instructions.

By following these steps, you should have your mods up and running in no time. Don't worry if it feels a bit confusing at first; with practice, it becomes second nature. If you still run into any issues or need further clarification, feel free to ask.

Happy flying!

Hi Chris,

If you genuinely don’t have a Packages / Community folder anywhere, that’s almost always because MSFS isn’t actually installed in the normal way (or it hasn’t completed the initial “Packages” setup), or you’re looking in the wrong Windows profile/location.

One important point first: I can’t help troubleshoot pirated/cracked copies or “portable” installs. Aside from the legal side, those builds often break the package structure, Content Manager, and the folder paths we rely on, so any advice becomes guesswork.

That said, if you’re on a legitimate install (including Game Pass / Microsoft Store / Steam), here’s the proper way to find the real folders.

1) Don’t create Community/Packages manually
MSFS expects a specific “Packages” location that it wrote during the first setup. If you just create a random folder called Community, the sim will ignore it because it’s not the active packages path.

2) Find the active “InstalledPackagesPath”
MSFS stores the real Packages path in a config file. Check these two common locations:

1. Microsoft Store / Game Pass version (most common):
   C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\UserCfg.opt

2. Steam version:
   C:\Users\YOUR_USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\UserCfg.opt

Open UserCfg.opt with Notepad and scroll near the bottom. You should see a line like:

InstalledPackagesPath "D:\MSFS\Packages"

Whatever folder that line points to is the one MSFS is actually using. Inside it you should have:

• Community
• Official

If those folders don’t exist under the InstalledPackagesPath, then MSFS hasn’t completed the packages install properly.

3) Confirm the mod folder structure (common gotcha)
Inside Community, each add-on must be one folder deep, like:

...\Community\some-airport\manifest.json
...\Community\some-airport\layout.json

If you have something like:

...\Community\some-airport\some-airport\manifest.json

…then it won’t load. In that case, move the inner folder up one level.

4) Test with a clean Community
Sometimes a bad add-on prevents others from loading cleanly. Quick test:

1. Close MSFS.
2. Rename Community to:
   Community.OFF

3. Create a new empty folder named:
   Community

4. Put just one known-good add-on in it and test.

A couple of targeted questions so I don’t send you in circles:

• Which version are you on (Steam / Microsoft Store / Game Pass)?
• What does your InstalledPackagesPath line say (copy/paste it here)?
• Does MSFS launch normally and can you download official content/updates, or is it an “offline” install?
• What’s the exact folder name of one of the add-ons you’re trying, and what files do you see inside it (do you see manifest.json and layout.json)?

Answer those and I’ll tell you exactly where your real Community folder is and why MSFS isn’t seeing the add-ons.