How To Fix Microsoft Flight Simulator Slow Download Speed

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 is a newly released version. Probably the oldest and most popular flight simulation video game ever created. But many Microsoft Flight Simulators reported that they get slow download speed whenever downloading an update.

The slow download issue with Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 can be solved in many ways, but there’s no simple solution that will work for everyone.

How do I fix Microsoft Flight simulator slow download speed? I’ve bought this game for $60 not to be unable to play it. The download system is really bad. I tried everything I saw. NOTHING worked. And why isn’t that downloading problem fixed yet?

In this article, we will give you a number of possible solutions that you can try if you are facing an issue of slow download speed during game installation or while updating.

Why is Microsoft Flight Simulator Downloading So Slow 2020?

There are various factors that can slow the download speed of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020. But the most common causes are listed below:

  • Server issues
  • Game settings limitation
  • Windows Auto-Tuning feature bug
  • Windows download settings
  • Slow internet speed
  • ISP-side issues
  • Network congestion
  • Data cap
  • Selective data prioritization
  • Wifi signal interference
  • Slow storage device

How to fix Microsoft Flight Simulator Slow download speed?

You don’t need to apply all these fixes at once. just try in your own way and look at which fix best suits you.

Fix 1. Check the game’s Data Bandwidth Usage Limit to Unlimited

Set the Game’s data Bandwidth usage limit to unlimited by following the below steps:

  • Open Microsoft Flight Simulator
  • Go to Options > General > Data
  • Under Data Bandwidth Usage Limit, select Unlimited for Bandwidth
  • Press F11 or click on Apply and Save

Fix 2. Turn off Auto-Tuning Level

Turning off Auto-tuning feature can enhance the MFS speed. Follow the below steps to apply this fix:

  • Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type the word Command
  • Look for Command Prompt and right-click on it
  • In the menu, select Run as administrator
  • In the command prompt, enter: netsh int tcp set global autotuninglevel=disable
  • Press the Enter key on your keyboard
  • Reboot your computer

Fix 3. Restart the Game

This issue can be sorted out by just restarting the game. You can apply this fix by just restarting your game. Once the game has been restarted, try to download Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 again to see if there’s any difference in increasing the speed.

Fix 4. Check Delivery Optimization Settings

You should make sure that Windows Updates and the Windows Store are not limited to a certain bandwidth cap or download speed. Here’s how you can do it:

  • Press the Windows key on your keyboard and type the word Delivery optimization
  • Open Delivery optimization settings
  • Select Open
  • Click on Advanced Options
  • Under Download settings, make sure that you check the box for Limit how much bandwidth is used for downloading updates in the background and move the slider to 100%

Fix 5. Use Google Public DNS

You have to change your DNS to Google Public DNS. DNS settings are specified in the TCP/IP properties window for the selected network connection.

Here’s how you can change DNS server settings on Windows 10:

  • Go to the Control Panel
  • Click Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings.
  • Select the connection for which you want to configure Google Public DNS. For example:

To change the settings for an Ethernet connection, right-click the Ethernet interface and select Properties

To change the settings for a wireless connection, right-click the Wi-Fi interface and select Properties

If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

  • Select the Networking tab. Under This connection uses the following items, select Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or Internet Protocol Version 6 (TCP/IPv6) and then click Properties
  • Click Advanced and select the DNS tab. If there are any DNS server IP addresses listed there, write them down for future reference, and remove them from this window
  • Click OK
  • Select Use the following DNS server addresses. If there are any IP addresses listed in the Preferred DNS server or Alternate DNS server, write them down for future reference
  • Replace those addresses with the IP addresses of the Google DNS servers:

For IPv4: 8.8.8.8 and/or 8.8.4.4.

For IPv6: 2001:4860:4860::8888 and/or 2001:4860:4860::8844.

For IPv6-only: you can use Google Public DNS64 instead of the IPv6 addresses in the previous point.

  • Test that your setup is working correctly; see Test your new settings.
  • Repeat the procedure for additional network connections you want to change

Fix 6. Use a VPN

In order to speed up the MFS you can use VPN, this will connect to another data center or prevent the ISP from seeing what kind of traffic is coming and going on your line.

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