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MSFS2024 Community folder disappeared

J

Jerrymc3

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I'm not sure what I did because all my airport addons (50+) were showing before in MSFS 2024. I have the Xbox Store version and I'm using MSFSAddons Linker. When I go into Marketplace the Community folder is no longer showing. MSFS2024 is installed on M:\ drive. I have Addons Linker pointing to:

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-81930415-3525209570-3683867815-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community

I start MSFS2024 and enable Developer Mode to see where it is looking for my addons and it shows two folders: FS2020 Official Folder and FS2024 Official Folder. I close MSFS and try pointing AddonsLinker to:

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-81930415-3525209570-3683867815-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official2020\OneStore,

click okay, enable all addons. Go back into Marketplace, no Community folder and my and my addons are still not there.

I go back into Developer Mode and it is still showing \Official2020\OneStore but when I open the folder there it is empty.
 
You can easily search for files and folders anywhere on your system with "Everything" search utility:

https://www.voidtools.com/


I suggest using the Alpha 1.5x-a (x64) version of Everything; it makes life easier for all computer users, even if not FSDEV folks.

https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9787

https://www.voidtools.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9787#download


IIRC, both the 2020 and 2024 versions of MSFS have a copy installed of Asobo_Props.BGL.

I suggest searching for that file to locate the "Official" Folder chain; just type / paste Asobo_Props.BGL in the Everything search field.
:wizard:



After you master that skill, you can use Everything to search for a folder name of one of your MSFS \Community sub-folder add-ons. ;)


IIRC, normally the above cited folder:

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-81930415-3525209570-3683867815-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official2020\OneStore

...is a hidden "system" folder, but MSFS allows us to "move" the Community sub-folder to a different location that has unrestricted visibility / access.


I will first need to check to verify the 'current' method used for that process tomorrow (quite late here).

GaryGB
 
Jerrymc3 said:
I'm not sure what I did because all my airport addons (50+) were showing before in MSFS 2024. I have the Xbox Store version and I'm using MSFSAddons Linker. When I go into Marketplace the Community folder is no longer showing. MSFS2024 is installed on M:\ drive. I have Addons Linker pointing to:

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-81930415-3525209570-3683867815-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community

I start MSFS2024 and enable Developer Mode to see where it is looking for my addons and it shows two folders: FS2020 Official Folder and FS2024 Official Folder. I close MSFS and try pointing AddonsLinker to:

M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-81930415-3525209570-3683867815-1001\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official2020\OneStore,

click okay, enable all addons. Go back into Marketplace, no Community folder and my and my addons are still not there.

I go back into Developer Mode and it is still showing \Official2020\OneStore but when I open the folder there it is empty.
Click to expand...

the folders your listing dont appear to be the right "Community" folder you need to point to with addon linker
the address you show ....\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official2020\OneStore would be for Official Marketpolace packages not for Community Addons (with 2020 this may have worked even if its not quite right but with the streaming it will not work in 2024)

for Addon Linker it should point to the Community folder inside the "Packages" folder - these can be different depending on the install
addon linker would then point to this folder with a default install C:\Users\<YourUserName>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Limitless_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community
I have no idea where the "M:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-81930415-3525209570-3683867815-1001" stuff comes from in your case (network location? if so thats probably not suggested)

so first disable All addons in the addon linker to remove the hyper links that may be in the wrong location
then use the game to find the Correct Community folder, depending on the install there can be more than one, but only one will be used by the game
and then point the Addon Linker to that (and/or create a shortcut to it on your desktop)
ignore the 'official' folders (note they are empty because this data is streamed) and pay attention to the "Community" folder shown at 2:56 in this video- thats where all your community addons can go, no matter if you use Addon Linker or not
both 2020 Legacy or 2024 native addons will work from that community folder
 
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Having returned to my MSFS 2024 computer, I can confirm that default path to the 2024 Community sub-folder is:

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


This thread discusses the current method to successfully change the MSFS 2024 Community sub-folder location:

https://forums.flightsimulator.com/...y-folder-to-a-different-drive-solved/668648/2



MSFS Addon Linker has a number of useful features and a convenient GUI.

However, there are also alternatives that advanced Windows users may find convenient as well.


Mark Russinovich's Sysinternals MKLINK utility to create command line batch functions to enable / disable linking folders / files:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/mklink


FYI: As a user with many addons and drive letters for working and archival storage, I try to limit disk space usage by addons.


When addons are downloaded, they typically are in a compressed archive file format such as ZIP or an equivalent type.

One must decompress that into a working folder, before copying the addon folder chain into MSFS' Community sub-folder.


I save unnecessary expenditure of disk space beyond that in a working folder of decompressed addons via Link Shell Extension.


Once installed, in Windows File Manager (aka "Explorer / My Computer / Computer / This PC etc.), I perform a "virtual" Copy and Paste.


I select the decompressed addon's 'true' (not-nested) top folder name, right-click, and choose 'Pick Link Source'

I then navigate to MSFS Community sub-folder, right-click, and choose 'Drop As... > 'Symbolic Link Clone'

Link Shell Extension writes 0-byte place-holder icons linked to the addon's source folders / files without using disk space.

This avoids having duplicate file sets at full, decompressed sizes on one's storage drives. ;)

It also keeps original source content safely out of the Community folder in the event of a destructive re-installation of MSFS.


Some users may realize how vulnerable personal folders / files are to destructive Windows re-installs, and move / "link" them. :idea:


Those Symbolic Link Clones function as if they are the original folders and files, except deleting them leaves sources intact. :wizard:


https://schinagl.priv.at/nt/hardlinkshellext/linkshellextension.html

https://github.com/pacman2108/Link-Shell-Extension

GaryGB
 
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Thanks for all that valuable info Gary. It will probably be tomorrow before I can try it but I will let you know if I get it working.

Jerry
 
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