How to Reset X-Plane Preferences to Solve Common Issues

X-Plane can sometimes behave unpredictably, whether it's crashing or causing other strange glitches. One of the simplest ways to fix these issues is by resetting the simulator's preferences. Deleting X-Plane’s preference files will bring it back to its default settings, which can often solve problems that arise after changing certain settings or updating the simulator. This guide works for X-Plane 12, X-Plane 11, or any previous versions of X-Plane

How to Delete the Preferences in X-Plane:

  1. Close X-Plane

    Ensure that the simulator is not running.

  2. Locate Your X-Plane Installation Folder

    Open your X-Plane installation folder, which can be found via File Explorer (Windows), Finder (Mac), or other system directories.

  3. Navigate to the Preferences Folder

    Once inside the X-Plane directory, go to …\X-Plane\Output\preferences

  4. Backup Important Settings

    Before deleting any files, consider backing up any preferences that you set up before, such as joystick, keyboard, and display settings, by moving them to a temporary folder. This will allow you to restore these custom settings later.

  5. Delete the Files Inside the Preferences Folder

    To reset X-Plane’s preferences, delete the files in the Preferences folder. Be sure not to delete the entire folder—just remove the individual files within it. This will reset the simulator to its default settings.

  6. Reset X-Plane

    When you launch X-Plane again, it will generate new preference files with default settings.

  7. Restore Backed-Up Settings

    Close X-Plane, then put your backed-up settings files back into the …\X-Plane\Output\preferences

  8. Restart X-Plane

    Now when you restart X-Plane, your preferences have been reset while you’ve also kept your old important preferences.

Resetting X-Plane’s preferences is a reliable and straightforward fix that can get you back up and running without too much hassle, but don’t forget to safeguard the settings that matter most to you.

By following these steps, you'll ensure that your simulator runs smoothly while keeping essential configurations safe.