Map Enhancement
Map Enhancement

FAQ

Application Initialization Failure

Under normal circumstances, the installer includes the required .NET runtime and should install correctly. However, in some cases, such as when using certain antivirus software or system management tools, the installation of the .NET runtime may be blocked, leading to application initialization failure. You can try disabling the antivirus software or management tool and then reinstalling.

If the issue persists, please manually install the .NET 10 runtime and ASP.NET 10 runtime.

Maps Not Loading and Blurry Terrain

Issues with maps not loading include stuck blue loading bar, slow loading, and maps not displaying. Please refer to the troubleshooting steps below. Note: For issues related to third-party software and proxy configuration, please contact the software vendor.

  • Try the Network Diagnostic tool located in the left sidebar
  • Try changing the Network Setting in the application from “Enhanced” to “Normal”
  • Using a proxy?
    • Try disabling the proxy and connecting directly
    • Ensure you have configured an HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy on your local machine with the correct address
    • Verify the proxy test in the application settings is successful
    • Ensure domestic addresses don’t go through the proxy
  • Close the game and delete the rolling cache file
    • The file is named ROLLINGCACHE.CCC; check your in-game settings for its location
    • MSFS 2020: You can try disabling the rolling cache feature
    • MSFS 2024: You cannot disable rolling cache, but you can delete the file before starting the game to prevent cache from affecting map loading
  • Delete the hosts file from your system. If you’ve tried everything else, try deleting the hosts file in C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc and recreating it. See the “Hosts File Issues” section for details.

Cannot Enter Game After Uninstalling Map Enhancement

If you cannot enter the game after uninstalling the map enhancement, it’s usually because the hosts file was not restored.

Launch MSFS Map Enhancement once and then exit it. If that doesn’t work, delete these lines from the hosts file at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts

127.0.0.1 kh.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net
127.0.0.1 t3.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net
127.0.0.1 t2.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net
127.0.0.1 t1.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net
127.0.0.1 t0.ssl.ak.tiles.virtualearth.net
127.0.0.1 khstorelive.azureedge.net
127.0.0.1 cdn-shared-wca-endpoint.azureedge.net
127.0.0.1 sunriseworld.akamaized.net
127.0.0.1 kittyhawkworld.akamaized.net

Map Enhancement v9 does not work, saying sidecar can’t connect

The application crashes because the Windows security feature Hardware-enforced Stack Protection (UserShadowStack) conflicts with how the program runs.

To solve this issue, please run the following command in an elevated Command Prompt (run as Administrator):

Set-ProcessMitigation -Name MapEnhancement.exe -Disable UserShadowStack

MSFS2024 Stuck “Loading World Data”

Original issue report: https://github.com/derekhe/msfs2020-map-enhancement/issues/890

The issue is caused by Windows 10 not supporting TLS 1.3, which MSFS2024 requires for secure connections. The latest cumulative update for Windows 10 may cause some problems, so the following solution may not resolve the issue. It is strongly recommended to upgrade to Windows 11.

πŸ› οΈ How to Enable TLS 1.3 Support in Windows

This guide provides three methods (PowerShell, Command Prompt, and Registry Script) to enable the TLS 1.3 protocol on your Windows system by modifying the SCHANNEL registry settings.

⚠️ Caution: Modifying the registry can affect system stability. It is highly recommended to back up your registry or create a System Restore Point before proceeding.

This method is the most direct and uses the commands you originally provided. It is typically the easiest to execute on modern Windows systems.

Instructions:

  1. Open PowerShell as an Administrator.
  2. Execute the following commands one block at a time:
# πŸš€ Enable TLS 1.3 Server Support
New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Server' -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Server' -Name 'Enabled' -Value 1 -PropertyType 'DWord' -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Server' -Name 'DisabledByDefault' -Value 0 -PropertyType 'DWord' -Force

# 🌐 Enable TLS 1.3 Client Support
New-Item 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Client' -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Client' -Name 'Enabled' -Value 1 -PropertyType 'DWord' -Force
New-ItemProperty -Path 'HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Client' -Name 'DisabledByDefault' -Value 0 -PropertyType 'DWord' -Force

2. Registry Script (.reg File) Method

This method allows you to create a simple text file that, when executed, automatically applies the changes to the registry.

Instructions:

  1. Open Notepad or any plain text editor.
  2. Copy and paste the following content exactly into the file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; --- Enable TLS 1.3 Server Support ---
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Server]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000000

; --- Enable TLS 1.3 Client Support ---
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\SecurityProviders\SCHANNEL\Protocols\TLS 1.3\Client]
"Enabled"=dword:00000001
"DisabledByDefault"=dword:00000000
  1. Save the file with a .reg extension (e.g., Enable_TLS13.reg). Make sure the “Save as type” is set to “All Files” to prevent it from being saved as a .txt file.
  2. Double-click the saved .reg file.
  3. A security warning will pop up asking if you want to allow the program to make changes to your computer. Click Yes or Run, and then click Yes to confirm merging the information into the registry.

Final Step

After using any of the three methods above, you must restart your computer to ensure the SCHANNEL settings are fully loaded and applied by the system and relevant services. If you have installed the cumulative update released in October 2025 for Windows 10, you may need to uninstall that update to resolve compatibility issues; please refer to the next section for details.

Remove TLS protocol changes by uninstalling KB5066791

This patch causes TLS protocol stack compatibility issues that must be resolved by uninstalling it. Follow the steps below:

  1. Open Settings > System > About
  2. Click Advanced system settings or scroll down to find Update history
  3. Click View update history
  4. Click Uninstall updates
  5. Find KB5066791 in the Windows Update list
  6. Select it and click Uninstall
  7. Follow the prompts to complete uninstallation, then restart your computer

Important Notes

  • You must restart your computer after uninstalling for the changes to take effect
  • Uninstallation may take 5-15 minutes β€” please be patient
  • If uninstallation fails, you can try the other method
  • After uninstalling, Windows may attempt to reinstall this update. You can hide this update in Windows Update settings to prevent automatic reinstallation
  • The above methods may not resolve all issues. Since Windows 10 is no longer supported, this app will also cease compatibility updates for Windows 10. It is recommended to upgrade to Windows 11 for better compatibility and support.

Which map is better?

Try them yourself β€” each map has its own strengths and trade-offs.

What happened to the High LOD feature (since v8.3.0)?

Since MSFS 2020 SU16 and MSFS 2024, the simulator no longer allows injecting high-resolution map tiles. As a result, the High LOD feature has been removed.

What does map enhancement change?

Map Enhancement replaces only the ground imagery (satellite / map tiles). It does not change 3D buildings, vegetation, or other in-game objects.

What it can do:

  • Replace the built-in Bing satellite imagery with tiles from other providers.
  • Replace autogenerated areas where Bing imagery is not available (those areas usually show an autogenerated placeholder image).
  • Remove Microsoft’s color correction so imagery appears more natural.

What it cannot do:

  • Change autogenerated buildings, trees, or road geometry β€” these remain unchanged.
  • Replace photogrammetry provided by other sources (e.g., Google’s photogrammetry) β€” MSFS will continue to use Microsoft/Bing photogrammetry.

Application unresponsive after clicking the icon

Your program may already be running in the system tray (bottom-right corner). Please check there.

Error during update installation

Make sure the software is closed (check the system tray icon) or end the process in Task Manager.

Server start issue

Server won’t start and shows “443 or 42098 port is occupied”

Admin permission

Make sure your Windows account has full administrator privileges.

OSError: [WinError 10013] An attempt was made to access a socket in a way forbidden by its access permissions.

If a process is using those ports, stop that process. This short video demonstrates how to identify and kill processes using a port: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMcptMj4jx8

Hyper-V reserved ports

Please refer to this link for more information.

You can also exclude the port range in PowerShell running as Administrator:

netsh int ipv4 add excludedportrange protocol=tcp startport=42000 numberofports=100

Or

net stop winnat
net start winnat

Hosts file issues

Damaged hosts file by other programs

If your hosts file has been corrupted or altered by other software, replacing it with a clean copy may help.

Antivirus

Some antivirus tools may block or protect the hosts file. Temporarily disable your antivirus and try opening the hosts file. If the file opens while the antivirus is disabled, add an exception for the hosts file rather than leaving your antivirus off.

Read-only permission

If the hosts file is read-only you won’t be able to edit it. To change the permissions:

  1. Right-click the hosts file and select Properties.
  2. Click the Security tab.
  3. Click Edit.
  4. Select your user account and click Full Control.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Click OK again.

If the hosts file is protected by your antivirus or a system protection feature, temporarily disable the protection, edit the file, then re-enable protection and reboot. If editing still fails, reboot and try again while antivirus is disabled.

Some third-party tools (e.g. certain Steam helpers) can also interfere with hosts modifications β€” if you have tools like “steam302” running, try closing them before editing the hosts file.

Antivirus alerts and HTTPS certificate warnings

Some antivirus products may flag the app because it modifies the hosts file, installs a root certificate, and requires administrator privileges. This behavior can trigger heuristic or reputation-based detections.

If you are concerned:

  • Add the app to your antivirus whitelist (or exclude it from scans).
  • Upload the installer to VirusTotal for a second opinion.
  • If you remain unsure, you may choose not to use the app.

We believe the software is safe and useful, but you should use whatever level of caution you are comfortable with. Contact us if you need further help.

Keep getting put into offline mode when using this Mod

Check this comment and set the value to 0 if required: https://github.com/derekhe/msfs2020-map-enhancement/issues/389#issuecomment-1536191538

Also try setting Network Setting to Normal and re-testing.

Large number of load errors (>1000)

If you see many tile load errors it usually means your network is unstable:

  • Switch to a different data source.
  • Set Network Setting to Normal in the app.
  • If you’re using a proxy, check the proxy server for issues.

Images stop loading mid-flight

If images stop loading during flight it usually points to network stability issues:

  • For MSFS2020: check whether you are in “Offline” mode in the game.
  • Use the app’s Network Diagnostic tool to debug network problems.

Google maps is not loading

Google may have blocked requests from your IP address, causing Google map tiles to fail. Try switching to a different Google tile server or use a VPN.

The map color is inconsistent in various places.

Map imagery can vary due to weather, lighting, and seasonal differences β€” this sometimes causes color shifts or visible seams. Switching to another tile provider often reduces these inconsistencies.

Google specific issues

You may see Google copyright overlays (e.g., “Google Β© 20xx”) when using HighLOD. These overlays cannot be removed β€” disable HighLOD if you prefer not to see them.

In some cities you may notice certain areas look brighter or bluer than surrounding regions. For example: https://www.google.com/maps/@51.1659465,6.3662235,8042m/data=!3m1!1e3

This happens when Google provides photogrammetry (3D building meshes) in an area β€” we cannot change that. https://www.google.com/maps/@51.146285,6.363364,322a,35y,360h,70.19t/data=!3m1!1e3

Other maps specific issues

Different tile layers may have different color tones. MSFS often loads higher altitude/low-detail layers first (what you see when high above the terrain), then refines lower, more detailed layers.

During a flight the lower-detail tiles will be gradually replaced by higher-detail tiles, so you may see temporary differences while the game streams additional data β€” this is more noticeable at high altitudes.

To reduce the effect, try setting Terrain Details to 200 or higher (400 is ideal). Note that this won’t eliminate differences in every area.

Some areas still look unclear

This is normal β€” most satellite imagery used by the mod is from 2022. In some cases city imagery can be less sharp compared to other sources, but coverage consistency in China is generally very good.

After flying high in the sky, there is a circle of different colors outside follows the plane.

image

Try increasing the Terrain LOD to around 200 for improved results.

The map is the original one provided by Microsoft.

If the load counter increases, the mod is active and loading tiles.

  • Launch this app before starting Flight Simulator β€” the order matters.
  • Clear the rolling cache before launching the game.
  • Some areas are covered by photogrammetry or meshes (MSFS2024), which overlay or replace satellite images. Try disabling photogrammetry to check the difference.
  • Try different locations to observe any differences.

The map becomes offline map

Make sure your regional settings are correct β€” see the relevant section above.

The game is entered normally, but the map is not loaded, and BING online maps are all open.

Some network/accelerator tools (for example UU accelerator) are known to cause problems β€” try disabling them first.

If nothing else resolves the issue, try removing the hosts file at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts and restarting the system.

After entering the game, the application is displayed in the loading image, but the terrain in the game is very blurry and cannot be played.

image

This usually means terrain tiles failed to stream. Try setting Network Setting to Normal in the app and in-game, then re-test.

Map displays noisy/corrupted imagery

bad-images.png

If you see noisy or distorted imagery on the map:

  • Avoid using DirectX 12 β€” some users report issues when DX12 is enabled.
  • Disable the in-game Rolling Cache (the rolling cache can sometimes cause image corruption).

Game crashes

Most crashes are unrelated to this mod. Before assuming the mod is responsible, please check:

  • Whether a recent game update introduced an issue.
  • Disable all other third-party add-ons to see if the problem persists.
  • Clear the in-game cache.
  • Update your graphics drivers.
  • Disable any CPU/GPU overclocking.
  • Verify you have enough RAM β€” the mod uses roughly 500 MB while the game needs sufficient memory.
  • Confirm your system locale/region settings are correct.

How to install the new version

An overlay (in-place) installation is usually enough. If it fails, uninstall the previous version and reinstall.

Software prompts Device is blocked, License is blocked, Version is too old

“Device blocked” or “License blocked” messages usually indicate a problem with your payment or account information. Contact the author for assistance.

If this happens repeatedly, it can also mean the app failed to reach the validation server (the server is hosted in the United States). Try using a proxy/VPN or restarting your system before contacting the author for help.

If you see an explicit “Version is too old” message, please download the latest version from the website.

When will the license become invalid?

  • If your license has expired, purchase and activate a new license.
  • Major hardware changes, reinstalling the OS, or changing the disk may invalidate the license β€” rebind on the authorization page if necessary.

I forgot my username and email

Check the confirmation email titled “Your MSFS Map Enhancement License” or “Your XP Map Enhancement License”. If you cannot find it, contact the author for help.

Error when Linking Device

  • Verify that you entered the correct username and email (check your email receipt).
  • Each license can be linked to one device at a time. If you activate the license on another machine, the previous activation may be invalidated.
  • If you need to use the mod on several different machines, purchase a separate license for each or use different account credentials.

https://k.aiflygo.com

How to renew?

Purchase a license via the website and request the new activation there.

What should I do if I have other questions?

If you have further questions or need help, open an issue here: https://github.com/derekhe/msfs2020-map-enhancement/issues

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