CRITICAL : MSFS 2024 Unplayable on Intel 13700K - Consistent KERNEL32.DLL Crashes After 8...

CRITICAL: MSFS 2024 Unplayable on Intel 13700K - Consistent KERNEL32.DLL Crashes After 8 Months Issue Summary

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 consistently crashes with KERNEL32.DLL illegal instruction errors on Intel 13700K processors. This issue has persisted for 8 months since release with no official fix, making the game completely unplayable for users with this mainstream CPU.

Are you using Developer Mode?

No

Have you disabled/removed all mods and addons?

Yes - Fresh installation, no mods, completely vanilla setup

System Specifications

• CPU: Intel 13th Gen Core i7-13700K
  
• Motherboard: ASRock Z790 Pro RS
  
• BIOS: 17.03 (Latest from ASRock)
  
• RAM: 32GB DDR5
  
• GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 (also tested with RX 9070 XT)
  
• OS: Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.5472)
  
• Storage: Multiple SSDs (tested installation on different drives)
  

Detailed Description

Flight Simulator 2024 crashes consistently during the loading process, typically between 6-44% during "VFS Activating Packages." The crash occurs with identical error signatures across multiple attempts, indicating a systematic compatibility issue rather than random hardware failure.

Crash Error Details

Windows Event Viewer consistently shows:

Asobo Crash Reports show:

• Exception Code: 0xC000001D (illegal instruction)
  
• Consistent fault offsets indicating specific instruction incompatibility
  
• Multiple crash logs with identical signatures attached
  

Steps to Reproduce

1. Launch Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024
   
2. Progress through initial loading screens
   
3. Game crashes during "VFS Activating Packages" at 6-44% completion
   
4. 100% reproducible - occurs every single launch attempt
   

Troubleshooting Attempted

I have spent extensive time troubleshooting this issue:

Hardware/BIOS Changes Tested:

• ✅ Updated BIOS to latest version (17.03)
  
• ✅ Disabled E-cores in BIOS
  
• ✅ Disabled Intel Thread Director
  
• ✅ Disabled Intel SpeedStep/Turbo Boost
  
• ✅ Set CPU to fixed frequency (3.4GHz base)
  
• ✅ Disabled XMP/DOCP (running RAM at JEDEC speeds)
  
• ✅ Memory diagnostic tests (passed)
  
• ✅ CPU stress testing (stable)
  

Windows/Software Changes Tested:

• ✅ Fresh Windows 11 installation
  
• ✅ All Windows updates installed (including optional)
  
• ✅ Visual C++ Redistributables reinstalled
  
• ✅ .NET Framework updates
  
• ✅ SFC /scannow and DISM repairs
  
• ✅ Windows Defender exclusions
  
• ✅ Running as Administrator
  
• ✅ Compatibility mode testing
  
• ✅ Different user accounts
  
• ✅ Virtual memory adjusted from dedicated temp drive to full auto - exact same crash results
  

Game-Specific Attempts:

• ✅ Multiple clean reinstallations
  
• ✅ Installation on different drives
  
• ✅ Safe mode launches
  
• ✅ Cache clearing
  
• ✅ File verification (multiple times)
  

CPU Affinity Workaround:

The only method that provides limited improvement is manually setting CPU affinity to cores 0-7 (P-cores only), which allows progression to ~44% before crashing with different error codes (0xc0000005). This workaround:

• Requires manual intervention every launch
  
• Still results in crashes
  
• Forces expensive 16-core CPU to behave like 8-core processor
  
• This is unacceptable for a $40 product
  

Impact on Community

This issue affects multiple users with Intel 13700K processors across various forums:

• Steam Community forums show identical reports
  
• Reddit posts confirm widespread 13700K compatibility issues
  
• Tech forums report same error signatures
  

Business Impact

• Paying customers cannot use product they purchased
  
• 13700K is a mainstream gaming CPU, not obscure hardware
  
• Issue has persisted for 8 months without official acknowledgment
  
• Forces customers to seek refunds or abandon product
  

Expected vs Actual Behavior

Expected: Flight Simulator 2024 launches and runs normally on supported hardware Actual: Game is completely unplayable, crashes before reaching main menu

Request for Action

1. Immediate acknowledgment of this critical compatibility issue
   
2. Priority fix for Intel 13700K processors in next patch
   
3. Official communication regarding timeline for resolution
   
4. Consideration of refunds for affected customers until fix is available
   

Additional Information

• Crash logs and DxDiag attached
  
• Multiple Asobo crash reports generated
  
• Issue persists across different GPU manufacturers (NVIDIA RTX 5090, AMD RX 9070 XT) (latest drivers 2025 June 20)
  
• No similar issues with any other games or applications
  

This is a critical compatibility failure that should have been identified and resolved during development or early release. After 8 months, this represents a significant quality control issue that undermines confidence in Microsoft/Asobo products.





Attachments:

• DxDiag.txt (provided)
  
• Multiple Windows Event Viewer logs
  
• Asobo 5 crash reports
  
• System specifications
  

:)