Install XPGuard for MSFS
XPGuard for MSFS is a small tray app. It runs alongside Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 or 2024 and draws the guidance lights in the sim, live over VATSIM.
It renders:
- Stop bars
- IHP Lights
- Takeoff Hold Lights (THL)
- Runway Entrance Lights (REL)
- Lead-on/off lights
- Follow the Greens (FTG)
You never switch the lights yourself. Controllers drive them live over VATSIM. Your job is to read them - see The lights for what each one means.
MSFS 2020 vs 2024
Section titled “MSFS 2020 vs 2024”Everything on this page works in both sims, with two differences:
- Auto-brightness only works in MSFS 2024.
- The lights look slightly different. Each sim has its own light package. On 2020 every light renders with its ground glow pool; the point-only (no-glow) look is a 2024-only option.
Scenery light suppression works on both.
Installation
Section titled “Installation”Steps:
- Download the MSFS installer from xpguard.net - no account needed.
- Run the downloaded setup (
XPGuard-MSFS-Setup.exe). It is a per-user install - no administrator rights needed.
The installer does four things:
- Installs the tray app.
- Finds your MSFS Community folder(s) - 2020 and/or 2024, Steam or Microsoft Store. It copies the stop-bar package into the ones you tick (figure below). There is also a box per sim for a custom or linked Community folder.
- Installs the vPilot bridge - a small plugin that tells XPGuard when you are connected to VATSIM. It finds vPilot by itself; if it cannot, it asks you to point at your vPilot folder.
- Optionally sets XPGuard to start with Windows (recommended - it lives in the tray).
For the real VATSIM light state, the app reads vPilot through the bridge the setup installed.
After install, XPGuard runs in the system tray. Double-click the tray icon to open the window.
Next: Check your MSFS settings.