MSFS troubleshooting

No lights appear

1. Open XPGuard from the system tray.
2. Confirm vPilot is connected to VATSIM.
3. Test with the aircraft on the ground, below about 1,000 ft AGL.
4. Check that the app is connected to MSFS.
5. Confirm the XPGuard package is in the Community folder this simulator loads.
6. Check the airport and Publisher in the app.
7. Ask whether ATC is using XPGuard and has the required lights active.

If the package was installed while MSFS was open, restart MSFS. An ordinary dark fixture can be normal without an active controller. Amber IHP lights mapped ON in Non-LVP stay lit without one; that is normal too.

VATSIM shows offline

Confirm vPilot is running and connected with the current flight’s callsign. Check that the installer installed the vPilot bridge. Use the app’s Force option only if you are online but detection has failed. It is available while vPilot runs without a confirmed connection and clears when detection recovers. Force does not connect you to VATSIM.

Server or simulator disconnected

Check whether xpguard.net opens. The server, simulator, and VATSIM indicators are separate. If MSFS is not connected, load a flight and use Refresh. Refresh also detects the airport and scenery again.

Only FTG is missing

Check that you accepted the controller’s request and that ATC sent a route. The airport needs a published FTG network for the guidance. A red stop bar, a paused session, or a route endpoint can stop the greens. Read the FTG session steps.

Lights overlap or sit in the wrong place

Check Publisher and scenery suppression. Wait for suppression preparation and restart MSFS when asked. Use Height offset only for vertical errors.

Collect the log

Open the Log tab. The saved log is XPGuard-MSFS.log beside the app. Use Debug to capture a failing case, then switch back to Info. Include the version, airport, scenery, time, and exact steps with your report. Remove tokens or unrelated personal details before sharing. Report a problem.