I have the latest version of MSFS2020 on my Computer. After a CTD I went to start the game again and got an update menu. Looks like the game wants to reinstall the whole package. The files are all their but I can’t get past this menu. It points to installing on C drive and shows the correct free space on it. But my game files are installed on F drive. I exited and did a file validation and that passed. When I started the game again I get back to this menu. Anyone have the same problem, or is there a solution without having to spend the next two days downloading the games files which are already there. I do have a back up of the OFFICIAL folder which I can use if need be.
This came up before I did revalidation. I did the file revalidation after I got the problem and after I had done a lot of trouble shooting. The revalidation was only a last ditch because I had forgotten about it. All other updates previously always pointed to F drive. Now it is pointing to C drive. I can confirm my files are in F drive and Steam also sees this. My community folder is also clear, so I am booting to a clean install.
The problem was Steam. For some reason steam changed the install config file to show the game files were on C: drive. I had to go into settings and search for my F: drive and remake it default drive for Steam games. Started the download for 5 minutes with a new install. Then exited Steam and copied the back up game files into the new install directory. Started game and it recognised all the files so no need to download them all again. Steam couldn’t see my F drive for some reason, even though under settings the drive was visible. All fixed now without having to download all the main files and then all the content files.
All you actually had to do was click on the box showing the packages path and browse to the correct location. Then as soon as you start the download the displayed required space will be recalculated to just what is required (if any).
I tried that the first time it came up. I couldn’t change or edit that box.
All that came up was Explorer, but after your comment I realised I should have just used explorer to show where the files were. Daaaaahhhhh the penny has dropped
I did the following work around solved it the hard way … oh well lesson learned. Thanks anyway, I will remember next time.
Steam wouldn’t see my F even though other games were on it. The solution seemed to be to make F: the default for steam. I then had to go find the UserCfg.opt file and change the InstalledPackagesPath at the bottom to read my new install path “F:\Users\drong\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft Flight Simulator\Packages” to point the the sim files.
This file always seemed to default to C: until I made F: default steam library. I uninstalled, started a new install then paused it and exited. I then copied my backup Official folder to the started download location then restarted the sim. The sim recognised everything and I haven’t had a problem since.
I always backup my Official folder to an offline HD anytime there is an update or content addition. Has save me several times.
did you see my edited reply. You were correct.
Don’t blamed you for leaving steam. How do you switch to store. is it painless and how do you do it. Do you need to pay for it again? If I have to do a reinstall I can do that and just copy the Official files folder over after new download has started.
It was very early on and I switched because I was in an unsolvable update loop. I was so fed up that I just uninstalled and bought from the store because I knew I was still within Steam’s RMA time limit. Of course I was very polite when I asked for my money back.
I am well outside that time limit. It seems a shame as I have thought about it before and because the sim is in my microsoft account I thought you may be able to switch as you already own the sim. Will just have to put up with it I guess.
