because of the FS folder getting bigger and bigger I want to move the installation to another fresh SSD with more space. However with doing so via the Apps settings in the Windows settings, I get an error. It’s in German but summarized it says ‘It can’t be moved. Try again next time. Error code 0x80070005’.
I also tried cloning the hard drive with a tool but this didn’t work either, cause then MSFS won’t start anymore after that.
What can I do? I really don’t want to reinstall everything.
I had the some Problem. I was able to move my Steam Games but not the sim. I did a new install. Maybe there is a solution, but I guess not inside a running windows. Guess you could move it with a live Linux or similar.
If you have an MS Store version, there is nothing to do than reinstall.
They protect many files and folders against copy, moving, modifying etc… by restricting the ownership.
I had to reinstall all the sim (even if the install was on another drive than C:) when I needed to restore my C: drive from an image.
Cause I want to be sure to be able to save my system without needing to reinstall, and being so angry that the MS store version prohibit to do so that I bought the Steam version.
And now I can see how this way to do from MS is stupid.
With Steam version no protection, you do whatever you want with your files.
And I have heard it’s the same with the DVD version.
So, why prohibiting to save ours systems correctly ?
Non sense once again.
First make sure the SSD uses NTFS and format if needed. Then try moving just the Community and Official files to the new drive and then you must edit and save the new path in UserCfg.opt. For any cloning the drive should be gpt or mbr partitioned to match your existing Windows install (gpt is needed for Windows 11). You can get this info from right click on start / disk management.
I had a ‘small’ SSD drive (250 GB) and soon ran out of available memory. Took it into my computer store where they installed a 2 TB drive which they ‘cloned’ and transferred all of my files including MSFS - ran OK after that without me re-installing the MSFS app. I asked them to remove the old drive which still had the MSFS files on it scared the program might get things mixed up with two apps there. Hope this helps a little.
The trick here is to pick a custom location when you install the Windows Store version. I installed mine to d:\fs2020 for example.
What you do is start the FS2020 install from scratch on to the new SSD in a custom location eg. f:\fs2020. Let the install proceed to download and install 1-2 GB of data. Then pause the installation and exit. Now copy all the files from the d:\fs2020 to the new custom directory f:\fs2020. Once it’s finished copying everything to the new drive and location, go back to the FS2020 installation and resume the install. It will take a few minutes and realise all the files it needs are there and complete the install successfully. That’s it.
It makes it so much easier to manage if you have a custom install location as well because your community folder will hang off that custom location eg. f:\fs2020\community
If you install to the new drive and let it run through the entire installation you will need to download around 100GB of data. If you just start the installation and let it download a couple of GB, it will have created the necessary file structure you need to run the game. Then simply copy the files from the old installation to the new directory on the new SSD and the installation will take 5 minutes rather than an entire day since it won’t need to download 100+ GB of data.
OK, thanks.
It’s for a reinstall, not for a first installation.
But I’m not sure it works for an MS Store version, as it avoid copying many files and folders by not giving the ownership to user.
Ok, I think it’s extremely weird, that there is no working option to just copy FS to another drive. There’s a Youtube video of someone doing it with the “Move” option in the Apps tab of the Windows setting, but he’s not getting this error I’m getting. So maybe it’s still a setting thing?
Also I’m really confused why cloning the drive didn’t work either. I gave the hard disk the same name and same drive letter and every data was cloned. How in hell does it not just find it after I did this?
As I said, it’s most likely partitioned differently to your system drive, this can be corrected using diskpart in the CMD module and their are plenty of geek sites explaining how. If your system is mbr and you buy another new drive you may get the same problem.
Ideally both drives should be gpt partitioned as mbr will soon be redundant. And for the sim all drives must be formatted with NTFS.
Unfortunately, the consequence is you have to reinstall the sim if you restore your system from an image or every other way. Even if the sim was installed on a different drive.
It’ s a complete nonsense. The goal of making an image is to have your system back as before with no reinstall.
And it’s a greater nonsense when you know it’s not the case with the Steam version (and perhaps DVD version too).
What is this new way avoiding to make real functional images as we did for years now ? Having games installed or not.
Pure stupidity !
The sim yes the large packages not, I know that 100% because I updated Windows 11 from a downloaded image. Then after quickly pausing the sim download I simply copied my backed up C&O files into the default location on the new MSFS install and then carried on with it’s download. It only took minutes.
After an install of MS Store version under Windows10, the user can’t copy,move or image complete folders/files beacause he don’t have the ownership.
Perhaps it’s not the same with Win11 beta ?
Wich sim version did you use ?
