Has anyone moved the install to a new drive? If so can you explain? On release I pointed the install to an SSD Drive, I have since installed an M.2 and would like to place it there as it is larger, faster, and to prepare for appropriate space for DLC in the future?
Please don't respond if you have "NOT" already done this yourself? There are many opinions out there already I have checked but it seems it is from many who "THINK" it will work this way or that way. Once again, Only respond if you have done this yourself.
Ok, in
C:\Users\Your username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache
there’s a file named “UserCfg.opt”. At the very bottom of that file is the line that denotes the installed packages path. Change that path to where you want the launcher to look for the Official and Community folders. Move your current packages folder to the same location so it matches. Can be done before or after you edit the file. Doesn’t matter the order. Just make sure MSFS isn’t running while you do this.
Hello, a little risky manipulation, otherwise you can do as this …
→ Start / Settings / Application and functionalities (where we remove the programs) look for MSFS click and you will see there an option to move …
I changed the Path as suggested, copied the Official and Community folders to the new drive and all worked just fine. Thank you very much. As a recap for others that may like to do the same I put the steps I did below as follow along.
1). I copied my folder that contained the Official and Community folders to my new drive.
2). I then went to C:\Users\Your username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache , opened “UserCfg.opt” with Notepad, went to very bottom and simply changed the drive letter to match my new drive.
These are the steps I did and all was just fine.
Kudos to BubblyDruid56!!! Thank you again very much for your guidance.
I also managed to move MSFS,seems to work. But I couldn’t copy the “WindosApps” and"WpSystem"Folders to
the new drive,because I get an error message saying:“Your organisation doe not allow to put the files here”
I hope that doesn’t matter.What I found out was,that “deep” in the WpSystem Folder the new path to the sim was already in.
Have you tried this way yourself? I am planning to purchase an M2(PCIe) 2TB Nvme MSFS dedicated drive and looking for the least troublesome & fastest way. I have also installed via gamepass for pc… Thanks for any feedback.
Hello, Yes I did this manipulation … I had problems wanting to install it directly on my “M2” disk, so I install them on C: then I moved them to the M2 …
Thanks for updating everyone that BubblyDruid56!!!'s suggestion worked. There is yet another way to do it that doesn’t involve finding and editing anything.
When I switched from a Game Pass install to a Microsoft Store install I wanted to just let the launcher install on C drive but have the install packages on a separate and much larger drive. I’d originally installed the launcher to D.
So what I did was move the install packages folder to where I had more space. Then, when fs2020 couldn’t find the packages it showed the path field that allowed me to choose a new path.
By the way, for anyone that hasn’t realized it, every time the program loads it uses the original install packages. That’s where the bulk of the data is held. Anyone that deleted those files after install, thinking they weren’t needed anymore, would have gotten a rude surprise when they found they had to download them all over again.
That folder should have been called something like “Main game files” Some sort of name that would make it obvious that they’re used for every launch.
I found the easiest way to move the location of the Packages Files (which is the 100+ GB) is to edit the UserCfg.opt file (more details below on where to find it). Open it using any text editor and the very last line reads the current location of the Packages files. Edit that to reflect the new folder/path and save it. Copy (!) and paste the Packages into the new folder/path and restart FS. It will act as normal, check for updates, then start the Blue Bar/Daher splash screen. No redundant updates.
I did this too but now when I try to load FS 2020 it wants to reinstall the whole 100 or so Gb!! I think I am in need of assistance. Can anyone help? The files all moved across to my external hard drive but for some reason the program now wants to reinstall files which are already there.
Yes I saw that and tried it but the file I came across was locked and I could not edit it. Thanks for the suggestion. I have downloaded MS FS2020 again and it seems to be working ok but now I have a title bar which will not go away and spoils the flight experience somewhat. I will try to get rid of it but if I fail I am going to uninstall the whole thing and start again. Which I really don’t want to do.
Forgetting about size as a criteria, is there any significant SPEED benefit to having the W10 OS on one SSD, and MSFS on a different SSD (assuming both SSDs are the same speed) (and both are internal to the PC )
If, on Testing, for some reason one Drive ends up being faster than the other, should the OS or MSFS go on the faster drive ?
PLEASE, no guessing and answering if you don’t really know … no information is better than Incorrect information
There would be no notifiable difference for us human for your 2 SSD stuffs… But the best you can do is go with a M.2 drive. It can be 4 times faster than SSD.
The use of a page file has it’s advantages, even if you’re operating in a DRAM (System RAM) rich environment. There are different types of read/write operations, temporary caching, that page files on disk (whether platter or SSD) can perform that RAM cannot or should not.
Clearly, you will have faster I/O operations using an SSD or multiple SSDs. So that’s one consideration.
Secondly, from a pure application management view, segregating your applications from your OS disk makes the job “easier” in terms of expanding or contracting space. Keeping a pure “OS-only” disk is sort of possible, understanding that Programs, Programs (x86) and other locations in Windows is not easily segregated or possible in all cases. Just as a management best practice, I tend to give the OS as much space as possible - not only for future permanent expansion, but in the case of major upgrades pushed out by MS, which often requires a lot of free space to temporarily store the patches and working files.
Finally - there’s the unique considerations of SSDs - that you shouldn’t fill it to more than 70 percent because it impacts speed and allocation, try to minimize operations that drastically shorten endurance, etc. For the number of times you’ll launch, patch, modify, tweak FS while it’s on your “interest” (we all eventually move away from games to the next big thing), do you want to add those cycles to the drive that’s also housing your OS? It’s easier to replace a secondary drive holding applications only, versus having to replace the drive that’s going to force an OS reinstall.
