Move MSFS2020 to New Drive

[BostonJeremy77]

I have a Steam version and I moved it using Steam but it deleted all content in the actual install directory, so I had to download again. That was a couple of weeks ago. It was a pain, but it worked.

[Fritzoune]

As I say, sure it’s still good to separate swap/OS drive with game drive, but if you have a M.2, I doubt you will notice any difference.
The read /write perf of a M.2 SSD are so great that it won’t be a bottleneck.
Also consider CasualClick reply for the best practices.

[N6722C]

Thanks Guys .

Based on what you have told me, I think I will keep both the OS and all the Apps on the one drive, (500gB) and keep the 2nd 1TB dives for a local (Fast) Image backup, that can be scheduled and done at night, without any network connection.

Then I will just throw those backups onto a Raided NAS as they accumulate,

This will greatly simplify restoring the Machine ( OS + Apps ) should updates etc “go in the wrong direction”

M.2 SSD’s are cheap enough these, especially compared with one’s greatly more valuable time, messing with this stuff !!!

$60 MSFS
$3000 Pc to run it on
$??? In time trying to get it all to work
-$??? Saving using a Sim instead of RL

Its probably a Break Even situation (Not that it should all be about Money – especially the $60 )

[N6722C]

@CasualClick

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.

Just some considerations.

So, having any SwapDrive hammering the SSD, is better not on the OS SSD ??

[CasualClick]

In platter configurations (non-SSD), the pagefile was on a second physical drive mostly because of the I/O channel being discrete and no other workloads being conducted on the drive. This is still true even in SSD configurations. Most of us don’t have the luxury, space, channels or PSU power to spare for a dedicated Pagefile physical drive. What happens in some instances is people use the separate drive of the pagefile for files that don’t get written too often (think of reference files like documents, videos, archives) that are near-line/on-line. so it’s dual-purpose. Those archives would be backed up long-term somewhere else off-line or near-line - i.e., portable drive, CDs or tape.

[sabaJHB]

I have an Xbox Game Pass from which I downloaded FS2020. My primary C: drive is a HDD, my D: (secondary drive) where I specified the installation of FS2020 to go, is a 240GB SSD. Performance is horrible!! If I watch the performance monitor of my PC, the C: drive is working way harder than the D: drive. I specifically wanted to boot from the OS on HDD I have as I didn’t have enough room on the SSD for the OS and FS2020. How do I fix this?

[Femolevsky]

Hi, I have 2 installations, one on my C: drive and another on D. When I tried to use mods, it gives giving me this “filepath too long” error message. I wanted to move the files to a new folder with a shorter filepath on the same drive, then I found out that I have 2 installs. UserCfg.opt points to the C: drive installation, but Windows Apps points to the D: drive install. I do not k now what to do, I only downloaded this once.

[N6722C]

@Femolevsky

filepath too long

Easily fixed .. Google : filepath too long

Its a simple registry edit .. ( well simple if you don’t mess up … BE CAREFUL )

[Sjonca]

I had this same problem and the registry hacks weren’t working for me, so I just use SUBST when I need to work on these wonderfully long file names that Microsoft is creating yet their underlying OS still don’t support.

[Hamltnblue]

You don’t need the long file name.
On the new drive I created a folder called flight simulator.
Uninstall the software and reinstall. Pick the new folder and it should load fine.

[FLYORLANDO]

It only moves the executables, not the scenery package files. So, move the files as noted above and then change the path in the “UserCfg.opt” file. (Where you moved the files). I just did it and just moving with Settings/Apps doesn’t move the scenery files.

[Romko313]

where did you paste the folder official and community?

[jssamp]

Did you just leave those two folders where they were? Did MSFS run correctly after that?

[ScottMDA]

Hi
I have the MS Store Version,I have all the Data Folders from MSFS in:C/User/myname/appdata/
Local/Packages.But the two mentioned folders were in F:/MSFS
Because that drive was to small I moved the folder MSFS(within Official and Community) to drive D.
Then I searched for the usercfg.opt and changed the install path in it ,to D:/MSFS.The very last line in the opt file.
That’s it.

Scott

[AvionAgricool]

Hi
I have the 10 DVD version installed.is it possible to move it to an external SSD ?

[ExcusableMass80]

I tried to copy my packages folder with community and official sub-folders from my c: drive to my d: drive with the intent to free up space on c:. Planning to modify the location in usercfg.opt after that. However, I am getting the message below and can’t move the packages folder…

"Your organization does not allow you to put the files here”

I am the only user on the system and I have administrative rights. This is a Windows Store installation.

Any suggestions on how to get around this are appreciated.

Cheers!

Mike

[ExcusableMass80]

When I try to follow your approach, I get a message saying I can’t copy my packages folder to a different location.

The message is “Your organization does not allow you to put the files here”.

I’m the only user on the pc, I have admin rights, and msfs is a store install. I’m trying to copy the packages folder and sub-folders community and official from my c: drive to a separate larger physical d: drive.

Any suggestions for getting around this?

Thanks!

Mike

[BubblyDruid56]

@ExcusableMass80

Your organization does not allow you to put the files here

Where are you trying to move them to? That message makes it seem like you’re trying to put it in a strange place that has weird permissions for some reason.

[MSFSRonS]

@CasualClick

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.

That is interesting to know. I did not know it.

It’s hard to see how any access via disk/SSD would be faster than memory.

I have 64 GB of memory. Windows is set to manage Virtual Memory (page files) on both the C:\ Win 10 and D:\ FS2020 NVMe SSD drives.

Win 10 has currently 18.944 GB allocated for both SSDs.

• (min of 16 MB and recommended of 9077 MB (9.077 GB)

This seems okay (FS2020 flies okay).

What size page file should I use?

[AlexE75]

Edit UserCfg.opt, symbolic links …?

Does not work Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features > then will select Flight Simulator and select move to which drive you want? (not valid for Steam version)

This is the regular way to move an app to another drive.

Here again in more detail:

XBox PC Games: click here
Steam: click here

or How to Move PC Games to a Different Hard Drive