Hello everybody. I read some threads about switching the simulator from one drive to another but I really don’t know if the recommendations still apply today. I am in the process of assembling a new computer, and one of the items purchased is a 500 gb M.2 NVMe SSD, on which I want to put Windows and also Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020 (MS Store version).
Currently both Windows and MSFS are on a 2.5" SATA type SSD on my current system (PC to be retired). I have no way to plug the new M.2 SSD into my old motherboard (which is still in use in the current PC), so my question is:
Is it possible to copy the items from my Community folder to another location (my HDD, my 2.5" SSD or my Onedrive) and, after doing a fresh install of MSFS on the new SSD, put the items in the Community folder back?
I thought about doing a clean install of MSFS because I’m going to take advantage of the computer change process to upgrade from Windows 10 to 11.
Back and forth?
Since I’m going to use my 2.5" SSD on the new computer, I also thought of another way: on the current PC, move the items from the Community folder to another place and move the original installation to my 2.5" SSD using the “Move” command from the page “Apps and Resources” from Windows itself. Then, on the new PC, use the same “Move” command to bring the MSFS installation to the NVMe SSD. Would it be possible or very risky/harmful to make so many changes in the same installation?
Thank you very much in advance.
Install Windows 11 on your new computer on the new M.2 SSD.
Put you old SSD with FS2020 in your new computer.
With MS Store/Xbox, install FS2020.
Tell it where FS2020 is. (on your old SSD)
With Window 11, Apps and the FS2020 App “move” command,
move FS2020 to your new M.2 SSD.
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Thanks! Will it work even if there is a copy of Windows on my 2.5" SSD?
Yes.
You could install Win 11 while the old SSD is not installed on your new system. But, you need to hassle with the Authentication of Windows.
You could install both SSDs on the new PC.
Boot with the old SSD.
Clone the old SSD to the new M.2 SSD.
But you have an old copy of Windows on you new PC.
Edit:
Note that it is in your MB Bios that you tell the PC what drive to Boot
the computer from.
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Please, do yourself a favour and get AT LEAST a 1tb drive if that is your intention.
500gb will not leave you any breathing room for the future. Storage space gets eaten up and this game alone is huge. Even if you don’t buy any 3rd party mods or install anything extra in your community folder, just think about the future world updates and any stuff you buy from market place etc all needs to sit there.
And SSD drives really need always to have 25% free space so in practice your 500 is only 375. Windows takes a fair chunk and will also get updates for years. That space will vanish quick.
I have 1tb with only MSFS installed (and many mods / sceneries / aircraft of course) and I need 2tb… really struggling for space!
I know, but here in my country M.2 SSDs are very expensive unfortunately. An item like this costs more than the national minimum wage.
I don’t use a lot of giant scenery and I don’t have any world update installed (I’m still waiting for the one from Brazil, there’s no need to improve the visualization of medieval castles in France or Belgium for example)
My focus really is on a few more detailed planes, and I have a few extra airports.
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I see. Well if you’re not installing most world updates then I guess that will massively reduce the footprint. Good idea!
I too hope they work on South America next. They must soon, surely.
Is there no way someone can mail you one as a gift (no import duty)? I had a look and the 1tb is only about 60% more in price than 512gb, so much better value per GB 
I would install Windows and MSFS onto your new NVMe SSD.
Then I could copy the “Community” and “Offical” Folders from your SATA SSD to the same location on your NVMe SSD. You might have to fire up MSFS once, let it create the directories, exit before it starts downloading content, copy the files, then start MSFS again.
Why 25%? … Recommended is 11% for provisioning plus your virtual cache (if you aren’t smart enough to disable it for that drive).
Tbh I think it depends how you use the sim, e.g. if I wanted to glide in Japan I still have plenty of room on my 500GB D: drive to download it but even if not there are other WUs I wouldn’t miss and could uninstall. I don’t have (and don’t want) too many mods installed at a time as it just increases the chance of conflicts.
Hi,
I did exactly tha last week.
Move my windows11 with msfs installation on it, from a SSD 500GB to NVMe 1TB. I use HD clone X.3, which is fee. You can clone your windows disk while running it. In my case I use the option " copy disk ID" like this the disk is identical. The new disk will be set offline because 2 disk can’t have same ID, so you have to shut down your computer and unplug your original disk, after restart it will boot on your new drive.
Done.
My Samsung 970 EVO 500 GB M.2 SSD drive.
C: drive - Windows 11 → 78GB free of 178 GB
D: drive - FS2020 → 87 GB free of 288 GB