I currently have MSFS2020 stored on an NVME SSD card - which is my C-Drive for Windows etc. - on a B550-F motherboard. The NVME is only 500GB, so naturally I am running out of space… fast!!
NB: My C-Drive is only for Windows and MSFS2020 (I have 2 other SSDs for everything else)
So I am looking into options to create more space. The options I am considering are:
Reinstall the whole sim on to a 2nd NVME card which I’d purchase (it would have to go in the PCIe 3.0 slot though, NOT the 4.0)
Reinstall the whole sim on to an SSD HD which I already have (with other games on).
or…
Keep the base game on my NVME C-Drive, but have the addons etc. on a seperate drive (I read this can be done…not sure if thats true?)
Just wanted to get some opinions on what I should do…
Has anyone had to do something similar? What did you do? How did it work out?
Will any of the options have a massive affect on load times, or the game itself?
Are there other options?
Is there anything I should know before starting what could be a lengthy process?
I’m a step down from you: I have my Windows and MSFS on my primary SSD (split into two partitions) and I use Junctions/Symlinks (not sure of the correct term) to move the bigger unused stuff onto my HDDs - this should work for the same setup.
I did a quick example by creating a folder in my S: drive (right hand pane) which is now visible in my C: drive (left hand pane) . I ran CMD in Admin mode and the command I used was "mklink /j c:\test\ s:\test" without the quotes (Google will know a lot more that I ):
yes you can opt 3 and it is simple.
Move only your MSFS community folder to a folder on the second SSD.
Next time when msfs starts, the update promps you to redowmload the files. DON’T but only redirect the directory(in the update screen bottum right) to the location where you moved the community folder.
Only the program files are now on the NVME (only 1,5 GIG) .
Also you can use tools such as Addon linker to clean up your community folder and only uses the airplane and scenery files you need at that moment (very usefull to reduce startup time.)
Hello, I have a disc just for the simulator,
in the image you see disk D where the system is
operational and from where I run the simulator,
and on disk E is the simulator, the community folder and the
Official-OneStore, where all the files are, with
that 1 Tb ssd disk still has capacity for many files
I have a 1TB SSD partitioned into 2x500GB drives; all my normal operating stuff on C: and all programmes relating to and including the base sim on D: I have a half full 2TB external Nvme which contains all my addons under the control of MSFS Addons Linker - with this I can take my addons to use on my laptop without having to load them all there as well. I have various other drives, internal and external, for everything else, don’t store anything on the C: drive, just basic programmes. 8 drives in all!
I suppose I should invest in a backup server but as I am it wouldn’t be too calamitous if I were to lose one of them. For now it all works well and should ensure my needs for a good while.
Thanks to you all for your ideas and suggestions - very much appreciated! I love this community, I always find the people to be extremely helpful
So I think I am gonna go with keeping the base game on my NVME C-Drive, but then move some of the other files to my SSD. I think its the cheaper and easier option right now.
But my next question is, what files can be moved? And what is the best way to move them?
I’ve found my community folder, so plan to move that as advised by Wielxp. But can I move other folders too? And would it just be a matter of copy and paste like with the community folder?
NB: My community folder is within a ‘packages’ folder. The packages folder is currently 276GB, but the community folder in it is just 51.9GB. So there is obviously a lot more data in there - can that be moved?
My Community Folder is on the same drive as the sim, think it’s recommended to leave it there, so keep yours on the C: drive. I wouldn’t try to move any of the base sim files as they are integrated into your system.
However, as I said, all my addons etc which would normally go into the C/F to be loaded by the sim, are on a separate Nvme drive. I then use MSFS Addons Linker to vary the contents of the C/F as i need them - it’s really quite easy to set up and using the Profiles feature I can select what I want in just a few seconds before - and that’s important - starting the sim.
The linker programme is freeware (Flightsim.to) and there are a couple of good Utubes on how to set it up.
Don’t miss that you can also save another 60gb on your main disk by doing this:
I actually made a symbolic link to the whole folder moved to a slower disk where I had plenty of space just in case the sim ever needed those files, but you don’t want to be flying in offline mode anyway
Another solution for you is to put the community folder on a seperate physical drive (SSD prefered), and then set it up as a virtual folder (via symbolic link), so Flight Sim “thinks” the folder is on the main drive. Ive been doing this since SU4, and it world great.
EDIT: Additionally, you “could” set your packages folder (which holds all the aircraft, scenery, community folder, etc in) as a symbolic link as well…
yes you can and you MUST. I have the official and the community folder moved.
The only way is to move the complete “package” folder (with inside the official and the community folder) to another drive. I have done that but forget to mention that, sorry
When you point the updater to the package folder all is good and you dont have the download again
Sometimes when Asobo updates the mainprogram (in the MS store…) you have (after the main program updates and restarts) to point the MSFS updater to the moved directory again (when that is you clearly see that in the path showed. But mostly the sim recognised the correct moved path.
Asobo also strongly advised to move the package directory to another drive when you are in the beta program (I am). When something goes wrong you dont have to download the whole package again. But only the main program…
And yes simbolic links works also (more flexibility) But somewhat difficult to use.
The tool Addone linker for the sim works also (but then automatic) with symbolic links.
Dont forget to repoint the data cache directory in MSFS to another drive also…Delete it first and then choose a new directory. When you have a fast and free data internet you can also set if to off.
A simple approach: after installing your 2nd drive, Win settings->Applications->Installed Apps->MSFS 2020->Options (…)->Move and then follow prompts. This function will move ~90% of your app to your second drive. Been working great for me!
MSFS on D:\ which is a 235 Gb SSD. When I ran into lack of space I added a new 1 Tb SSD. Of this SSD I allocated only abt 700 Gb to an extra disk, leaving abt 300 Gb unallocated.
In disk manager I clicked my D:\ disk and chose the expand option. I told it to use the unallocated 300 Gb to use for expansion. Now my D:\ disk has to grown to abt 550 Gb which should be sufficient.
I’m having the opposite problem. I uninstalled MSFS because there wasn’t enough room on the default drive it went to, which just has my Windows programs on it. My production drive is much bigger, so I tried to install it on to that one. But it still pointed my %APPDATA% folder to the Windows drive. I uninstalled yet again, and moved the %APPDATA% folder to my Production folder. It is causing me a lot of problems. I think I made my issue worse
Move your %appdata% folder back to where is was
originally when FS2020 worked. It should be on the C: (or boot) drive.
C:\Users\Userid\Appdata
Look at the last line of your UserCfg.opt file.
That is where your Community and Official folders are.
Copy & Paste the Community and Official folders to the drive\folder where you
want FS2020 to be installed.
X:\FS2020 ( any folder name you want.)
Rename Community to Communitysave there.
Run FS2020.
On the install screen, in the box type your location
for the “Installed Packages Path”. X:\FS2020
If everything is okay, rename Communitysave to Community.
Delete the original Community & Official folders.
OK. I did a complete uninstall, and re-install on the new drive. Then, I added a MSFS folder in that drive, and told the sim that’s where I wanted everything placed. So far, no major issues
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