I currently have MSFS, purchased from the MS Store, installed in the default location. I would like to 'move it' to something like C:MSFS2020 instead. Is the best way to do this to uninstall MSFS using the uninstaller on the START menu, and then redownload  the sim again from the MS store? I use the AddOnsLinker, so my addons are 'safe', I think. I would also save a copy of the wgs folder which has my controller setups, and the UserCfg.opt folder.

Am I missing anything with this procedure?

Thx,

Al

 

 

Edited November 4, 20205 yr by ark

Have you tried the Move option in Windows Settings/Apps?

9 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Have you tried the Move option in Windows Settings/Apps?

Hi Bert -- thanks for the idea, but that option is grayed out for MSFS, uninstall is the only option offered.  🤕

 

Edited November 4, 20205 yr by ark

3 minutes ago, ark said:

Hi Bert -- thanks for the idea, but that option is grayed out for MSFS, uninstall is the only option offered.  🤕

 

Hmmm.. but if you are leaving it on the C drive, why move it at all?

Maybe Move only works if you have several drives..

Edited November 4, 20205 yr by Bert Pieke

9 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Maybe Move only works if you have several drives..

I think that might be the case.

Al

37 minutes ago, ark said:

I think that might be the case.

So can he attach a drive, move it there, then move it back to his desired location on C:?

4 minutes ago, fppilot said:

So can he attach a drive, move it there, then move it back to his desired location on C:?

Would be an interesting experiment if nothing else! 😊

Al

Edited November 4, 20205 yr by ark

I seem to have gotten around the too-long filename/pathname issue by implementing the MSFS Addons Linker app.  Easy to use and very effective.  Prior to discovering it, I was also contemplating moving my installation to a more shallow folder.  Yet that would have still been on the 1 TB SSD that I put into my new system back in early August expressly to house MSFS when it was released.  So I understand the dilemma quite well. 

42 minutes ago, fppilot said:

I seem to have gotten around the too-long filename/pathname issue by implementing the MSFS Addons Linker app.  Easy to use and very effective.  Prior to discovering it, I was also contemplating moving my installation to a more shallow folder.  Yet that would have still been on the 1 TB SSD that I put into my new system back in early August expressly to house MSFS when it was released.  So I understand the dilemma quite well. 

The community folder is easy you can use the addon you talk about or create symbolic links or even just move the community folder.

Moving your community folder is easy enough but not intuitive. Basically you need to:

1. make a copy of your current packages folder (the one containing your community and official folders) - zip it if encrypted.

2, paste the packages folder in the new location you wish to keep stuff

3. open the following file

C:\Users\YOUR_USER_NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\UserCfg.opt in a text editor like notepad.

(do save a backup copy just in case)

4. scroll to the very end and  change InstalledPackagesPath to match the location of the new package directory you copied your files to.

For example the last line of my userCfg.opt now reads:

InstalledPackagesPath "D:\Games\Microsoft\fs2020\localcache\packages" which is the path to the folder my community and official packages live in on my system

Edited November 5, 20205 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick

1 minute ago, Glenn Fitzpatrick said:

you can use the addon you talk about or create symbolic links

Thank you for that info.  Very useful.  I use the Linker as it allows me to very quickly configure just what I need for a flight, nothing else.  There is some thought around fellow members that too many addons and mods in Community may consume resources not needed for a particular flight.  The linker makes it easy to avoid that issue, if it indeed exists.  It is intuitive to me as for years I used a similar method, using ScneeryConfigEditor with FSX to activate just those sceneries I needed for a flight, especially for photo real scenery sets and resource hogging major airports.

1 hour ago, fppilot said:

Thank you for that info.  Very useful.  I use the Linker as it allows me to very quickly configure just what I need for a flight, nothing else.  There is some thought around fellow members that too many addons and mods in Community may consume resources not needed for a particular flight.  The linker makes it easy to avoid that issue, if it indeed exists.  It is intuitive to me as for years I used a similar method, using ScneeryConfigEditor with FSX to activate just those sceneries I needed for a flight, especially for photo real scenery sets and resource hogging major airports.

it would also be handy where mods conflict or in cases where you want to retain access to the default plane without messing about changing the mod files to get both in the selection window. I did mod the config with the Turbo Bonanza so I get both but the addon is just as viable a solution and probably a lot easier. Another example would be the XCub performance mod where you might want to flip between the 180HP and 215HP variants,

Also, if you are a shopaholic with mods you may end up with a very very cluttered aircraft selection menu.

Last but not least, every livery in a mod counts as a new plane variant for the AI traffic (unless you disable it in the livery for AI use)  so it may be useful to turn off some mods just so you do not get every airport full of TBMs or Bonanzas or whatever.

Edited November 5, 20205 yr by Glenn Fitzpatrick