Hello,

I have MSFS2020 (MS store version) installed on a 500GB SSD that is running out of space (drive d:)

I just got a 2TB SSD and I was wondering what the best way is to "move" MSFS to the new drive and format the old one.

I've read that I can use the "move" option from the MSFS2020 icon in Settings/Apps but it doesn't copy everything.

I'm sure there is some MS Store and MSFS data in my C:\ drive too.

I tried "Disk Copy" from EaseUS and cloned the old drive into the new one, reassigned the drive letters but it didn't work.

Any help appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

I would use the Mfg SSD utility to 'move' the entire drive to the new SSD. It should copy all of the system files, the OS files, along with your MSFS. I had a Samsung drive and used their utility program.

They usually refer to is as cloning a drive or a cloning utility.

Edited September 5, 20232 yr by flyblueskies

I was in same situation like you few weeks ago. I bought a new 2tb SSD. I tried firstly to move the installation through windows apps. If you click right on your MSFS installation you have options uninstall or move. It was a mess on my side after that. Many recommended this but for me at least didn’t work as intended so, the best solution was to uninstall the MSFS. Then I took the install again from scratch and I moved the community folder in the new directory created on new SSD drive. For mods from community folder I use MSFS Addon Linker app and if you don’t have it I highly recommend to download it. Is way more simple to manage the mods. You can download the app fron flightsim.to. Is the longest (as time) method, but safest. Indeed I benefited by a good internet conection and took me almost 4 hours to install again and move the community folder, but after I had no problem, everything went smooth.

What didn’t work with the clone?  I’ve done this twice now with my MSFS drive using the free version of Macrium Reflect and it worked fine.

Any MSFS data on the C drive shouldn’t matter if you’re cloning the D drive.

I did this many months ago, and can't remember exactly the method I used, but I read about it on this forum. I simply copied and pasted the MSFS folder from my C drive to the new drive. Then I had to change a file on the C drive ( original install location) , so it pointed to the new drive. I can't remember what file it was . It was beyond simple, and everything worked including all updates and installs. 

 

I found the post I followed just now. Here it is, was very simple. Didn't have to download anything.

 

 

Edited September 5, 20232 yr by Bobsk8

Copy and paste everything in the Onestore folder of your existing install. 

Install MSFS on the new disk. Let it start the download so it creates its own Onestore folder.

Stop the download. Delete everything in there. Paste the old Onestore. 

Off you pop as new. 

1 hour ago, BadKarmaPT said:

...and format the old one.

If he formats the old one, he'll remove the operating system...

Just copying over MSFS does not clone the OS. His computer will no longer work as his operating system is now missing...

Rereading his original post, he wants to format his old drive...to do this, I recommend cloning his original drive.

Edited September 5, 20232 yr by flyblueskies

Just clone it, research some good cloning software, its pretty easy. 

34 minutes ago, rocketlaunch said:

Just clone it, research some good cloning software, its pretty easy. 

Absolutely not necessarry. Just as others have pointed out: Just use the "Move" function that windows offers.

Edited September 5, 20232 yr by Farlis

3 hours ago, BadKarmaPT said:

I've read that I can use the "move" option from the MSFS2020 icon in Settings/Apps but it doesn't copy everything.

You will always have some MSFS data on your C drive, but that should not matter, if you are trying to move the D drive data to a new drive..

If you look at your D drive after the move, what remains behind?

Formatting the D drive after may screw things up, since MSFS likes to put links from the old to the new location..  If the Packages folder, containing the Official and  Community folders is left behind, you can move it manually and then change the last line in the UserConfig.opt file to point to the new location.

Edited September 5, 20232 yr by Bert Pieke

3 hours ago, regis9 said:

What didn’t work with the clone?  I’ve done this twice now with my MSFS drive using the free version of Macrium Reflect and it worked fine.

Any MSFS data on the C drive shouldn’t matter if you’re cloning the D drive.

I tried the cloning software and it seemed to work.

All the files were copied to the new drive and I assigned the (D:\)  to the new drive and (F:\) to the old one.

I rebooted my system and was able to start MSFS2020 without a problem.

As a final test, I switched the old drive to "offline" before formatting it.

I'm glad I tested before because MSFS2020 does not start and I get a "This app can't open because it's offline" error message...

I'm assuming it's still reading from the old drive even though it's now drive (F:\)

 

6 hours ago, BadKarmaPT said:

I'm assuming it's still reading from the old drive even though it's now drive (F:\)

Go to C\ ProgramFiles \ WindowsApps and find the Microsoft.Flightsimulator... line.

It is likely tagged as a link.  Yellow folder symbol has a chain link on it.

If so, right click and select Properties / Link Properties.. that should tell you the target location.

4 hours ago, Bert Pieke said:

Go to C\ ProgramFiles \ WindowsApps and find the Microsoft.Flightsimulator... line.

It is likely tagged as a link.  Yellow folder symbol has a chain link on it.

If so, right click and select Properties / Link Properties.. that should tell you the target location.

Is this the one, Bert?

FS by Hugo Bravo, on Flickr

Hmm.. that is a shortcut, not the actual folder..

48 minutes ago, Bert Pieke said:

Hmm.. that is a shortcut, not the actual folder..

I'm starting to think it's better to install the whole word not allowed thing again...