Community Folder on Win 11

[Baz2742 9]

Just installed MSFS 2020 on my new Windows 11 computer and am having difficulty locating the community folder. MSFS is installed on a stand alone drive (D:) where previously the community folder was under WpSystems\S1 5............\Appdata\Local\Packages\microsoftflightsim  8Wek......\packages\ Community.

I also checked out the C:drive\  etc. and was able to find another community folder which contained the same files as on  My D: drive.

These files relate to addons that I was initially trying with MSFS AddonsLinker which I can see when running MSFS. However I cannot see the official content that I have installed, but they work.

Hope someone can point me in the right direction as at my age I have slowed down somewhat in brain power.

Thank you for listening.

Barry Wells

[Bobsk8 12,957]

7 minutes ago, Baz2742 said:

Just installed MSFS 2020 on my new Windows 11 computer and am having difficulty locating the community folder. MSFS is installed on a stand alone drive (D:) where previously the community folder was under WpSystems\S1 5............\Appdata\Local\Packages\microsoftflightsim  8Wek......\packages\ Community.

I also checked out the C:drive\  etc. and was able to find another community folder which contained the same files as on  My 😧 drive.

These files relate to addons that I was initially trying with MSFS AddonsLinker which I can see when running MSFS. However I cannot see the official content that I have installed, but they work.

Hope someone can point me in the right direction as at my age I have slowed down somewhat in brain power.

Thank you for listening.

Barry Wells

Look on the drive you installed it on, that is probably where the community is. Mine is on F: MSFS\Packages\community

[Fielder 3,822]

You need to see which of the two folders MSFS is accessing community folders of files from. I say that because you have 2 identical ones. The way I would do that is temporarily rename the packages folder by adding a letter, such as packagesA to make the path look like this:

...Appdata\Local\Packages\microsoftflightsim  8Wek......\packagesA\ Community.

Do the same thing for the C drive.

Start to boot up MSFS (it will stop at the Searching For Addons part of the bootup). It will show that MSFS needs to download many gigabytes of files (it doesn't however). Look at the path on the lower right where it says it is going to install the new files. That is the path to the drive that Official and the Community folders that MSFS was actually using (it could be the C or D drive).

Do not proceed to boot MSFS (it would take hours). Just click the X up top to cancel MSFS.

Now you know which path is the real Official and Community that is being used by MSFS. Rename packagesA or whatever back to packages. Let the other packagesA folder on the other drive keep that name (you don't need it anymore and can later erase it).

[Fielder 3,822]

the only reason to rename the folder named packages, is to make the boot up of MSFS stop during the bootup and tell you the path to the content that MSFS is actually using. Content = what's in the Official and Community folders.

[Bad_T 588]

 

 In case of doubts, you can also check inside the sim which folder is used as community folder.

Just do this :

• go into settings -> general -> developers
• enable 'developer mode'
• a menu appears on the top, select 'Tools -> Virtual File system'
• You'll see a 'Package folder' entry, click on it to expand it
• You'll then see an 'open community folder' button, it will open the folder used by the sim as 'the community folder', all eventual doubts will be gone 🙈😁

🍻

[Fielder 3,822]

Bad_T's method is clever and better than the sloppy way I have been doing it. 🙂

[Baz2742 9]

Thank you all, especially Bad_T  - neat trick.

Its the C drive being used but i dont see any official content in there but I think I have problably got the wrong link in my AddonsLinker.

Just about to go and check it.

[Baz2742 9]

Still not able to see official content in AddonLinker even though I have pointed it at the C: drive and not the 😧 ????

If I create a new folder in one community folder C or D it appears in the other.

Lost for ideas!!!!

[Bad_T 588]

In Addons linker you need to set two folders :

- the real community folder (the one you get in developper mode by clicking on the button as specified above)

- a custom folder that you create yourself on your disk to store your addons, This folder should not be inside your real community folder, nor inside the real official folder. Just create a completely different folder somewhere on your disk only for that.

Then, AL will show in the left panel the content of the custom folder, and in the right panel the content of REAL community folder.  (it does not show the content of the 'official folder')

Maybe post a screenshot of your AL options screen (1st tab) and maybe also a screenshot of your main AL screen showing both panel, it will maybe give me a better understanding of what is happening there for you, it looks like some incorrect setting somewhere but it's hard to identify just by reading your message.

Thank you 🍻

Edited May 12 by Bad_T

[Fielder 3,822]

Normally addon linker will not deal with official content. Only community content. Unless you set it up especially to handle both official and community content (which I have done by the way). Or just official content and never community content.

(I prefer to use addon linker to run Marketplace planes and airports and so forth in and out of the folder directly under the Official Folder, rather than use the MSFS content manager which is way slower. (Because CM does not just move links, but downloads and deletes complete content which can be gigabytes sometimes, and take maybe 10 minutes. (Addon linker can move marketplace stuff in and out of Official/xxxx? in maybe 3 seconds).

When setting up adon linker to handle both community and official content, Addon Linker will pop up an error box if you are doing it wrong by using improper locations for the Addon Linker folders. The AL folders for community content and official content have to be in paths far apart from each other on your drive.

[RaptyrOne 1,463]

15 hours ago, Baz2742 said:

Its the C drive being used

Just thinking it seems odd that your installation is using a Community Folder on C drive when you have specifically chosen to install the sim to your D drive. I'm on Steam version and also custom installed to another drive and my Community Folder is on that drive. It is possible to move your Community Folder to any drive of your choosing after installation too though.

[Bobsk8 12,957]

That's why in my post above I suggested he would probably find his community folder on his D drive.

[Baz2742 9]

Yes my community folder IS on my D drive and not what I originally said. 😞

I checked first how much data my C & D drives had then went ahead and installed all my addons from Content Manager. These all went to the D drive. Setting the Developer on and opening the virtual file System I was able to see the content  of the official folder which had all my downloads in and the community folder which just contained two test files. 

I am still not sure how to point to the right place to have the right hand window ( in AddonLinker ) show all my official content. Pointing at the community folder only shows my test files. 

Maybe I should delete everything and start from scratch!!

 

PS. not sure how to post screen shots