Search the Community

Bare with me, this is a long one!🙄 First off, I know that "wpsystem" folders are created when you used the apps section of Windows Settings to move an app from one drive to another, so I'm aware of why they exist. What I'm not sure of is why I seemingly have 2 installs of MSFS, one on the E: drive I installed it to and one on my G: drive which is one I use only for data rather than game or app installs. I don't save any data to G: which directly relates to the running of any apps or games etc - it's documents, images, videos etc. I wonder if it's related to the fact I initially trialled MSFS on the Xbox app before buying it through the MS Store? Have I essentially got 2 installations or are the symbolic links just making it look that way? Here's what I have: E:\Flight Sims\MSFS\Community [created 18 ‎August ‎2020, ‏‎00:05:56] (161GB, modified 18/08/2020 00:05)* E:\Flight Sims\MSFS\Official [created 18 ‎August ‎2020, ‏‎00:05:56] (167GB, modified 18/08/2020 00:05) G:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-3947187520-2354784913-3403033832-1002\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Community [created 30 ‎October ‎2021, ‏‎23:24:54] (145kb, modified 22/11/2021 04:36)** G:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-3947187520-2354784913-3403033832-1002\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\Official [created 25 ‎September ‎2021, ‏‎02:48:29] (181GB, modified 25/09/2021 02:48) *This Community folder only contains symbolic links created by AddonsLinker. My "Add-ons" folder (also on the E: drive) contains the 192GB of actual files. All the links are dated 04/10/2021 04:39 **This Community folder only contains symbolic links, totalling/representing 35.8GB of files. The files here are mainly dated 22/11/04:35 (my last day using MSFS), with the exceptions being dated between 3/11 and 09/11. The split (between Nov 22 and the exceptions is 48/27). Some of the files are duplicated between those 2 Community folders, but by no means all of them. Also in G:\WpSystem\S-1-5-21-3947187520-2354784913-3403033832-1002\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.FlightSimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalCache\Packages\ is a 3rd folder: "Test_Community" (created 25 September 2021, 02:48:29; modified 23/10/2021 23:54) which is reported as 3.28GB but which contains 54.9GB (51.6GB of symbolic links, 3.28GB of actual folders - "AFC_Bridge"; "ah-spitfiremk1a"; "ATR72-600CVT_"; "C-17-Globemaster_CVT", "GAIST_MSFS_V1_CVT_"). I'm now trying to remember if someone on AVSim ever suggested creating a Test_Community folder at some point during troubleshooting, but even then, I wouldn't have been creating it directly in that location as I've only just realised how much was in there. Does AddonsLinker maybe even create it "behind the scenes"? From this point on, for simplicity, I will just refer to the above locations as E:\Community, E:\Official, G:\Community, G:\Official and G:\Test Community. Please do the same in any reply if possible. AddonsLinker has my MSFS Community folder as "c:\users\****\appdata\local\packages\microsoft.flightsimulator_8wekyb3d8bbwe\localcache\packages\community" which is correct for it to perform as it should. Aside from AFC_Bridge (which never seems to be green in the right-hand window of AddonsLinker can't read manifest.json), all add-ons are green. The contents of that Community folder match exactly those of G:\Community (folder size 152kb, content size 35.8GB, same creation and modified dates). That's leading me to think that perhaps the folders on G: aren't actually there and if I were to delete them (not that I feel it would be wise) that the amount of available space might not change by the full 192GB it would appear I was deleting. That Packages folder on G: also contains folders for 11 other games I had downloaded during my Xbox app trial, but those only add up to 161MB as they are no longer active (I didn't buy them after the trial ended). I do know that I have never manually altered those folders on G:, only those on E: (i.e. putting add-ons in Community initially, then in Add-ons when I started using AddonsLinker). It's all very confusing! I'd like to clear several unnecessary GB off my PC if I can, firstly to free up space and secondly in case it's either slowing MSFS in any way or causing other problems. but I'm not convinced exactly what could delete safely, if anything. What I do know is there are several of you who likely have a better idea than me on this one!🤞😊