Author Topic: [MSFS] Install folder  (Read 4265 times)

Alti

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[MSFS] Install folder
« on: November 07, 2020, 09:00:10 am »
Hello FSDT!
First: Big thank you to I got this Addon for free.

I separate all simulators and related addons to different drives. So EVERYTHING is for the P3D on the SSD X:\
and EVERYTHING is for the MSFS on the SSD Y:\
The Basel installer allows only one installation on the drive where the P3D sceneries are stored.

It would need a way to select a different folder during installation. Because the sizes of the drives are limited.
My SSD's have a size of 4 TB each, but they will be exhausted one day.
So my P3D drive is near full, my Drive for MSFS is near empty.

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virtuali

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Re: [MSFS] Install folder
« Reply #1 on: November 11, 2020, 01:01:29 am »
The Basel installer allows only one installation on the drive where the P3D sceneries are stored.

That's because you chose to install there. By default, the FSDT folder is in C:\Program Files (x86)\Addon Manager. There is a reason why we choose to use a "neutral" folder, and it's precisely to support multiple simulators without duplicating any files. With "multiple simulators", it means FSX, FSX:SE, P3D4, P3D5 and MSFS 2020.

Quote
It would need a way to select a different folder during installation. Because the sizes of the drives are limited.

You surely can, but it will never fit your logic of keeping the P3D stuff on one drive and the MSFS stuff on another one, which is really not giving you any real benefit. Quite the opposite, instead, a possible advantage of using two drives, is that you can speed up the loading process, by taking advantage of the fact that a single drive will never be able to saturate the PCI bus so, instead of separating by simulators ( you never use two simulators at the time ), you should do this instead:

- Install the *core* MSFS on its default folder and the CONTENT ( the big download ) on a *different* drive.

- Install P3D on a drive, even the same as the *core* MSFS, and all P3D add-on on a *different* drive.

That's the solution that is best for performances ( assuming all your drives are the same speed, because they are not, you should install the biggest files on the faster drive ) and, of course, our installer structure is designed to help with that.

If you want to change the FSDT default folder, you must:

- Uninstall ALL FSDT products ( both for P3D and MSFS )

- Reply YES to the question "Do you want to remove the Addon Manager" ? This will allow you to freely choose the folder again.

- Reinstall all FSDT product. The first one you install will allow you to choose a folder, the others will automatically go there. You can install everywhere, as long all FSDT products stays together, so they can be updated in a single go ( if they weren't, you would have to start the Live Update twice every time ), and there's no wasted space, even if they share files between all the different supported simulators.


Dallen1919

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Re: [MSFS] Install folder
« Reply #2 on: February 13, 2021, 07:20:52 pm »
Thanks for the wonderful support and products!
I have P3DV4  and MSFS 2020 installed. MSFS 2020 is on my "D" drive which is much larger than my "C" drive. Presently all DT products are on my "C" drive. I will soon delete P3DV4. I will eventually end up with only MSFS2020.
I believe I want to purchase and start  to install  all MSFS 2020  DT products ( I have all the P3D versions of North American ones ) to my D drive which is larger. I get that I need to uninstall all the files on the C drive first including the Addon Manager and then install the  DT MSFS scenery  files to the D drive which will prompt me to install the addon manager.
Guess I am asking if it makes sense to install new MSFS 2020  DT sceneries  to the D Drive. In other words is there a performance or other advantage to have them on different drives etc. or  if you see a more sensible approach.
Thanks for your suggestions!

virtuali

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Re: [MSFS] Install folder
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2021, 05:37:01 pm »
In other words is there a performance or other advantage to have them on different drives etc. or  if you see a more sensible approach.

Difficult to say without knowing exactly which drive they are and how they are connected. In general, you want to use the fastest drive possible, which is not ( usually ) the largest one...