DS installed C Drive internal - content installed external drive?
jakiblue
Posts: 7,281
Currently, my DAZStudio - the program - is installed in my C Drive, and all my content is installed in My Documents on the C drive also.
Unfortunately, I have about 6 gb free on my C drive and I really need to do something.
I was thinking of having ALL my content - all My Library - installed on an external drive, while having DS itself - the program - still installed on my internal C drive.
Is this possible to do?
And if so, what is the best way of me doing this?
Should I:
- simply transfer all of My Library over to the external drive (and pointing to it in my preferences)
- transfer all of My Library over to the external, uninstall DS the program, and then reinstall the program back to C drive to ensure it creates all the needed folder/files for the program to run
- uninstall DS the program, reinstall to the internal drive and then REINSTALL every single bit of content onto the external?
- Does the Data folder in My Library need to be on the same drive as the program for it to run? Can the Data folder go over to the external drive?
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Comments
The first option. Transfer your library folder and change your paths in DS. You don't need to uninstall the program itself to move your libraries. You 'may' have to reimport your metadata if you use it- I'm not sure as I don't use smart content.
I have Daz Studio installed on E, but all of my content is on F. They don't need to be on the same drive. As long as you have your paths set in DS then you could put your content wherever you like.
Now, if you want Daz Studio itself off of C: drive as well, then in that case you'd have to uninstall the program and reinstall to the new drive.
That sounds too easy to be true. :D :D LOL.
Meh, metadata i don't particularly care about - i never use the smart content.
Ok, so transferring My Library - is it JUST the folder My Library (with everything in it) that I transfer over? It's currently located C:\Users\Owner\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library - do I need to make sure there is a folder on the external called DAZ3d\Studio\ and then put My Library there? Or can i JUST transfer My Library and have that the top folder?
Just transfer it over, it can be a top level directory. You could name it Squidfish and map that if you really wanted to. lol
You can just make "My Library" the top folder -- you don't even have to call it My Library.
ETA: Vaskania was faster and funnier.
I have DAZ Studio installed on C and all the content on D. I tried to also install the program itself on D, but it would not install there. I tried several times and then decided to leave it on C, as the content takes up most of the drive. When installing an item you can choose custom install to put it on the D drive. Mine automatically does the content install to D now.
If yours wouldn't go to D, then that's an issue with your install/machine. Possibly a space issue as you said your content takes up most of the drive already.
sorry for the delay - had to race downtown and pick up another 1tb external...yay for a father-in-law who owns a computer store and gives me stuff cheap and on credit LOL!!!
Thanks for all the help! I'm about to transfer all the content over now to the new external and hopefully I can figure out how to map it...it's been so long that I think I've forgotten. :D
sorry for the delay - had to race downtown and pick up another 1tb external...yay for a father-in-law who owns a computer store and gives me stuff cheap and on credit LOL!!!
Thanks for all the help! I'm about to transfer all the content over now to the new external and hopefully I can figure out how to map it...it's been so long that I think I've forgotten. :D
Edit > Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager. Highlight your old location under DS and Poser format and click 'edit'.
You could also just add the new one and remove the old one. Either way works.
Edit > Preferences > Content Library > Content Directory Manager. Highlight your old locations under DS and Poser format and click 'edit'.
thank you!!!!!!!!!!!
and er, this is a really DUMB question i know - but I am a master at asking the dumb questions - when "tranferring" My Library over to the new external, it's enough to copy'n'paste? Or is there a more technically better way?
I'd zip it up into one big folder and transfer the zip. File transfer speeds tend to be greater when it's one big file rather than lots of little ones, at least in my experience.
Right click on My Library> send to > compressed zip on Windows.
Or if you use 7zip by chance and have the shell commands installed.. right click > 7zip > Add to "My Library.zip"
This will give you a zip file with your My Library folder inside it that you can just pull out once it's transferred.
After you've made sure everything transferred over ok, you can delete your old My Library folder.
i've got 7zip.
yeah, i tried the copy'n'paste and the "preparing to" bit was taking a looooong time.
I'm zipping it now....that's taking a while too. LOL.
Hopefully with USB3 the actual transfer won't take forever. :D
If you find the file is too large, or just takes too long for you to want to sit through, there is always the option of wiping it and reinstalling everything with DIM in the new location. lol
And if you have Rendo/RDNA items stashed in My Library also, if you have the zips, 7zip allows you to uninstall multiple zips at once. Highlight 'em all > right click > *extract here*. 9 times out of 10, files from those sites are really good about having a folder structure, so you'll only end up with a single Runtime folder to move over.
nope, haven't got the zips. I'd have to redownload them all. And I never install straight to my runtime from a zip...i always install to a dummy and then sort it out myself. :D I change folder names etc and put MATS for outfits inside the outfit folder, rather than in "Pose". (i never rename anything that is in textures, geometries or data folders tho)
I used to do that, but I switched to DIM. I do have runtimes separated though so it's easier (my library is only for genesis/daz only stuff, then i have gen4 people/hair/clothing, vehicles, architecture, environment, standalone figures, poser lights and shaders, etc). DIM has a lot of sorting/filtering features so it's easy to select only things installed to a certain runtime to uninstall and move.
DIM is a real PITA when you're first starting out though as you have to go through and select what you want and then the runtime it goes to. If you use a single runtime for everything then its just select 'em all and go (which imo is way too chaotic for anyone to be doing >.<)</p>
I use DIM for DS stuff, and then when it's installed, I go in and make sure everything is right and then change it around manually. But zips from the other stores, I install manually.
On the other hand, I'm just sitting here thinking what an Organizing Nut that I am, and debating whether to delete the lot, and resinstall everything from scratch. Despite the enormous time it would take......I could make sure that I ONLY have what I want and need, and get rid of the rubbishy stuff that I wish I'd never bought. :D
I'm wondering about stuff like shaders for DS tho....the omnifreaker and pw stuff. Would they need to be installed to the C drive where the DS program installation is?
I do have the zips for things like stuff vendors have given me as gifts, and some really useful free stuff backed up tho - so that wouldn't be too much of a drama to reinstall.
There are 2 ways to handle things that also require the DS program folder for scripts:
1) install manually via the exe file from your Product Library, or
2) point DIM to both your library (installation tab of settings) and your DS installation (applications tab of settings) and let it do the work.
Now, if you map multiple libraries in DIM, you'll want to UNCHECK "Install After Download" at the bottom of the Ready to Download tab, and CHECK "Show Details" at the bottom of the Ready to Install tab. Doing this will allow you to pick what library your installs go to. If you only have a single library in DIM, then this isn't necessary.
Keep in mind, DIM is only useful for things in your Product Library that is DIM compatible. Older products that haven't been migrated you'll still need to download the old fashioned way.
Vaskania my drives are not almost full, it is just that the C drive is an SSD and I like to keep it half full. The D drive is 2 terabytes, and has oodles of room. I don't know why the DAZ thing would not install on the D.
In the "applications" tab of settings, it says:
64bit software: "C:Program Files"
32bit software: "C:Program Files(x86)"
should it be pointing towards DS?? as in: C:ProgramFiles/DAZStudio/etc
This is after updating to the new version of DIM a few moments ago...whcih is causing an oddity where i have NOTHING in the "installed" tab, nothing under "product updates" and i am fairly certain that there is less in the "ready to download" than there should be.
Strange. My C: is an SSD also and nothing goes on it except the OS, drivers, and security software. I have DS, DIM, and CMS installed to a second drive.
In the "applications" tab of settings, it says:
64bit software: "C:Program Files"
32bit software: "C:Program Files(x86)"
should it be pointing towards DS?? as in: C:ProgramFiles/DAZStudio/etc
This is after updating to the new version of DIM a few moments ago...whcih is causing an oddity where i have NOTHING in the "installed" tab, nothing under "product updates" and i am fairly certain that there is less in the "ready to download" than there should be.
No, those paths are where you want DIM to install software to, for installing things like Daz Studio or the betas through DIM. You add your current install on the Applications tab.
As far as losing your installed/update info, the only thing I can think of is if you deleted your library and didn't update the path on the lower half of the Installation tab, or that you've already updated the library path, but the library's not actually in place yet on your external.
Nope, this is BEFORE i had even done anything with transferring the content over to the new external. It's still in the same place it was before, ad it was still mapped in the DIM as the same place. I hadn't done anything with My Library, transferring to external wise, yet.
and yep, my current install of the program is correct in the applications tab. I was just a bit thrown about only seeing C:Program Files so was curious about that. Wondering if THAT was what was making my DIM say i have NO content already installed.
If the C drive gets over half full I'll try again. Unfortunately I also have Microsoft Office on C, that is going to be moved to D as well, if the C drive goes over half.
Nope, this is BEFORE i had even done anything with transferring the content over to the new external. It's still in the same place it was before, ad it was still mapped in the DIM as the same place. I hadn't done anything with My Library, transferring to external wise, yet.
and yep, my current install of the program is correct in the applications tab. I was just a bit thrown about only seeing C:Program Files so was curious about that. Wondering if THAT was what was making my DIM say i have NO content already installed.
That is weird. I know DIM puts an *.ini file in the base folder of every path you install content to with it so it knows what's installed where (for instance you probably have a InstallManagerFileRegister.ini file in your My Library folder), but I'm not sure how it keeps track of what versions you have.
That is weird. I know DIM puts an *.ini file in the base folder of every path you install content to with it so it knows what's installed where (for instance you probably have a InstallManagerFileRegister.ini file in your My Library folder), but I'm not sure how it keeps track of what versions you have.
yep i do have that .ini file in my library folder.
ah well, i'll work it out. LOL
and belive it or not, i'm going the path of redownloaing and reinstalling EVERYTHING to the new E external drive. :D
Make sure you're also going through the process of creating a new restore point and deleting all of the ones older than the most current. Restore points can eat a ton of space.
I also moved my windows temp folders and all of the mapped windows libraries paths (documents, pictures, videos, etc) onto a different drive, so none of that takes up space on my SSD either.
That is weird. I know DIM puts an *.ini file in the base folder of every path you install content to with it so it knows what's installed where (for instance you probably have a InstallManagerFileRegister.ini file in your My Library folder), but I'm not sure how it keeps track of what versions you have.
yep i do have that .ini file in my library folder.
ah well, i'll work it out. LOL
and belive it or not, i'm going the path of redownloaing and reinstalling EVERYTHING to the new E external drive. :D
Your life will be MUCH simpler. LOL
Are you installing it all to a temp folder to sort manually, or separating out your runtimes?
I'm only asking since installing to a temp folder and then moving may impact the updating process (as I said above, I have no idea how DIM keeps track of your file versions).
no i'm just installing straight to the new external. I keep that folder open and just change stuff afterwards. :D
I know some people do separate runtimes - characters, props, stuff etc - but I never did. I always just had the one runtime.
this new 1tb external drive will ONLY be used for my DS, nothing else. I have another 1tb external that i put crap on for storage, and I have a lot of backed up zips for content on that,so a lot of stuff i won't need to redownload (non-DS dim stuff I mean)
That's how I run my F: drive, its basically nothing but my art, renders, modelling stuff, daz content, poser content, etc. My page file is also pointed at F: since nothing actually runs from the drive- it's only content accessed by programs on E:.
E: is all of my programs, temp folders, my documents, etc
As far as separate runtimes, I did that when I started using Poser more. Having everything lumped into one runtime in Poser is a pain in the rear. It's even annoying in DS as people will put their stuff in different places. I've had buildings under My Library > Vendor name, My Library > Props, Props > Architecture > Vendor Name, crap under Presets-- ugh it's annoying.
The InstallManagerFileRegister.ini just keeps track of files that have been installed by more than one DIM package, so that it won't uninstall the file if you don't uninstall all the packages that use it. DIM keeps track of what packages were installed based on the files in C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles
Thanks Mike. I didn't even know that folder existed. You'd think that the stuff in there would be things found in the Appdata folder with the InstallManager's user data.