Moving controller and bindings from one pc to another

[skypickle]

I read somewhere that windows assigns a unique device ID to each controller plugged in. So a controller on one pc may have a different I’d when moved to a different pc making all the key bindings from the old pc non transferable. Are DCS profiles transferable?

[randomTOTEN]

You can export the profile as a *.diff.lua file, then just import that file on your new PC.

Edited January 8, 2022 by randomTOTEN

[zmz125000]

Just rename them with the new guid. They're transferable.

[Lace]

On 1/8/2022 at 6:09 AM, zmz125000 said:

Just rename them with the new guid. They're transferable.

I'm going through the same process - where will I find the controller GUID please?

[zmz125000]

Just now, Lace said:

I'm going through the same process - where will I find the controller GUID please?

Play the game should generate some files for the played aircraft

[LeCuvier]

I have copied these files from from "Open Beta" to "Stable" and there was no need to rename the "....diff.lua" files.
I'm fairly sure you can just copy the files over to your new computer.

These files are under "C:\Users\YOURNAME\Saved Games\DCS.openbeta\Config\Input\AIRCRAFTNAME"

[Rudel_chw]

1 hour ago, LeCuvier said:

I have copied these files from from "Open Beta" to "Stable" and there was no need to rename the "....diff.lua" files.

that’s because you are copying within the same PC … it’s not the same when copying onto another pc

[baldeagle611]

Same problem here and with Windows 11. I'm quite new to PCs, being primarily a mac user, so what are GUIDs, where are they, and how would I export them and to where? I spent a long time binding joystick buttons and I'd hate to have to configure them all again.

Simple steps please as I'm getting old as well!

[Art-J]

On 4/15/2024 at 6:41 PM, baldeagle611 said:

Same problem here and with Windows 11. I'm quite new to PCs, being primarily a mac user, so what are GUIDs, where are they, and how would I export them and to where? I spent a long time binding joystick buttons and I'd hate to have to configure them all again.

Simple steps please as I'm getting old as well!

You've probably already figured by now where your own controller settings are stored - in individual files and folders according to path explained by LeCuvier three posts above. Note - it's one separate diff.lua file per each device per each aircraft.

If you don't feel comfortable with fiddling with file renaming and stuff, I'd recommend using in-game profile save & load interface to import your old settings to new computer. Fire up DCS, go to controls options, you will notice in upper right corner "Load profile" button. The rest is simple:

a) Choose your aircraft;

b) Highlight device column by left clicking it (for example - joystick);

c) Click aforementioned "Load profile" button;

d) In subsequent menu navigate to your old .diff.lua file for highlighted device (joystick in this case), click OK to load it;

e) Done - your old joystick settings stored in diff.lua file of said aircraft have been imported to your new DCS install on new computer. 

f) Repeat these steps for throttle, keyboard, pedals, tracking device etc. 

g) Choose next aircraft and repeat again.

Will take a few minutes, but certainly less than re-binding the whole shebang from scratch.

[SharpeXB]

It’s an easy fix. Just find your new device IDs by pressing a controller button for each one in the menu to assign a command. That will generate the lua. Then just copy and paste those file names containing the ID onto your old device .lua files. 

[Keith Briscoe]

17 hours ago, Art-J said:

You've probably already figured by now where your own controller settings are stored - in individual files and folders according to path explained by LeCuvier three posts above. Note - it's one separate diff.lua file per each device per each aircraft.

If you don't feel comfortable with fiddling with file renaming and stuff, I'd recommend using in-game profile save & load interface to import your old settings to new computer. Fire up DCS, go to controls options, you will notice in upper right corner "Load profile" button. The rest is simple:

a) Choose your aircraft;

b) Highlight device column by left clicking it (for example - joystick);

c) Click aforementioned "Load profile" button;

d) In subsequent menu navigate to your old .diff.lua file for highlighted device (joystick in this case), click OK to load it;

e) Done - your old joystick settings stored in diff.lua file of said aircraft have been imported to your new DCS install on new computer. 

f) Repeat these steps for throttle, keyboard, pedals, tracking device etc. 

g) Choose next aircraft and repeat again.

Will take a few minutes, but certainly less than re-binding the whole shebang from scratch.

 I just upgraded PCs.  I was anxious about losing all my bindings... However, it was strangely easy to get it all to work - - the advice and steps above are exactly what I did.