DCS Updates filling up hard drive

[CIWS]

This last major update 2.9.8.1107 is basically 200GB on my end and I have not purchased any new aircraft, terrain, campaigns, etc.  What is it the game is updating that it needs to add an additional 200 gig to the system when no new modules have been installed ?  I've already removed aircraft and terrain just to make room for the update. This will fill the drive. No future updates are possible without now removing something else.

 

Is there a way to provide an update(s) to the game without all the extra stuff, only updates to critical game files. No new maps, campaigns, liveries or whatever seems to be filling this up ? 

[Hog_driver]

I kind of feel your pain, I've bought a 2 TB drive for simulators so that I don't have to worry about free space.

[Slippa]

It's gotten way out of hand. I've just bought another couple of drives and am busy trying to get it working properly.

[drPhibes]

20 minutes ago, CIWS said:

What is it the game is updating that it needs to add an additional 200 gig to the system when no new modules have been installed ?  I've already removed aircraft and terrain just to make room for the update.

The net upgrade size is much smaller than the total ammount of GB downloaded. If the devs add 1 byte of data to a 2GB file, 2GB is downloaded, but the actual change in disk use is 1 byte. Temporary space for the download and installation is the big issue here.

[MAXsenna]

The net upgrade size is much smaller than the total ammount of GB downloaded. If the devs add 1 byte of data to a 2GB file, 2GB is downloaded, but the actual change in disk use is 1 byte. Temporary space for the download and installation is the big issue here.

I know. Had to do house cleaning the patch before this one. Sooo... Next map(s), will put me over the edge. Force me to add storage. My core folders are now 900GB+, with 450GB of free space, and the last patch was 255GB+ for me. Ouch!

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[Beirut]

2 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

I know. Had to do house cleaning the patch before this one. Sooo... Next map(s), will put me over the edge. Force me to add storage. My core folders are now 900GB+, with 450GB of free space, and the last patch was 255GB+ for me. Ouch!

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You got me beat. I'm only at 835GB on a dedicated 1TB NVME. But I'll need more space soon.

 

Was checking out Amazon and a 2TB Samsung NVME is about $200 and a 2TB Samsung SSD is over $300. Seems odd that the NVME is less expensive.

[freehand]

1 hour ago, drPhibes said:

The net upgrade size is much smaller than the total ammount of GB downloaded. If the devs add 1 byte of data to a 2GB file, 2GB is downloaded, but the actual change in disk use is 1 byte. Temporary space for the download and installation is the big issue here.

Try this 

 

[crazyeddie]

Same issue - had to delete 2 maps and 4 aircraft just to maike room for that last update - and its hard to see what has actually been added in terms of enhancements or quality

[Hog_driver]

Oh, the good old days of DBLSPACE

[zildac]

Oh, the good old days of DBLSPACE

.sys

[IvanK]

There was a time not so long ago where the updater could automatically utilise free drive space on other drives to do the update. I presume it downloaded the monster update file to the free space then updated the install version from there. I cant remember if you had to nominate the drive or if the updater just found the space. It would be nice for his functionality to come back.

Edited October 3, 2024 by IvanK

[waterman]

I was afraid to update because i thought the download was massive.

It was a nice suprise for me with only normandy and persian gulf it was only 3gb on steam !

It went like clockwork but all it did was copy MT over the top of ST so the old shortcuts work.

I had to delete DCS and plug my old DCS drive back in.

I need to use my working trains So I cannot update again i will no longer be able to use my purchased modules in 3 days time and that is that.

The bug busting team have been asked to do some updates on the trains so i will just have to wait for that update.

 

Edited October 3, 2024 by waterman

[MAXsenna]

Oh, the good old days of DBLSPACE

Oh, that brings back fond memories of Troublespace, yes!

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[YoYo]

3 hours ago, CIWS said:

Is there a way to provide an update(s) to the game without all the extra stuff, only updates to critical game files. No new maps, campaigns, liveries or whatever seems to be filling this up ? 

Its not good idea. Firstly it raises compatibility issue, secondly sometimes add-on updates caused CTD of entire DCS, so if you don't download it, there won't be equal feedback.

[Hog_driver]

5 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

Oh, that brings back fond memories of Troublespace, yes!
 

Fond memories you say? My 47 MB (!) HDD was working like a lawn mower. I had to format it and lost over 40 MB of data!!!

 

[MAXsenna]

Fond memories you say? My 47 MB (!) HDD was working like a lawn mower. I had to format it and lost over 40 MB of data!!!
 

I meant "fond".

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[rob10]

26 minutes ago, waterman said:

I need to use my working trains So I cannot update again i will no longer be able to use my purchased modules in 3 days time and that is that.

You realize that it gives you the option to NOT update right?  I assume you're concerned with having to log on to reauthorize after 3 days, but all you need to do is use a shortcut direct to the dcs.exe (rather than the updater_dcs.exe or something like that) and it will do the authorization and not attempt to update at all.

[Rudel_chw]

39 minutes ago, IvanK said:

There was a time not so long ago where the updater could automatically utilise free drive space on other drives to do the update. I presume it downloaded the monster update file to the free space then updated the install version from there. I cant remember if you had to nominate the drive or if the updater just found the space. It would be nice for his functionality to come back.

you had to set the path for the temp files yourself… then someone of course used a path like F:\ instead of F:\Temp …  and then the installer promptly deleted all its contents, it was temporary space, right? … the user lost everything on that drive … so ED quickly removed the feature  

[waterman]

29 minutes ago, rob10 said:

You realize that it gives you the option to NOT update right?  I assume you're concerned with having to log on to reauthorize after 3 days, but all you need to do is use a shortcut direct to the dcs.exe (rather than the updater_dcs.exe or something like that) and it will do the authorization and not attempt to update at all.

Thanks i will try that.

See attached pics i do not have updater steam forces it to happen.

So I set up the dcs.exe shortcut and it still goes through steam   "update this game when i launch it"

 

Edited October 3, 2024 by waterman

[MAXsenna]

you had to set the path for the temp files yourself… then someone of course used a path like F:\ instead of F:\Temp …  and then the installer promptly deleted all its contents, it was temporary space, right? … the user lost everything on that drive … so ED quickly removed the feature  

Ahhh! Yes! I remember now!

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[Rudel_chw]

8 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

Ahhh! Yes! I remember now!
 

 

I still have my notes on how to use that feature

 

 

[MAXsenna]

 
I still have my notes on how to use that feature
 

 

As you correctly wrote and what the screenshot shows, was that you could select the root drive as the target. IF, ED at the time had forced the creation of a _download folder under the path chosen. There would never have been an issue.
They should look into this again, as more and more users face free space limitations. Could be set through the new launcher/in game. And show the "_download" folder in the path chosen.

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[WolfK33]

I also couldn´t update at first with the last patch because of all the temporary space needed.

My solution, maybe it helps anyone: I uninstalled 2 maps, ran the update and then installed the maps again, which downloaded the new, updated version of the maps.
Yes, more clicks and timeconsuming, but at least I could update

[Rudel_chw]

Just now, WolfK33 said:

My solution, maybe it helps anyone: I uninstalled 2 maps, ran the update and then installed the maps again, which downloaded the new, updated version of the maps.

 

Agree, that's what I used to do with my old 1 TB SSD ... however there are users for which this is not a good option because thy are on metered or unreliable Internet connections.

[waterman]

51 minutes ago, waterman said:

Thanks i will try that.

See attached pics i do not have updater steam forces it to happen.

So I set up the dcs.exe shortcut and it still goes through steam   "update this game when i launch it"

 

 

See attached pics i do not have updater steam forces it to happen.

So I set up the dcs.exe shortcut and it still goes through steam   "update this game when i launch it"