Help Needed: Editing the Saved Games Folder Location for DCS

[Onslott]

Hello All,

Does anyone know if there’s a .lua file or another method to adjust where DCS looks for the Saved Games folder? I used to be able to change it by right-clicking on the Saved Games folder, going to Properties, and adjusting the Location tab. However, the Location tab is now missing, even though the registry key seems to be correctly set.

I recently upgraded to a larger and faster SSD and moved my DCS installation and Saved Games folder over, but DCS still insists on looking in the old location. I know this because it keeps creating a new DCS.openbeta folder there, and all my settings and keybindings are being directed to that location instead of the new one.

Any advice on how to point DCS to the new Saved Games location? Thanks in advance!

[MAXsenna]

Hello All,
Does anyone know if there’s a .lua file or another method to adjust where DCS looks for the Saved Games folder? I used to be able to change it by right-clicking on the Saved Games folder, going to Properties, and adjusting the Location tab. However, the Location tab is now missing, even though the registry key seems to be correctly set.
I recently upgraded to a larger and faster SSD and moved my DCS installation and Saved Games folder over, but DCS still insists on looking in the old location. I know this because it keeps creating a new DCS.openbeta folder there, and all my settings and keybindings are being directed to that location instead of the new one.
Any advice on how to point DCS to the new Saved Games location? Thanks in advance!

You remember incorrectly. You can move the complete Saved Games folder that way. Not the DCS folder inside. So you need to right click Saved Games. Then you can see the tab and move. DCS is hard coded to use Saved Games. L
There is another way though. You can use symlinks to move it. It's a Windows feature.

https://www.howtogeek.com/16226/complete-guide-to-symbolic-links-symlinks-on-windows-or-linux/

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk

[Onslott]

13 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

You remember incorrectly. You can move the complete Saved Games folder that way. Not the DCS folder inside. So you need to right click Saved Games. Then you can see the tab and move. DCS is hard coded to use Saved Games. L
There is another way though. You can use symlinks to move it. It's a Windows feature.

https://www.howtogeek.com/16226/complete-guide-to-symbolic-links-symlinks-on-windows-or-linux/

Sent from my SM-A536B using Tapatalk
 

@MAXsenna Thank you for your reply! I should add more context to this:

I previously moved my Saved Games folder from the default location C:\Users\USERNAME\Saved Games to my K:\ drive (a dedicated 1TB SSD for DCS, but I've since outgrown it). When doing this, DCS would not recognize anything in that Saved Games folder, so I took out the DCS.openbeta folder and put it in the D:\ drive and it worked. Not exactly sure why, but it did. When trying the same operation to move it to my new J:\ Drive, the "Location" tab is not there regardless if I try the DCS.openbeta folder, or the Saved Games folder. None of the folders have the Location tab, including the original C:\Users\USERNAME\Saved Games folder.

Edited October 28, 2024 by Onslott

[MAXsenna]

1 hour ago, Onslott said:

so I took out the DCS.openbeta folder and put it in the D:\ drive and it worked. Not exactly sure why, but it did.

To my knowledge that should be impossible, how would DCS know you did this? Unless, you actually did use symlinks. Saved Games is a Windows System folder. Can't be moved around in any other way. (Apart from doing it via the Registry, which is the same thing).

I've seen users have messes up the location of the Saved Games several time. I have a feeling it happens because it's relocated to a root drive, and not to a folder. Which maybe your case. 

You don't won't either K or J to be your Saved Games folder. You want to have Saved Games be a foldee on those drives.

1 hour ago, Onslott said:

None of the folders have the Location tab, including the original C:\Users\USERNAME\Saved Games folder.

You moved the target location, while it didn't delete the folder, only moved it's contents. 

There are easy ways to reset the Saved Games location. Don't remember what command to use, but a quick Google search gives me this. Guess what game was the first hit...

https://www.reddit.com/r/hoggit/s/2MhNkpKuPh

I suggest you follow the advice and reset it to original, and then move it to J:\Saved Games (make a folder), and not the root of J:\  

Or to be honest. You could leave Saved Games in C:\Users while using symlinks to put the DCS files anywhere. That's what I do with the various "large" folders, like mods, liveries etc. that take up space. 

Cheers! 

Edited October 29, 2024 by MAXsenna

[Slippa]

33 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

could leave Saved Games in C:\Users while using symlinks to put the DCS files anywhere. That's what I do with the various "large" folders, like mods, liveries etc. that take up space. 

Cheers! 

Now don’t go giving me ideas Max, takes me long enough to get it set up without everyone having to fly in the rescue choppers. 

[MAXsenna]

Now don’t go giving me ideas Max, takes me long enough to get it set up without everyone having to fly in the rescue choppers. 

Well, you were on my mind to be honest!

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[Slippa]

48 minutes ago, MAXsenna said:

I've seen users have messes up the location of the Saved Games several time.

Hands up .

[Onslott]

On 10/28/2024 at 6:13 PM, MAXsenna said:

To my knowledge that should be impossible, how would DCS know you did this? Unless, you actually did use symlinks. Saved Games is a Windows System folder. Can't be moved around in any other way. (Apart from doing it via the Registry, which is the same thing).

I've seen users have messes up the location of the Saved Games several time. I have a feeling it happens because it's relocated to a root drive, and not to a folder. Which maybe your case. 

You don't won't either K or J to be your Saved Games folder. You want to have Saved Games be a foldee on those drives.

You moved the target location, while it didn't delete the folder, only moved it's contents. 

There are easy ways to reset the Saved Games location. Don't remember what command to use, but a quick Google search gives me this. Guess what game was the first hit...

https://www.reddit.com/r/hoggit/s/2MhNkpKuPh

I suggest you follow the advice and reset it to original, and then move it to J:\Saved Games (make a folder), and not the root of J:\  

Or to be honest. You could leave Saved Games in C:\Users while using symlinks to put the DCS files anywhere. That's what I do with the various "large" folders, like mods, liveries etc. that take up space. 

Cheers! 

 

Brilliant, thank you for all of this! I didn't know that sumlinks were a thing, but that just made life so much better!

[LucShep]

@Onslott (or anyone looking into same information) 
Not sure I understand.... You want to move your DCS Saved Games folder to another location or drive, is that it?

If that's it, then it can be done.

I repeat, you do NOT need to have the DCS save files folder itself on the "C:\Users\"your-user-name"\Saved Games" folder.
But you do need to put some commands in Command Prompt for symbolic links (aka Symlinks) for the game to pick the new location of that folder and files. 

....read on, here's a step-by-step guide:


OK, so let's pretend that we will move the DCS folder, with all the saves stuff inside, to a drive name "K:"

• Cut that big DCS folder (i.e, move it entirely) from the "C:\Users\"Your-User-Name"\Saved Games" folder into the "K:" drive.

So then what we have now is a "K:\DCS" with all the saves file stuff inside there.

Basically what we're going to do next is to trick the game, by creating a "DCS" shortcut (a junction via symbolic link) in the default location that the game will always look for.
And this special shortcut, in the location that the game looks for, will then lead it to that actual real "DCS" folder that has been moved.


Next, we will create a symbolic link to that new location ("K:\DCS", in this example) where the real DCS folder with all the saves files stuff is.

• Open Command Prompt as administrator. *
  For that, click the Start button, search "cmd" or "Command Prompt," then select "Run as Administrator". *
  * (note:  if it's Windows 11 then it doesn't require administrative privileges to create symbolic links, only Windows 7 / 8 / 10 does).

 

• And now, with Command Prompt open, you would just need to type the following: 
   

mklink /j "C:\Users\Your-Windows-User-Name\Saved Games\DCS" "K:\DCS"

So it would appear in Command Prompt like this image below (yes, the user name there is blurred):

 

• And now all you have to do, after typing that in there, is press the "ENTER" key.  And it's done.

If all went well, you'll see a message in Command Prompt saying "Junction created for C:\Users\Your-Windows-User-Name\Saved Games\DCS\ <<===>> K:\DCS"

Now if you go check in the "C:\Users\"Your-User-Name"\Saved Games" folder, there is a shortcut named "DCS".
If you double click on it, it'll go straight to that "K:\DCS" folder (as per this example) with all the saves stuff in it.
And the game will now read from it.   
 

Edited November 1, 2024 by LucShep
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