Is there a way to change the mod folder location?

[CasualGerman]

So i have 2 harddrives the first one has Windows and the second steam ect. But steam also installs some files on my c: harddrive although i told it to install it to my D: drive.
Now that usually isnt a problem because its only small files but my C: drive is almost full now and i dont have that much space on it so installing Sins mods on it is a problem so my question is: Is there a way to change the folder where i need to install mods too?

[GoaFan77]

Sins installs mods in the windows "My Games" folder, which is usually in "My Documents". If you change My Games to be on your D: drive I think your Sins mod folder would change with it.

[CasualGerman]

Originally posted by GoaFan77:

Sins installs mods in the windows "My Games" folder, which is usually in "My Documents". If you change My Games to be on your D: drive I think your Sins mod folder would change with it.

You sure windows doesnt just create a new one on the C: drive?

[GoaFan77]

Originally posted by CasualGerman:

Originally posted by GoaFan77:

Sins installs mods in the windows "My Games" folder, which is usually in "My Documents". If you change My Games to be on your D: drive I think your Sins mod folder would change with it.

You sure windows doesnt just create a new one on the C: drive?

Mine is not on my C drive, but I put My Documents and everything on my F Drive that has more space.

[CasualGerman]

Originally posted by GoaFan77:

Originally posted by CasualGerman:

You sure windows doesnt just create a new one on the C: drive?

Mine is not on my C drive, but I put My Documents and everything on my F Drive that has more space.

ok well i found a solution but thanks :) oh and also i love your star wars interregnum mod great work

[Briggsby]

Originally posted by CasualGerman:

Originally posted by GoaFan77:

Mine is not on my C drive, but I put My Documents and everything on my F Drive that has more space.

ok well i found a solution but thanks :) oh and also i love your star wars interregnum mod great work

Would you tell me what your solution was? I've been hunting for a way to do this to get Rebellion mods to work on linux.

[Csupasz Pisztoly]

Originally posted by Some_Sarcasm_Required:

Originally posted by CasualGerman:

ok well i found a solution but thanks :) oh and also i love your star wars interregnum mod great work

Would you tell me what your solution was? I've been hunting for a way to do this to get Rebellion mods to work on linux.

The mod folder is inside the game's separate proton folder. It is a hidden folder under your user:

.steam/steam/steamapps/compatdata/204880/pfx/drive_c/users/steamuser/My Documents/My Games/Ironclad Games/Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion/Mods-Rebellion v1.85/

[dolynick]

Originally posted by Some_Sarcasm_Required:

Originally posted by CasualGerman:

ok well i found a solution but thanks :) oh and also i love your star wars interregnum mod great work

Would you tell me what your solution was? I've been hunting for a way to do this to get Rebellion mods to work on linux.

Select your Documents folder in File Explorer.
Right-click on it and choose 'Properties'.
Go to the 'Location' tab.
Change the path field (or browse to) your new desired location.
Press OK or Apply. Allow it to move/merge.

Be aware that you may have to add/modify security settings on the new folder you created to target if you want your stuff to actually still be private from other users on the computer.

The ability to move these user folders this way and the Sins folders with it has built into Windows since Vista. Possibly earlier as well, but not as easily.

[ValhallasAshes]

Originally posted by dolynick:

Originally posted by Some_Sarcasm_Required:

Would you tell me what your solution was? I've been hunting for a way to do this to get Rebellion mods to work on linux.

Select your Documents folder in File Explorer.
Right-click on it and choose 'Properties'.
Go to the 'Location' tab.
Change the path field (or browse to) your new desired location.
Press OK or Apply. Allow it to move/merge.

Be aware that you may have to add/modify security settings on the new folder you created to target if you want your stuff to actually still be private from other users on the computer.

The ability to move these user folders this way and the Sins folders with it has built into Windows since Vista. Possibly earlier as well, but not as easily.

I was literally just about to make this exact same post. Use dolynick's instructions as this is the correct way to do it. You can not move the mods folder specifically to another drive because Sins looks specifically in your documents directory for it's files. But Sins queries Windows to tell it where to find your Documents folder. So while you can't just move your mods folder, you can tell Windows to move your Documents folder to another location (such as a different drive) and when Sins tries to access it's files, Windows will just direct Sins to your Documents folder's new location.

I've been doing this myself for years (At least since the Windows 7 days). I also do this with my other personal folders as well such as music, photos etc. One because I use a small SSD for my OS drive for performance, but because it's small, storage is at a premium, so it's beneficial for me to move it off that drive to save on space. Especially with how many games I have and how much data that ends up creating with save data, mods, configuration files etc. The other benefit of it is redundancy. If anything happens to my OS (preventing booting), in a worst case scenario where I can't simply fix the problem, I can safely wipe and reinstall the OS without fear of losing any of my data in those folders because they're already safe on a different drive. As such, the only files on my actual OS drive are the OS itself, and applications (and files that some apps and games put in the "AppData" folder (which I backup as needed). But all personal files I have on different drives, I use the method outlined by dolynick to tell Windows where to find those files and as such, where to put any new files applications end up creating through use.

As a result, this something I recommend regularly to people who have more than one drive in their computer, because it's simple to do and provides many benefits for doing it.

P.S. Why do some games still try to save game save data to AppData these days. Like Kerbal Space Program. That's literally the worst place to put it. Stop doing it.

[dolynick]

P.S. Why do some games still try to save game save data to AppData these days. Like Kerbal Space Program. That's literally the worst place to put it. Stop doing it.

AppData is user profile stuff, with sections of it being roaming for roaming profiles in a network setting. Newer Metro style apps are big on using this and not cluttering up the User folders instead (which can also be mapped to a network share in this scenario).

It depends what the data is and how obvious and accessible you want it to be to the user. Games should be using the Documents/My Games/ method though, imo.

[ValhallasAshes]

Oh I know what it is and what it's for. It's also a folder everyone should be aware of for if they want to uninstall something, there's often files left over in that folder (especially configuration files if your trying to fix a broken application). Or for important files that you would be wise to back up if reinstalling OS (such as custom audio equalizer configuration files) that would save you a whole lot of time and effort if you just back up what you know you were already happy with.

I'm fine with "Apps" using it, that's what it's there for. I just hate when games use it because like I mentioned previously, I have a lot of games. And many games, have huge save files that really build up over time. Just look at a late game Skyrim save file as a good example. As such, when storage space is a concern, it's a hell of a lot easier to relocate your "Documents" folder than it is to relocate your "AppData" folder. Actually, it's been so long since I tried I can't remember if you even can relocate your "AppData" folder. I don't think you can. Which if not, just further proves my point. And yours.

I definitely agree. "Documents\My Games" is the ideal place for storing game data.

[dolynick]

It is possible to move AppData but it's not nearly as easy or accessible. It can be done via Registry changes or, if I recall, machine policy.

[Darren]

Originally posted by dolynick:

It is possible to move AppData but it's not nearly as easy or accessible. It can be done via Registry changes or, if I recall, machine policy.

You can also do a Windows hardlink to make C:\AppData actually D:\AppData but yeah it's far more difficult to move than MyDocuments.