Linked files and just flight

[svpst]

I have FSX-SE installed on my c: drive (SSD) with a MKLINK /j link to my F: drive (HDD) for the \simobjects\ folder. I tried to install 2 planes from Just flight yesterday and it would not let me install the planes in the \simobjects\ file and said i had to put them in the FSX-SE file. So i contacted the people at Just Flight to see if there was a solution. First, I was told, its not even possible to establish a link between two drives, and even if i could, it would be extremely dangerous, and I should not even consider it. Eventually he just told me I either have to install them in the FSX-SE \simobjects\ file or I wouldn't be able to install them. Please help me, what am i missing? I've been using the linked files without a problem for about 2 months. I'm either confused or stupid and am willing to consider both options.

[svpst]

Did i just make this linked files thing up in my head one night? No one knows anything about it?

[llivaudais]

No, you didn't make it up... I used them for quite a while (tho' not on this build yet).

 

The thing is, Only you and windows knows that the link goes to another folder: the installer says put it in simObjects, Windows does it. Only SimObjects is "secretly" somewhere the installer knows nothing about. I've installed nearly a score of Orbx sceneries into FSX\Orbx. Only me and Windows know that it was actually on the J:\ drive.

 

It shouldn't be an issue; try it once and see what I mean. You install to FSX-SE.... let Windows find the "sim Object" folder portion of the install.

 

Loyd

[ivanrk]

Just Flight have given you wrong information. I have been using MKLINK for many years with FSX without a problem. I link the whole of my FSX Folder on my HDD (E:) to my SSD (F:). Even though it should not be necessary I have always duplicated the folder structure on both drives even though most of the folders are empty apart from the folder I wish to link. I also use only a soft link rather than a hard link using the /d option rather than the /j option. I know this means the two folders will be out of sync but I do not care as I rename the original folder with an FSX backup name purely for backup purposes. In actual fact I could delete this folder if I wished. So I rename the original folder to something like "Microsoft Flight Simulator X Backup". Then using the command prompt in administrator mode I enter MKLINK /d "E:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X" "F:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Games\Microsoft Flight Simulator X" . And that's it. Works like a charm. I have never tried linking part way through a folder but it should be no different. I assume you mean to link TO the SSD even though you say TO the HDD. Unless of course your SSD is very full and you want to remove the very large folder from it to create more room. So my suggestion for now would be to create an identical folder structure on both the drives but leaving empty those folders you are not linking and try again. If that does not work try the /d option to create a soft link to see if that works. I have used MKLINK on Windows 7 and Windows 10 so can confirm it works on both. I do however only have FSX and not FSX-SE so there is a difference. Anyway try it out and let me know how you go.

[mallcott]

Paragraphs, old son, pararagraphs...

 

JF have no clue what they're on about as ivanrk says. I run P3D (and before that FSX) using a hardlink to large scenery files that have always been located on a separate hard drive. I also have various JF aircraft installed in P3D with the same folder structure as our OP and there is nothing in their installer or folder structure to prevent a linked file being installed to.

 

What I would check are the folder and admin permissions, It is possible the folders have mistakenly been set to read only, or are admin only amends.

[svpst]

I have tested this link as follows: I installed a freeware plane into the F:\simobjects\ folder and sure enough it also appeared in the C:\steam\steamapp\common\fsx\airplanes folder but I also did it the other way. I installed in the C: and it showed up in the F: folder. All that aside, i am trying to reduce what goes on to Drive C: (SSD) and I'm sure you all recognize. The guy fromJF tells me i must install it in the C: steam folder. If i put it there what is the point of the F: folder. I think you guys are telling me that the system will think its in the steam folder when in reality its in the F: Is this the end result?

[mallcott]

If I read this correctly, all they are saying is that the files are installed into the default location by their installer. If so, then that is precisely what the Mklink hard link is doing - it is making it so the installer IS installing into the default location - or thinks it is.

 

What YOU are doing wrong is trying to bypass the installer routine, which needs to `see` the FSX .exe in order to correctly place all the sub-folder file sin their right places, to place the file sin the Mklink folder. You have absolutely no need to do this. YOU install entirely as normal and let the hard link sort it out. After all, not all the files are going to be in the simobjects folder - there may be gauges or fx files to be placed in other subfolders off the FSX tree.

 

You've really misunderstood both the advice you were given AND the function of the mklink tool. As general advice for all automated installers they seek the root folder that contains FSX.exe. Just run the bloody installer and all will be well.

[svpst]

It suddenly strikes me i might have created the link backwards.The little blue arrow indicating a link is on the F: drive (HDD) simobjects folder and there is no blue arrow in the C: drive (SSD) Steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects. Should not the arrow be on the Steam FSX-SE folder and not on the F:\simobjects\ folder?

[svpst]

They don't call me Murphy for nothing Mallcott. LMAO it surprises me not.

[ivanrk]

Yes you are correct. The blue arrow appears on the folder you are linking FROM so in your case it is telling me that you are linking from your HDD to your SSD which is the reverse of what you are wanting to achieve. Not a problem just delete the link and do it again in the reverse order. And as mallcott says just do your installs as if you had no link set up and let windows sort it out. If you try to bypass the link you will end up with a corrupted registry where things point to the wrong place. Hope this helps.

[svpst]

Should i use the fmdir command and remove the folder F:\simobjects\. I guess my question is, which is the original folder. I dragged the simobjects folder from C: (ssd) to the f: \simobjects| so which is the original so i make sure i don't delete the wrong file?

[ivanrk]

You don't delete any folder, only the link so your two folders with data remain untouched. I assume you either renamed the original folder or you deleted it prior to creating the link. I say again, only delete the link with the small blue arrow. This will NOT delete any of your real folders. And then go through the linking procedure again with the correct direction. ie. From your SDD to your HDD.

[mallcott]

As Ivan says, at this point you are well advised to NOT delete anything. You are in grave danger of throwing the baby out with the bathwater and could easily lose the active folder with the files within. JUST do what he says.

[svpst]

I gave the whole thing up. I'll just keep my plane with FSX-SE on my SSD. I do have my scenery on drive F and that seems to work fine. I'll just be careful with the planes i add from now on, i have 300 gig still available on my SSD so I'm ok. But thanks to both you and Ivan for all your help. I just can't seem to make it work. But its ok.

[mallcott]

If it is simply a question of space, just create an `Addon Aircraft` folder on the spare drive and just CUT'N'PASTE the aircraft you don't need by dropping their complete folder from simobjects/airplanes to Addon Aircraft.

 

They're `gone`, won't show up in the sim and won't slow loading - but you can easily fly them again by just moving them back.

[il88pp]

A symlink. Looks like a shortcut icon. But when you select it (click on it once) you see in windows explorer, bottom left, about it that it says "file folder".

 

A folder. Looks like a folder icon. When you select it by clicking once, you see in the explorer botto left "file folder".

 

A normal shortcut. Looks like a shortcut. When clicking once the explorer tells you "shortcut".

[il88pp]

another way to test.

 

Create on D:\\ a folder and copy 2GB of screenshots or other loose files into it. Copy, not move.

*------------------------------------------------------------------------------*

Then open the My Computer view in windows explorer, so you see all disk and there sizes and how much available space is on them.

Make a note of the available space on C: and on F:, write it down.

Keep the window with "My Computer" open.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

Open another explorer window, and open drive on F the folder 'Simobjects'.

Then copy the folder you just created with the screenshots into your F:\Simobjects.

***--------------------------------------------------------------------------------***

Look in the window that has "My Computer open"

Right-click in the window and in the drop down that opens click 'Refresh'.

The changed sizes will become visible now.

*****-------------------------------------------------------------------------------*****

-----If "F:\Simobjects" is a folder, like you want it to be, then the Availble Space on F: will have become less (2 GB less available.)

 

-----If "F:\Simobjects was actually a symlink, the files will have been sent by the symlink to C:\

And then the Available Space on C:\ will have become 2Gb less.

(the size of F:\ will be unchanged)

**********************************************************************

[svpst]

This is what I have done:

I installed FSX-SE on my C: (SSD)

 

I created a folder on F: (HDD) called F:\simobjects\

 

My intent is to create a link and move simobjects from C: (FSX_SE) to F: (\simobjects\)

 

I brought up both drives and dragged the \simobjects\ folder from C: to F:\simobjects\ At this point I have \simobjects\ in both folders.

 

I then did the following:

 

From c:\steam|steamapps\common\fsx\, I right shift/right clicked and I brought up the command prompt

 

I then did a: mklink /j f:\simobjects\ c:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects

 

Now some or all of that is wrong. Can you just point out to me what steps I missed, or did backwards or whatever?

[il88pp]

I wrote sort of a guide a while back, I'll post it again.

(My username in the paths I replaced with "". Your username and paths will be different of course.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The thing is to first move all your files to a new location. Where you have the storage space.

This is called the Target Path.

 

Then to delete the original folder.

 

Then to create a symlink, with the name of the original folder, in that original location. The symlink redirects to the new location.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Syntax at Prompt:

mklink /prefix "link_path" "Target_file/folder_path"

So:

mklink

/prefix

"link_path"

"target_File_Path or Target_Folder_path"

 

-There are several types of links you can create with mklink, depending on the switch used. (mklink /D -- or /J -- and others).

In this case we use mklink /D

 

There are two types of symbolic links: hard and soft.

*Soft symbolic links work essentially the same as a standard shortcut. When you open a soft link, you will be redirected to the folder where the files are stored.

A hard link makes it appear as though the file or folder actually exists at the location of the symbolic link, and your applications won’t know any different.

 

 

First, choose the correct prefix. Mklink can create several types of links, including the following:

•/D – creates a soft symbolic link, which is similar to a standard folder or file shortcut in Windows. This is the default option, and mklink will use it if you do not enter a prefix.

•/H – creates a hard link to a file

•/J – creates a hard link to a directory or folder

 

 

----I wanted my screenshots away from my SSD C:\ drive. They were in "My Pictures".----

I created a folder on my D:\ drive to put the screenshots in: "D:\Beautiful Pictures\FSX V-Pics".

 

I then moved all my screenshots from "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files" to folder "D:\Beautiful Pictures\FSX V-Pics"

 

I then deleted the empty folder "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files".

 

I made a hard link. I opened a command prompt and typed:

mklink /J "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files" "D:\Beautiful Pictures\FSX V-Pics"

and pressed .

What does that do:

**Any file I drop in "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files" ends up "D:\Beautiful Pictures\FSX V-Pics

 

**Same for programs. When I take a screenshot by pressing in FSX, it still gets sent to "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files" but is redirected from there by the symlink and ends up in "D:\Beautiful Pictures\FSX V-Pics" instead.

 

**Same for programs that look for files.

For example, Autothumbnail.exe (program) takes a screenshot, then looks in "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files" to get the last screenshot and make it into a thumbnail.

The screenshots are actually in "D:\Beautiful Pictures\FSX V-Pics" now.

But, no problem, Autothumbnail finds the last screenshot without error. Thanks to the hard link, to the program it appears as if the files are simply in "C:\Users\\Pictures\Flight Simulator X Files".

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

----If you want to move the Contents of your Simobjects folder to a different location, while FSX is none the wiser: -----

Let's say you now have:

C:\FSX\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Simobjects

and you want everything that is in there to be in:

F:\My FSX Storage\Simobjects

 

-create folder F:\My FSX Storage

-move everything that is in "C:\FSX\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Simobjects"

to "F:\My FSX Storage\Simobjects"

-delete the empty "C:\FSX\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Simobjects"

 

open a command prompt.

type:

mklink \J "C:\FSX\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Simobjects" "F:\My FSX Storage\Simobjects"

read carefully to check for spelling errors.

press

You will now see in "C:\FSX\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\Simobjects" a icon appears with name Simobjects. This is your Symlink.

(It looks like a shortcut on my PC, but if I select it by clicking it once, in the lower left of the explorer window it says "File Folder" in properties).

 

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Additional info:

Why the quotes ????

Well, that's because in the folder path there are spaces. By putting spaces around it you make clear that it is all one path.

If there are no spaces, you would not need to use quotes.

for example:

mklink /J C:\SomeImages F:\MyPics

Does not need quotes.

But putting them there doesn't hurt.

mklink /J "C:\SomeImages" "F:\MyPics"

works also.

I think it's a good idea to always put quotes. Because when there are spaces the quotes are required.

That way you never forget to put them in.

 

Also:

After typing it in, but before you press , re-read the whole thing and look for typo's carefully.

:) You can use the arrow keys to walk through what you typed. so you can make corrections.

:) No need to wipe it all out and start again.

 

 

Also, if it didn't work, and you think you typed something wrong:

:) As long as you have not typed something new yet, :) pressing spacebar (tapping) makes the previous line appear again!!

So you can just make what you typed appear again, then read the whole thing back, and once you find the typo you try again.

 

Easy peasy:)

[svpst]

I think i followed every step to the letter and it still doesn't happen but let me ask, First you say "move everything in the C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects folder to the F:\My FSX Storage\Simobjects folder are you saying to me, "move the folder \simobjects\ or are you saying move the files within the folder. So do i move the folder or the files in the folder. Do i then delete "the folder" \Simobjects\ or leave the folder and delete everything inside? Do i end up with Steam.....\fsx\Simobjects or \fsx\? Right now i have F:\My FSX Storage\Simobjects\ airplanes etc, but on the other end i have \fsx\simobjects but simobjects is empty. I went through the mklink very carefully but it didn't seem to work except i found the \simobjects\ folder with the blue icon on my c" drive but not in FSX-SE. Me thinks i still don't have it right.

[il88pp]

The idea is to move the folder you want to have somewhere else.

 

Then, in the place where it was place a Symlink.

Which links to the new location.

 

The Symlink must have the same name as the original folder used to have. So fsx is none the wiser.

 

 

(I say copy first, then delete the original.

Because if you just move, and the pc crashes or there is a power failure you may lose things.

But, the end result is the same.)

 

Have a look at the last 10-15 or so posts in here as well:

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?291798-Running-out-of-SSD-space-for-Addons-but-have-totally-empty-1Tb-HDD

[il88pp]

I read your post a bit more closely.

But what are you really trying to do.

If you want

C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects

completely gone from the SSD.

 

You must:

move the whole Simobjects folder to the HD.

Then place a symlinkt to that, in C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\

the symlink will be called Simobjects.

(or C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects of you want.)

 

And the command to use would be something like:

 

mklink /J "C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects" "F:\simobjects"

[il88pp]

Btw, you say "it didn't work".

 

Do you realise that if you look at the size of the symlink, you will see the size reported of the folder it links to ??

 

That's not the actual size of the symlink of course. It is 1kb or something.

If you check your SDD space available you will see that dropping something on the symlink does not reduce the available disk size.

(It reduces the disk size ONLY where the target folder is. In your case F:\ )

[il88pp]

Hang on though.

 

I see you say:

I created f:\simobjects

And you then put simobjects in there. ???

 

that would mean the path is now:

f:\simobjects\simobjects. ???

 

weird.

 

----------------------------------------------------

I thought you just moved \simobjects

to F:\

so you would have F:\simobjects.

So for example the path to the 737 folder would become

f:\simobjects\B737_800

In that case the symlink command is:

 

mklink /J "C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects" "F:\simobjects"

 

-=-------------------------------------

I would create folder:

F:\MyLinkedFSX

or something.

then put simobjects in there.

So you get things like:

F:\MyLinkedFSX\simobjects\B737_800

 

In that case the creating of the symlink would be:

mklink /J "C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects" "F:\MyLinkedFSX\simobjects"

 

---------------------------

If you really created F:\simobjects\simobjects,

and you still want to keep it that way,

the command would be:

mklink /J "C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects" "F:\simobjects\simobjects"

[svpst]

OMG I believe I actually have it. I know have in my f:\FSX Storage\simobjects and i also have C:\steam\steamapps\common\fsx\simobjects and the simobjects has the little blue arrow pointing upward. If this hadn't worked i was going to delete FSX-SE and take up under water basket weaving. You guys all have some great patience to put up with me. I've been using FSX since 1998 and never had too many problems until the last couple of years and i guess my brain fell out somewhere along the way. Thanks a lot for all your help.