FSX Steam - Moving FSX From C Drive to E Drive

Hi Guys

I had my FSX on my C Drive 256G SSD and because I am running out of space want to move it to my E Drive 550G SSD.

I moved my FSX from my C Drive to my E Drive using the Steam 'Move Files' application. The FSX directory was moved to the E Drive without any problems. When I run FSX, the FSX program does not know where any of the Scenery files are. The FSX program still tries to access the scenery files from the original C Drive location.

In the Scenery.cfg file there is no way to direct FSX to go to the E Drive scenery files locations. Does anyone know a fix for this problem. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thx, Thomas

The fsx.cfg is called fsx.cfg if you only use steam. If you have fsx-box installed also. (or had it, and it wasn't fully removed when you installed steam) the file for steam will be called fsx-se.cfg

 

anyway, you need to edit the path in that. So it now points to the new folder.

 

This thread has a post showing the path (or paths) that you will need to fix.

https://www.flightsim.com/vbfs/showthread.php?306805-AIFP-and-WOAI-aircraft-problem-in-FSX

Thx for the reply. I just have the fsx.cfg file and not the FSX-se.cfg. I know the path has to be modified for all the scenery files. I am very familiar with programming but not sure what line I should add in the FSX.cfg file. If you look at the scenery.cfg file it has the variable 'Path=' numerous times. Somewhere I have to let the program know the new path is the E drive and not the C drive for just the scenery files.

This is a scenery.cfg error and not a fsx.cfg error...........

 

I assume that any scenery addons that you have installed were installed into either the default FSX Addon Scenery folder (e.g FSX\Addon Scenery\) or, in the case of some payware items) in their own folders created in the root directory of FSX........and that all of them were moved as part of the process

 

I suggest locating the scenery.cfg file (usually located at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\FSX) and rename it scenery_old.cfg.

 

Start FSX - it will build a new .cfg file based on what it finds

 

HOWEVER........if the scenery was installed Outside of FSX and NOT moved then you could edit the current scenery.cfg file - make a backup copy first. Open the .cfg in notepad and then amend the Local= entry......it is this entry that tells FSX where to find the scenery....

 

Note these examples from my scenery.cfg file. The first and second examples are for FSX default scenery areas. Area.008 is for an area found in the FSX\Scenery folder and

Area.115 is the FSX\Addon Scenery folder. Note that there is no need to show a 'full' path in the Local= entry as the scenery is located within the FSX root directory - there is no need to change any default entry as the files would have been moved as part of the main FSX program.

 

However, the entry for Area.168 is an entry for scenery that I have installed outside of FSX and there for needs to have a full 'path' in the Local= line - in this case it points to my own addon scenery folder structure - you will need to amend the entries to something similar.........

 

[Area.008]

Title=0005 Base

Local=Scenery\0005

Layer=8

Active=TRUE

Required=TRUE

 

[Area.115]

Title=Addon Scenery

Local=Addon Scenery

Layer=115

Active=TRUE

Required=FALSE

 

[Area.168]

Layer=184

Local=D:\My Addon Scenery\Airports - Basic\Airports - Chad

Title=Airports - Basic: Airports - Chad

Required=FALSE

Active=TRUE

Thank you Brian, your help is greatly appreciated.

Thomas

Thank you, your help is greatly appreciated.

Thomas

I was wrong. I was thinking you would have to edit a path

SimObjectPaths.4=SimObjects\Addon Scenery

 

and change to:

SimObjectPaths.4=E:\MyFolderName\Addon Scenery

 

(in the example \MyFolderName\ is just an example of course.)

 

Btw, when doing that, for a path with spaces in it, the path would best be put in quotes, like so:

SimObjectPaths.4="\E:\MyFolderName\Addon Scenery"

 

But there is no such path for the default Addon Scenery folder.

I assumed there was, but no.

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

 

---------

I'm a bit confused on what Brian posted.

 

He seems to say that those two top bits, local=Addon Scenery

for example, should link to "the fsx location automatically"

 

That makes me think that it needs the registry entry that tells it where fsx is installed.

 

You changed the location of fsx.

-->registry entries when changed , often need a reboot to take full effect.

If you didn't try yet, try a full reboot.

 

I would expect a steam migration option, made by steam, should know to move it and keep the default area's active. (and either fix the scenery.cfg file for you, or, let the registry entry control what that "default start point for paths" is.)

 

I would not expect any need for adapting every line in that file by hand.

Actually I migrated FSX-box from E to C a few years back. And no editing of the scenery.cfg was needed at all. Migration of the location of the file, and then resetting the registry entry to the new location, was all that was needed.

(I had no payware at the time, so didn't need to uninstall all that first. Moving fsx was very quick in the end.)

 

So I think first try a reboot.

 

Also, check if it was really migrated. I know you see your files on the E drive, but, is the complete fsx folder really removed from C as well?????

It wouldn't be the first time that someone tried to move FSX, and then finds out months later he had still been playing it from c all the time. Forum questions like "I installed a plane and it doesn't show" can get very confusing when that happens;):) Fun!

 

And if it was really migrated, see if there is some sort of registry fix tool for fsx-se.

There is a registry tool for fsx available from Flight1.(It's Free of charge btw.) But I do not know if that works for fsx-se as well.

 

As I said, I'm not sure how fsx 'knows' where to start out from when those abbreviated paths are used.

for example:SimObjectPaths.4=SimObjects\Airplanes

how does fsx know to start that path by adding:

C\Program Files\Microsoft Flight Simulator X

(in a default installation)

 

I assume it's because of the registry entry, but it's just a guess. Maybe look into that.

@ il88pp.....

 

To clarify what I was stating WRT the Local= entry.....

 

Like other software, the coding used by FSX 'simplifies' the coded string entries that tells it where to find stuff - hence my comments regarding the contents of the Local= entry.

 

Basically, the way most software applications are written/coded is that they 'look' for essential files and information in their own root folder first. If they can't find what they need, especially WRT system files, they then look to the registry to find them. The information on where to 'find' such items is then usually, but not always, 'written' into a .ini, .cfg or .dll file located within the root directory of the program itself and/or into other system related .ini/.cfg/.dll files.

 

A good example of this how this process works in FSX can be found in the fix for those users who encounter crashes related to excessive mouse clicking when using the menu and/or cockpit buttons on post XP OSs. The fix is to place a older version of the UIAutomationCore.dll file (basically an XP or Vista version) in the root directory of FSX. As FSX is coded to check for essential files within its own root folder first it picks the older version of the file and runs correctly. Without it, it cannot locate the file within its own folder so searches the registry for a location of the file - it then gets pointed to the newer version.

 

WRT FSX in general, there is very few entries in the registry related to Scenery location - the only scenery info written into the registry concerns mainly payware products and its activation/version info, which is used to validate the product install, its authenticity and version - often this info is used when applying any updates that may be released.

 

When you first install FSX it does not immediately create the FSX.cfg or scenery.cfg files. These are only created when you first run the sim when the program gathers up info essential for it to run. In the background other important information will also be gathered and written to various .ini .cfg and .dll files.

Hi longbreak,

I didn't mean a registry entry for specifically the path to the Addon Scenery folder. What I meant was an entry for the pathe to:

../Microsoft Flight Simulator X folder.

(For example: C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\

 

(Or perhaps: E:\FSJimmy\Microsoft Flight Simulator X\

 

It needs a starting point somewhere.

Most other paths in FSX files are only given as what comes after that start point.

 

I think that the only thing that is going wron is that this start point is set to the wrong location.

(Either because the files are actually still on C as well)

(Or because the files were moved correctly, but the 'start point' entry was not changed with it like it should have been.)

 

If the start point is in an ini file that would be great, and easy to change.

But the Flight1 registry tool means I think that this start point is set in the registry entry.

(I don't think it's in an .ini file. After all, if the start point was in an .ini file, then how would the program be able to even find this ini file? It needs the start point to be able to find the .ini file in the first place, right?!)

 

If the start point IS in an .ini file, then please advise which one! I'm sure the person that started this thread would love to know.:D:pilot:

cheers, il.

Thx for the Help