Newcomer / Intro Uninstall and save files

[Avaruus]

Hi everyone,

I'm on the verge to clean my computer through a complete format of the system. And I'm going to upgrade it as well, moving my system from a HDD to a SSD. My only concern about ED is the following: do I need to find and copy any save files of the game or not? If I format, then reinstall ED in Steam, should I be prepared to lose something?

I would say no, since the game and its saves are online, but I prefer to ask rather than losing all my progress.

FYI, I have bought the game on Steam, so I always played through this plateform.

Thanks in advance.

 

[wetwire]

The key bindings are saved locally. To my knowledge that would be the only thing lost as you upgrade your system with a new install of ED.

 

[Factabulous]

And journal files. If you care about them. And the visited stars cache. Again, if you don't care, you won't miss 'em

 

[Chris Simon]

Yes, got to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments and find the Options folder (Though maybe the Steam version keeps the folder within the game files in the Steam folder). Copy it somewhere safe, then after you reinstalled your computer and the game, run it once (so it can create the Options folder with defaults) and then copy your old files over it and you should be set.

 

[d8veh]

I just did something similar with a Drevo SSD, which don't cost very much. It came with a data migration software link, which I downloaded and installed. It was fantastic - really easy to use. It basically cloned my HD onto the SSD and provided the remaining free space. It renamed the old disc D: and the made the new one C:, so all my old files are still there as a backup. It worked so well that I didn't realise that it had done it until I checked the capacity of my C drive. I didn't backup or copy anything beforehand.

Obviously, I didn't do a clean install. it was just to get the higher speed and increased capacity of the SSD.

 

[Avaruus]

@wetwire
Thanks for the tip, I didn't know that. Are you sure no other data could be lost? Even still not sold exploration data?

And journal files. If you care about them. And the visited stars cache. Again, if you don't care, you won't miss 'em

Does that mean that all the data I am presently collecting (I'm in the middle of a long term exploration journey) will be wiped out if I don't sell them beforehand? Or does it only affect old data, that I have already sold?
Second question: is there any way I can keep these journal files and visited stars cache?

Yes, got to C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments and find the Options folder (Though maybe the Steam version keeps the folder within the game files in the Steam folder). Copy it somewhere safe, then after you reinstalled your computer and the game, run it once (so it can create the Options folder with defaults) and then copy your old files over it and you should be set.

Thanks for the advice, but what is the exact goal of this option folder? Just keeping the options of the game (like key bindings)? Or will it help me to save more in game data?

I just did something similar with a Drevo SSD, which don't cost very much. It came with a data migration software link, which I downloaded and installed. It was fantastic - really easy to use. It basically cloned my HD onto the SSD and provided the remaining free space. It renamed the old disc D: and the made the new one C:, so all my old files are still there as a backup. It worked so well that I didn't realise that it had done it until I checked the capacity of my C drive. I didn't backup or copy anything beforehand.

Obviously, I didn't do a clean install. it was just to get the higher speed and increased capacity of the SSD.

Yep, I read about it, but I want to do a tabula rasa. I want a perfectly clean install, as if I had recently bought my computer. I have already done this in the past, but I wasn't playing at ED, so I don't know about this particular video game.

 

[Chris Simon]

Thanks for the advice, but what is the exact goal of this option folder? Just keeping the options of the game (like key bindings)? Or will it help me to save more in game data?

No, it's just settings, key bindings, etc.
If you were using the Frontier launcher, you could backup the whole game - just save both the "Frontier Developments" and Frontier_Developments" folders somewhere and after the update, just put it back where they belong, reinstall the launcher and you can play again.
But Steam won't let you do that and you'll have to re-download and reinstall the game itself.

 

[Avaruus]

@Chris Simon
Well, I have no problem with re-downloading and reinstalling the game. I only wanted to be sure that I won't lose any progress, neither the current data I gather in my ship because I guess they are worth hundred millions of credits. I would be quite disappointed if I happened to lose them all, and not only for the credits, but also for the exploration work I have done.^^

 

[Chris Simon]

@Chris Simon
Well, I have no problem with re-downloading and reinstalling the game. I only wanted to be sure that I won't lose any progress, neither the current data I gather in my ship because I guess they are worth hundred millions of credits. I would be quite disappointed if I happened to lose them all, and not only for the credits, but also for the exploration work I have done.^^

Yeah. Fortunately, this is one of the good features of Elite's MMO-ish-ness that saves aren't a concern.
I still backup options, though, as rebinding everything every six or so months (I'm reinstalling Windows quite often) would suck.

 

[Dommarraa]

Your list of visited stars for the galaxy map filter is saved locally somewhere, but it's ONLY for the filter, so nothing to worry about unless you are into area searching.

 

[Avaruus]

@Chris Simon
Yup, I agree! I didn't know about the backup options, it IS (indeed) very useful. I'll look into it.

@Dommarraa
I'm sorry, I don't understand the end of your message. "unless you are into area searching" => what do you mean?

 

[Chris Simon]

@Chris Simon
Yup, I agree! I didn't know about the backup options, it IS (indeed) very useful. I'll look into it.

@Dommarraa
I'm sorry, I don't understand the end of your message. "unless you are into area searching" => what do you mean?

What he meant was that if you are an explorer and want to keep track of where you've been, it's hand to save the logs, too. But they are just informational, it's not that you would lost the systems you've discovered.

 

[Avaruus]

I up my thread because I am starting my migration on my SSD. I am right now in the middle of my backup saves. It is quite a mess to find the right folders so I'm asking for your help guys in order to be sure to do it right.

NB: I play to ED on Steam

I want to save my "visited stars cache" so I'll keep track of the systems I visited in the galaxy map filter (I'm an explorer, it will be useful).
I want to save my options (especially my key bindings).

I installed Steam on a separate partition of my HDD and in a subfolder: D:\Games\
But it seems that the files I am looking for are not in the D:\ folder, but in C:\. Is it normal? I thought that installing Steam on another partition would automatically install games and their content in the same folder. But apparently not. Does someone know anything about that?

For the options:
I found a file named "fsave_options011" following the path : C:\users\"username"\AppData\Roaming\FrontierDevelopments\EliteDangerous\Options

But I also found a "Options" folder (containing 6 other subfolders named "Audio", "Binding", "Development", "Graphics", "Player", "Startup") following the path: C:\users\"username"\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous

So which one is the good one? What is the difference between the lone "fsave" file and the big options folder?


For the visited stars cache:
I found the file "VisitedStarsCache.dat" following the path: C:\users\"username"\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\2331516

Is it the good file to save?



Last question:
As I read some threads somewhere else on the internet, I noticed that some players had problems after reinstalling the game, especially with the DLCs. Some of them couldn't play the DLC's anymore. Should I be worried about that?


Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[howardtay]

I up my thread because I am starting my migration on my SSD. I am right now in the middle of my backup saves. It is quite a mess to find the right folders so I'm asking for your help guys in order to be sure to do it right.

NB: I play to ED on Steam

I want to save my "visited stars cache" so I'll keep track of the systems I visited in the galaxy map filter (I'm an explorer, it will be useful).
I want to save my options (especially my key bindings).

I installed Steam on a separate partition of my HDD and in a subfolder: D:\Games\
But it seems that the files I am looking for are not in the D:\ folder, but in C:\. Is it normal? I thought that installing Steam on another partition would automatically install games and their content in the same folder. But apparently not. Does someone know anything about that?

For the options:
I found a file named "fsave_options011" following the path : C:\users\"username"\AppData\Roaming\FrontierDevelopments\EliteDangerous\Options

But I also found a "Options" folder (containing 6 other subfolders named "Audio", "Binding", "Development", "Graphics", "Player", "Startup") following the path: C:\users\"username"\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous

So which one is the good one? What is the difference between the lone "fsave" file and the big options folder?


For the visited stars cache:
I found the file "VisitedStarsCache.dat" following the path: C:\users\"username"\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\2331516

Is it the good file to save?



Last question:
As I read some threads somewhere else on the internet, I noticed that some players had problems after reinstalling the game, especially with the DLCs. Some of them couldn't play the DLC's anymore. Should I be worried about that?


Thanks in advance for your help!

Use Macrium Reflect, it's Free I have used it many times to totally backup my system drive and then restore to a new SSD drive no hassle just done [It does take awhile to do though depending on how much data is on the drive, but 30 minutes should do it].

 

[Non Grata]

As above.

Also generally speaking take an image first then u can ask these questions after the transfer without fear of missing a file.

 

[Avaruus]

@howardtay @Non Grata
I heard several times people talking about the backup and restore. But what if I want a fresh new system? I usually wipe out everything, saving only my personal data (photos, work and games save files). Does the "cloning" method allow me to do it this way? Because I don't really see the point of cloning my data if I want to reorganize several things and clean the obsolete files and folders which usually remain in the system (and which I don't want to find and erase manually).

 

[howardtay]

Isn't there an option in Windows 10 to to create a new clean Windows install but retain all your data? I seem to recall seeing this somewhere within one of the Windows sysytem menu's, I have never used it though as I tend to keep my machine in tip top condition, so I would make a backup of my hard drive first, just in case I make a mistake, and then I would uninstall the software I no longer require and then use the in built Windows refurbishment tools to make Windows 10 pristine again before re-installing software that I want.

 

[Non Grata]

@howardtay @Non Grata
I heard several times people talking about the backup and restore. But what if I want a fresh new system? I usually wipe out everything, saving only my personal data (photos, work and games save files). Does the "cloning" method allow me to do it this way? Because I don't really see the point of cloning my data if I want to reorganize several things and clean the obsolete files and folders which usually remain in the system (and which I don't want to find and erase manually).

The idea would be that you take an image, then once you've done your clean install you are free to mount the image and copy over any files you find that you need.

 

[Avaruus]

@howardtay
Yes I know about this option. I haven't tried it yet either, but I read on windows support that it was not as clean as a re-install of the system.

@Non Grata
Ok, thanks for the info.


Does someone have an answer to my previous questions about the files I found:

For the options:
I found a file named "fsave_options011" following the path : C:\users\"username"\AppData\Roaming\FrontierDevelopments\EliteDangerous\Options

But I also found a "Options" folder (containing 6 other subfolders named "Audio", "Binding", "Development", "Graphics", "Player", "Startup") following the path: C:\users\"username"\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous

So which one is the good one? What is the difference between the lone "fsave" file and the big options folder?


For the visited stars cache:
I found the file "VisitedStarsCache.dat" following the path: C:\users\"username"\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous\2331516

Is it the good file to save?

Last question:
As I read some threads somewhere else on the internet, I noticed that some players had problems after reinstalling the game, especially with the DLCs. Some of them couldn't play the DLC's anymore. Should I be worried about that?

By the way, I found something new. In C:\users\username\Saved Games\Frantier Development\Elite Dangerous, I found three different types of files:
"Journal."number".log", which are text files
"Journal"number".cache" files
".json" files

What are they? Do I need them to keep some info after reinstall?


Thanks.

 

[the100thmonkey]

Steam does, in fact, let you copy the install folder and reuse it. You will have to verify the game files after specifying the folder as an install location, but it will let you do it.