Install EDO into a different drive than EDH?

[Draven Darken]

I haven’t bought EDO yet, but if I decide to take my chances with it, I’m confused as to how I’ll go about installing it, and what it’s relationship with EDH (as far as install location) needs to be.

Specifically, I currently have EDH (non-Steam) on a spinning drive, but I understand that I’ll likely have better results if I run EDO from an SSD, and I do have an SSD with plenty of space, so I’d like to put EDO on that one. But does EDO share files from EDH that would mean they have to be installed together on the same drive, for the sake of performance or even just to run at all?

If so, I‘d be happy to move EDH to that SSD before installing EDO, but I have no idea how to do that without deleting and reinstalling EDH from scratch (which I’d like to avoid if possible). This kind of location move isn’t hard with Steam games … but as I said above, I’ve purchased EDH direct from FD, and I see nothing in their tech support FAQ’s about how to move existing EDH installations.

Some enlightenment would be much welcomed … thanks!

 

[fennster]

Moving horizons install isn't possible without 3rd party software, and even so can cause issues. Steam Mover is one program that might (works with non steam items too) if you want to try. Create a restore point first. (Personally I'd be dubious it'll work because of the launcher)

Or if want to do it separately you can install a new instance of the launcher from Frontier and just select to install Odyssey to which ever drive you choose.

 

[Strange Eons]

I just moved ED from a SATA to a M2 SSD. My account was never through Steam, but does exist in Steam. I don't launch through Steam, so I haven't tried since. I just copied the ED directory in D:\Steam\SteamApps\common\Elite Dangerous to C:\Elite Dangerous and replaced the Target and Start in in the Desktop shortcut. Renamed old directory but kept it D:\Steam\SteamApps\common\OLD_Elite Dangerous. The only issue was Frontier thought I was using a different computer to launch and required an access code sent to my email. Entered code and everything runs fine. I don't think you can split the install between EDH and EDO, the game wouldn't know where to find half of its' files.
BTW, the entire directory was about 80Gb.

 

[Draven Darken]

Okay, so if I'm understanding correctly from these two replies:

1) Horizons and Odyssey are indeed interconnected and need to be installed in the same location.
2) Moving Horizons to the location where I'd want to install Odyssey is not possible, or at least not guaranteed to work.
3) My best approach would be to save my key bindings and such out of Horizons (I've found other threads that talk about the location of these files), then delete that install and reinstall Horizons to my SSD, and thereafter install Odyssey to the same SSD if and when I decide to purchase it.

Do I have these points correct? If so, it's rather aggravating to need to re-download everything, but better that than to end up with a nonfunctional installation, I suppose.

 

[Strange Eons]

That isn't my experience. Just copy the ED directory to where you want it. Put new path in ED Launcher shortcut. Start ED and Frontier thinks it is a different computer and wants a confirmation code they send to your email before the ask screen appears. Read email, enter code, game fires up and runs without making any further changes. I expect if/when you buy Odyssey, it will follow current game path to install.

 

[fennster]

OP, apologies I think I was wrong in the first post and will have to agree with Strange Eons, in that you CAN move the installation folder. For some reason I was under the impression launcher and install location were separate and this would cause problems with were files were pointed too. Not sure if this was the case in the past, but I did some experimentation and it seems to work for me moving from one drive to another.

 

[Strange Eons]

One note. Apparently the Launcher is taking some offense and wants to open a Frontier support page, but tends to time out or end up at a HTTP site. I didn't connect this at first. I just close the web page and continue on. It doesn't stop anything, I can still login and play with no problems. May be why I needed a code and my login ID wasn't filled in after move but has been since. Something in Launcher config perhaps in the game directory. If it bothers me greatly, I will look.

 

[Sighman]

1) Horizons and Odyssey are indeed interconnected and need to be installed in the same location.
2) Moving Horizons to the location where I'd want to install Odyssey is not possible, or at least not guaranteed to work.
3) My best approach would be to save my key bindings and such out of Horizons (I've found other threads that talk about the location of these files), then delete that install and reinstall Horizons to my SSD, and thereafter install Odyssey to the same SSD if and when I decide to purchase it.

Do I have these points correct? If so, it's rather aggravating to need to re-download everything, but better that than to end up with a nonfunctional installation, I suppose.

Your keybinds and other stuff are kept apart from the game's binary files and should not be affected by uninstall/reinstall.

In fact, these are the two data locations:

C:\Users\YOUR ACCOUNT\AppData\Local\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous (options, keybinds, etc)
C:\Users\YOUR ACCOUNT\Saved Games\Frontier Developments\Elite Dangerous (Journal files, your plotted route, etc)

 

[LKx]

I still didn't do it for elite, but in similar situations i manually move the folder and use Windows' mklink to create a junction link to let it think it's still there

 

[Hooplah]

First think owning two Frontier PC accounts before EDO was released. I have one for the bubble and another for Colonia. I let them install in all the same ED folders but could have separated them giving me more options. Still both accounts are going to store local info on your PC at the same place as in the AppData/Frontier folders, Docs and even capturing snapshots in your pictures in the same place.

Then add EDO to it needing to be connected to each PC account. I'm not sure that you can install it someplace else then make it work needing to be connected to your Horizons account or if Frontier will let you do that.

As for SSDs I have two 512GB one running the OS and all the important stuff. A second one is all about games including ED, EDO, No Mans Sky, X4 Foundations and X-Plane 11 with tons of support apps connected to an iPad. If I lose the OS or upgrade to a newer computer all my games are intact. Hope that helps.

Regards

 

[Alec Turner]

I still didn't do it for elite, but in similar situations i manually move the folder and use Windows' mklink to create a junction link to let it think it's still there

Exactly this.

I have a non-Steam installation of Elite and I currently have Horizons on my SSD and Odyssey on my hard drive. So these are installed in %localappdata%\Frontier_Developments\Products in separate "elite-dangerous-64" and "elite-dangerous-odyssey-64" directories. To move one to another disk you simply move that entire folder (you don't have to but I tend to mirror the location, for exmple moving "C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Frontier_Developments\Products\elite-dangerous-ofyssey-64" to "D:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\\Frontier_Developments\Products\elite-dangerous-odyssey-64"). Having done that you open up a command prompt in the original location (e.g. C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\\Frontier_Developments\Products) and run the following command:

mklink /D elite-dangerous-odyssey-64 d:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Local\Frontier_Developments\Products\elite-dangerous-64

This creates a link named "elite-dangerous-odyssey-64" which points to the place you've moved that directory to. When the game runs it's blissfully unaware of the link and simply finds the installation exactly as if it hadn't been moved.

 

[JetsonRING]

I haven’t bought EDO yet, but if I decide to take my chances with it, I’m confused as to how I’ll go about installing it, and what it’s relationship with EDH (as far as install location) needs to be.

Specifically, I currently have EDH (non-Steam) on a spinning drive, but I understand that I’ll likely have better results if I run EDO from an SSD, and I do have an SSD with plenty of space, so I’d like to put EDO on that one. But does EDO share files from EDH that would mean they have to be installed together on the same drive, for the sake of performance or even just to run at all?

If so, I‘d be happy to move EDH to that SSD before installing EDO, but I have no idea how to do that without deleting and reinstalling EDH from scratch (which I’d like to avoid if possible). This kind of location move isn’t hard with Steam games … but as I said above, I’ve purchased EDH direct from FD, and I see nothing in their tech support FAQ’s about how to move existing EDH installations.

Some enlightenment would be much welcomed … thanks!

If you bought the entire game from FDev then delete the entire program and reinstall it all on the SSD, just make sure to remember your game username(s) and password(s). The program does not save your information, that is all stored on server so you can uninstall and reinstall, just login after installing and you are good to go. o7

 

[zimms]

If you bought the entire game from FDev then delete the entire program and reinstall it all on the SSD, just make sure to remember your game username(s) and password(s). The program does not save your information, that is all stored on server so you can uninstall and reinstall, just login after installing and you are good to go. o7

Some stuff is stored locally though, like visited star systems.