How to move a program files folder from C

icemen

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Hey Peepz

Ned some help, I have all games documents pictures vids etc on my secondary drive (D drive)
For some reason on my C drive in program files there a Epic Games folder which is like 30GB. I want to move to the D Drive.
There no easy way like right click go into properties & click location to change
Is there a way on command prompt?
I have program files folder on D drive aswell.
 
Just make a new folder on your D drive, Call it something, Then just copy the folder across into that folder. Then delete the original folder if that is what you want to do
hope that helps
 
If Epic is anything like Uplay, Origin etc; you will also need to change the folder location in preferences or options or settings.
 
If its anything like uplay/origin like chookey says it will probably have an option in the app to move the game/app. I know as i did something similar not long ago with the Origin and oculus apps
 
cant seem to find how to change something in the app? I dont want to just copy over as it will just build up again
Is the a way of moving a folder via command promt?
 
Don't know if your game is Fortnite or not but this will work for the Epic installer apparently.

  1. Copy (DO NOT CUT) the folder called 'Fortnite' in 'Epic Games' folder to a location you want (I will call it Games).
  2. After that go to Epic Games launcher and click uninstall Fornite.
  3. After it is done, click install and it will tell you where to install the game (this part is a bit tricky), go to the Games folder and name the Fortnite folder that you moved Fortnitee (or anything but Fortnite. If you skip this step, the Epic Games launcher will tell you that the folder needs to be empty).
  4. Now go back to the Epic Games launcher and change the path to Games. once you click install, you will see that is has created another folder in Games called Fortnite.
  5. Now on your keyboard press Ctrl+Shift+Esc and this will open Task Manager. Over here, you will see Epic Games Launcher task, select it and spam the 'End Task' button. You might see a few error messages, just ignore it and click 'Ok'.
  6. Now go to the Games folder and delete the Fortnite folder and rename Fortnitee to Fortnite. Now all you need to do is open Epic Games launcher and click 'Resume'. After some time it will say 'Verifying' and a few minutes later it will say the download is finished and VOILA.
 
I have fortnite already on my D drive
this is a Epic games folder in C drive about 30GB
Inside the folder is UnrealTournament, inside that is Engine, UnrealTournament, WindowsServer
How can Imove this folder to D drive
 
Name of the game is immaterial iceman, the process is the same. Try following the above and rename the files appropriately.
 
This link has become very interesting simply because the issues it raises can be very complicated. I thought to begin with that all that was needed was just to move a folder from one drive to another which is pretty basic. (I am not a game player) Personally i would advocate doing a clean install on the d: drive Because just moving the folders doesn't create the links that you require. nor does it set up the security settings that the game has installed. Nor does any of the suggestions so far. I am not offering a solution so much as a point of view. Firstly you need to use a program call robocopy. open a command prompt as admin. then you need to copy the root dir to get all the security settings of the folder. In this case it is program files. Without those you might allow downloads in the folder to install malware or anything on your computer. If you just create a folder then the secuity settings will allow users modify rights in the settings. not really recommended in a games folder. So we would have a folder called program files now on your d: drive. the command would be in this case something like.... robocopy "c:\program files" d:\program files /sec the security tab at the end is so we have the correct settings on the new folder. Now we would copy the folder across from the C; drive again using robocopy. If you use windows explorer to do this then you inherit the permissions of the folder you are moving it to which are not the same as the ones of your game folder. so the command would be something like..
robocopy "c:\program files\Epic Games" e:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e Now once we have done those things we would need to set up the links so that your game still appears to be on your c: drive. I will put those shortly.
I hope i am not over complicating this but like i said it is only my thoughts. Anyone interested in robocopy should type in robocopy /? in your command prompt. i will finish the links in a bit.
 
To finish this off we have to ensure that windows still thinks the folder is on the c: drive. this is where the link command is used. As it stands the game wouldn't work until this is done. . I am not sure if anyone is still interested in this so i wont conclude this unless it is helpful to people.
 
Hey Peepz

Ned some help, I have all games documents pictures vids etc on my secondary drive (D drive)
For some reason on my C drive in program files there a Epic Games folder which is like 30GB. I want to move to the D Drive.
There no easy way like right click go into properties & click location to change
Is there a way on command prompt?
I have program files folder on D drive aswell.
This link has become very interesting simply because the issues it raises can be very complicated. I thought to begin with that all that was needed was just to move a folder from one drive to another which is pretty basic. (I am not a game player) Personally i would advocate doing a clean install on the d: drive Because just moving the folders doesn't create the links that you require. nor does it set up the security settings that the game has installed. Nor does any of the suggestions so far. I am not offering a solution so much as a point of view. Firstly you need to use a program call robocopy. open a command prompt as admin. then you need to copy the root dir to get all the security settings of the folder. In this case it is program files. Without those you might allow downloads in the folder to install malware or anything on your computer. If you just create a folder then the secuity settings will allow users modify rights in the settings. not really recommended in a games folder. So we would have a folder called program files now on your d: drive. the command would be in this case something like.... robocopy "c:\program files" d:\program files /sec the security tab at the end is so we have the correct settings on the new folder. Now we would copy the folder across from the C; drive again using robocopy. If you use windows explorer to do this then you inherit the permissions of the folder you are moving it to which are not the same as the ones of your game folder. so the command would be something like..
robocopy "c:\program files\Epic Games" e:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e Now once we have done those things we would need to set up the links so that your game still appears to be on your c: drive. I will put those shortly.
I hope i am not over complicating this but like i said it is only my thoughts. Anyone interested in robocopy should type in robocopy /? in your command prompt. i will finish the links in a bit.


Quote R
 
Yes still interested
If I do this will it copy everything from C drive program files to the D drive? I don't want to do this. Only want to move the Epic Games folder due to it's size.
robocopy "c:\program files" d:\program files /sec

I think I just need to do this
robocopy "c:\program files\Epic Games" e:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e

Then do I delete the folder folder in C drive or leave it?
Also explain this part
To finish this off we have to ensure that windows still thinks the folder is on the c: drive. this is where the link command is used. As it stands the game wouldn't work until this is done. . I am not sure if anyone is still interested in this so i wont conclude this unless it is helpful to people.

Do I do all this in Command prompt?
 
Everything is done in the command prompt.
Because you use the move command your folder will be moved completely to your d: drive. there is nothing on the C; drive at this point. I f you decide you are not happy then you just reverse the command to copy it back to the c: drive.....
(Robocopy d:\program files\Epic Games c:\program files\Epic Games /sec /move /e) Then everything is as it was. The folders and their own security settings will be as they were. So the moral is that if you are unhappy with the results its not terminal. you just return everything to where it was. Robocopy is very nice and neat in its application. maybe you have a game you dont use that is still on your drive. or a folder that you don't want on your c: drive that you can practice this on if you are nervous, Try moving it back and fourth until you are satisfied this is what you want to happen.
Anyway to the mklink command. Everything is administrator so you must open your prompt in that always.
once open cd to the c:\program files. This is the first folder from where we have moved the epic games folder from and where we need to mklink.
There are a few options for mklink but the one that is best for this is the make junction command. Again look at it yourself and see the different options and uses.
So to change directory just type in the prompt...... cd \program files. I assume you already know this so i wont labour the points.
then type.....

mklink Epic Games d: \Program files \Epic Games /j
You should get a message saying it has been created. If you do a dir command you will seen that it is listed as a junction. and the folder will be marked as such. (A bit like a shortcut) now if you list it everything will look like its all still on your c: drive even though it isn't. Everything should then work as before. If you like this or you think its worth a like please leave me one. Laughs, i don't think i have ever got one of those.
Like i said in the beginning i am only giving my thoughts, Its up to you to take it from there or dis-guard.
Hope you find this helpful or at least a little informative.
 
I understand up until "Anyway to the mklink command" I don't know what your talking about here ;-)

Just before I make the move is this correct?

robocopy "c:\program files\Epic Games" d:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e

Do I need the the bit on the end ?
sec /move /e
what does the last /e mean?
 
Ok the sec is security, the move is to move the folder Epic games. but the directories within need to be moved to. we could use s for sub-directories but if there were any empty folders or such that your game needs it will not move those so we choose e which will copy empty folders too. Remember to type Robocopy /? then you can see all the commands that you can use. Also type mklink /? and you can see the commands for that also. my advice is to make some folders on your c: drive put other folders inside that you make and just try out the commands first. walk before you run so to speak.
mklink is the command that we will use to fool your computer into believing that the epic games folder is still located on your C: drive
just to try and clear something up for you. with the robocopy command robocopy "c:\program files" d:\program files /sec you are only copying the root folder which is program files. nothing inside it. but it copies all the security settings to so that there is nothing different to confuse your game.I think that is about it
hope it helps
 
right so this is the plan of action

robocopy "c:\program files" d:\program files /sec

This doesn't copy everything from C drive program files but only the security setting correct?

then

robocopy "c:\program files\Epic Games" d:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e

& thats should be it

Do I need to do the Mklink?

thanks
 
First we are creating a EMPTY FOLDER called Program files on the d: drive with exactly the same security settings as your folder program files on your C: drive.
robocopy "c:\program files d:\program files /sec Nothing else is copied at this point. Read the command. it is robocopy program files. no other folder is named at this point.
Try Just make a simple folder and make another couple of folders and maybe empty files inside. Use this command on that folder and then check the results. Then you will see how it works. The /sec part copies the security setting of your folder along with it. again try right click with your mouse on a folder. go to properties then click on the security tab. you will see how different folders have different settings.
Now the next part.
robocopy c:\program files\Epic Games d:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e
In the next line we have added epic games to the command...... c:\program files\Epic Games now in the destination part we tell robocopy what to do with this information. d:\program files\Epic Games so it will go to you d: find the folder programs already there but not the epic games. So it creates the folder Epic games. as it works through our command the next part is the /sec. robocopy c:\program files\Epic Games d:\program files\Epic Games/sec so it now copies all the security settings of the folder Epic games. the next part is the /move....
robocopy c:\program files\Epic Games d:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move So now it is able to move the folder to your D: drive. Then we come to the final part /e. robocopy c:\program files\Epic Games d:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e Now robocopy knows we need all the files and folders that are in the Epic games folder to be moved also.
Once everything has been moved we have a complete identical copy of the original location and files on the D: drive. It will then delete the epic games folder from the C: drive

Do I need to do the Mklink?

Your game will look to your C: for the Epic games folder. If it doesn't find it there it will either not work or it will create a new one and put the thirty gig back into it.
The mklink command with the J option will create a junction on the C: drive This is a small folder that will act and seem exactly the same as your epic games folder. You could even list your files in it because it will act exactly the same.
You must make the link between your c: drive and your D: drive.
To make the game believe that the Epic Games folder is still on the C: drive we use the mklink command. Anything your game uses or copies to your hard drive will be redirected through the junction seamlessly and your game will be fooled.
You can always copy everything back using robocopy if you cant get it to work.
So yes you must use the mklink command to be successful.

A like for this post would be nice. I am being lambasted in a debate about Shamina Begum. So it might cheer me up.

Anyway i hope this helps.
 
I did this
robocopy "c:\program files" d:\program files /sec

then this
robocopy c:\program files\Epic Games d:\program files\Epic Games/sec /move /e

then I did this

cd \program files.

then this
mklink Epic Games d: \Program files \Epic Games /j

I got this message, what have I done wrong?

C:\Program Files>mklink Epic Games d: \Program files \Epic Games /j
The syntax of the command is incorrect.
 
I get these errors

124717

this is how D drive looks
124719

It doesn't like the Program in D drive?
 
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