Yes, you can relocate game data folders while maintaining game functionality.
Yes, you can relocate game data folders while maintaining game functionality.
We often use different storage options—fast SSDs and slower HDDs. If I place my game on the SSD but later find myself bored, can I transfer the whole folder to the HDD while keeping it functional (provided I update the shortcut)? I wouldn’t want to have to reinstall it on the slower drive just to move the files...
Certain games don't function properly when you shift them, like with Paragon; symbolic links are a common issue!
Use the command line tool MKLINK to generate a symbolic link. For instance, if your game is in C:\Games and you wish to relocate it to D:\AllGames\FromDriveC, simply move it manually there. Now you can create a symbolic link that makes the game believe it's still running from the original location. Press start, open cmd, type 'cmd', right-click cmd.exe and choose run as administrator, or press Ctrl+Shift to request admin privileges. Execute 'mklink /D C:\Games\GAME D:\Allgames\FromDriveC\GAME'. The directory will appear in C:\games\named GAME. If you need the file served from D: when requested by Steam or another app, it will automatically come from that folder. To avoid the redirection, use '/J' instead of '/D', which creates a junction rather than a symbolic link (the difference is usually negligible).