PLEASE stop putting game files (mods, saves, etc.) in windows profile

I totally agree with this, I have a very similar setup and I just checked my folder and it's 780mb.. the next closest game in there is 240mb and I've had it installed/been playing it for more than 2 years!

**** I get annoyed when they're kept even in My Documents. I'd rather have them in the game folder itself, so everything is together.

That's not possible under limited user accounts, so it's not an option.

kyro? So is this coming in the next patch? Please?

I agree, but sadly, I believe this is a requirement if a developer/publisher wants that darned "Games For Windows" logo on their box. Blarg.

-HM

I wouldn't expect this in any patch upcoming. I'll be surprised if it does change.

I'm with you guys, and I have a solution I use to work around this dilemma. There's details on the web, but the short story is that you can change the default profile folder from "System Root\Documents and Settings" (For XP, or "System Root\Users" for Vista) to the drive and folder of your choice. This is a complicated and technical thing to do, so I'll warn that it could have consequences and take some time, but if you're going to customize your windows installation on this level, you might as well do it right.

As a side note you can also change the default location your program files folder to the drive and folder of your choice, to save space on your System Volume.

If you're looking for more ways to reduce the usage of your System Volume (By the way, this typically means the C:) you can also find ways to move your page file, hybernation file, and Temporary folders off of this drive, which will prevent the disk usage from changing dynamically.

Or, you could just make your System Volume bigger to begin with. Good luck

I actually figured this out last night and am testing it over the next couple of days. Didn't want to say anything about it since I'm testing it and I have a question for the developers about how Sins handles something...but yeah, it seems to work. And you can mess up your system with it.

As I posted it can't be. I have yet to see a Games for Windows certified game (that I have installed anyway) that does this. Sins is the only one. So it can't possibly be a requirement unless all those other companies are violating it and Microsoft ignored it during certification.

Believe me, I do all this and have since the Windows 95 days.

My drives typically:
C: Windows system drive. Very little else lives here other then things like Java and stuff. 15-20 gigs plenty for XP
D: Page file partition, usually 2 gigs. Nothing else goes here but the page file so that it's not fragmented
E: Programs partition. Any non game programs get installed here
G: Games partition. Biggest of them all
F: My Documents/Data partition. I point "My Documents" short cut to this drive

This keeps everything nice and tidy as much as possible. And also allows formatting of various partitions without messing with the others.

So what I was getting at is that you can actually move the entire profile directory (Documents and Settings in your case) to another drive, rather than just the My Documents folder. I don't have access to my gaming PC at the moment, but it would be good to know where exactly this information is stored, I would be shocked if it were contained in an area that can't be relocated.

So many games I buy now put stuff on the C drive. So even though I used to make it small, I just gave up and now make my Windows drive large. It bothers me, but that drive tends to get cluttered with other Windows nonsense anyway. The worst is when some game tries to extract itself into a temp folder on the C drive before installation, and then crashes and burns because it runs out of space.

-HM

While it may be frustrating to have files stored away in folders under my documents/my games/my whatever it's a prerequisite from Microsoft through the Games for Windows initiative. If you want the Games for Windows stamp you have to conform with Microsoft's guidelines.

It'll likely never be anything that changes, unless Microsoft eases up the restrictions on where you, as a developer, can place the various files.

:?

My saves and replays vary between 300kb and 3000kb. Just how many are you taking to use up a GB?

I agree with everything you said except for the part about putting the files in the My Documents/Games folder. For people like myself that doesn't fix the problem because My Documents/Games cannot be moved off the C Windows drive. I've got about 10 GB's left and I need those for development applications that eat up a ton of memory when they're doing their business or getting polishing attention before getting shipped off to another drive or CD. All my gaming and non-work content is stored on the E external drive. Almost every game I've played allows you to save content, mods, and everything else to the game's install directory. One or two games restrict things to the Documents and Settings folders and thus artificially restrict the amount of saves and content that can be enjoyed. The best solution is to have a way for the game to check both the install directory and the Documents and Settings folders.

I'd really like to see an alternative directory to save stuff become available in the game's install directory. I cannot stress enough how big of a deal this is. If I have to manually move saves and mod content to that folder, then I'm cool with that along as the game looks there. There also could be a command line parameter implemented that allows you to specify if the game looks at the Documents and Settings folders or goes to its own install directory to look for stuff. I would appreciate these additions. You don't have to turn everything upside down to make these additions.

EDIT: Maps/galaxy files, saves, and replays aren't that big of a problem. Mods are because they have the potential to get huge. I'm not asking for non-compliance with Games for Windows and I don't think the OP is either. We're just looking for an alternative place to save stuff preferably triggered by some sort of toggle or at least somewhere else the game will look so we can manually put stuff there when it gets too big.

Technically, this is not correct. As discussed, there are means to do this built into windows. They're not easy to find nor perform, and can be dangerous, but they are there.

For most people, installing everything on one great big partition is easy and effective, but for those of us looking to get more out of our operating environment, thorough customizations must be made. It's not enough to do half the job and expect everything to work the way it's supposed to. If you're interested in seeing how to move core windows structures such as:

Temp folder
Temporary internet files folder
Documents and Settings/Users folder
Pagefile
Program Files Folder (Default can be changed, but existing installations are extremely difficult to move)
Hybernation file (this feature can be disabled, or it's storage location moved)
System Restore Folder (This can be disabled, but not moved so far as I'm aware.)

It can be done, Google has the answers.

Complain to Microsoft, unfortunately. Microsoft guidelines require that application data be stored under the user profile. This becomes especially true in Vista, where you cannot even modify an item in Program Files without elevating to Admin.

We deal with the same thing at my job... the customers might not like it, but it's Microsoft's call, not ours.

Then as I've asked a few times already, why do other games that are "Games for Windows" not store things in the user profile? Are they break the rules but got certified anyway?

Moving My Documents is VERY easy. Simply right-click the My Documents icon on your desktop and change to another drive letter. And you're done. That's all you need to do. Been doing it for years from Win 95 thru XP. Don't know if it works on Vista but it sure works on XP. Other stuff I'm sure is harder but My Documents is silly easy to move.

I'm totally fine with game saves and mods going to the My Documents | My Games directory. 90% of all games I have do that as well. And the location of My Documents can be changed easily But keep it out of the user profile.

Found it.

From Microsoft's site: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173456.aspx

2.1 Follow User Account Control Guidelines
Requirement
Every executable file (that is, every file that has a .exe extension) must contain an embedded manifest that defines its execution level by including the following tag:

Copy Code

Complain to Microsoft.

Until then:
Start>Run>%APPDATA%, go back one level and click local settings is the quickest way to get there.

You two either missed the fact that I said I store games on an external drive or I didn't specify that I run a laptop that doubles as a work machine and therefore that external drive is not always hooked up depending on where I am and what I'm doing. It'd be pretty stupid to relocate all the Documents and Settings information on a drive that is only hooked up half of the day. If I'm somewhere on site with this system I need access to Documents and Settings because of a lot of development software that stores things here. Relocating it is not an option. That external drive isn't exactly battery powered like this system is. Upgrading is also, unfortunately, out of the question right now due to battery concerns, power consumption, and the extreme cost of high performance laptop drives.

Now I know you two don't know me, and neither does anyone else, but it wouldn't be all that difficult to go into some of that development software I run and sift through binary/hex/machine code/whatever you want to call it to figure out where the references to the current mods folder are and change them. However, that's unethical, potentially illegal, would violate the EULA, and could harm my ability to get updates so I'm not going to do it and I have never done that in the past for those reasons. However, it is pretty easy for me to do because of my background, education, and occupation (I would get instantly fired the moment I do something potentially illegal--play by the rules and you will be rewarded). Moving the Documents and Settings folder is child's play to me and not an option at the moment.

I don't think anyone or myself is asking for the game to be changed to where it violates Games for Windows. The permissions issues are completely legit and a known Windows quirk. However, it would be nice to have an alternative place to store mods and content preferably in the install directory. Just an alternate place where the game looks. There doesn't have to be a toggle or any path changing...just another place where things can be put manually and still get recognized as mod data or game saves or maps, etc.

You know what? I completely agree. It would be nice to have an alternate spot. I'm not sure if they can do it, but you're right, it would be nice. I just believe that they honestly can't...but if they could, I bet they would.

I missed that you said you only have 2 partitions and one was external. You're right, you can't be moving around critical files to volitile locations.

I would like to mention, however, that modifying the stored location of your mods and save files in this manner is a) not a matter of hex or binary, it's simply registry modifications, and is not illegal or unethical, provided you don't distribute the method. Let me rephrase to ensure my point is delivered correctly: Modifying your system is your choice and your right, provided it doesn't affect anyone else's system in the process. It may restrict you from receiving updates (though this is unlikely because when the software deploys, it (should) look for the registry entries. Hardcoding would be silly, though it may check the registry to ensure it's in a "sane" state.) If it does restrict you, it's easy enough to revert your changes.

Wait, I understand that. I'm talking about altering the actual executable Sins.exe file to manually change the location of the mods folder. That's a whole different beast and that prompted the ethics, legality, and updates concerns. I said I wouldn't make those changes and do not condone them, but that I know how to make them. Something like the mod path is 99% of the time hardcoded for security reasons. I was just trying to demonstrate that I'm not your average gamer who runs around with dozens of system tray icons, tons of running background programs, and a knowledge of Windows that basically consists of clicking next or finished. I'm asking for an alternate/additional path for files and making my point due to serious system-related concerns and not personal preferences. Looking back, I think that was a terrible way to say that and apologize, but it's so hard online (especially in gaming forums) to differentiate who knows how completely micromanage a computer inside and out as opposed to who just knows how to turn it on and log in.