Game Organisation????

[sc1997]

Don't know if any of you has many games installed.... I do, and I think they create a hell of a mess. I mean, each game (and any software in general) creates a folder of its own in "My Documents", and it bothers me that it makes my important document folders far apart. I'm sure it's my OCD, but I need a solution.

How can I group every folder of all the games into one general GAMES folder?

THANKS!!!

[helping]

This is partially why I have a "My Documents" inside my Documents for actual documents.

[Samdb]

I don't really see your problem, mine is perfect in my opinion.

 

I have OCD so that may be the case.

 

[rashdanml]

 

That's my current setup. You'll also notice "Programs" on the left - that's on the same 1TB drive where all of my large programs are (along with my Games folder), that I don't want on my SSD. Anything that isn't on Steam is stored external to Steam\steamapps, and Saves are symlinked from their original locations. Some of them are Origin games too (which lets you specify any folder to install games to). 

 

You should be able to simply cut and paste programs into their own directory and fix up any shortcuts to them. You may also need to do some registry fixes too (make a backup first), to point things to the right locations. As for games, assuming they're Steam games, you can specify that through the steam client and simply change the game locations (to a unified Games folder). 

 

All Libraries are also linked to my secondary HDDs, and not their default locations in C:

 

Works well for me. 

[Night]

Uhhhhh... Well. I dont know. Most techies I know including myself prefer to view windows explorer in details view. For one, its easier to spot what you are looking for, and its smaller so you arent going to have to scroll a massive list to find anything.

[sc1997]

I don't really see your problem, mine is perfect in my opinion.

 

I have OCD so that may be the case.

 

And how exactly you did that? My games and software just default to MY DOCUMENTS...

 

 

That's my current setup. You'll also notice "Programs" on the left - that's on the same 1TB drive where all of my large programs are (along with my Games folder), that I don't want on my SSD. Anything that isn't on Steam is stored external to Steam\steamapps, and Saves are symlinked from their original locations. Some of them are Origin games too (which lets you specify any folder to install games to). 

 

You should be able to simply cut and paste programs into their own directory and fix up any shortcuts to them. You may also need to do some registry fixes too (make a backup first), to point things to the right locations. As for games, assuming they're Steam games, you can specify that through the steam client and simply change the game locations (to a unified Games folder). 

 

All Libraries are also linked to my secondary HDDs, and not their default locations in C:

 

Works well for me. 

Also interesting, but I'm not sure how to do this... Steam is set to put its library on a separate drive, which doesn't even have My Documents, only Steam and Origin.

[Samdb]

And how exactly you did that? My games and software just default to MY DOCUMENTS...

 

I chose the file paths of where they should be installed.

[LogicalDrm]

I'm not sure if this is any help. Thanks for @lutzee for this article. http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2009/05/18/how-to-move-your-windows-user-profile-to-another-drive/

[legopc]

i have a games folder on my d drive... not mutch special 

[rashdanml]

Also interesting, but I'm not sure how to do this... Steam is set to put its library on a separate drive, which doesn't even have My Documents, only Steam and Origin.

Cut and paste the folder wherever you want it to go, then go into Regedit (Start Menu -> Type regedit -> hit Enter), and look for the games under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE - pick out the software, say Truck Simulator and look through the "subfolders" until you see something like ApplicationPath or InstallPath. Change that to the new location. 

 

Also from here on out, whenever you install something, change the default location to wherever the new location is. Or change the Windows default install path completely: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_programs/how-do-you-change-the-default-installation/73450b25-d794-4f18-9add-75253b893343

[wkronbaek]

Use linux or steam or something. I dont have this problem.

[BenD]

hmm, never paid much attention to it, but ndeed, if you install many games you really do build up a lot of folders

[colonel_mortis]

Windows actually has a folder called "Saved Games", but no games seem to use it.

And I have about 15-20 games installed.

If they actually used it, it would save so much space :(.

[rashdanml]

Windows actually has a folder called "Saved Games", but no games seem to use it.

And I have about 15-20 games installed.

If they actually used it, it would save so much space :(.

Windows is .... sporadic about where Save files go. 

 

These are all the locations I've discovered where Save files go:

C:\Users\[username]\Documents\

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\

C:\Users\[username]\Saved Games\

C:\Users\[username]\Documents\My Games\

 

Here's the worse part: Each Assassin's Creed game has it's own, completely different save game location. 

Windows is painfully inconsistent. I just hope Linux isn't. 

[colonel_mortis]

Windows is .... sporadic about where Save files go. 

 

These are all the locations I've discovered where Save files go:

C:\Users\[username]\Documents\

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\

C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\

C:\Users\[username]\Saved Games\

C:\Users\[username]\Documents\My Games\

 

Here's the worse part: Each Assassin's Creed game has it's own, completely different save game location. 

Windows is painfully inconsistent. I just hope Linux isn't. 

It's not windows' fault though. The game devs can put the save data wherever they like, and do. There's this convenient folder designed specifically for it, but they don't have to (and don't by the look of it) actually save into it. It would be great if they did, and now that modern games are dropping XP left and right they surely have no excuse (as far as I know, XP doesn't have this folder), but they just ignore it.

[sc1997]

From what you've told me, this is pretty strange. Have a look at the following pictures O_o

 

 

 

Installation locations seem to be OK, I mean, My Documents isn't even in the same drive, soooooooo......................

Tanks for all the help guys!

[sc1997]

Cut and paste the folder wherever you want it to go, then go into Regedit (Start Menu -> Type regedit -> hit Enter), and look for the games under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SOFTWARE - pick out the software, say Truck Simulator and look through the "subfolders" until you see something like ApplicationPath or InstallPath. Change that to the new location. 

 

Also from here on out, whenever you install something, change the default location to wherever the new location is. Or change the Windows default install path completely: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_programs/how-do-you-change-the-default-installation/73450b25-d794-4f18-9add-75253b893343

I could't quote you in my last update for some reason....

[colonel_mortis]

From what you've told me, this is pretty strange. Have a look at the following pictures O_o

 

Screenshot (25).png

 

Screenshot (27).png

 

Installation locations seem to be OK, I mean, My Documents isn't even in the same drive, soooooooo......................

Tanks for all the help guys!

Yeah, that's normal. You should be able to move the save folders though, but it means changing every registry value that pointed to Documents and pointing it to your new location. It actually ends up being a lot of work and can very easily go wrong. You could always just make them hidden, but obviously that won't help if you have show hidden files and folders turned on.

[lutzee]

Okay, theres quite a simple way of moving all the saves to one logical location and that would be NTFS directory junctions, tricking the games into thinking their location is still there when it actually exists elsewhere.

Personally I also use a directory junction to move the steamapps folder to D:/Games so Its not eating away at my SSD.

[sc1997]

Okay, theres quite a simple way of moving all the saves to one logical location and that would be NTFS directory junctions, tricking the games into thinking their location is still there when it actually exists elsewhere.

Personally I also use a directory junction to move the steamapps folder to D:/Games so Its not eating away at my SSD.

Seems interesting. Can you explain me how to use NTFS junctions? NOOB friendly if possible

 

Yeah, that's normal. You should be able to move the save folders though, but it means changing every registry value that pointed to Documents and pointing it to your new location. It actually ends up being a lot of work and can very easily go wrong. You could always just make them hidden, but obviously that won't help if you have show hidden files and folders turned on.

If I can't fix it in a easy way, I think I will create another folder in my Documents and just call that a day :S

[rashdanml]

Okay, so those are steam games in the shared folder. Leave those as is. Lemme explain what I mean through an example:

 

Right now, you have one shared folder (Lets call it "Games + Programs") which has games and programs in it. The games are all steam games, so leave those as is.

 

1) Rename "Games+Programs" to "Games" - change the settings in Steam accordingly. You may need to go through Regedit into each Steam App # to change the install Path for each game, or you may not need to. Personally what I'd do is just keep all the games in Steam/Steamapps, delete everything but steam.exe, steamapps and userdata, then re-launch steam - It'll do everything else, perhaps even making the necessary registry changes.

2) Create a second folder named "Programs"

3) Move relevant programs to the new folder.

4) Look for those programs in Regedit. Adobe, for instance. There'll be a bunch more subfolders under it for each Adobe program in Regedit, so go through each one and find the InstallPath/Dir option. Edit that to the new location. Repeat for all programs that you move to the new Programs folder.

 

I've done the above on a couple of occasions where I've installed a program (MATLAB) on my SSD, but later moved it to my alternate Programs folder on my secondary 1TB drive. All I had to do was change the install path in the registry and it works perfectly (albeit a bit slower load times because of HDD).

 

While it's nice having all Steam games in a "Games" folder (glad they added that feature to Steam), I personally find it easier to just use Steamapps, as that's exactly what it's for: a unified folder for all of your games. I simply installed Steam to F:\Games\Steam - which is where all of my non-steam games also go (Diablo, Origin games, etc). You can also move the entire Steam folder anywhere you want to - I moved it off SSD to F: and all I had to do was delete everything but the .exe and steamapps and let it rebuild the rest.

[sc1997]

Okay, so those are steam games in the shared folder. Leave those as is. Lemme explain what I mean through an example:

 

Right now, you have one shared folder (Lets call it "Games + Programs") which has games and programs in it. The games are all steam games, so leave those as is.

 

1) Rename "Games+Programs" to "Games" - change the settings in Steam accordingly. You may need to go through Regedit into each Steam App # to change the install Path for each game, or you may not need to. Personally what I'd do is just keep all the games in Steam/Steamapps, delete everything but steam.exe, steamapps and userdata, then re-launch steam - It'll do everything else, perhaps even making the necessary registry changes.

2) Create a second folder named "Programs"

3) Move relevant programs to the new folder.

4) Look for those programs in Regedit. Adobe, for instance. There'll be a bunch more subfolders under it for each Adobe program in Regedit, so go through each one and find the InstallPath/Dir option. Edit that to the new location. Repeat for all programs that you move to the new Programs folder.

 

I've done the above on a couple of occasions where I've installed a program (MATLAB) on my SSD, but later moved it to my alternate Programs folder on my secondary 1TB drive. All I had to do was change the install path in the registry and it works perfectly (albeit a bit slower load times because of HDD).

 

While it's nice having all Steam games in a "Games" folder (glad they added that feature to Steam), I personally find it easier to just use Steamapps, as that's exactly what it's for: a unified folder for all of your games. I simply installed Steam to F:\Games\Steam - which is where all of my non-steam games also go (Diablo, Origin games, etc). You can also move the entire Steam folder anywhere you want to - I moved it off SSD to F: and all I had to do was delete everything but the .exe and steamapps and let it rebuild the rest.

Wow, thanks for that!

I'll try whenever I can and let you know ;)

Thanks again!

[colonel_mortis]

Wow, thanks for that!

I'll try whenever I can and let you know ;)

Thanks again!

It should make no difference! The steam install location has NOTHING to do with the location where your saves are located, and that's what that describes. That will NOT help with your problem, just split apart your program files folder.

[rashdanml]

It should make no difference! The steam install location has NOTHING to do with the location where your saves are located, and that's what that describes. That will NOT help with your problem, just split apart your program files folder.

I didn't mention game saves anywhere in that post. Also, the save location depends on the game; most steam games store their save files in steamapps/[user or common]/game/ whereas some use other directories (randomly chosen from 1 of 5 possible locations, if not more, depending on the game developer). The registry edits are needed if you change the install directory of a program or non-steam game.

[colonel_mortis]

I didn't mention game saves anywhere in that post. Also, the save location depends on the game; most steam games store their save files in steamapps/[user or common]/game/ whereas some use other directories (randomly chosen from 1 of 5 possible locations, if not more, depending on the game developer). The registry edits are needed if you change the install directory of a program or non-steam game.

He was talking about the stuff in My Documents if I'm not mistaken, which that does nothing to address. I could have misunderstood though.