Moving DAZ Content off of C: Drive in 2020
Phatmartino
Posts: 287
This post was originally a question I had about finishing this process halfway through, and I was able to successfully get it done... So I thought I'd change this to lay out the exact steps I used for anyone else who might be looking to do this.
If you already have your Content on a new drive, you can scroll down to the Red Headings and skip straight to Pointing DIM and Daz to your new Content Folder.
Otherwise...
These are the steps to follow in the case that you're a Windows 10 user, don't use Daz Connect and have DIM set to Delete Downloads after Install.
Copying My DAZ 3D Library to a new Drive
There's really one folder that you need to worry about moving for sure, it's C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library. This is where your Daz Store bought (and 3rd party Manual Installs if you've done that to the default Data, People and Textures Folders) Content all resides.
I'll mention now, that when accessing this folder in any way using Windows Explorer interfaces of any kind, the above mentioned path is probably:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\My DAZ 3D Library
Some of the directions below require the actual physical path which is:
C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library.
Just keep this in mind when you have to browse to it in Windows Explorer.
I read when looking into this to use robocopy (which is a native feature in Windows 10) to copy your My DAZ 3D Library folder to another Drive, because it allows you to be sure ALL files are copied, where Windows Explorer is notorious for trying to decide what Hidden Files, or Files it thinks should be Hidden, or empty Folders might not be copied. I don't know for sure that it's absolutely necessary, but it worked perfectly for me.
1. At your Desktop, on the keyboard hit: "Windows Key + R" (R only capitalized so it's easy to see here)
2. In the little interface that opens, type: cmd then hit Enter or the [OK] Button
This opens your Command Prompt where you can feel like a computer enthusiast from the late 20th Century...
3. Here's the string you'll want to input:
robocopy "C:\Users\Public\Documents\My DAZ 3D Library" "D:\My DAZ 3D Library" /xo /e /v /a-:h
The above example can be copied and then pasted into the Command Prompt, assuming you're ok with the new location being D:\My DAZ 3D Library. If you want a different location on your D: Drive or another Drive, E:, G:, etc, just replace the D:\My DAZ 3D Library with your desired path, keeping in mind that the folder at the end of your Path MUST be My DAZ 3D Library. For example, I used G:\DAZ Transfer\My DAZ 3D Library.
If you do want to change that path, it may be easiest to create a new Text Document by right clicking on the Desktop, and pasting the robocopy string you copied from above into the Text Document, make your changes there, then copy the string again from your Text Document and paste that into your Command Prompt (this is because in the Command Prompt you can't edit the middle of a string, you have to backspace to where you want to make a change and re-type everything from there... easier to make changes in the Text Document and Copy/Paste into the Command Prompt, especially in case you were to make a mistake and need to fix it and try again).
You do not have to physically create the new destination My DAZ 3D Library Folder (or Folder Structure) on your D: or whatever Drive you choose before running the robocoy string. Whatever path is in the second set of quotes in the robocopy string will automatically be created when you run the string if it doesn't already exist. Alternatively, you can physically create the new Folder (or Folder Structure) on the new Drive before running the string, as long as you correctly put that path into the second set of quotes in your robocopy string. It might be best to do the first option, let the robocopy string create the new Folder(s), so that you don't inadvertantly end up with something like: D:\ ... \My DAZ 3D Library\My DAZ 3D Library.
4. Whether using the new location in the example robocopy string above or an altered string for a different new location, once you've pasted it into the Command Prompt, hit Enter.
Depending on the size of your Library, it may take a while to copy all that DAZ goodness. Consider watching a handful of episodes of something on Netflix or spending some time with your family.
Once it finishes, DO NOT erase that original C:\...\My Daz 3D Library yet... Keep it around until you've successfully finished the process and confirmed that everything is working with your new location after a few more steps.
Pointing DIM to your shiny new DAZ 3D My Library folder
1. Open DAZ Install Manager
2. Click the Settings Cog in the upper right corner of the window, and in the Dropdown Menu choose Advanced Settings...
3. There are 4 Tabs, choose the one labelled Installation.
4. In the bottom area of the window, there's a field with two column headers, Label and Path. In the field below them there should be one entry, your current default My DAZ 3D Library.
Right click in the open area of that field underneath the entry that's already there, and choose the one option, Add Content Path Shortcut...
5. In the window that opens, there are two fields to fill in...
Label : - This can be anything you want, it's probably for people who set up multiple paths to distinguish them from each other.
Path : - Click the Button [...] at the right end of this field to open a Windows Explorer style interface and browse to your NEW My DAZ 3D Library folder, wherever you ended up putting it.
In this Win Explorer Interface, you want to have your new My DAZ 3D Library folder highlighted either in the hierarchy (Left Column), or in the Right Browsing area, then click the [Select Folder] button at the bottom of the interface.
6. You're back at the Installation Tab now. Directly above the field you just added the Shortcut to, there's a Bar labelled Content Path Shortcuts:
Click that Bar and select the New Shortcut you just made in the last step.
7. Click the green [Accept] button.
At this point, you're set up to have DIM installations go to your new My DAZ 3D Library location. Yay!!
You could go back into the Settings Gog, Installation Tab, and in the bottom field headed Label: and Path:, you could Right Click on the original Default Shortcut (it's not there for me now to confirm exactly what it was called) and choose Remove, but it also doesn't matter if it sits there for the rest of time, so you should wait until you've completely finished the rest of the process and confirmed everything is working before removing it if that's your intent.
Confirm that DIM is set up to Install to your new My DAZ 3D Library folder
If there's anything sitting in the Ready to Download tab under Products (not Product Updates) in your DIM, it is an easy chance to test your work so far and confirm that a new Installation goes to your new My DAZ 3D Library.
1. Use DIM to install something that currently is not. Hopefully if you"re going through this process there's a good chance there's something you've un-installed or never installed because of it's size for you to use. If so, go ahead and Install it.
2. Maybe you're familiar with browsing your Content using the Content Library Tab in Daz, or going to actual Texture folder locations to do some editing, or installing things manually from Renderosity or Freebie sites... If so, use your knowledge to browse in Windows Explorer to your new My DAZ 3D Library, and search in any way you can for the product you just installed. Worst case scenario, while browsed to your new My DAZ 3D Library folder, you could use the Search feature to look for the product by name.
Hopefully you'll find it's been installed there... You can also browse to the same location in your original C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\My DAZ 3D Library and confirm that the newly installed product IS NOT there as well.
If both of the above are true, there's not much left to do!
Pointing DAZ to your shiny new DAZ 3D My Library folder
1. Open Daz Studio
2. Go to your Content Library Tab
If somehow it's not docked somewhere or something that you don't use regularly, in the Main Menu Bar select:
> Window > Panes (Tabs) > Content Library
3. In the Content Library Tab's Left Column / Folder Hierarchy (it can be easiest to look at if you collapse everything as far as possible by clicking any "Down-Pointing Arrows" so that they point to the Right), you're looking for 2 Folders:
> DAZ Studio Formats
> Poser Formats
4. Start by Right Clicking on > DAZ Studio Formats and selecting Add a Base Directory...
5. No matter where the Windows Explorer style interface that opens is currently pointing to, use it to browse to your new My DAZ 3D Library folder. This is the same as when we did it in DIM, you want your new My DAZ 3D Library folder to be highlighted either in the Left Column Folder Structure or in the right side browsing area, and hit the [Select Folder] button at the bottom of the interface.
6. Click the Right Pointing Arrow next to > DAZ Studio Formats to expand it, and you should now see 3 folders under it:
> My Library
> My DAZ 3D Library
> My DAZ 3D Library
The bottom > My DAZ 3D Library is the one you just added. You can confirm this if you like by right clicking on it and choosing Browse to Folder Location...
7. Right Click the MIDDLE (first of the two) > My DAZ 3D Library and select Remove Base Directory.
ALMOST DONE!!!
8. Now repeat the same exact process starting from Step 4 just above, this time Right Clicking on > Poser Formats (instead of > DAZ Studio Formats) selecting Add a Runtime Directory..., etc. Finish the rest of the Steps exactly the same way, only under > Poser Formats (instead of > DAZ Studio Formats) and dealing with Runtime Directory instead of Base Directory.
Now you should be fully migrated and set up to have your new My DAZ 3D Library used by both DAZ and DIM.
Deleting your original My DAZ 3D Library folder
Try using Daz Studio for a bit. Close it, re-open it and make sure everything is working properly, then when you feel comfortable doing so, you can travel over to your poor old C: Drive and delete your old My DAZ 3D Library folder.
1. In Windows Explorer, browse to:
C:\Users\Public\Public Documents\
2. With the folder My DAZ 3D Library selected in the Right Browsing area, on your keyboard hit Shift + Delete. This is a Keyboard Shortcut to bypass the Recycling Bin.
3. A window will pop up asking "Are you sure you want to permanently delete this file/folder?"... Click [Yes].
This may take at least a little time depending on the size of your Library, but once it's finished, so are you! Congrats!!
Hopefully this helps out anyone who might be in the same particular situation I was, feel free to ask any questions at all. If I can't answer them, there are several abolutely brilliant people who already responded to help me and will if needed for any questions that come up.
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Comments
The normal practice is for the first folder (for both DS and Poser formats) to be for things that you put there (items you create, scenes you make, ites you convert to a different figure, etc. The default location for that is C:\Users\[yourname]\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My Library. You don't have to use the default and you don't have to restrict yourself to just one. When you export UserData it goes in the first folder listed
Then the second folder (again, for both DS and Poser formats) is for things installed by DIM. The default is C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\Studio\My DAZ 3D Library. Again, you don't have to use the default, and you can ave more than one. This will usually be the biggest one, so often moving this one is all you need to save space on your C drive.
The default in Daz Studio's Content Directory Manager is these two folders, with the 'personal' one first and the DIM one second, in both DS and Poser format sections.
You don't use Connect, so you don't need to worry about the Connect location, and the CMS location doesn't get as big -- I have over 300 Gig of content, all categorized by me, and my CMS cluster is 2 Gig.
Te other thing you may want to change is the DIM download folder. You can delete the files there after you install the products (or move them to an archive location, which is what I do).
Thanks for responding, @Fixmypcmike !
I think I got it now to a certain extent... I didn't fully understand what was going to happen if I browsed to and chose my new "DIM" directory when the interface was opening browsed to my "Personal" directory...
I did it and now see that it just added a second "My DAZ 3D Library" under DAZ Studio Formats, etc... Got it. Nice!
Before I actaully delete my original "C:\...\My DAZ 3D Library", what will the story be with the "Smart Content" Tab? I use it all the time in conjuction with the Content Library Tab to browse to different things.
Is there a process before or after deleting the original directory that's necessary to have the Smart Content tab "sync" or whatever with the Content in it's new location?
I always Export User Data just in case, but usually CMS figures out the new location.
Awesome. Thanks again!!
EDIT: Just finished the process and everything works seemlessly, Smart Content and all! My C Drive feels like a kid again and I'm currently installing 75 Products (24 or so gb) that I'd had to sacrifice at one time or another. So happy. :D
You should have both the /Daz 3d/Studio/My Library/ and the /My Daz 3D Library/ folders as content directories by default. Remove the old My Daz 3D Library and add the new one, as you were going to.
I edited the original post to lay out the steps I used (as it got the job done) for anyone else who migh be looking for this info...
Worked BEAUTIFULLY like a perfect recipe, it felt as if @phatmartino was holding my hand through each and every little step along the way! One of the most precious, helpful threads in the forum!
You're a fine gentleman, phatmartino!
I get an error 123 that says the file name, directory name or valume label syntax is incorrect. The code I use was robocopy "C:\Users\Public\Documents" "D:\" /xo /e /v /a-:h
I have an atypical file structure for my content in that it's not all in a DAZ library. I have a folder for each type of content (see below). I can't stand the smart content system so I use catagories, and this arrangment helps me keep those catagories organized. Anyway my question is am I getting this error because I don't have a folder declared under Documents like the OP had? Or is there something else going on? I would have to move all my content to another drive!
Any help would be great!
~ Novbre
Hmm, interesting... I admittedly found out about robocopy when looking into doing this and it just worked, so I'm not an expert regarding it or anything, but I'm familiar with syntax and windows enough to have a couple ideas...
1. Just to be sure about your particular Path details, create a Text Document that you can paste a few things into... Then, in Windows Explorer, while browsed to the folder you show above, "\Public Documents", right click on "Public Documents" in the Path/Address Bar. There should be four options in the dropdown menu that opens. Choose "Copy address as text". Then go to your Text Document and Paste. Just confirm that the address that gets pasted in there is exactly the same as the path you're using inside the first set of quotes in your robocopy string.
You could also, when browsed the same way in Windows to your desired destination, "D:\", right click on "D:\" in the Address Bar, Copy address as text for that and Paste it in your text document to confirm the same thing. I can't imagine it'll paste anything other than "D:\", but you never know with Windows and it's insistance on trying to hide physical paths from us...
2. If you find that your paths were both correct, would it be completely undesireable to have everything you currently have in "C:\...\Documents" end up in a new folder under "D:\"? Something like "3DContent"?
An example string would be:
robocopy "C:\Users\Public\Documents" "D:\3D Content" /xo /e /v /a-:h
I actually can't see a problem with the syntax you tried if the paths are exactly correct, but maybe I'm unaware that it won't work using just the main Volume Label (D:\), without a destination subfolder?
Yeah that's what I was wondering too. I will have try some tests putting my current set up as subfolders in a new folder as you suggested. I'm not sure if that would mess up my already established catagories because I'm not really sure HOW the catagory links are made. I've got TONS of time invested in that catagory structure, so it's not something I would be willing to "redo" (god, I about had a stroke just thinking about it!) I'll have to take your idea and so some tests on it. With any luck, it would be an easy fix. Thanks for the idea!
~ Novbre
@Novbre I feel ya. I've only started creating my own Categories since having done this Content transfer (so I unfortunately can't confirm how/if it's affected). I haven't created anywhere near as much of a Category structure as I'm imagining you must have and I still feel it would be crazy to try and redo.
I'm imagining if a Category structure in DS would survive a Content Drive transfer at all (and I'd think it would), it shouldn't matter what the path leading to your new Content folders looks like. Essentially "D:\" is a new/different folder, so I don't see why something like "D:\3D Content\" should make a difference... Maybe if Mr. Haseltine happens to read this he can chime in about how Category links work...
Also, if you ultimately just can't get the robocopy string to work, it isn't massively different than just dragging all your folders into your new destination folder right in Windows Explorer in order to copy them over... It just might take longer.
Any possible problems also won't be irreversable... Not sure if you read all the way through the guide above, but you can keep everything original in place until you've copied the content to the new drive, set the pointers in DIM and DS to the new location and confirmed that everything works. You can even have DIM and DS set to both the original and new locations at the same time, and confirm that everything works with the new location/pointers before removing anything original.
In any case, best of luck!
so far this seems to be working, however, I've had to restart several times. luckily robocopy appears to rush through what it's already transfered. I'm getting error messages now, and it keeps retrrying after 30 seconds, and I can't seem to find anywhere online what I should hit or type in to skip files. It's having difficulties with files in the cloud directory, which caused me to look into what that was. I am so convinced I have multiple copies of Daz content everywhere. apparently the cloud stuff is from installing from Daz Connect, which I almost always do, but didn't realize it was something that doesn't always work on plugins, etc.
The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.
Waiting 30 seconds... Retrying...
2020/12/22 09:25:19 ERROR 1392 (0x00000570) Creating Destination Directory F:\My DAZ 3D Library\data\cloud\1_19077\animals\
So,... is there a way to skip files while robocopy is going? or can I add something to the script that you provided to skip the cloud directory, and if so, how messed up will things be when I get back into daz?
I just wish to start fresh if possible, without having to download all my assets again. any help would be great
Kev
@kevinwilliamtaylor Hmm, unfortunately I''ve never used Daz Connect or anything cloud-based really...
I mentioned at the beginning of the tutorial a couple of qualifiers where this is a process that works if you're on Windows, don't use Daz Connect and also delete all your downloads after install by DIM, as in the cases of either using Daz Connect or not having DIM delete the Downloads after installing, I imagined there were much easier ways to do this...
One possible wrench in the works could be your mention that Daz Connect is the way you almost always install... Does that imply that there are some intermittent occasions (or even just an earlier period) where you installed Daz Store products via DIM? Or, are you referring to instances of manually installing non-Daz Store products?
The whole "non-Daz Store manually installed products" situation was almost the entire reason I endeavored to move my entire Library at once this way... It could be just as easy to have DIM or Connect re-download everything (after having changed your Download/Install "Paths" in DIM or Connect) as copying them over with Robocopy or even just in Windows Explorer when it comes to Daz Store Product specifically, but if Manual Installs are involved, it would still require finding every last massively spread out folder for every last 3rd Party Product and still manually moving them... Or starting over from their downloaded zips if you still have them. Yeck!
Let us know what the situation is regarding anything that might not have been installed via Connect (if you have your head wrapped around exactly what all it might be), as it could drastically effect what your best course of action is...
EDIT: Your profile pic is awesome!
Does not work for me UGHH I HATE THIS SOFTWARE SO HARD, time to finally quit this program, why DAZ why????? why is it so hard to just import content from another drive, quess i will never recover any of my files R.I.P
Generally it isn't hard, either between drives or between computers. Please describe what you have done, what your current paths are, give the full path to /data/daz 3d/Genesis 8/female/, and decribe what happens when you try to load your scenes.
Cant believe that in modern day software you have to follow a wall of text intruction just to change the location for resource folder.
This seems straightforward, but I get an error 267 on creating the destination directory - it says the directory name is invalid. When I look on the destination drive I see the robocopy has got as far as creating D:\My DAZ 3D Library\xo\e\v\ but stumbles at the a-:h. I even tried extending this bit manually but I get as far as a- and it won't accept the : saying that a file can't contain that character.
Am I misreading the last part of this string? It looks to me as if it is a-:h but it won't create this final extension. Why do we have the whole \xo\e\v\a-:h bit anyway, as this isn't in the pathway of the original on the C drive?
Hey! Are you using the quotation marks "" like in the sample string? They need to be there, around the source path and destination path... the \xo\e\v\a-:h is the set of robocopy commands and they should be after the last quote at the end of the destination path.
It seems like many have problems getting the robocopy part to work for some reason, though I never had a single issue. It's not absolutely necessary to use robocopy to copy the files, you could just do it in Windows Explorer, it'll just take a lot longer and I had read it helps make sure absolutely everything gets copied (that's the part I don't really know if it's necessary for).
If you do continue to try Robocopy, just make sure your string looks exactly like the example, except for the actual paths inside the quotations. That means any spaces, etc...
If you end up copying in Windows Explorer, you can just pick up with the above instructions after the copying part.
Let us know if you have any luck, or don't and need more help!
Hi. Thanks for the response. Yes, all quotation marks correctly inserted in the right places as per the sample. But for some reason the string is trying to create additional directories out of the xo\e\v\a-:h.
I shall press ahead and transfer via Explorer as you suggest. The rest seems simple.....but who knows!
I do use DazCentral, but I don't imagine that complicates things all that much, hopefully.
Thanks again.
I would like to point out that the robocopy command from @Phatmartino uses "forward slashes" for its paramaters: /xo /e /v /a-:h
@DawnStar, these are not interchangeable with the "back slashes" you used: \xo\e\v\a-:h -- those are interpreted as Windows directory paths instead of parameters. Note also that a space in needed between the robocopy parameters.
Good eyes, @torqy Thanks for pointing this out! It had been long enough since I used that string that I didn't give a second thought to mistakenly using backslashes myself when I tried to help recently... Hehee
Hi there, amazing amazing guide, thank you so much.
I have followed the step you have mentioned accordingly. And everything seems to work fine.
However, when I try to install some new products by the DIM, it says "download failed" . And I'm wondering if you might help me sort out that lil issue.
With some products it works, with some others, it just doesn't and keeps saying "download failed".
Everything seems to be set accordingly, and the Daz Studio is also in accordance with your instructions.
Please, let me know and thank you in advance.
so... maybe it's a stupid question but how do I change the location of 'my library'?
I install most of my stuff manually and then create categories so I can find everything faster later... but the current 'my library' folder is on a drive that won't be able to accommodate my assets... how do I tell DAZ studio to find it in a different location?
To tell Daz Studio a different Library location to use (i.e. Add a new Library location), just use the Content Directory Manager (CDM) as follows...
In Daz Studio:
Edit-->Preferences
Click the "Content" tab at the top
Scroll-down and click the "Content Directory Manager" button
Click the (+) next to DAZ Studio Formats and you will see the file path to your current Library
With "DAZ Studio Formats" highlighted, click the "Add" button on the left and browse to your new Library (folder you created) and click "Select Folder" (for example on your External SDD or HD)
According to Daz, you should repeat the procedure for "Poser Formats":
Source: http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/userguide/finding_loading_and_organizing_content/tutorials/content_directory_manager/start
NOTE: To map a new Poser folder, it usually requires you to first add an empty Runtime folder to it.
If you use Daz Install Manager (DIM) and want it to install new products to your new Library, make sure you select the same folder in the DIM settings (Gear Icon).
@petefaure Also, just to be clearer-er... If you're talking about the "My Library" folder with your Saves, etc... it can be added probably as robertswww mentioned above (I'm on 4.16 and don't see that "Add" Button"), and/or following the Guide, because it works the same way as the "My Daz 3d Library" folder in his and my directions in the initial post.
If you're actually talking about the folder "My Daz 3D Library" that contains your store bought and mainly manually installed Content, (again, the "My Library" folder with your Saves works the same way if necessary), check out the short section in the initial post called: Pointing DAZ to your shiny new DAZ 3D My Library folder.
Either way, it's essentially just Right Clicking on "Daz Studio Formats" in the Content Library Pane and choosing "Add a Base Directory...", browsing to the new location and selecting it, whether it's My Daz 3D Library, My Library or both that you need to do.
@info I apologize that somehow I missed your post, though I'd be curious to know now if the problem persisted... It seems as though if some content was downloading successfully, it's probably not that path routing that's causing the problem. I think I read in the forums about a few different spells where people were having random problems with downloads failing in DIM... I've only experienced it a couple of times and I believe it was mainly one specific piece of content at a time that was failing, and I believe eventually I was able to successfully download.
Let us know if you are still having problems, that would get rather frustrating if it's continued that way!
Just built myself a new PC and found this really helpful 3-years on from original posting! Really is value add! Wanted to add my thanks with the rest of those who have found it similarly very helpful.
got my dim pointing at my old libray on a new pc and added it so its the second my library, but how do i get smart content to use it?
okay right clicked my old liberary and exported meta data, then right click smart content and hit import meta data content, looks like it might work when its done seeing all the missing names. yup that worked
I've been doing 3D for a little over a year and a half and Daz has been the be-all and do-all of my experience. I've never had to undertake a major migration of assets like this before for any reason. This is epic tech advice of the "god-mode" sort. I can't tell you the trepidation I had, being faced with both running out of space on my C drive and wanting to upgrade to DS 4.22, considering the horror stories I've heard about people losing assets during an upgrade. Not just assets failing to make the trip, but being lost altogether. I can tell you of a certainty every one of my assets are present and accounted for on my new drive. As far as I'm concerned you and fixmypcmike get the Blue Ribbon Award for "How To Turn A Prospective Nightmare Into Child's Play". Robocopy charged through the transfer without a hitch. Now I can feel a heck of a lot more confident going into the upgrade without fear of losing anything. Major "props" to you guys, pardon the pun. You've made a friend and a fan. Be well, sirs.