Is it possible to boot games from a different drive?

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 06:25

I have an OCZ vertex 2E and it is now full but have two 2TB HDD sitting idlely by watching, would it be possible to load games onto either of these without them being my start up disks?

ChrisJSY · 29 Jun 2011 at 06:41

Another ambiguous question (like your other thread!), you should clarify.

1: Are you asking if you can copy it from one drive to the other? Depends on the game, in most cases yes, in others you need to update the registry to show the new location. Steam is a little different.

2: Are you asking if you can install games on different hard drives? Yes.

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 06:51

Install games on a different drive to the main one and still play them?

ChrisJSY · 29 Jun 2011 at 07:01

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 07:20

How is this done please?

orderoftheflame · 29 Jun 2011 at 07:20

GIBURROWS said:
Install games on a different drive to the main one and still play them?

Of course. What would the point in installing alternate drives be if you couldn't use them for anything useful? :confused:

ChrisJSY · 29 Jun 2011 at 07:22

GIBURROWS said:
How is this done please?

Are they plugged into the machine, in a usable state?
There's more to this than I imagine..

Surely the answer can't be as simple as, install the game on that hard drive instead of your other one.

npjnpj · 29 Jun 2011 at 07:24

Don't know if this is what you mean but: When you install the game you choose the custom install option and specify the letter of your drive in one of the dialogues there.

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 07:43

Oh it is that simple, I thought it couldn't be that easy surely.

Cheers chaps.

Mr. May · 29 Jun 2011 at 09:52

ChrisJSY said:
Another ambiguous question (like your other thread!), you should clarify.

1: Are you asking if you can copy it from one drive to the other? Depends on the game, in most cases yes, in others you need to update the registry to show the new location. Steam is a little different.

2: Are you asking if you can install games on different hard drives? Yes.

steam is no diffrent just make sure you place a shortcut from where you put your file in the steam folder

ChrisJSY · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:14

Mr. May said:
steam is no diffrent just make sure you place a shortcut from where you put your file in the steam folder

You and I have different quantative opinions on what "a little different" means then

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:16

Sweet! I nearly forked out on a new 120GB SSD, thanks for saving me £200.

Myshra · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:27

You might be interested in SteamMover - a program that moves stuff from the /steamapps folder to another folder using a special tool that links directories invisibly in windows. So for example the steam folder might be:
C:\steam\steamapps\boarderlands
and you want instead for it to be saved to your storage HDD, D, lets say
D:\games\steamcache\

then steammover can link the folders together so that when you go into C:\steam\steamapps\boarderlands it actually maps invisibly to D:\games\steamcache\ and copies the contents.

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:40

I would and will be interested in that, thanks.

Moothead2 · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:42

What games do you have installed on your SSD? You should be very selective as to what games you put on such a small drive. For example I have Stalker: SoC on my SDD because loading times are long on a HDD and the game is constantly loading the terrain (I think) and then I have games like Portal 2 on my HDD because the loading times are minimal on that game.

GIBURROWS · 29 Jun 2011 at 10:49

I only have CM01/02 and Company of heroes Gold Edition as I got rid of a load yesterday, I will put them all onto a different drive(Samsung F3's) it will hamper load times but not by anything too gruelling.