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DIM install locations & files left over

DGECDGEC Posts: 20
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

TLDR - do DIM install files get left on the drive?

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I have Daz installed to C: (SSD) and am hopefully putting all the "content" to E: (standard pathnames otherwise, but larger HD). Because I don't trust online repositories, I also back up *everything* to an external drive.

My C: and D: are slowly getting tighter on space and I'm trying to figure out where the auto downloads go and when the DIM finishes downloading and installing to the content folders, does that downloaded file and any other flotsum and jetsum remain around afterwards? If so, can I clear my \temp folders, will that clear it out?

 

 

Comments

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,486

    You can configure DIM to put the files wherever you want. Downloads in one folder, thumbnails in another, and Manifests in yet another. You can install the content wherever you want, too. There is no random detritus left behind. You can safely move all of it if you reconfigure the paths correctly. The only tricky part is updating the manifests as to where the content was installed, as they store full drive and path info. Easy to do with a file editor that can process batches of files (like Notepad++). We can continue that later, if needed.

  • DGECDGEC Posts: 20
    edited June 25

    Thanks for the reply North.

    Any idea whether I'll break everything if I delete the items from E:\Applications\Data\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\Downloads (where the downloads go for installation) after the download? Or does it use that for determining what was installed?

    I want to move them to my organized download folders.

     

    Post edited by frank0314 on
  • crosswindcrosswind Posts: 6,969
    edited June 23

    Nope, you won't ~

    *.dsx files in Manifest Archive folder rather than IM packages in Download sdetermine what was installed. You may freely delete the downloaded packages or move them to a destination folder. Remember to reconfigure the new folder into DIM - Package Archive.

    Post edited by crosswind on
  • RuthvenRuthven Posts: 653

    DGEC said:

    Thanks for the reply North.

    Any idea whether I'll break everything if I delete the items from E:\Applications\Data\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\Downloads (where the downloads go for installation) after the download? Or does it use that for determining what was installed?

    I want to move them to my organized download folders.

    I really very warmly suggest having a backup of the downloads.

    You can't know when an update to a product breaks something, or if a hard disk fail on your content directory may make you lose installed content. Having a backup of the downloads will allow you to restore the installations without having do re-download from daz your products, or going back to a previous functioning version

  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,054
    edited June 25

    DGEC said:

    Thanks for the reply North.

    Any idea whether I'll break everything if I delete the items from E:\Applications\Data\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\Downloads (where the downloads go for installation) after the download? Or does it use that for determining what was installed?

    I want to move them to my organized download folders.

    You can move the download folder wherever you want without any effect on the operation of DIM or products. Just be sure to change the location in DIM of the new Download folder location. 

    Post edited by frank0314 on
  • jjoynerjjoyner Posts: 617

    I wholeheartedly agree with everything that Ruthven offers.  Backups of important files is essential in computing.  Regarding DIM downloads, I have it set to delete downloaded files after installation.  I prefer to download the content files manually and store them where I want them.  I That allows me a little more storing flexibility than would be easy in DIM without changing my download files location every now and then.  For example, if I’ve bought Item ABC and stored its download in an Item ABC subfolder in my Daz Studio downloads folder and later buy Textures for Item ABC, I want to store those download in the Item ABC subfolder.

  • CactuskimCactuskim Posts: 24

    Hi everyone,

    I have a very similar question to the one DGEC aasked.  I am also setting up a new computer,  and just did a major reinstall in my new SSD C; drive,  and am concerned about the memory space it is taking up because DIM aparently downloads and stored the ZIP in the install process.  I found the folder  where they are stored : C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\Downloads.  And was wondering if it is OK for me to remove only the downloded Zip files to a new location for storage,  while leaving the manifest files in their original location?  I think it is OK base on what I have read here,but want to make sure.  I don't want to change where things go when using DIM,  just be able to periodically go in and remove the zip files to a different location of my choice.... I want to organize my stored zip files in different sub folderrs by catagory insead  of just all being dumped in one folder like DIM does... and put them off on a different drive too,  to keep myC: drive clean.

     

    Kim

  • crosswindcrosswind Posts: 6,969

    Cactuskim said:

    Hi everyone,

    I have a very similar question to the one DGEC aasked.  I am also setting up a new computer,  and just did a major reinstall in my new SSD C; drive,  and am concerned about the memory space it is taking up because DIM aparently downloads and stored the ZIP in the install process.  I found the folder  where they are stored : C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\Downloads.  And was wondering if it is OK for me to remove only the downloded Zip files to a new location for storage,  while leaving the manifest files in their original location?  I think it is OK base on what I have read here,but want to make sure.  I don't want to change where things go when using DIM,  just be able to periodically go in and remove the zip files to a different location of my choice.... I want to organize my stored zip files in different sub folderrs by catagory insead  of just all being dumped in one folder like DIM does... and put them off on a different drive too,  to keep myC: drive clean.

     

    Kim

    No problem ~ just go ahead with what you want to do. Quite a lot of us do the same thing ~~cool

  • CactuskimCactuskim Posts: 24
    crosswind said:

    Cactuskim said:

    Hi everyone,

    I have a very similar question to the one DGEC aasked.  I am also setting up a new computer,  and just did a major reinstall in my new SSD C; drive,  and am concerned about the memory space it is taking up because DIM aparently downloads and stored the ZIP in the install process.  I found the folder  where they are stored : C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\Downloads.  And was wondering if it is OK for me to remove only the downloded Zip files to a new location for storage,  while leaving the manifest files in their original location?  I think it is OK base on what I have read here,but want to make sure.  I don't want to change where things go when using DIM,  just be able to periodically go in and remove the zip files to a different location of my choice.... I want to organize my stored zip files in different sub folderrs by catagory insead  of just all being dumped in one folder like DIM does... and put them off on a different drive too,  to keep myC: drive clean.

     

    Kim

    No problem ~ just go ahead with what you want to do. Quite a lot of us do the same thing ~~cool

    Thank you :)
  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,054

    Just be sure to change the locataion in DIM to point to the new location. You can move most everything in DIM to another location/drive. Some require some extra work but can be done. Most of it you just move the folder and change the location in DIM

  • crosswindcrosswind Posts: 6,969
    edited June 30

    frank0314 said:

    Just be sure to change the locataion in DIM to point to the new location. You can move most everything in DIM to another location/drive. Some require some extra work but can be done. Most of it you just move the folder and change the location in DIM

    Actually we meant a different way ~~

    What we do is just moving IM packages from Download Archive folder to another location (especially on a disk with large space) for a sort of backing up while keeping the current path of Download Archive configured in DIM unchanged... 

    Post edited by crosswind on
  • frank0314frank0314 Posts: 14,054
    edited June 30

    I must be completely missing the point of this. I don't see the advantage of that if your trying to save on space on a drive. The downloads folder does nothing but holds the zip files when you download them. It doesn't matter where that folder is. It can be on a thumb drive and it, not effect anything. It is the backup so if you move the folder to another drive and point DIM to it will put them there on it own and you don't have to move any files manually. You can then catagories the way you want and the fiels never touch the drive that has limited space. You can move those zip files to an offline computer and point DIM on that computer to it and those products are now available for install on that computer as well.

    Post edited by frank0314 on
  • crosswindcrosswind Posts: 6,969

    frank0314 said:

    I must be completely missing the point of this. I don't see the advantage of that if your trying to save on space on a drive. The downloads folder does nothing but holds the zip files when you download them. It doesn't matter where that folder is. It can be on a thumb drive and it, not effect anything. It is the backup so if you move the folder to another drive and point DIM to it will put them there on it own and you don't have to move any files manually. You can move those zip files to an offline computer and point DIM on that computer to it and those products are now available for install on that computer as well.

    We certainly know the way you said for times... but the key point is that people treat them as a true backup rather than anything else... For instance, if placing all of IM packages in a single Download Archive on a disk, then the disk is damaged one day, then people will lose them all if recovery won't help...

    And, the disk will be full one day, people still have to either move them to other disk or delete them. We know there's always a better way but at the end of the day,  it should be always up to people's preferences depending on the cases they have...

       

  • CactuskimCactuskim Posts: 24
    edited June 30

    crosswind said:

    frank0314 said:

    Just be sure to change the locataion in DIM to point to the new location. You can move most everything in DIM to another location/drive. Some require some extra work but can be done. Most of it you just move the folder and change the location in DIM

    Actually we meant a different way ~~

    What we do is just moving IM packages from Download Archive folder to another location (especially on a disk with large space) for a sort of backing up while keeping the current path of Download Archive configured in DIM unchange

    Yes Crosswined,  I just wanted to move the zips,  and leave the rest of the files that the program needs for smart content etc where DAZ swants them,  so I can save space on my C: drive.... I have 3 other large drives installed in the computer for storage.

    Post edited by Richard Haseltine on
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