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How to tell DIM new location of moved content library without reinstalling or redownloading files

jeremiahjonesjeremiahjones Posts: 0
in Technical Help (nuts n bolts)

This post isn't a question, it is more a guide how I managed to do it.

I moved my Library to a new hard drive by moving "Content Database", "InstallManager" and "My DAZ 3D Library" Folders to the new HDD. 

After editing the path in Content Directory Manager under Preferences in Daz and the Cluster Directory in the CMS Settings everything works and shows up just fine. 

The only thing was that Daz Installation Manager was not showing my installed files anymore. That is because the Daz-Shared-XML Files (.dsx) in the folder ManifestFiles (which tell DIM where to find the installed files) now told DIM the old installation path. 

I believe the only way to fix that with the Installation Manager itself is to re-install all files. But that is only possible if the original zip files still exist. I deleted them all. 

Now searching in this forum a bit it seems that most people say that you have to download the zip files again so you can re-install it.
But since the .dsx files are basically .xml files I knew that you can edit them with the windows notepad (editor). 

So I made a backup of all ManifestFiles and tested it. Right click on the file, open with editor and then change the UserInstallPath VALUE from the old path to the new folder location and it worked, it shows up in DIM again. 

But doing that for all files I have would take forever. 

So I googled for an automatic way and found a tutorial video of how to search and modify xml files with a simple script. The video is in German so probably not helpful to you guys but here is the link https://germanpowershell.com/xml-dateien-suchen-und-veraendern/

I don't know anything about programming language at all but following this tutorial was pretty easy, all I had to do was change the script a little so that it works for the dsx files. 

So what I did was:

go to windwos search bar and search for Windows PowerShell ISE and open the program as admin
then click on new script (I recommend making a backup of your ManiFest Folder in case you do something wrong)
and then write or copy paste the script: https://gist.github.com/Jerem1ahJones/c5d767fa351a3dce0d2c0007d6c59f1a

the hashtags are my comments where I tried to translate the tutorial. Make sure to change the installation paths to your paths. 

I don't know if that was the best solution, or if there is an easier way, but it worked and I thought I share this here in case someone has the same problem like me and searches this forum in the future. Before downloading everything again this script could save a lot of time. 

 

 

Comments

  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,482

    Yes, modifying the .dsx files to change the UserInstallPath VALUE is the easiest and most efficient way. I have done this a couple of times, using Notepad++ with the Find in Files function to replace the string. Only takes a few minutes, depending on how many files you have.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,202
    edited August 2020

    I just changed the path with notepad  in the user file in application data roaming too, I didn't keep the zips on that machine but it is all shown as installed and new stuff installs correctly.
    C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\UserAccounts
     

    Post edited by WendyLuvsCatz on
  • NorthOf45NorthOf45 Posts: 5,482
    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    I just changed the path with notepad  in the user file in application data roaming too, I didn't keep the zips on that machine but it is all shown as installed and new stuff installs correctly.
    C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\UserAccounts
     

    I think the OP was referring to the "Show Installed Files..." function in DIM. That reads the .dsx from the manifest archive and makes links to the individual files, if they are where the manifest says they are. If not, it's all plain text.

  • WendyLuvsCatzWendyLuvsCatz Posts: 38,202
    NorthOf45 said:
    WendyLuvsCatz said:

    I just changed the path with notepad  in the user file in application data roaming too, I didn't keep the zips on that machine but it is all shown as installed and new stuff installs correctly.
    C:\Users\User\AppData\Roaming\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\UserAccounts
     

    I think the OP was referring to the "Show Installed Files..." function in DIM. That reads the .dsx from the manifest archive and makes links to the individual files, if they are where the manifest says they are. If not, it's all plain text.

    on mine it shows both 

    says installed to the original path it was installed to but also says it's located in the new path and will uninstall it from there

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