Move Vortex data out of AppData folders ?

[Angahran]

Is it possible to configure Vortex to not put data in the AppData\Local and AppData\Roaming folders ?

[rmm200]

Size wise all you really care about are the mod download and mod staging folders. Other Vortex information is tiny.

You can define the download folder wherever you like. The mod staging folder has to go on the same drive as the game.

If , like me, you boot from a small SDD, you really don't want those in Appdata.

[Tannin42]

You can have it place mods and downloads outside appdata, what's left should really not take up a lot of space.

 

The thing is that an application - any application - always needs a fixed location to store some data, even if it's just the information where all the other data is stored.

 

Some applications use the application directory (where the exe is stored) but that location should be read-only in regular operation for security reasons.

Some applications use the registry but a) that doesn't save you space and b) it makes backups more difficult

 

At the end of the day we could store more data outside appdata, like the logs, caches and such, but that would just mean there is another location you have to care about when you do backups or want to remove Vortex cleanly.

[Angahran]

I'm not worried about size, I'm trying to make it easier to backup.

 

I have already moved the downloads to a better location.

 

So, currently, to do a complete backup I need to save the following:

D:\Games\Vortex - install location

D:\Games\VortexMods - staging and downloads

user\appdata\local\vortex

user\appdata\roaming\wortex

user\documents\my games\skyrim special edition

D:\steamlibrary\common\skyrim special edition

 

If I could relocate 'local' and 'roaming' (e.g. into the Vortex or VortexMods folders) it would be less locations to worry about backing up.

 

Considering moving those two folders and using a hard/soft links to duplicate them into the appdata folders.

[Guest deleted34304850]

you should be backing up your appdata folder by default. moving vortex data out of appdata is entirely the opposite of what you should be doing and is actually making your backup "solution" more complex.

appdata has been used as a default location for years. why would you try to fight against that?

[Angahran]

you should be backing up your appdata folder by default. moving vortex data out of appdata is entirely the opposite of what you should be doing and is actually making your backup "solution" more complex.

appdata has been used as a default location for years. why would you try to fight against that?

There is a difference between making system backups and wanting to be able to backup an individual application, e.g. Vortex.

 

I test out a lot of mods and quite often this causes my SSE to fail in new and spectacular ways.

So, I like to have a 'clean & working' backup to go back to.

 

It's a PITA to have to backup (I just use 7zip) 5 individual folders each time.

If Vortex could store all it's 'configuration' data in it's own folder, or the 'mods' folder, that would make these backups easier.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Angahran

[Tannin42]

the appdata/local/vortex directory is only used by the installer, not by vortex itself, you don't need to back that up.

D:\Games\Vortex contains only the application. There is nothing in there that you wouldn't get back by just installing Vortex fresh, so you don't need to back that up either.

 

user\documents\my games\skyrim special edition

D:\steamlibrary\common\skyrim special edition

are game directories, we have nothing to do with that.

 

So really the only Vortex directories you have to back up are D:\Games\VortexMods and appdata\roaming\wortex

and if you're doing full system backups, the entire appdata\roaming should already be part of it anyway.

[Angahran]

I am doing full system backups but that is not the point.

 

I'm trying to make it easier to do separate backups of ONLY VORTEX for cases where I install a mod and SSE decides to completely quit working.

I can then just restore VORTEX from it's own little backup.

 

So, by having both the appdata folders, the vortex and vortexmods folders, my save game folder and the game folder I have a complete 'snapshot' of everything for SSE.

 

But I guess to answer the question I asked, the answer is no, Vortex cannot relocate the appdata folders to a different location.

[Norvell1984]

Size wise all you really care about are the mod download and mod staging folders. Other Vortex information is tiny.

You can define the download folder wherever you like. The mod staging folder has to go on the same drive as the game.

If , like me, you boot from a small SDD, you really don't want those in Appdata.

Similar question.... If my mods are installed, can I delete AppData\Roaming\Vortex\downloads RAR files without it effecting my games, I have them backed up on a USB in case I need them.

[AugustaCalidia]

 

Size wise all you really care about are the mod download and mod staging folders. Other Vortex information is tiny.

You can define the download folder wherever you like. The mod staging folder has to go on the same drive as the game.

If , like me, you boot from a small SDD, you really don't want those in Appdata.

Similar question.... If my mods are installed, can I delete AppData\Roaming\Vortex\downloads RAR files without it effecting my games, I have them backed up on a USB in case I need them.

 

 

Yes.