Transferring Vortex installation to another PC

[mkr1977]

I am getting a new PC and would like to transfer my Vortex installation, with all mods and settings to the new PC. I have looked up the instructions for doing so, and there are no guarantees that it will work. It probably will not work.

 

Why not simply create a downloadable file that you can generate from your original Vortex installation, then that file tells Vortex on the new PC what to download and how to deploy the mods? It took me many hours to get my current setup, including frustrating troubleshooting. I don't want to go through that again.

[HadToRegister]

There are Several threads on this

Augusta is here, she'll tell you how to do it, because she's done it at least once or twice.

Trust her.

[AugustaCalidia]

I've done it twice. The second time was several months ago. I successfully transferred several current Bethesda games and saves to a new computer. I also did the same with "The Witcher 3." Here are the steps that I followed.

• On my old computer, I opened Vortex and purged all the game data folders. (I was using hardlink deployment for all the games.)
• In order to ensure that I would not accidentally deploy after purging, I did not purge all games at once and then exit Vortex. Rather, I would purge one game and then immediately exit Vortex after the purge to verify that the game data folder was indeed purged.
• Before returning to Vortex, I made a backup copy of the purged game and renamed it. I also made backup, renamed copies of the folders in "AppData\Roaming\Vortex" and "AppData\Local" that were specific to the game just purged. These steps preserved the game state at the moment of purging and thus readied the game for transfer.
• I then re-opened Vortex and repeated the above process for each game I intended to transfer.
• On my new computer, I downloaded from Steam and installed all of my games on the same drive locations as on the old computer. To be safe, I ran the game launcher for each game to establish the proper .ini settings.
• I then transferred my renamed games from the old computer. Once transferred, I swapped names so that the transferred games were now the "official" games. The reason for this admittedly cumbersome process was so that I would not have to reinstall all the customized features (such as speed hacks) that I had originally built into the root folder of each transferred game and so that I would not have to re-clean the DLC for the Bethesda games. Once I verified that the replacement game was working properly, I deleted the now redundant replaced game.
• I then installed Vortex on the new computer but did not yet run it (very important).
• Once Vortex was installed, I then transferred "AppData\Roaming\Vortex" from the old computer to the same drive location on the new computer and made the appropriate naming swaps. I also transferred all game related files from "AppData\Local," but I am not sure that is really necessary. Also, I transferred the folders "My Games" (Bethesda game settings) and "The Witcher Three" (Witcher 3 settings) and simply overwrote the corresponding folders found in Documents on the new computer.
• I then transferred all saves.
• Finally, I ran Vortex and deployed for each of the games.
• It worked (except for an easily resolved hiccup with Witcher 3)!! All transferred games were recognized as managed games, all profiles were intact, all mods were properly installed, all conflict rules were retained, and all saves were in their proper places.
• I then picked up where I left off and played my games.

This process is cumbersome and labor intensive (and some steps may be unnecessary), but it has worked for me twice. The reason there is no guarantee that such a transfer will work is because there is no guarantee that one will do it correctly.

Edited January 2, 2021 by AugustaCalidia

[AugustaCalidia]

 

Why not simply create a downloadable file that you can generate from your original Vortex installation, then that file tells Vortex on the new PC what to download and how to deploy the mods?

 

While your proposal is a good idea, I think that it is impractical, inefficient, and probably unworkable for the following reasons at the very least:

• Fomods.
• BodySlide and FNIS (if you use these in the applicable games).
• The vagaries of queuing, downloading, and installing mods (especially in large numbers).
• The time spent downloading and installing mods (especially if you have a large number and they are already downloaded and can be copied from your old computer).
• Mods downloaded from sites other than Nexus Mods.

Although the transfer method I propose is admittedly cumbersome, it has the signal and demonstrated virtue of recreating a game state totally identical to the original on the old computer.

Edited January 2, 2021 by AugustaCalidia

[Guest deleted34304850]

Why not simply create a downloadable file that you can generate from your original Vortex installation, then that file tells Vortex on the new PC what to download and how to deploy the mods? It took me many hours to get my current setup, including frustrating troubleshooting. I don't want to go through that again.

I'd like that "wonder file" too. Let us know how you get on and I'll alpha test it for you.

[JohnyJohnson]

Had some issues doing it but was done ;)

[AugustaCalidia]

Had some issues doing it but was done :wink:

 

I'm glad that your games are working.

 

Please let us know what your transfer issues were. That information would be very helpful in correcting and streamlining the transfer process that I described earlier in this thread.

Edited January 15, 2021 by AugustaCalidia