New to PC game directory location question

[youdogsgit]

I'm new to PC and Windows 10 and I'm trying to set up my file folders for games on various launchers and it looks like the default location for my games is on my C:Program Files (x86) folder. I felt like the default location was cluttered and thought I'd move all of my games/launcher files to a Games folder outside of the Program Files folder. Wondering if this is a problem as my games seem to work fine, but I can't get any of the mods to work and thought that maybe it has something to do with where I'm storing the files. Sorry in advance if this is a stupid question, but I've no idea what I'm doing on PC...

[HeyYou]

Actually, installing games etc. OUTSIDE of the program files folders is a good idea. Avoids a lot of UAC (user account control) issues.

 

What games, and what mods??

[MalachiDelacot]

Not only are all my games outside the Program Files folder,

they are on a separate disk. I use a secondary drive just for games.

That way, if a program goes wonky and wants to inflict damage,

all my games are safe....

[Kartoflator]

Like Malachi, I install games on a separate drive. Actually, I install ALL third-party applications on a separate physical drive, or at least separate partition. Unless you only have one disk with one partition on it, you really should leave C: just for system, its updates, system libraries and drivers. That way you keep your data, documents, installers et c relatively safe in case your system drive suddenly decides to go belly up, or simply your system itself goes sideways, forcing you to do a fresh windows installation. Personally, I made a "Games" folder on my second internal drive (D:), where I install all games, while I keep program installers, music, films and documents on a removable drive.

 

Also, you haven't mentioned how you mod your games. Simple manual drag&drop of single files with overwriting originals should work regardless of a game install location. But since you are a Nexus user, one would assume that you are currently using Vortex to install the mods for you. Vortex uses deployment method, that is not as simple and permanent as copying and overwriting files and it explicitly requires the mod packages to be stored in a DIFFERENT location, than the game itself (a.k.a. the "Mod Staging Folder"). If you are Vortex user, you may have also moved your Staging Folder without applying that change to the Vortex settings themselves. Perhaps that is a problem?