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How to Move Saves & Mod Folders Off AppData

By SweatyPauls

Little guide to help those who have a smaller OS drive or just don't want their ever growing saves and mods folder inside AppData. This will let you move them elsewhere and create a link back to the original folder so it still works properly without having to change much. Don't have to move AppData itself and no need for any third party software.

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Created by

SweatyPauls
Offline

Category: Modding or Configuration

Languages: English

Posted

11 Sep, 2023 @ 11:25pm

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Guide Index

Overview

Creating a Directory Junction

Comments

Creating a Directory Junction

We will use the directory junction method to move the folders to your desired location.

Your saves and mods are located in your "Baldur's Gate 3" folder inside "C:\Users<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Larian Studios"
There will also be a folder for the Launcher, but you can leave that alone.

Firstly, you'll want to back up the "Baldur's Gate 3" folder to somewhere safe just in case. Remember, all your save files are in there!

Now you will pick out the location you want to move the "Baldur's Gate 3" folder to.
For this example, I moved it into the "My Games" folder in Documents on my E: Drive.
So the new path would be "E:\Users<yourusername>\Documents\My Games\Baldur's Gate 3"

Now, go back to "C:\Users<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Larian Studios" (the original location). There should only be the Launcher folder here now.
While inside this folder, you will run command prompt as administrator (open start menu, type cmd, choose run as administrator).

Now enter the following into command prompt (and remember to replace with your own location path):

mklink /j "Baldur's Gate 3" "E:\Users<yourusername>\Documents\My Games\Baldur's Gate 3"

Then press Enter

You should now see a shortcut linking to your new location inside the Larian Studios folder.
Now you can manage all your saves and mods from the new location!

27 Comments

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SweatyPauls [author] 14 Oct @ 3:41am

@Ult No problem. Glad you got it fixed.

Ult 14 Oct @ 3:31am

@SweatyPauls i figured and already fixed it, thank you for this guide

SweatyPauls [author] 13 Oct @ 6:18pm

2/2

3) When you copy and paste the command make sure to replace my example location with your own location path. If done correctly then it will create a linked "Baldur's Gate 3" folder (with the little arrow) in the original location in the C: Drive.

Now the "Baldur's Gate 3" folder in E: Drive will be the main folder where you manage and store your saves and mods. They will be linked back to the folder in C: but wont actually be stored there.

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Also, Flamewheel from a few comments down mentioned they accidentally created the new linked folder inside the username folder, so you can maybe check in there or any of the folders in between if it somehow ended up creating the linked folder in there. If it's in there, you can just delete it and redo the steps to try again. Always back up original folder just in case .

SweatyPauls [author] 13 Oct @ 6:18pm

1/2

@Ult I'm assuming you are trying to make the new main folder in the E: Drive like in my example, correct? Try and check if you did these steps correctly.

1) When you move the "Baldur's Gate 3" folder from "C:\Users<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Larian Studios" to your new location in E: there should only be the Launcher folder left within the Larian Studios folder before you even get to the command prompt step.

2) Make sure when you are ready to run the command prompt you do it in this folder: "C:\Users<yourusername>\AppData\Local\Larian Studios"

Again, only the Launcher folder should be in there now.

Ult 13 Oct @ 2:01pm

im pretty late on this but the cmd said that the link were created succesfully even tho the Baldur's Gate 3 folder in the C drive doesnt have the little arrow, what did i missed out? the folder in the E drive doesnt seem to update with saves and mods and stuff as well

flamewheel 13 Aug @ 8:04am

Ok, last comment, got it sorted eventually and everything launches correctly, will need to re-download all my mods as apparently those didn't move with the files, but that's easy, had to look up and it really shows how much I still have to learn about the controle pannle as I honestly didn't realise I also had to include the directory of where I wanted the junction to end up, as that's what I guess I missed from following your guide so that's my bad

flamewheel 13 Aug @ 7:39am

So it made it in the username section of the file directory the one with app data in it, even tho I have the larian studios, so now im in a situation we're I've already deleted the junction(via the bin which I'm figuring was a dumb move) but now it's still saying it already exists

flamewheel 13 Aug @ 7:30am

Nvm, it made the junction a few levels up from the larian one, no idea how that happened

flamewheel 13 Aug @ 7:24am

So I followed the guide, the junction says it was created but nothing is in the c drive and attempting to run the game just causes it to crash, only bit that comes to mind that could have messed things up was while moving it but that's it, not sure what else could have messed it up

Hugh Jacoque 29 Jul @ 11:57am

@SweatyPauls

Legend. Figured it out in the end :) Unrelated note, thought it was because BG3 was on my E and the mods being on my C that wasn't making certain ones work.... Nope, forgot the Script Extended like a dingus after reinstalling it onto a different drive

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