Help! FM21 folder from My Documents to External Hard drive

Ok I need help if possible. I have no memory left on my laptop. I’m in the process of moving the entire FM21 folder from My Documents to an External Hardrive. How do I get FM to then load these graphics? Must I do something from Steam and FM. Any help would be great.

You could make use of symbolic links on Windows. Two steps:

1. Move the entire ‘Sports Interactive’ folder located in ‘C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Sports Interactive’ into the folder of your preference on your external drive e.g. 'D:\Documents\Sports Interactive'

2. Run command prompt as administrator and type:
mklink /d "[old location]" "[new location]"

So in this case (watch the syntax):

mklink /d "C:\Users\[username]\Documents\Sports Interactive" "D:\Documents\Sports Interactive"

You could do this also with for example your Steam workshop or Steam game library in general (moving them out of your Program Files directory), or just only with your graphics folder. But bear in mind that if you move those files from an SSD to a HDD, they will load slower, which is a bit annoying when dealing with 200MB savegames.

You could also follow the steps in here, which might be a bit simpler.

Thanks for helping.

what’s wrong here?

For the first two lines the syntax was incorrect, the last one was OK but I think you are not able to create the link yet.

Do you still have the 'Football Manager 2021' folder inside your Sports Interactive folder in Documents? You should cut and paste and then run the last command line again. It will create a new folder inside your Sports Interactive one (with a shortcut to D:/Sports Interactive), but it is unable to do that since there is already a folder named that way I assume.

The way I suggested is easier and can be done from within the preferences by simply posting the new folder path, without needing to edit command prompt.

Ah cool, didn't even know about that feature in FM. However the command prompt way you are also able to move game files or your complete Steam library for example, so that is useful when you really need more space.

It's a cool option, but perhaps not the easiest for someone who's not the most technically adept to implement 😉

Thank you. I will also try this route 👍🏼

True 🙂

Hi there! 

Is there an Mac alternative for this please? Having the same issue due to face packs, logos, kits, etc please?

Thank you in advance 

Probably the steps @mons suggested here.

Hello!

I don't know if an answer to this was ever found, but even when following the steps in both this thread and the link in this answer, no matter what I do, FM always resets its default location for graphics, files etc. to the one in the Internal Library, rather than my External Drive. I have all files moved over to the External Drive, and keep deleting the Sports Interactive folder in the internal Library, but FM just keeps remaking that folder and making it the default. Is there anyway to solve this? Thanks!

What version of the game are you playing? Is it Gamepass perchance?

Oh it's FM23 for Mac via Steam!

Then can you give a screenshot of what it is that you're changing that keeps getting changed back to the default folder? It's not clear to me whether you're talking about the section in the in-game preferences or the one in Steam.

Ah sorry, I mean in the in-game preferences. The first attachment is the screenshot of where it keeps being reset to, and the second is where I set it to every time. The problem is that I have no internal storage left, and so I've transferred all graphics/skins etc files into my SSD (including the actual FM application itself.) However, the folder seen on the first screenshot just keeps remaking itself and setting itself as the default, and I can not get the graphics or anything in my SSD to load.

Follow the below steps:

To do this follow the instructions below:

- Go into Steam -> Library -> Games view.

- Locate the version of Football Manager you are using and right-click on the game.

- Select 'Properties'

- Click 'Set Launch Options...'

- Copy the following into the dialogue box: --user_data_location="<path>"

- In the <path> section, enter the exact path you wish the folder to be generated (ie D:\Users\ etc)

So for example if you wanted your User Data Location to be G:\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2017

You would add the following text to the dialogue box:

--user_data_location="G:\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2017"

So your Launch Options box should look something like this for Football Manager 2017:

Note that this folder location needs to already exist on your hard drive before setting the launch option, then when you next launch Football Manager the game will automatically generate the needed subfolders (such as games and skins). There also shouldn't be any problem with setting both your Full and Touch Mode Saving Locations to the same location, which should save you having to duplicate any custom graphics you have downloaded. You should also be able to set the location to that used by a previous version of the game, just make sure to backup your save games so you don't overwrite them and to remove any non-compatible custom graphics first.

If done correctly the contents of your custom User Data Location should look something like this after having run the game with the launch option set:

Also note that if you have already created anything in game with the default location set (such as save games, shortlists, or tactics) you will need to manually copy the items over to your new location. And if the game doesn't create the graphics folder you'll need to create this folder yourself before adding any custom graphics.

To reset your User Data Location to the default position you just need to delete the command line and on your next restart of FM17 the game will go back to using the default location. (Again you'll need to manually copy over any existing files from your old custom location to the default location for them to be read by the game).

All sorted, thank you very much for that!

@mons

Since this was for fm17, could you please give an update for fm24? I am in the E-X-A-C-T same problem as @elkayR highlighted in the previous messages but haven't been able to fix it despite following your step-by-step guide. I don't have enough space on my Mac storage so I bought an external SSD but the game doesn't recognize it when oi try to move my folders in there instead of the default location. 

ps: I'm on Epic Games, not Steam.

thanks in advance for helping @mons, @elkayR .

I'm afraid I'm on Steam, so can't help if the issue is Epic-specific. However, the in-game preferences should allow you to change the user data folder to wherever you'd need it to be.

as you can see in the first screenshot. @elkayR went through the same issue I'm encountering right now. I tried everything I don't understand why it's not working.

the second screenshot is the Epic user location so I don't think it matters whether it is Epic or Steam.

the third screenshot is the fm24 default location that I'm trying to change but it always reset there. (for example, if I quit and relaunch the game)

4th screenshot is where I want my files to go (KODAK is the SSD name).

thanks for your quick reply and for trying to help. I appreciate it, man.

any other alternative that can fix it  @mons ?

I don't see much wrong but I play with Steam and on Windows, not Epic Games on a Mac, so I can't offer much help beyond what I've already given you, sorry.