DIM Reinstall Issues
borgtrekker
Posts: 112
Hi, just upgraded to a new computer and am experiencing difficulties with DIM. I installed DAZ 4.8 moved over all my files previously saved from old install, mapped them to DAZ, and reimported all the metadata for those files. All was going fine till I installed DIM and when I logged into the program all of my purchases came up in DIM to be downloaded as new products even though the majority of them are already in DAZ. All DAZ content is located on a separate drive "F" from my installed programs, which are on drive "E" including DIM as my "C" drive is only for Windows and programs that can only be installed on "C" such as Poser being that it is a small 128GB solid state drive.
Being that I don't want to have to reinstall everything again is there any way to get DIM to ignore the already installed content files and only show those files currently purchased but not yet downloded or installed? I even saved the original DIM profile under Roaming, DAZ 3D, Install Manager from my old computer and added it to the same location in hopes that DIM would recognize those previously installed files. Did I miss something or is this normal for DIM to just list all purchased product installed or not? If so is there anyway to get around this? Since it does not recognize this previously installed DAZ content I am unable to get any updates that may have occured as it only sees everything as new content.
Thanks ahead of time for any assistance you can render in this matter.
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Comments
Just restore the DIM Manifest Files folder: C:\Users\Public\Documents\DAZ 3D\InstallManager\ManifestFiles
Note that DIM has several folder location settings — one for the D|S program itself (also other programs like Poser or PhotoShop which you might or might not have), one for where it stores downloaded installers, one for your content (where the installer contents go after being unpacked) etc. If you just install DIM and let it loose on your account, it will try to shoehorn everything into the default locations, not where you've put everything.
Yesterday, I noticed the same problem after a system restore to remove Windows 10 and go back to 8.1. DIM is showing all of my previously installed items ready to be downloaded. I believe I deleted all those files that were downloaded which is probably why it thinks I haven't installed them. I'll have to see if I have those files in a backup. If not, then should I just let DIM reinstall them? If I'm remembering correctly, DIM will only install to an empty folder.
DIM uses the Manifestfiles folder to know what's been installed, so if you don't have that it will see everythingt as Ready to Download (or Ready to Install if you still have the downloaded zip). To install over an existing installation, after DIM is done installing, go to Settings > Installation, right-click on the content location you installed to, and choose "Fix Installed File Registry". That will correct DIM's record of how many times a file was installed so that it can uninstall/update them properly. (There will be a bunch of error messages in the log, you can ignore them).
Thank you. I will try that. If it doesn't work then I'll just install them again. I don't like having downloaded files all over the place. I save them after purchases then usually expand them in a temp folder for installation. DIM seems to just make everything harder leaving files everywhere especially since I'm using Poser.
DIM only leaves files in 2 places, Shared Documents and [your account] Documents, unless you customize locations.
Unfortunately the old manifiests folder is long gone... However I followed your recommendations and chose the "Fix Installed File Registry" and checked DIM downloads and it still shows over 2000 items to download and install... Being that 95% of these files are already installed and show in DAZ studio what do I do with all these files in DIM? Do I go ahead and let them all download but not install them or do I install them over the original files in order to get any updates from when they were originally installed?
Is there anything in the old saved file structure under C:\Users...\App Data\Roaming\DAZ\Install Manager that might help resolve this as it lists log files there?
Thanks.
Unfortunately I don't think there's any way to avoid re-downloading the files (unless you have them backed up, in which case you can just put them back in the downloads folder). "Fix Installed File Registry" is for after you reinstall to the same location, it won't fix the missing manifests.
Sorry but I do not follow your statement.
All of the original 2000+ files downloaded and installed by DIM were saved and their packages were not deleted. If this is what you are addressing how do I get them back into the downloads folder and does this folder have to be the same folder as the one the original files were in? I ask this because it will take a very long time to re-download and install all of these files - especially as slow as the DAZ servers are... If I have to do so do I go ahead and delete all of the previously installed files that are currently showing in DAZ and do I also delete all of the previously downloaded packages?
Thanks for the assist and answering all my questions. I am a 60 yr old man who is a little slow when it comes to this kind of technology...
Oh, if you still have the downloaded zips you don't need to download them again. Just put them in the downloads folder (or change the downloads folder in DIM's settings if you want to use a different location) and they'll show up in "Ready to Install". You can install them to the same location they're already installed, then use "Fix Installed File Registry" so that DIM can update or uninstall them correctly in the future.
One more thing I need to ask. Do these files that are being re-installed have to be done so in any certain order - i.e. characters have to be installed before clothing, textures, etc. - or can they just be installed in any order?
Thanks for all your help on this.
Any order -- DIM will make sure to install software before plugins, regular content can be installed in any order.
You do need to be careful with the Dynamic Clothing Control plug-in, if you have that, as if it gets installed before DS the non-control plug-in from DS itself will then overwrite the control plug-in. i think that's the only thing that's a potential issue.
Ok, so looks like after all is said and done I have hundreds of files left over and they are all listed as Poser CF files... So what do I do with these files? I do use Poser but do not have it checked off in DIM so why did all these files download and are they truly Poser files and get installed in Poser? If so why are they showing up here? If not what do you recommend I do with them? As I said there are literally hundreds of them in the download folder.
In addition there are other files - mostly training files from vendors like Dreamlight - will DAZ accept these files in the program and run them? For example I show 5 Luxus Pro Training Files by Bluebird or do we even use Luxus anymore with this new DAZ version?
Thanks again for all for help on this.
Do you have "DSON Importer for Poser" checked in your Download Filters on the Ready to Download tab?
I know alot of the older Dreamlight training videos aren't available through DIM.
Yes it is checked. Do I need to uncheck it and if so will these files go away automatically? If not what do I do with them - Hide them all? Do I need to rerun the "Fix Installed Registry" process again?
Uncheck DSON and they should go away.
If you've already downloaded them they won't go away.
You only need to run "Fix Installed File Registry" if you install a product on top of a location where it was already installed, but it won't hurt anything if you run it again.
Great guys, thanks again for all your help and patience with my issues.
I believe we can consider this one resolved...