Which DAZ files to Save for a Clean Windows Install?
n.aspros123
Posts: 332
Not sure if this has been asked.
Which DAZ and associated files (zips) are need to be copied and saved when performing a complete start from scratch Windows install? Otherwise known as a "Clean/Custom" install.
Reason why? My PC is a Intel Z97 based system and nearing 10 years old. Looking to upgrade to AMD X670/X870 chipset and AMD CPU (Intel Co. is misbehaving RN). I've been told since I'm changing chipsets, it's better to format the main boot drive and install everything again.
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Comments
You mean to preserve settings? Unfortunately some are in the registry, but a lot for Daz Studio, Install manager, and the content database are in
%appdata%/daz 3d/
Just make sure that all of the applicaitons are closed before trying to back it up.
If you install through DIM or Daz Central you will also want the Manifests folder, which defaults to the Public Documents folder on C: that is what tells DIM what it has installed, and where.
Thanks for your reply.
I really don't want to lose all of my Scenes, Presets and Subsets that I've created for renders. If it's content purchased elsewhere, I usually unzip them to MyDAZ Library in the Documents folder. I have all of my zips copied to other drives and can re-install those again.
I don't know if it's a dumb question but how do you back up the important Daz files? I haven't performed a file/folder specific backup for quite sometime.
Is the Documents folder still on C:? What about the My daz 3D Library folder, is that still in its default location in the Public Documents folder on C:?
Yes. DAZ and it's plugins and add-ons is installed on Local Disc C:. My Daz 3D Library is installed on the same Disc in the Documents folder.
You can move the documents folder to a diferent drive, I would strongly urge you to do so on the new system (right-click>Properties>Location tab) as it will educe the amount of stuff you have to move following a system reisntall or drive failure. The same is true of the Pictures folder. This will chnage the place Windows looks, and the path used by newly installed applications, but you would have to move the files across manually (which is why moving the folders is about the first thing I do after a reinstall/new system).
You don't need to back up the applications folder - they ae better reinstalled, along with plug-ins - but you will need to back up the studff in Documents - and not just the Daz Studio stuff. If you do then use a different drive for the dicuments the install manifests will have the wrong paths - they can be edited with a text editor, or if you still have the zips in DIM's Download folder you can se;ect them in the Installed tab and right-click>Reinstall Using Current Paths.
Is Copy and Paste to a different drive used to back up for the C:\Documents folder before reinstall Windows 10?
Currently my PC has 3 SSD drives. I manually Copy and Paste C:\Documents\DAZ3D to other SSDs.
That would be a back up, yes.
Is this the folder that can be Copy and Pasted to preserve the settings and other stuff? See attachment.
That has a lot of settings and data, yes, though other stuff is in the Registry and cannot easily be backed up.
How are the DAZ Registry settings backed up?
Have you had to reinstall DAZ after a clean Windows? What did you do?
I'm going to be building a new PC. This time an AMD system from an Intel system. I could just take out the main boot SSD and plug it into the new build and it will hopefully boot. It's not recommended as Intel and other drivers might cause BSODs and performance related issues.
I've tried the built-in Windows 10 backup utility for another friend's PC hardware upgrade. I plugged in his Windows main boot drive from his old build and it wasn't booting. Went into the BIOS and couldn't find the SSD in the Boot menu. So performed a fresh Windows install and then it would recognise and boot. I eventually found his backup but there was nothing in the folders. I've done many cloning and imaging in the past before.
I have moved between amchines, and done windows reinstalls. The applications and plug-ins will need reinstalling, then I can ecover most things from the backed up AppData. I probably manually restored my content directories, but an option would be to use http://docs.daz3d.com/doku.php/public/software/dazstudio/4/referenceguide/scripting/api_reference/samples/file_io/save_mapped_paths/start on the old machine and then run the script it ouputs on the new machine/installation.
Apologies but I have to ask. How do you run the above script on the old system and run it on the new system?
Download the script, drag the fiule into the DS Viewpor to run it (or use File Open, File Merge, or put it in a content library and double-click it). It will generate a new script file, copy that to the new machine and run it in the same way.
There are other SSDs in my current PC. Is there the possibility of moving my DAZ installation to another drive and set it up to operate from it? Then the drive with DAZ and its associated files and plugins can be removed and inserted into the new PC?
"Daz" what? You can install the applications as you wish (set the path in the standalone installer or set the base path for 64/32 bit software in DIM), DIM and Connect can install wherever you tell them to, the database can be wherever you set it to be. Only the AppData folder (and the registry) are limited to the C: drive.