Moving entire DAZ content libraries
SnowSultan
Posts: 3,785
If I were to move my entire DAZ content library to another drive, but retain all of the folder structures (basically just copy and paste the whole thing), can someone tell me how I make sure that the paths in DIM, Smart Content, and for any loaded scenes are also retained so that scenes load without missing files and Studio still identifies installed content?
Thanks for any advice.
Post edited by SnowSultan on
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
In Daz Studio and DIM you must change the path to the new ones.
For DIM you must also update the manifest files, to the new path. The manifest files is simple text files, so look at one to find the path and knows what to update. With many manifest files it is a big task, but with Notapad ++ you can batch edit them all.
Can you tell me where the manifest files might be located? Hopefully I can also batch edit them in Word, I'd assume so. Thank you.
Call me old fashioned or just contrary. I never mess with the Manifes files, or Smart Content, etc.
I use DIM to handle moving or reinstalling stuff. Open up DIM and give it the info for your new location. Then let DIM do all the work.
DIM will default to the uninstall option. It will uninstall stuff from your previous directories, and install into the new directories.
I can't remember the default location for manifest files, but look in DIM under advanced setting, and there is the path yo the manifest files.
Whether they can be edited in Word I don't know. It is essential that the edit don't generate weird line shifts or something else additional characters.
If you do have the downloads, you can do as Ron says, but if not it will be a huge download.
Thanks, I might try as Ron says, although last time I checked, I had 651 gigabytes of content installed...reinstalling all that would take a while.
It could be a very simple process, alternatively ~~
- Fully close DS, DIM. Copy/Paste the root directory of your Daz Library from the old driver to the new drive.
- Go to, if you use Windows, Computer Management > Disk Management. Change the drive letter of the old drive to Z. Change the drive letter of the new drive to the one that the old drive had... (for instance, let's say D). Done.
In this way, you don't have to modify any settings in DS / DIM. Everything in your Daz Library / Smart Content / cms cluster, etc. will be untamed. And the process is much much faster.
Like crosswind said, I did that (copied the entire drive, 'cause I have a dedicated drive for Daz content) and had no issues.
I couldn't do that because I was moving DAZ stuff from the main drive (C) to a (D) drive. Anyway, it was no problem, just had to wait two hours to move 650 gigs to the new drive, then update the directories in DIM and Studio and it seems fine. Some scripts seem broken though, so I'll have to reinstall them.
Right ~ If you'd ever been "set up" by DS/DIM, i.e. directly installed Daz content on C drive rather than a dedicated drive, you had to modify the configuration then ~~
The Manifest files are in the folder with the DIM install zips or the one in the same directory.
Moving the SmartContent is not going to work. Sorry. You need to use the Check All Button and liet it run batch to dinstall, then move tou DIM and Content Library (what little remains with freebies & such) to your new preferred location. You may as well Batch uninstall DAZ Studio versions as well before that though.. Then edit all the paths to your new locations in DIM, adding extra content locations and editing the paths as normal. Then install DAZ Studios versions snd the plugins. DIM will install them with you updated locations that you just edited in DIM. Once that's done, I like to start DAZ Studio & make sure the paths are as expected. Now check all and let it run batch install for all your content. I have about 650GB and it takes a couple of days, true!!!
Well, actually there're two kind of "Manifest" file(s), one locates in product installation package which is used for installing content files, another locates in DIM > ManifestFiles folder > which is used by DIM to mark if a product is installed.
Relocating a Daz Libary has nothing to do with either of the above-mentioned manifest files... unless one relocates / re-installs DS and/or DIM from C to another drive... or ever set manifest archive folder into the path of a Daz Library ~~
For the issue of "broken link" of scripts that you ever customized for Favorites / Scripts. You don't have to re-install and/or re-customize scripts either.
Simply go to the path: %appdata%\DAZ 3D\Studio4 ( %appdata%\DAZ 3D\Studio4 Public Build if you use Public Build, %appdata%\DAZ 3D\Studio6 Public Build if you use DS 2025 )
Locate a file named customactions.dsx. Open it with Notepad++. Replace C:/ with the drive letter of your new drive, for instance let's say D drive. Then do: Replace All > C:/ with D:/ , Ctrl + S to save the file. Done ~
Then relaunch DS, your Scripts will all work fine.
@SnowSultan,
If your D drive is now dedicated to Daz Studio content, in the future you can use @crosswind’s advice to change the D drive's letter assignment to Z (or any unused drive letter) and change the new drive’s letter to D. This is exactly what I did two years ago. I use DIM to install content to one external 5 TB drive and manually install the content to another external 5 TB drive; call it a poor man’s RAID system. I accidentally dropped the drive with the DIM installed content and the drive was shot. I changed the backup drive’s letter to the drive letter that held the DIM installed content and was back up and running. No need to change anything in Daz Students CMS.