Can I move my LaunchBox Directory to a new PC

[angelobodetti]

Hello - I am wondering if the LaunchBox install is self contained tot eh install directory, and if so, can I simply copy/paste that entire directory to a new PC? I am asking because I have an external hard drive hooked up to a PC that I am getting rid of. I want to set LaunchBox up on the external hard drive (which I am keeping) and when my new PC comes in, simply plug the HD in and be set. Or would I need to download and re-install LaunchBox? Thank you!

[DOS76]

In most cases you can do so very easily the only issue can come is when some times you have things on different drives and you are using the full path to them. Say for example you have items on a J: drive in your one computer and you are using the full path J:\Emulators\Nintendo\NES\ROMs if your new computer either doesn't have a J drive or if it does but those files aren't on that drive in the same exact folder structure than LB will return the ROM doesn't exist error when you try to launch it. Even if you do have this issue you can easily use Notepadd++'s find and replace method to change your directories in LaunchBox.xml. In order to check what your folder structure is click on a platform and then right click a game and choose edit. If you see the example of the path in my image that is using a full path and would be unusable on another install without first doctoring the XML file. If files where pointed to a network location they would still be good on another computer as long as the new computer was on the same network and had access to the file locations

[SentaiBrad]

So it sounds like you have your games on something other than your external, then yea we need to know if you have your games in your LaunchBox folder or in their own Roms folder. If they're in the LB folder you have a relative path, and if they're in their own folder then they are in a full path, like Derek has shown. If they're in a full path then move all your games to your external. If they're in say, "C:\Emulators\insert system names\" and you move just the emulators folder, you can use Notepad++ to find and replace the "C:\" with your external letter, lets say "D:\". If your games are already on an external hard drive or you've just moved them to an external then on your new computer just make sure to change your external hard drive letter to the old one. If you plug in the external to your new PC it may not stay the old letter, it depends on what you have plugged in at the time. So if on the new PC it's F:\, then in windows before you start doing too much with your PC change it to D:\. You'll also want to make sure your Emulators have the same path, if they were in the full path you changed then you're good, but if they're in a completely different path then you need to double check those, but there shouldn't be too many so you can do that manually. As per the LaunchBox folder, that is completely Portable as it never installs anything to your Windows Registry. So as long as your console names in LB never change, all the images, video, music and manuals will load just fine.

[CADScott]

Another option is to set up your LaunchBox install to use Symbolic Links in windows to link your paths to the standard LaunchBox paths. I have my LaunchBox setup on three different machines, all with very different storage setups, so I set up LaunchBox to use it's the standard media storage locations, and then use symbolic links to the locations that are unique for each machines setup. In this way every LaunchBox install I have sees the Game path as being in C:\LaunchBox\Games, but the links point to the rom storage area on my secondary drives. This allows me to sync and move my library between all machines without breaking any paths to media or roms.

[Stank]

I just moved to a new computer/hard drive and edited LaunchBox.xml as described. But when I try to start a game, it reports "The ROM file you specified does not exist"...Do I need to edit the paths in all of the xml files in LaunchBox > Data > Platforms? Is there a "refresh metadata" option?

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by Stank

[Lordmonkus]

3 minutes ago, Stank said:

Do I need to edit the paths in all of the xml files

Yes.

Your metadata should be fine.