Cannot Run MSFS 2020 Just Because I Don't Have Enough Space?

[kmanning]

This problem has never been brought up. I've found a few topics regarding not having enough space but DOES NOT say anything about how one can continue to run the sim without having to download the updates. I'm not able to go any farther and stuck with having to download the the updates. When I open MSFS 2020, I get the message that I don't have enough space on my computer, which is correct. So, there's no point in downloading the updates. Now the problem is that I cannot run the sim because I can go no farther. Does this mean that I will not be able to run the sim until I purchase a larger disk and download the updates? That is absolutely rediculous if that is true. I cannot find anywhere on my computer that has a configuration file or something that I can make the changes so that I can continue to run MSFS 2020. I am very angry about this. But please don't think that I am angry at any of you here in the forum. I am not angry at any of you. I would be angry at Microsoft. So, I hope all of you understand. If I cannot play or run MSFS 2020 simply because I don't have enough space or have their latest update, I have every right to be angry at Microsoft regarding this, and I'm being forced to purchase a larger disk just to be able to run it again. This is way it appears to me, but I could be wrong. If this is true, it means this is all about spending more money. Will someone tell me if I can make some changes so that I can continue to run it.

Ken.

 

[toprob]

The reality is that you just don't have enough space left to run the sim as it needs to be run. There can't really be anyone to blame for that. Microsoft do make you update the sim, but this isn't just a whim on their part.
Have you done all you can to recover disk space? You may have already run the Disc Cleanup (File manager: right-click the drive: Properties: Disc cleanup, then Cleanup System Files if this is your system drive.) If you haven't done it, then you might be surprised how much space you can recover.
You can also uninstall anything which you don't immediately need, as long as there's a simple way to reinstall it.

 

[kmanning]

The reality is that you just don't have enough space left to run the sim as it needs to be run.

You are not correct. I was able to run this sim until they released an update, which I was not able to download. I don't think you understand what I'm talking about here. The message is saying that it cannot download because I don't have enough space, NOT that I'm not able to run it. BEFORE the update, I was able to run the sim just fine. The point I'm driving at is that since the update, now I cannot run the sim, and the update is NO concern to me. NO other sim has EVER kept anyone from running their sim, even if it needs to be updated. So yes, I can blame microsoft for this issue.

Have you done all you can to recover disk space? You may have already run the Disc Cleanup (File manager: right-click the drive: Properties: Disc cleanup, then Cleanup System Files if this is your system drive.) If you haven't done it, then you might be surprised how much space you can recover. You can also uninstall anything which you don't immediately need, as long as there's a simple way to reinstall it.

I need everything that is on my computer, and cleaning up the files will not give me the gigabytes of space needed to download the updates. The point is, I paid a lot of money for this sim and I don't like being forced to spend more money for a larger disk just to be able to run the sim. Then in another 6 months or maybe a year, you have to spend more money for more space. It's as I've said, I feel that this is all about forcing one to upgrade his computer, and this is their way of keeping you from running the sim UNTIL you upgrade. There is NO reason not to be able to continue to run the sim, even without the update. Being able to run the sim prior to the update proves that I don't need to the update to run it. FSX and P3D sims do NOT keep you from continuing to run the sim, even without have the update.

Ken.

 

[ronh]

Have you backed up your community folder? Do you have aircraft/airports/utilities that were not downloaded from the marketplace? If you have Community stuff remove those from your drive and try to update then reinstall your community folder.

review this:

https://flightsimulator.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408886545938-How-to-restore-the-sim-to-its-vanilla-state-to-get-back-in-game

The next drastic measure is to delete the entire sim and see how much you have. I believe the system requirements are 150 Gigs.
Otherwise I have no more suggestions.

 

[toprob]

There is NO reason not to be able to continue to run the sim, even without the update.

Except that there is a reason, even if it is only that MS require that you install all updates. I have always thought that Microsoft do this to prevent having to stream data to users all with different sim versions, which could make a mess for everyone. P3D and FSX don't rely on the Cloud to deliver a huge amount of data, so within your own system you can run whatever version you like.

I would recommend that you check how much space you would recover by cleaning your system. Some users end up with backups of previous Windows versions for example, which can definitely account for gigabytes of space. Can't hurt to take a look.

 

[=rk=]

When connection is lost the sim will allow the user to select "run in offline mode." Doing this obviously skips the content check, which presumably allows the user to continue running at the last most recent update state. I don't know how long a user could keep doing this, but again, presumably, it could allow the sim to start to the point the user could delete all non essential content updates, like Maverick, France, etc. As a final presumption, a user could conceivably continue to download content in order to accept all the mandatory update modules, if they were studious about deleting every content enhancement, once it had downloaded.

You can see I have one hundred and seventy-three gigabytes that I could free up by deleting content.

 

[rhumbaflappy]

Yep. You only have 2 choices. Either fiollow Rick's advice, or buy another (or bigger) Harddrive. I get the ire over these choices, but Asobo promised this was a program that would be developed over years. Most simmers want more content.

 

[toprob]

There are tools about which will allow you to bypass the update check, the most recent of which is Parallel 42's Stripr.

 

[kmanning]

Hi all,

I want to thank all of you for you comments and the things I can do to run my MSFS 2020 sim again. Let me start off by saying that I have a 1 terabyte SSD drive and I only have about 41 gigabytes left. As you can see, my disk is almost full. As a matter of fact, when I click the PC icon on my desktop, the C drive shows as red. Some of you told me to run the Disk Cleanup to free up space. Before I do that, I want the be assured that it WILL NOT delete, clean, nor remove any of my files, programs, projects, or anything that I want to keep. How does it know what I want and do not want to keep? Do I need to back them up first? I've thought about backing them up on some cloud service but with all the illegal spying going on these days, I don't trust hardly anyone.

 

[toprob]

Here's a screenshot of Clean-up on my old PC. When the was my main PC I cleaned it often, as the system drive is small, and now I just use it for accounting, so it is already quite clean.

There's more on the list when I scroll. As you can see, it can free up to 3.72 GB which is mainly made up of old Windows Updates. As this is selected above, you can read the description of what it does, so you know exactly what it would remove. You can check the description for each item, and keep anything you are not sure of by unchecking it. Normally, the Windows Update files save the most space. As I've never reverted to a previous version I have no problem removing these files.

Note that this is 'system clean-up', which is accessed via a button on the standard disc clean-up window. Note there's a 'More Options' tab on the system clean-up window, this one offers the option of removing programs you don't use, but I don't bother with that. It also offers the option of removing all by the most recent System Restore point, which can free up a lot of space if your system has used this often.

 

[bernb]

Unfortunately you accepted the default install location for MSFS which is - surprise - c:\ drive and now you are out of space.
Although I had a 1 TB SSD on my laptop, I chose to install MSFS on my 2 TB SSD. Funnily enough MSFS installed in D:\ but automatically created folders and Junctions in c:\ pointing to d:\. So no problem here. In future I advise you NOT to accept the default location on c:\ unless it is essential.

I had a similar problem years ago where everything wanted to install on my c:\ drive in the Programs folders. At that time I had an iPhone and only 250gigs ssd for c:\ and iTunes would make backups of all the Apps I had installed in a MEDIA folder in my c drive. With FSX also installed there very soon there was no more space on c:\ although I had a large 2tb d:\ drive with lots of space.

The solution: I created a JUNCTION on c:\ drive for the media folder that pointed to d:\media, moved all the files into the d:\media folder and behold I now had lotsa space on my c:
drive. Did the same with FSX scenery folders.

Simply do a google search for JUNCTION and you will find how to create these and free up your c:\ drive without any fuss. Its very simple and the junctions stay even with a reboot.

 

[FamilyWeb]

He can still do what Bernb did. Just uninstall MSFS from your default internal drive and clean your drive and registry of all signs of MSFS on your C:\ drive. Then reinstall to a larger (preferably fast or faster) external or secondary internal drive and then utilize a program call MSFS Addons Linker for your add-ons (which you'd naturally install to your larger secondary drive). Hopefully Windows and MSFS will know to look on the secondary drive when any updates are required. If not, at least you won't have a large portion of your main drive filled with the core MSFS installation.

 

[bernb]

That would be the long way.
1. Download Junction from here:

Junction - Sysinternals

Create Win2K NTFS junction points.

learn.microsoft.com

2. Website also tells you how to use it.
3. Practice on some folder you create.
4. When you know how it works (very easy) shut down MSFS, grab the largest folders from c:\program files, follow the instructions to create a new folder on your d:\ drive, move the files from that folder in c:\ freeing up gigs of space to the new folder, create the JUNCTION and Bobs your Uncle.

SYSINTERNALS is a fantastic suite of tools. You should get the lot.

The other option is mklink which comes preinstalled with Windows 10. See this post for info on usage for both Junction and mklink.

How can I create a symbolic link on Windows 10?

I was reading http://web.archive.org/web/20160820000804/https://www.dropboxwiki.com/tips-and-tricks/sync-game-saves-across-multiple-computers, and I know junction/mklink worked in Windows 7 as well...

superuser.com

I don't know how fast your internet is but here in OZ we have shit slow. Max is 50 mbs so re downloading all those files would take a long time. Took me 2 days to get it all and not clog up my internet.
Good Luck.

 

[toprob]

I assumed that the op only had the one drive, since he mentioned the need to purchase something bigger, but if that isn't the case then there are quite a few options available.
I keep MSFS on my system disc for the speed, but the Community folder is on another drive, using mklink, which is handy for a lot of things.

 

[=rk=]

Community folder is on another drive, using mklink, which is handy for a lot of things.

I don't know what else mklink does, but all that is required to relocate the Community folder is to relocate the Community folder. Delete the original copy, start MSFS and when the content check completes, it will suggest about a hundred gigabytes are required to be downloaded and it will ask for a path. Point MSFS to your relocated directory, it will recalculate the required content and use your new location from that point forward.