Updating

[King Burton]

I have a completely separate drive for my music business away from my OS drive. Since Cakewalk does not give an option to change install locations, so it installs files everywhere except where I need them. Updates are a chore to locate the new files, relocate, and determine what is different.

Wouldn't it be a nice feature to install updates to where my files are located?

[scook]

I rely on the fact that updates do not overwrite custom folder locations. Updating custom locations creates the possibility of losing data due to file name clashes.

 

Today, in order to relocate parts of the DAW and have the installer update the new locations. learn how to use mklink and create directory junctions to relocate data. For example, if I wanted to move "C:\Cakewalk Content" to the D drive using I directory direction the steps are:

• Using Windows Explorer move "C:\Cakewalk Content" to "D:"
• Open a command window as administrator and type mklink /j "C:\Cakewalk Content" "D:\Cakewalk Content"

 

[King Burton]

Teah I just found that and need to learn how to use. So, is this a onetime thing that becomes automatic, or something I need to do every time I update? and thank you for your responses.

[scook]

Unless something overwrites the entries, directory junctions are setup once.

[King Burton]

Wonder if directory junction would fix metronome issue. Curious. Will have to try this.

[User 905133]

27 minutes ago, scook said:

. . . learn how to use mklink and create directory junctions to relocate data. For example, if I wanted to move "C:\Cakewalk Content" to the D drive using I directory direction the steps are:

• Using Windows Explorer move "C:\Cakewalk Content" to "D:"
• Open a command window as administrator and type mklink /j "C:\Cakewalk Content" "D:\Cakewalk Content"

I have thought of using a directory junction, but I am not clear on how they work.  Some questions to try to clarify:

1. If I make a directory junction like this ^^^^, will Cakewalk see/use only D:\Cakewalk Content or will it see/use both as if everything in both Cakewalk Content folders are in a single folder? 
2. Also, are there potential problems if there are files or subfolders with duplicate names? 

Thanks.

Edited December 13, 2022 by User 905133

[King Burton]

OK Scook last question. About to try this. Let's assume I have some custom files in say Cakewalk Core - Plugin Menu Layouts titled King's Plugins.

Does this process just update specific files inside the folder and leave the others untouched or will I lose King's Plugins. Can't afford to damage what I have.

[King Burton]

This is obviously a very powerful tool that many are not aware of. Be cool to have a detailed discription of the process detailing what it will do, what it won't do, and its limitations.

[scook]

53 minutes ago, User 905133 said:

I have thought of using a directory junction, but I am not clear on how they work.  Some questions to try to clarify:

1. If I make a directory junction like this ^^^^, will Cakewalk see/use only D:\Cakewalk Content or will it see/use both as if everything in both Cakewalk Content folders are in a single folder? 
2. Also, are there potential problems if there are files or subfolders with duplicate names? 

Thanks.

There is only one physical location where the data is stored. All reads and writes happen at the physical location.

When a program tries to access the directory junction, the OS uses the physical location referenced by the directory junction.

There is no chance for duplication because there is only one physical location maintained by the OS.

 

BUT don take my word for it.

Experiment...create a small directory tree and play around with it.

Understanding how directory junctions and mklink work are really useful skills.

[scook]

14 minutes ago, King Burton said:

OK Scook last question. About to try this. Let's assume I have some custom files in say Cakewalk Core - Plugin Menu Layouts titled King's Plugins.

Does this process just update specific files inside the folder and leave the others untouched or will I lose King's Plugins. Can't afford to damage what I have.

Updates typically do not delete folders so anything in the plug-in layout folder before the update will be there after the update. The only chance for data loss when updating is if the update contains a file the user has modified. The user modifications will be lost when the file is overwritten. In the example, the user layout name used is not something that will likely be part of an update.

[King Burton]

Fascinated by this but want to clarify. Let's say Cakewalk installed to C/: I want to move everything to X/:  So:

1. Move everything to X:  2. Make a Directory Junction C to X. (Google search says OS kinda see this DJ as a shortcut.)  Will this process include all subfolders and files?

And I think you are saying any updates from now on look at the C; drive and relocates the update physically to the X: Drive.

Is it really that SIMPLE??

[scook]

18 minutes ago, King Burton said:

Is it really that SIMPLE??

Yes, it's really that simple

BUT

there are some programs that rely on physical locations so they will fail when encountering a junction. How they fail depends on the program.

Wholesale relocations as described in

18 minutes ago, King Burton said:

Fascinated by this but want to clarify. Let's say Cakewalk installed to C/: I want to move everything to X/:  So:

1. Move everything to X:  2. Make a Directory Junction C to X. (Google search says OS kinda see this DJ as a shortcut.)  Will this process include all subfolders and files?

And I think you are saying any updates from now on look at the C; drive and relocates the update physically to the X: Drive.

Is it really that SIMPLE??

in not a great idea. It is likely, there will be at least one program or installer that will break using this method.

 

If you really want to install CbB in a non-default location, start with a clean install and specify where to install the program.

After that, then relocate bits as needed using directory junctions.

 

Of course, I have never and would never recommend what you are trying to do instead suggest looking elsewhere to free up space so that the DAW may be installed with a minimum of customization.

[Byron Dickens]

Yeah. I'm wondering what possible advantage there is to having programs installed elsewhere than C.

[Glenn Stanton]

most programs are fairly small compared to content like samples etc. so i only create junctions for content subfolders. some programs, as scook has explained, will break - to wit - sampletank  --- i cannot find a reliable way to get the content off the "user/public/documents" folder without it breaking. so i left it. most other programs will let you do it - even the Waves stuff i've moved content out and updates seem to work fine and put the content onto the right mapped folder.

[Xoo]

One case where a junction can fail is when an installer uncritically tries to (re)create a folder with that name.  It seems that the OS/NTFS can handle creating a folder with an existing name (I assume it fails gracefully) but doesn't when the folder is really a junction of some sort (yes, there are multiple types of junction!).

[King Burton]

OK. So all this was a terrible plan. Created junction ok. Updated and everything crashed so bad I had to do a system restore. Could not uninstall. Hardway to delete and clean registry. Now I am ready to reinstall.

I am left with one junction:   mklink /j "C:\Program Files\Cakewalk" "F:\Cakewalk\Cakewalk Content"

Directory on C:\   has:        01/14/2022  03:04 PM    <JUNCTION>     Documents and Settings [C:\Users]

How do you delete this link?

(Win 11)