**** I get annoyed when they're kept even in My Documents. I'd rather have them in the game folder itself, so everything is together.

kyro? So is this coming in the next patch? Please?

I wouldn't expect this in any patch upcoming. I'll be surprised if it does change.

I actually figured this out last night and am testing it over the next couple of days. Didn't want to say anything about it since I'm testing it and I have a question for the developers about how Sins handles something...but yeah, it seems to work. And you can mess up your system with it.

Believe me, I do all this and have since the Windows 95 days.

My drives typically:
C: Windows system drive. Very little else lives here other then things like Java and stuff. 15-20 gigs plenty for XP
D: Page file partition, usually 2 gigs. Nothing else goes here but the page file so that it's not fragmented
E: Programs partition. Any non game programs get installed here
G: Games partition. Biggest of them all
F: My Documents/Data partition. I point "My Documents" short cut to this drive

This keeps everything nice and tidy as much as possible. And also allows formatting of various partitions without messing with the others.

So many games I buy now put stuff on the C drive. So even though I used to make it small, I just gave up and now make my Windows drive large. It bothers me, but that drive tends to get cluttered with other Windows nonsense anyway. The worst is when some game tries to extract itself into a temp folder on the C drive before installation, and then crashes and burns because it runs out of space.

-HM

:?

My saves and replays vary between 300kb and 3000kb. Just how many are you taking to use up a GB?

Technically, this is not correct. As discussed, there are means to do this built into windows. They're not easy to find nor perform, and can be dangerous, but they are there.

For most people, installing everything on one great big partition is easy and effective, but for those of us looking to get more out of our operating environment, thorough customizations must be made. It's not enough to do half the job and expect everything to work the way it's supposed to. If you're interested in seeing how to move core windows structures such as:

Temp folder
Temporary internet files folder
Documents and Settings/Users folder
Pagefile
Program Files Folder (Default can be changed, but existing installations are extremely difficult to move)
Hybernation file (this feature can be disabled, or it's storage location moved)
System Restore Folder (This can be disabled, but not moved so far as I'm aware.)

It can be done, Google has the answers.

Then as I've asked a few times already, why do other games that are "Games for Windows" not store things in the user profile? Are they break the rules but got certified anyway?

Found it.

From Microsoft's site: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb173456.aspx

2.1 Follow User Account Control Guidelines
Requirement
Every executable file (that is, every file that has a .exe extension) must contain an embedded manifest that defines its execution level by including the following tag:

Copy Code

Per requirement 1.2, the main game and autorun executable must have the execution level of asInvoker to support Standard User contexts.

User data files that have file associations registered with File Explorer must be placed in a subfolder of the folder that is specified by CSIDL_PERSONAL (also called Documents or My Documents). All other user data files must be stored in a subfolder of the folders that are specified by CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA or CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA. (These directories are hidden by default for individual users and for all users.)

Rationale
A user's Windows experience is more secure if applications run only with the permissions needed.

______________________________________________________________________________________



That part
"All other user data files must be stored in a subfolder of the folders that are specified by CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA or CSIDL_COMMON_APPDATA. (These directories are hidden by default for individual users and for all users.)"

is where the restriction is.

In other words, Ironclad and Stardock are following the rules, at least as far as I can tell. I'm neither a developer or a lawyer, so I'm not sure. But, it does seem, based on what I changed, that this is where the restriction is. I don't know about the other games/companies, unless the rules recently changed.

To summarize - Complain to Microsoft.

You two either missed the fact that I said I store games on an external drive or I didn't specify that I run a laptop that doubles as a work machine and therefore that external drive is not always hooked up depending on where I am and what I'm doing. It'd be pretty stupid to relocate all the Documents and Settings information on a drive that is only hooked up half of the day. If I'm somewhere on site with this system I need access to Documents and Settings because of a lot of development software that stores things here. Relocating it is not an option. That external drive isn't exactly battery powered like this system is. Upgrading is also, unfortunately, out of the question right now due to battery concerns, power consumption, and the extreme cost of high performance laptop drives.

Now I know you two don't know me, and neither does anyone else, but it wouldn't be all that difficult to go into some of that development software I run and sift through binary/hex/machine code/whatever you want to call it to figure out where the references to the current mods folder are and change them. However, that's unethical, potentially illegal, would violate the EULA, and could harm my ability to get updates so I'm not going to do it and I have never done that in the past for those reasons. However, it is pretty easy for me to do because of my background, education, and occupation (I would get instantly fired the moment I do something potentially illegal--play by the rules and you will be rewarded). Moving the Documents and Settings folder is child's play to me and not an option at the moment.

I don't think anyone or myself is asking for the game to be changed to where it violates Games for Windows. The permissions issues are completely legit and a known Windows quirk. However, it would be nice to have an alternative place to store mods and content preferably in the install directory. Just an alternate place where the game looks. There doesn't have to be a toggle or any path changing...just another place where things can be put manually and still get recognized as mod data or game saves or maps, etc.

I missed that you said you only have 2 partitions and one was external. You're right, you can't be moving around critical files to volitile locations.

I would like to mention, however, that modifying the stored location of your mods and save files in this manner is a) not a matter of hex or binary, it's simply registry modifications, and is not illegal or unethical, provided you don't distribute the method. Let me rephrase to ensure my point is delivered correctly: Modifying your system is your choice and your right, provided it doesn't affect anyone else's system in the process. It may restrict you from receiving updates (though this is unlikely because when the software deploys, it (should) look for the registry entries. Hardcoding would be silly, though it may check the registry to ensure it's in a "sane" state.) If it does restrict you, it's easy enough to revert your changes.