Moving FFXI Folder On Your PC: Most Efficient Way?

I've got a new HDD and I want to move my FFXI folder from C: to E:, the new HDD.
I'm wondering what would be the most efficient way?
Can I just copy/paste the folder? But then I would have to update the path in god knows how many entries in the Windows registry, right?

So maybe the best way would be:
1) backup the entire FFXI/POL Folder in a temporary folder
2) uninstall the game
3) start installing in the new HDD
4) Once the install is over avoid updating the game and instead copy/pasting (and overwriting) every file from the backup folder to the new install one.

Would this work?
Would it create issues with DGvoodoo? God I don't really remember how to re-install DGvoodoo lol.


I'm not sure if anyone can think of a better method than what I described.

Didn't SE release a new installer some months ago? I think I still have very old installers from the SoA digital edition, bet the new one is better?

You can just move the folder and setup a sym link to it on your other drive. Then you don't have to change anything.

You tried that? It works?
The only problem I see with such a method is that the Windows uninstaller would stop working (because that would keep being linked to the old path, which I could probably fix by updating some registry entry somewhere but I cba honestly)

Technically this doesn't affect me in any way of sorts, but the OCD part of me could start getting uneasy knowing that lol

Is this the new installer that SE released some months ago? Or is there an even more recent one? Anybody knows?

You can copy + paste and then run these two files:

Add registry entries: https://pastebin.com/nfyyEK4Q Save as something like ffxi.reg (Need to go in and replace the folder location with your own, and use two \\'s instead of just one)

ffxi.bat file that registers all the DLLs with your system:
https://pastebin.com/RWk51a3g (Put this in the SquareEnix top folder, alongside the FINAL FANTASY XI and PlayOnlineViewer folders). You might need to run this from an admin command prompt. Right clicking and running as admin won't work since it'll try to run it from system32 instead of the folder it's in that way iirc.

If you have DGVoodoo, you'll just need to replace that one .dll in your Windows system folder.

I made the registry entry file, someone else made the .bat but it's been like over a decade since I've had it so I don't remember where it came from.

I'll try to give a look at that, granted I might have to change some things in that batch file because I have the EU game, which has slightly different IDs in the Windows Registry.

And yeah I use DGVoodoo and if I were to reinstall it from scratch today I wouldn't know where to begin with anymore lol

You can make your own registry backups by finding the PlayOnlineEU in your system's registry. I believe you can just right-click the folder and "save as" or soemthing.

Here you go :)

Download the latest version of DgVoodoo
Extract the filers to a temporary folder.
Copy the below files located in MS\x86

DDraw.dll
D3DImm.dll
D3D8.dll
D3D9.dll

to the game folder folder (PlayOnlineViewer Folder).

Copy the DgVoodoo exe file to your PlayOnlineViewer folder.

DgVoodoo settings:
Right+Click run the application as administrator

General Tab:
Adapter to use: choose your gpu card

Glide Tab:
No Changes, can skip

DirectX Tab:
Keep texturing and anti-aliasing to app-driven
VRAM: change to 2048MB (this is important)
DGVoodoo Watermark: check this box and run the game, if the DGVoodoo watermark is present, it means your configuration is successful and DGVoodoo is working properly.

Source

Also, Sutero pointed out that you need to replace the .dll in the system folder, however if I am not mistaken, he is most likely referring to the [D3DCompiler_47.dll] which is already part of windows 10, hence does not need to be replaced.

Um, yeah, I wouldn't follow those directions, you don't want to drop the directdraw.dll, and only need d3d8.dll, none of the rest (well that and the front end config) and setting each instance (if you multibox on the same pc) to 2gb of vram would most likely lead to you having a bad time .

If you copy the directdraw.dll it causes pol stuttering, and it's unnecessary, the game doesn't use directx9, so that's moot, honestly unsure of the other dll, but I know I don't use it, and neither does this video:

https://youtu.be/gppbG1nJ5cg

and I wouldn't copy more than you need.

Ya the DDraw.dll actually shouldn't be copied, thanks for pointing that out. I've updated my post.

I wouldn't do the other one either, it isn't needed. As for the vram: it uses that setting for each instance you launch, so if you have an older system or budget system it may not have the available vram to say launch even 2 instances of xi, you'll see crashes. I'd only set it for what you need based on resolution and effects you're going after, and then leave some buffer room. So if you have a 6gb video card, 3 instances, I wouldn't use 2gb of vram per ibsttance, as it leaves no buffer. Honestly wish multiboxing across multiple computers was better supported,..