Graphics & Skins Installation Guide + User Data Location Info

[michaeltmurrayuk]

 

Welcome to the latest version of the Football Manager Graphics & Skins Installation Guide.

This guide will show you how to install the most common types of graphics and skins correctly into Football Manager.

It will also give details on how to locate and change your User Data Location.

To simplify things further this year I have split each part of the guide into two parts one will cover the instructions for the current versions of Football Manager and the other part will cover the instructions for older versions that required different instructions.

In addition, the instructions unless stated are generally the same regardless of whether you are using the Steam, Epic or Gamepass version of the game, are gaming on Windows, Mac or Linux or purchased a disk or digital copy of the game.

Please note you are advised as always to run a virus scan on any file downloaded from the internet. Sports Interactive or SEGA have no control over third party content and as such third-party downloads are used at your own risk.

It is also advisable to read any instructions on the download page for the content you are installing (or found in the readme that comes with the download) as they may contain any extra instructions that are specific to that file. This is especially important for multi-part mega-packs that may need to be extracted in a certain order.

Next follow one of the following links depending on what you are trying to add to the game:

How To Install Graphics (Kits, Logos, Faces, Trophies etc...)

• Football Manager 2022-2023
• Older Versions

How To Install Skins

• Football Manager 2022-2023
• Older Versions

How To Install Other Stuff

• Football Manager 2022-2023
• Older Versions

How To Add Graphics You Have Created

• Football Manager 2022-2023
• Older Versions

How To Locate Your User Data Location

• Football Manager 2022-23
• Older Versions

How To Change Your User Data Location

• Football Manager 2022-23
• Older Versions

How To Transfer Files From A Previous Version

Troubleshooting 

Edited November 7, 2022 by michaeltmurrayuk
Updated for FM23

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Install Graphics - Football Manager 2023-24

This part of the guide will cover how to install 3D kits, 2D kits, face-packs, logos, trophies, backgrounds and stadium pictures and whilst each of these packs are slightly different the instructions to install them are exactly the same.

After you have downloaded a file it will generally come in one of three formats: zip, rar or 7z file.

Zip files should be automatically supported by your OS and may show up as compressed folders, Rar and 7z files may require you to download some software to extract the files, the below software is recommended:

Windows: 7-Zip (Choose the most recent .exe)

MacOS: The Unarchiver

Linux: If you are using Linux hopefully you know how to download and locate programs for Linux already.

7-Zip is installed using the .exe you download, following the instructions on-screen. To install The Unarchiver simply double click on the .zip file you download from their website then drag the program it extracts (called 'The Unarchiver') into your apps folder.

Once installed, create a new folder somewhere you can keep track of (on your desktop for instance) and place your downloaded graphics zip, rar or 7z in it. Now we extract:

Windows: Right click on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 7-Zip from the menu, then select 'Extract Here'.

MacOS X: Right click (or ctrl + click) on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 'open with' then select 'The Unarchiver'.

Your file should extract and most probably create a folder in the same directory.

If you extracted an fmf file (or just straight downloaded one) this isn't a problem, these are just files that have been packed using the FM Resource Tool, and as an end user there is no need for you to mess around extracting these files, just think of these as the same as the folder you'd get from extracting the files.


Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

 

Then the exact location depends on the OS you are using, whilst both Steam and Epic versions should use the same location, however the Game Pass (Microsoft Store) version uses a slightly different location.

 

Windows

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

MAC Users:

By default your User Data Location is now located within the Users\[Your Mac Username]\Library\Application Support\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

By default this folder is hidden, so to access you need to do as follows:

- Open Finder

- Click ‘Go’ from the menu bar

- Press and hold down the ‘Option’ (Alt) key

- This will bring up the ‘Library’, click to enter then go to ‘Application Support’ -> ‘Sports Interactive’ 

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called graphics, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it graphics.

Now open up your graphics folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

For the most part the sub-folders you put the graphics into doesn't matter, though it is best to separate the different types into their own sub-folders so you don't accidentally overwrite your kits with logos for the same teams. The thing to watch out for when organizing are the config xml files. These are vital and should not be mixed and matched. A set of graphics will come with a config file that is unique to them in the same folder. Make sure they stay together, in the same folder and that new png files or config files are not added or overwritten into their folder.

Whilst for best results try to keep the folder names short and simple and avoid special characters where possible.

For example below is a screenshot showing what a typical end folder should look like if done correctly, note you have a config file along with several graphic files, with a short simple folder structure that stops you from accidentally overwriting the config file when installing other graphics:




Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game, and go into the Preferences Menu.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps, just making sure you put each pack you install into it's own folder so you don't accidentally overwrite the config files from your earlier packs.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Install Graphics - Football Manager 2021-2020

This part of the guide will cover how to install 3D kits, 2D kits, face-packs, logos, trophies, backgrounds and stadium pictures and whilst each of these packs are slightly different the instructions to install them are exactly the same.

After you have downloaded a file it will generally come in one of three formats: zip, rar or 7z file.

Zip files should be automatically supported by your OS and may show up as compressed folders, Rar and 7z files may require you to download some software to extract the files, the below software is recommended:

Windows: 7-Zip (Choose the most recent .exe)

MacOS: The Unarchiver

Linux: If you are using Linux hopefully you know how to download and locate programs for Linux already.

7-Zip is installed using the .exe you download, following the instructions on-screen. To install The Unarchiver simply double click on the .zip file you download from their website then drag the program it extracts (called 'The Unarchiver') into your apps folder.

Once installed, create a new folder somewhere you can keep track of (on your desktop for instance) and place your downloaded graphics zip, rar or 7z in it. Now we extract:

Windows: Right click on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 7-Zip from the menu, then select 'Extract Here'.

MacOS X: Right click (or ctrl + click) on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 'open with' then select 'The Unarchiver'.

Your file should extract and most probably create a folder in the same directory.

If you extracted an fmf file (or just straight downloaded one) this isn't a problem, these are just files that have been packed using the FM Resource Tool, and as an end user there is no need for you to mess around extracting these files, just think of these as the same as the folder you'd get from extracting the files.


Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

MAC Users: Please see this post as the location has been changed due to OS changes.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called graphics, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it graphics.

Now open up your graphics folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

For the most part the sub-folders you put the graphics into doesn't matter, though it is best to separate the different types into their own sub-folders so you don't accidentally overwrite your kits with logos for the same teams. The thing to watch out for when organizing are the config xml files. These are vital and should not be mixed and matched. A set of graphics will come with a config file that is unique to them in the same folder. Make sure they stay together, in the same folder and that new png files or config files are not added or overwritten into their folder.

Whilst for best results try to keep the folder names short and simple and avoid special characters where possible.

For example below is a screenshot showing what a typical end folder should look like if done correctly, note you have a config file along with several graphic files, with a short simple folder structure that stops you from accidentally overwriting the config file when installing other graphics:




Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game, and go into the Preferences Menu.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps, just making sure you put each pack you install into it's own folder so you don't accidentally overwrite the config files from your earlier packs.

 

How To Install Graphics - Football Manager 2019 and Older

This part of the guide will cover how to install 3D kits, 2D kits, face-packs, logos, trophies, backgrounds and stadium pictures and whilst each of these packs are slightly different the instructions to install them are exactly the same.

After you have downloaded a file it will generally come in one of three formats: zip, rar or 7z file.

Zip files should be automatically supported by your OS and may show up as compressed folders, Rar and 7z files may require you to download some software to extract the files, the below software is recommended:

Windows: 7-Zip (Choose the most recent .exe)

MacOS: The Unarchiver

Linux: If you are using Linux hopefully you know how to download and locate programs for Linux already.

7-Zip is installed using the .exe you download, following the instructions on-screen. To install The Unarchiver simply double click on the .zip file you download from their website then drag the program it extracts (called 'The Unarchiver') into your apps folder.

Once installed, create a new folder somewhere you can keep track of (on your desktop for instance) and place your downloaded graphics zip, rar or 7z in it. Now we extract:

Windows: Right click on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 7-Zip from the menu, then select 'Extract Here'.

MacOS X: Right click (or ctrl + click) on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 'open with' then select 'The Unarchiver'.

Your file should extract and most probably create a folder in the same directory.

If you extracted an fmf file (or just straight downloaded one) this isn't a problem, these are just files that have been packed using the FM Resource Tool, and as an end user there is no need for you to mess around extracting these files, just think of these as the same as the folder you'd get from extracting the files.


Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called graphics, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it graphics.

Now open up your graphics folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

For the most part the sub-folders you put the graphics into doesn't matter, though it is best to separate the different types into their own sub-folders so you don't accidentally overwrite your kits with logos for the same teams. The thing to watch out for when organizing are the config xml files. These are vital and should not be mixed and matched. A set of graphics will come with a config file that is unique to them in the same folder. Make sure they stay together, in the same folder and that new png files or config files are not added or overwritten into their folder.

Whilst for best results try to keep the folder names short and simple and avoid special characters where possible.

For example below is a screenshot showing what a typical end folder should look like if done correctly, note you have a config file along with several graphic files, with a short simple folder structure that stops you from accidentally overwriting the config file when installing other graphics:




Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game and go into the Preferences -> Interface menu and untick 'Use Caching to decrease page loading times' and tick 'Reload Skin when confirming changes in Preferences'

 

So the screen should look like this:



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps, just making sure you put each pack you install into it's own folder so you don't accidentally overwrite the config files from your earlier packs.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Install Skins - Football Manager 2023-24

This part of the guide will cover how to install skins, first note that skins will only work on the version of the game they are designed for (so FM19 skins will only work with FM19 and not FM18) and Touch and Full Mode skins aren't compatible so if you are using the Touch version you will only be able to use Touch skins.

After you have downloaded a file it will generally come in one of three formats: zip, rar or 7z file.

Zip files should be automatically supported by your OS and may show up as compressed folders, Rar and 7z files may require you to download some software to extract the files, the below software is recommended:

Windows: 7-Zip (Choose the most recent .exe)

MacOS: The Unarchiver

Linux: If you are using Linux hopefully you know how to download and locate programs for Linux already.

7-Zip is installed using the .exe you download, following the instructions on-screen. To install The Unarchiver simply double click on the .zip file you download from their website then drag the program it extracts (called 'The Unarchiver') into your apps folder.

Once installed, create a new folder somewhere you can keep track of (on your desktop for instance) and place your downloaded graphics zip, rar or 7z in it. Now we extract:

Windows: Right click on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 7-Zip from the menu, then select 'Extract Here'.

MacOS X: Right click (or ctrl + click) on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 'open with' then select 'The Unarchiver'.

Your file should extract and most probably create a folder in the same directory.

If you extracted an fmf file (or just straight downloaded one) this isn't a problem, these are just files that have been packed using the FM Resource Tool, and as an end user there is no need for you to mess around extracting these files, just think of these as the same as the folder you'd get from extracting the files.

 

Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

Then the exact location depends on the OS you are using, whilst both Steam and Epic versions should use the same location, however the Game Pass (Microsoft Store) version uses a slightly different location.

Windows

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

MAC Users:

By default your User Data Location is now located within the Users\[Your Mac Username]\Library\Application Support\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

By default this folder is hidden, so to access you need to do as follows:

- Open Finder

- Click ‘Go’ from the menu bar

- Press and hold down the ‘Option’ (Alt) key

- This will bring up the ‘Library’, click to enter then go to ‘Application Support’ -> ‘Sports Interactive’ 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

 

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called skins, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it skins.

Now open up your skins folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

If it is an fmf file you have downloaded then just place this file directly inside the skins folder.

If you have a folder after extracting the files then you need to make sure you are copying over the correct folder because if the skin files are nested inside another folder they will not work.

So you need to open the folders you extracted until you find a folder that is laid out like this with the skin_config file present;

You then want to grab the parent folder to this [folder name from screenshot] and copy this into your skins folder, if done correctly it should look like this:

 

 

Displaying Skins in-game
 

To select the skin in game you will need to load the game, and go into the Preferences Menu, then in the middle you should have a section called Interface and in that is an option called Skin with a drop-down menu under it.

If you select the drop-down menu it should list all of the skins you have installed, if the skin you want is listed then just select it and press the Confirm button to load it.



If the skin you want isn't showing.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Then click Confirm at the bottom, this should then take you out of the Preferences menu and if you re-enter, it should have refreshed the list of skins and your skin should now be in the list.

Once the skin is loaded you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Install Skins - Football Manager 2021-2020

This part of the guide will cover how to install skins, first note that skins will only work on the version of the game they are designed for (so FM19 skins will only work with FM19 and not FM18) and Touch and Full Mode skins aren't compatible so if you are using the Touch version you will only be able to use Touch skins.

After you have downloaded a file it will generally come in one of three formats: zip, rar or 7z file.

Zip files should be automatically supported by your OS and may show up as compressed folders, Rar and 7z files may require you to download some software to extract the files, the below software is recommended:

Windows: 7-Zip (Choose the most recent .exe)

MacOS: The Unarchiver

Linux: If you are using Linux hopefully you know how to download and locate programs for Linux already.

7-Zip is installed using the .exe you download, following the instructions on-screen. To install The Unarchiver simply double click on the .zip file you download from their website then drag the program it extracts (called 'The Unarchiver') into your apps folder.

Once installed, create a new folder somewhere you can keep track of (on your desktop for instance) and place your downloaded graphics zip, rar or 7z in it. Now we extract:

Windows: Right click on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 7-Zip from the menu, then select 'Extract Here'.

MacOS X: Right click (or ctrl + click) on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 'open with' then select 'The Unarchiver'.

Your file should extract and most probably create a folder in the same directory.

If you extracted an fmf file (or just straight downloaded one) this isn't a problem, these are just files that have been packed using the FM Resource Tool, and as an end user there is no need for you to mess around extracting these files, just think of these as the same as the folder you'd get from extracting the files.

 

Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

MAC Users: Please see this post as the location has been changed due to OS changes.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

 

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called skins, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it skins.

Now open up your skins folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

If it is an fmf file you have downloaded then just place this file directly inside the skins folder.

If you have a folder after extracting the files then you need to make sure you are copying over the correct folder because if the skin files are nested inside another folder they will not work.

So you need to open the folders you extracted until you find a folder that is laid out like this with the skin_config file present;

You then want to grab the parent folder to this [folder name from screenshot] and copy this into your skins folder, if done correctly it should look like this:

 

 

 

Displaying Skins in-game
 

To select the skin in game you will need to load the game, and go into the Preferences Menu, then in the middle you should have a section called Interface and in that is an option called Skin with a drop-down menu under it.

If you select the drop-down menu it should list all of the skins you have installed, if the skin you want is listed then just select it and press the Confirm button to load it.



If the skin you want isn't showing.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Then click Confirm at the bottom, this should then take you out of the Preferences menu and if you re-enter, it should have refreshed the list of skins and your skin should now be in the list.

Once the skin is loaded you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.

 

How To Install Skins - Football Manager 2019 & Older

This part of the guide will cover how to install skins, first note that skins will only work on the version of the game they are designed for (so FM19 skins will only work with FM19 and not FM18) and Touch and Full Mode skins aren't compatible so if you are using the Touch version you will only be able to use Touch skins.

After you have downloaded a file it will generally come in one of three formats: zip, rar or 7z file.

Zip files should be automatically supported by your OS and may show up as compressed folders, Rar and 7z files may require you to download some software to extract the files, the below software is recommended:

Windows: 7-Zip (Choose the most recent .exe)

MacOS: The Unarchiver

Linux: If you are using Linux hopefully you know how to download and locate programs for Linux already.

7-Zip is installed using the .exe you download, following the instructions on-screen. To install The Unarchiver simply double click on the .zip file you download from their website then drag the program it extracts (called 'The Unarchiver') into your apps folder.

Once installed, create a new folder somewhere you can keep track of (on your desktop for instance) and place your downloaded graphics zip, rar or 7z in it. Now we extract:

Windows: Right click on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 7-Zip from the menu, then select 'Extract Here'.

MacOS X: Right click (or ctrl + click) on your zip, rar or 7z. Choose 'open with' then select 'The Unarchiver'.

Your file should extract and most probably create a folder in the same directory.

If you extracted an fmf file (or just straight downloaded one) this isn't a problem, these are just files that have been packed using the FM Resource Tool, and as an end user there is no need for you to mess around extracting these files, just think of these as the same as the folder you'd get from extracting the files.

 

Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

 

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called skins, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it skins.

Now open up your skins folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

If it is an fmf file you have downloaded then just place this file directly inside the skins folder.

If you have a folder after extracting the files then you need to make sure you are copying over the correct folder because if the skin files are nested inside another folder they will not work.

So you need to open the folders you extracted until you find a folder that is laid out like this with the skin_config file present;

You then want to grab the parent folder to this [folder name from screenshot] and copy this into your skins folder, if done correctly it should look like this:

 

 

 

Displaying Skins in-game

 

To select the skin in game you will need to load the game, and go into the Preferences menu and on the left panel in the middle you should have an option called Skin with a drop-down menu next to it.

If you select the drop-down menu it should list all of the skins you have installed, if the skin you want is listed then just select it and press the Confirm button to load it.

If the skin you want isn't showing then go to the Preferences -> Interface menu and at the bottom left you'll see another drop-down menu to select your skin from, below this menu untick 'Use Caching to decrease page loading times' and tick 'Reload Skin when confirming changes in Preferences' then select Confirm. This should then take you out of the Preferences menu but if you re-enter it should have refreshed the list of skins and your skin should now be in the above list.

If done right the screen should look like this:



Once the skin is loaded you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Install Other Stuff - Football Manager 2022-23

It is also possible to replace other items in Football Manager, for the most part these are installed into various folders within your User Data Location.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

Then the exact location depends on the OS you are using, whilst both Steam and Epic versions should use the same location, however the Game Pass (Microsoft Store) version uses a slightly different location.

Windows

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

MAC Users:

By default your User Data Location is now located within the Users\[Your Mac Username]\Library\Application Support\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

By default this folder is hidden, so to access you need to do as follows:

- Open Finder

- Click ‘Go’ from the menu bar

- Press and hold down the ‘Option’ (Alt) key

- This will bring up the ‘Library’, click to enter then go to ‘Application Support’ -> ‘Sports Interactive’ 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the relevant folder for the item you are wanting to install, below I have listed some common examples, for other items you are best checking the site or thread where you downloaded the item from as they should have provided installation instructions.

If you have modified game graphics yourself then you will generally put them into the same subfolders that the default graphics are in once you extracted the fmf file they came from, generally you just need to re-create the same path in your User Data Location.

FM22 has reworked the folder paths for some of the 3D stuff that needs to be placed in certain folders, so the below locations may no longer be correct. 
If the below folders don't exist (and they generally won't) then just create them and once done place your extracted files in the folder indicted below:

3D Match Ball
\mesh\ball\

Pitch Textures
\textures\pitch\

2D Match Ball
\textures\match_icons\

2D Winter Match Ball
\textures\match_icons\winter\

 

Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game, and go into the Preferences Menu.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps.

Also note it is generally recommended to replace these items whilst the game is not running as refreshing the skin doesn't tend to refresh the match related files.

Edited November 7, 2022 by michaeltmurrayuk
FM2023 Info

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Install Other Stuff - Football Manager 2021-2020

It is also possible to replace other items in Football Manager, for the most part these are installed into various folders within your User Data Location.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

MAC Users: Please see this post as the location has been changed due to OS changes.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the relevant folder for the item you are wanting to install, below I have listed some common examples, for other items you are best checking the site or thread where you downloaded the item from as they should have provided installation instructions.

If you have modified game graphics yourself then you will generally put them into the same subfolders that the default graphics are in once you extracted the fmf file they came from, generally you just need to re-create the same path in your User Data Location.

If the below folders don't exist (and they generally won't) then just create them and once done place your extracted files in the folder indicted below:

3D Match Ball
\mesh\ball\

Pitch Textures
\textures\pitch\

2D Match Ball
\textures\match_icons\

2D Winter Match Ball
\textures\match_icons\winter\

 

Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game, and go into the Preferences Menu.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps.

Also note it is generally recommended to replace these items whilst the game is not running as refreshing the skin doesn't tend to refresh the match related files.

 

How To Install Other Stuff - Football Manager 2019 & Older

It is also possible to replace other items in Football Manager, for the most part these are installed into various folders within your User Data Location.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the relevant folder for the item you are wanting to install, below I have listed some common examples, for other items you are best checking the site or thread where you downloaded the item from as they should have provided installation instructions.

If you have modified game graphics yourself then you will generally put them into the same subfolders that the default graphics are in once you extracted the fmf file they came from, generally you just need to re-create the same path in your User Data Location.

If the below folders don't exist (and they generally won't) then just create them and once done place your extracted files in the folder indicted below:

3D Match Ball
\mesh\ball\

Pitch Textures
\textures\pitch\

2D Match Ball
\textures\match_icons\

2D Winter Match Ball
\textures\match_icons\winter\

 

Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game and go into the Preferences -> Interface menu and untick 'Use Caching to decrease page loading times' and tick 'Reload Skin when confirming changes in Preferences'

 

So the screen should look like this:



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

 

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps.

Also note it is generally recommended to replace these items whilst the game is not running as refreshing the skin doesn't tend to refresh the match related files.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Add Graphics you have created - Football Manager 2022-23

If you are planning on creating your own graphics, then you can first refer to these guides on how to create various graphics in the same style as the default graphics:

How To Create Standard Football Manager Logos

How To Create Player Faces

How to Create 3D Kits for FM2018

Once you have created the above graphics you will need to create an xml file called config and place it in the same folder as your graphics, for instructions on how to create a config file then please read this guide:

How To Create A Config File

 

Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

Then the exact location depends on the OS you are using, whilst both Steam and Epic versions should use the same location, however the Game Pass (Microsoft Store) version uses a slightly different location.

Windows

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

MAC Users:

By default your User Data Location is now located within the Users\[Your Mac Username]\Library\Application Support\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

By default this folder is hidden, so to access you need to do as follows:

- Open Finder

- Click ‘Go’ from the menu bar

- Press and hold down the ‘Option’ (Alt) key

- This will bring up the ‘Library’, click to enter then go to ‘Application Support’ -> ‘Sports Interactive’ 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called graphics, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it graphics.

Now open up your graphics folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

For the most part the sub-folders you put the graphics into doesn't matter, though it is best to separate the different types into their own sub-folders so you don't accidentally overwrite your kits with logos for the same teams. The thing to watch out for when organizing are the config xml files. These are vital and should not be mixed and matched. A set of graphics will come with a config file that is unique to them in the same folder. Make sure they stay together, in the same folder and that new png files or config files are not added or overwritten into their folder.

Whilst for best results try to keep the folder names short and simple and avoid special characters where possible.

For example below is a screenshot showing what a typical end folder should look like if done correctly, note you have a config file along with several graphic files, with a short simple folder structure that stops you from accidentally overwriting the config file when installing other graphics:




Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game, and go into the Preferences Menu.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps, just making sure you put each pack you install into it's own folder so you don't accidentally overwrite the config files from your earlier packs.

Edited November 7, 2022 by michaeltmurrayuk
FM2023 Info

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Add Graphics you have created - Football Manager 2021-2020

If you are planning on creating your own graphics, then you can first refer to these guides on how to create various graphics in the same style as the default graphics:

How To Create Standard Football Manager Logos

How To Create Player Faces

How to Create 3D Kits for FM2018

Once you have created the above graphics you will need to create an xml file called config and place it in the same folder as your graphics, for instructions on how to create a config file then please read this guide:

How To Create A Config File

 

Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

MAC Users: Please see this post as the location has been changed due to OS changes.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called graphics, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it graphics.

Now open up your graphics folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

For the most part the sub-folders you put the graphics into doesn't matter, though it is best to separate the different types into their own sub-folders so you don't accidentally overwrite your kits with logos for the same teams. The thing to watch out for when organizing are the config xml files. These are vital and should not be mixed and matched. A set of graphics will come with a config file that is unique to them in the same folder. Make sure they stay together, in the same folder and that new png files or config files are not added or overwritten into their folder.

Whilst for best results try to keep the folder names short and simple and avoid special characters where possible.

For example below is a screenshot showing what a typical end folder should look like if done correctly, note you have a config file along with several graphic files, with a short simple folder structure that stops you from accidentally overwriting the config file when installing other graphics:




Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game, and go into the Preferences Menu.

Then you can either select the Advanced option on the left and on the top right drop down select Interface, then scroll down the Skin section and untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.

Or in the search bar at the top type in 'Skin' and in the listed results untick 'Use caching to decrease loading times' and tick 'Reload skin when confirming changes in Preferences'.



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps, just making sure you put each pack you install into it's own folder so you don't accidentally overwrite the config files from your earlier packs.

 

How To Add Graphics you have created - Football Manager 2019 & Older

If you are planning on creating your own graphics, then you can first refer to these guides on how to create various graphics in the same style as the default graphics:

How To Create Standard Football Manager Logos

How To Create Player Faces

How to Create 3D Kits for FM2018

Once you have created the above graphics you will need to create an xml file called config and place it in the same folder as your graphics, for instructions on how to create a config file then please read this guide:

How To Create A Config File

Locating Your User Data Location

Once you have downloaded and extracted your files, you now need to move them over to your User Data Location so they can be read by the game.

First make sure you have run the game at least once (just getting to the start menu and exiting is fine) so the game can create the required folders for you.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

 

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

 

FM TOUCH USERS: You'll need the Touch folder by default.

 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

If you want to move or have already moved your User Data Location then please refer to the User Data Location part of the Guide (linked in the opening post)

After you have opened the correct Football Manager folder you should see a list of folders and what you need to do is locate the folder called graphics, if this folder doesn't exist then just create a new folder and call it graphics.

Now open up your graphics folder and place the files you extracted inside it.

For the most part the sub-folders you put the graphics into doesn't matter, though it is best to separate the different types into their own sub-folders so you don't accidentally overwrite your kits with logos for the same teams. The thing to watch out for when organizing are the config xml files. These are vital and should not be mixed and matched. A set of graphics will come with a config file that is unique to them in the same folder. Make sure they stay together, in the same folder and that new png files or config files are not added or overwritten into their folder.

Whilst for best results try to keep the folder names short and simple and avoid special characters where possible.

For example below is a screenshot showing what a typical end folder should look like if done correctly, note you have a config file along with several graphic files, with a short simple folder structure that stops you from accidentally overwriting the config file when installing other graphics:




Displaying Graphics in-game

 

Once you have added the graphics you wanted load up the game and go into the Preferences -> Interface menu and untick 'Use Caching to decrease page loading times' and tick 'Reload Skin when confirming changes in Preferences'
So the screen should look like this:



Next select confirm and your new graphics should now display. (Once the graphics are loaded and you aren't planning on adding any more you can turn the skin cache back on and untick the Always Reload button.)

If you want to add more graphics then just repeat the above steps, just making sure you put each pack you install into it's own folder so you don't accidentally overwrite the config files from your earlier packs.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Locate Your Default User Data Location - Football Manager 2022-23

Before you try to locate your User Data Location you will first need to have run the game once (getting to the start screen and then exiting is enough) this ensures that the game has generated the default folders.

Then the exact location depends on the OS you are using, whilst both Steam and Epic versions should use the same location, however the Game Pass (Microsoft Store) version uses a slightly different location.

Windows

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

You just need to open the Football Manager folder that corresponds to the version you are using.

MAC Users:

By default your User Data Location is now located within the Users\[Your Mac Username]\Library\Application Support\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

By default this folder is hidden, so to access you need to do as follows:

- Open Finder

- Click ‘Go’ from the menu bar

- Press and hold down the ‘Option’ (Alt) key

- This will bring up the ‘Library’, click to enter then go to ‘Application Support’ -> ‘Sports Interactive’ 

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

Your User Data Location is where the game stores any user generated files, this can be files generated by the game such as Save Games (though you can still customize your save game location from the save game menus in game), saved shortlists, tactics or custom views, or it will be where you put any custom graphics you have downloaded such as skins, kits or logos.

 

To Find Your Exact User Data Location

Whilst Football Manager 2020 finally added back the option to view this location from within the Preferences menu, FM22 no longer hides this option so you should now be find the exact location for your computer by following the below instructions;

Go to the Preferences Menu, Select the Advanced option then in the drop-down menu on the right select General, then scroll down until you find the Location option that should look something like this:



The game should then display the file path to your current location, if you are unable to read the full location in the address bar then click the Change Folder option and that will allow you to view the full location path.

Edited November 7, 2022 by michaeltmurrayuk
FM2023 Info

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Locate Your Default User Data Location - Football Manager 2021 - 2020

Before you try to locate your User Data Location you will first need to have run the game once (getting to the start screen and then exiting is enough) this ensures that the game has generated the default folders.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

MAC Users: Please see this post as the location has been changed due to OS changes.

FM TOUCH USERS: Since FM17 the Touch Version has it's own folders so if using that version you'll want the Touch folder, for older versions of Touch it just used the same folder as the main game.

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

The Epic Game Store Version should just use the same location as the Steam version.

Your User Data Location is where the game stores any user generated files, this can be files generated by the game such as Save Games (though you can still customize your save game location from the save game menus in game), saved shortlists, tactics or custom views, or it will be where you put any custom graphics you have downloaded such as skins, kits or logos.

 

To Find Your Exact User Data Location

Football Manager 2020 finally added back the option to view this location from within the Preferences menu, so you should now be find the exact location for your computer by following the below instructions;

Go to the Preferences Menu, then in the search bar type 'location' your Preferences Menu should now look something like this:



The game should then display the file path to your current location, if you are unable to read the full location in the address bar then click the Change Folder option and that will allow you to view the full location path.

 

How To Locate Your Default User Data Location - Football Manager 2019 & Older

Football Manager 2019-2016

Before you try to locate your User Data Location you will first need to have run the game once (getting to the start screen and then exiting is enough) this ensures that the game has generated the default folders.

By default your User Data Location is located within the Documents\Sports Interactive\ folder. Inside this folder will then be a Football Manager folder for each version of FM you have run on that computer.

FM TOUCH USERS: Since FM17 the Touch Version has it's own folders so if using that version you'll want the Touch folder, for older versions of Touch it just used the same folder as the main game.

GAMEPASS/MICROSOFT STORE USERS: If you are using this version of the game then your User Data Location is in a slightly different folder, you'll need to open the Football Manager folder for the year of the game you are using and inside this folder you'll notice a Gamepass folder and this is the folder you need.

Your User Data Location is where the game stores any user generated files, this can be files generated by the game such as Save Games (though you can still customize your save game location from the save game menus in game), saved shortlists, tactics or custom views, or it will be where you put any custom graphics you have downloaded such as skins, kits or logos.

Football Manager 2015 & Older

For these version you can still access the User Data Location from within the games Preferences Menu, though the generally location is still the same as above.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Change Your User Data Location - Football Manager 2022-23

Whilst Football Manager 2020 finally added back the option to view this location from within the Preferences menu, FM22 no longer hides this option so you should now be find the exact location for your computer by following the below instructions;

Go to the Preferences Menu, Select the Advanced option then in the drop-down menu on the right select General, then scroll down until you find the Location option that should look something like this:

If you select the 'Change Folder' option a folder select dialog will popup and from here you can browse to and select the new location you want your User Data Location to be located at.

Once done click confirm, exit and reload the game and the game will automatically generate the needed subfolders (such as games and skins).

Though if you are adding custom graphics you will need to create the graphics folder yourself.

Also note that if you have already created anything in game with the default location set (such as save games, shortlists, or tactics) you will need to manually copy the items over to your new location.

To reset your User Data Location to the default location, then go back to the Preferences Menu, again search for 'location' and this time select the 'Reset to Default' option, Confirm your changes then exit the game, and then copy your files back over to the default location if need be.

Edited November 7, 2022 by michaeltmurrayuk
FM2023 Info

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Change Your User Data Location - Football Manager 2021-2020

With FM20 you can now again change your User Data Location from within the game. In addition it shouldn't matter which Store Version of FM you are using or if you are using the Touch Version as the instructions should be the same.

To do this go to the Preferences Menu, then in the search bar type 'location' your Preferences Menu should now look something like this:



If you select the 'Change Folder' option a folder select dialog will popup and from here you can browse to and select the new location you want your User Data Location to be located at.

Once done click confirm, exit and reload the game and the game will automatically generate the needed subfolders (such as games and skins).

Though if you are adding custom graphics you will need to create the graphics folder yourself.

There also shouldn't be any problem with setting both your Full and Touch Mode Saving Locations to the same location, which should save you having to duplicate any custom graphics you have downloaded.

Also note that if you have already created anything in game with the default location set (such as save games, shortlists, or tactics) you will need to manually copy the items over to your new location.

To reset your User Data Location to the default location, then go back to the Preferences Menu, again search for 'location' and this time select the 'Reset to Default' option, Confirm your changes then exit the game, and then copy your files back over to the default location if need be.

 

How To Change Your User Data Location - Football Manager 2019 & Older

NOTE: Screenshots are from FM17 but the same applies for FM16 and FM18 just change the year for the version you are using.

Since FM2016 you are no longer able to adjust your User Data Location (Saving Location) from within the Preferences Menu.

This feature was removed because it was apparently causing confusion among users, however it is still possible to adjust your User Data Location if you don't want it in the default location, however you now need to add a command line to the game launch options.

(NOTE: You only need to follow the below instructions if you want to move the location, these instructions aren't needed if you are just wanting to add content to the default location).

To do this follow the instructions below:

- Go into Steam -> Library -> Games view.

- Locate the version of Football Manager you are using and right-click on the game.

- Select 'Properties'

- Click 'Set Launch Options...'

- Copy the following into the dialogue box: --user_data_location="<path>"

- In the <path> section, enter the exact path you wish the folder to be generated (ie D:\Users\ etc)

So for example if you wanted your User Data Location to be G:\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2017

You would add the following text to the dialogue box:

--user_data_location="G:\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2017"

So your Launch Options box should look something like this for Football Manager 2017:

Note that this folder location needs to already exist on your hard drive before setting the launch option, then when you next launch Football Manager the game will automatically generate the needed subfolders (such as games and skins). There also shouldn't be any problem with setting both your Full and Touch Mode Saving Locations to the same location, which should save you having to duplicate any custom graphics you have downloaded. You should also be able to set the location to that used by a previous version of the game, just make sure to backup your save games so you don't overwrite them and to remove any non-compatible custom graphics first.

If done correctly the contents of your custom User Data Location should look something like this after having run the game with the launch option set:

Also note that if you have already created anything in game with the default location set (such as save games, shortlists, or tactics) you will need to manually copy the items over to your new location. And if the game doesn't create the graphics folder you'll need to create this folder yourself before adding any custom graphics.

To reset your User Data Location to the default position you just need to delete the command line and on your next restart of FM17 the game will go back to using the default location. (Again you'll need to manually copy over any existing files from your old custom location to the default location for them to be read by the game).

 

Football Manager 2015 & Older

In these versions of FM you can change your User Data Location via the Preferences Menu.

[michaeltmurrayuk]

How To Transfer Files From A Previous Version

Nearly all user created graphics can be transferred from one version of Football Manager to the next, the exceptions are: 

 - Skins, skins can only be used for the version of the game they were made for. It may seem that a skin from last year may initially work on the new game, however when you get to a new screen you are likely to get a broken/blank screen at best or even possibly you'll cause the game to crash, so it is best to wait for the skin maker to update the skin (or make your own with permission).

 - 3D kits were changed again with FM18, so if you are using FM18 on-wards you will need kits made using templates for that game on-wards, if you are playing an older version then you will need pre-FM18 templates.

 - Graphics that are released in the fmf format might not work across versions, if the later version of Football Manager cannot read the fmf files you'll need to use the Resource Tool from the previous to extract the contents of the fmf file, and then either keep them extracted and treat as normal files or repack them using the Resource Tool from the current version.

 

There are two ways of transferring your graphics between versions of Football Manager;

1. Manually move your graphics folder (or the folders that contain the stuff you want transferring over) from the User Data Location of the current Football Manager, to the same location within the User Data Location of the new Football Manager. When transferring content over make sure it keeps the same folder structure (unless instructed otherwise).

 2. Change the User Data Location of the new version of Football Manager to point to the location you were using for the current version. (Note if doing this you might want to move none graphical user files to another location to save you accidentally overwriting them with the new edition or you causing problems by trying to read older version files in the current edition.)

Once you have done that then you'll need to turn off the skin cache and reload your skin, for instructions on how to do that then please refer to the above guide for the version of Football Manager you are using.

 

[michaeltmurrayuk]

Troubleshooting

Below are some basic troubleshooting steps you can try to see if they solve the issue you are having, if these options don't help then feel free to either open a new thread with your issue (or post in the existing thread if one exists for the content you are having problems with) however please first have a read of these Posting Guidelines to ensure you provide what info you can which will enable us to help you quicker.

First Steps

• First please ensure you have read and followed any instructions provided with the item you downloaded.
• Second re-read the above guides to ensure you have followed each step.

Common Problems

• Not turning off the Skin Cache & Reloading Your Skin.
• When installing a Skin you have ended up installing the skin into a sub-folder.

Graphics Aren't Showing

• Make sure you have followed the Install Instructions.
• Follow the instructions to turn off the skin cache and reload your skin.
• Make sure you have extracted the files.
• Check the pack to make sure it actually includes the graphics that aren't showing (i.e. not all logo packs include small logos).
• If only a couple of graphics aren't showing, check that the info in the config file matches with the filenames and that you don't have duplicate entries in the config file.
• If you have installed several packs of the same type make sure they don't include conflicting files.
• If you have trouble with multiple packs then remove them all and re-install and check them one at a time as most likely there is a conflict with one of the packs you are using.
• Check to make sure the pack is designed for the version of FM you are using, whilst graphics are generally transferable between versions this is not always the case.
• If none of the graphics are showing then try to manually delete your cache files.
• If you are now having issues with the default game files, then remove your custom graphics, manually delete your cache files (per above link) and try verifying your game files.

Skins Aren't Showing

• Make sure you have followed the Install Instructions.
• Make sure that the skin is designed for the version of FM you are using.
• Refer to the above screenshots to make sure you haven't accidentally installed the skin into a sub-folder.
• If parts of the Skin are corrupt then try to manually delete your cache files.
• If the Default Skin(s) are no longer working, then remove your custom skins/mods, manually delete your cache files (per above link) and try verifying your game files.

Problems with Your User Data Location

• You need to run the game first to generate the default folders.
• First check to make sure the game has created the default folders inside your location (skins, games etc...)
• If the game hasn't created the default folders then check to make sure the path you set and the folder you are looking in are the same ones.
• With Windows the Library feature can sometimes combine several folders so you may be putting your content in the wrong location.
• With Windows 10 having OneDrive backing up your Documents folder may cause issues, try telling OneDrive not to index the Sports Interactive sub-folders or move your User Data Location.
• If you are having problems with your User Data Location then try moving it to a more simple path such as C:\FM21
• Also check your Anti-virus settings and Windows Defender settings if using Windows 10/11 to make sure access to the Documents folder isn't be restricted.

Edited October 21, 2021 by michaeltmurrayuk
Added anti-virus bit

[michaeltmurrayuk]

The various parts of the guide have now been updated for Football Manager 2022.

Only really some minor changes, though it is possible the location of some of the 3D graphics such as match balls and pitch textures may have changed so they will need checking when I get a chance.