[FM16][GUIDE] How To Change Your User Data Location

[michaeltmurrayuk]

Football Manager 2016: How to change your User Data (Saving) Location

The first thing you may have noticed upon loading FM2016 is that you are no longer able to adjust your User Data (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.

- Located Football Manager 2016 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 S:\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2016

You would add the following text to the dialogue box:

--user_data_location="S:\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2016"

So your Launch Options box should look something like this:

Note that this folder location needs to already exist on your hard drive before setting the launch option, then when you next launch FM2016 the game will automatically generate the needed subfolders (such as graphics, games and skins).

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 any 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 Saving Location to the default position you just need to delete the command line and on your next restart of FM16 the game will go back to using the default location. (Again you'll need to maunaly copy over any existing files from your old custom location to the default location for them to be read by the game).

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[jamiealsop87]

Hi,

I've not posted before, I hope this is the right place for my problem.

I cannot get this user data location change to work on my mac. I'm on OSX 10.9.5, I've opened steam and entered the new location in 'Set Launch Options' as it says above. The location I've entered for where I want to store it is - /Volumes/Macintosh HD/Games/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2016

I have already created the folders in the new location. I'm not sure if I'm just writing it wrong, I'm not well versed in terminal and so don't know if it needs writing differently. Other than that I can't think what else I could be doing wrong!

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I haven't got any room on my operating system drive so really want to move this data!

[Lucas]

Try using \ instead of /

Is the Macintosh HD the current volume where you're playing the game from?

[jamiealsop87]

Yes it is, I've previously changed my installation drive/local content in steam to be on Macintosh HD rather than my OS drive.

I've just tried it with \ instead of / and no joy sadly.

[fotomiami]

same problem as jamiealsop87

[michaeltmurrayuk]

FM17 or FM16?

Have you made sure you have created the folder locations you have entered into the launch options box as the game needs the folders creating before it will change the location.

After you have set the launch options have you run the game at least once as the game only populates the folders when it is run not when changing the location.

How are you launching FM, try launching it directly from the Steam Library View instead of through a shortcut to see if that makes any difference.

If it is for FM17 then you need to ensure you set the launch options for the correct version as the Touch Mode is now a seperate game within your steam library.

I don't have a MAC so not sure of how its file system works but if the above doesn't work try picking a different location in case it just doesn't like the one you have set.