How to change save file location for demo_record?

roadkill

https://www.arcgames.com/en/forums/neverwinter#/discussion/1255284/how-to-set-file-path-location-address-for-saved-demo-record-videos

Posted previously in a different section of the forums but no reply.
Basically, I would like to try the tool but don't want the files saved on my C drive where the game is stored because it is a solid state drive and will likely want to delete files frequently because trial and error.
If it's not possible to change the file save location I'd at least like to know.
Thanks.

arazith07

I would think that it would depend on where your recording program saves videos

carloswartune

I don't think the game has this feature, but you can do it yourself using a "directory junction": it's a Windows feature that links two folders together. Whenever a program reads or saves something in the first folder (called the "link"), Windows will redirect the read/save to the second folder (called the "target").

This feature is quite hidden, so the steps are somewhat unintuitive unless you're already used to command line stuff. Here are the steps if you're interested:

1) Get the location (full path) where demo files are saved by default. In my machine, it's "C:\Program Files (x86)\Neverwinter_en\Neverwinter\Live\demos". If your game was installed using steam, this path may be different.

2) Create a folder where you actually want to save the files and get its location. For instance, "D:\neverwinter_demos" if you want to save the demos on the D drive, inside the "neverwinter_demos" folder.

3) Delete the default "demos" folder (from step 1)

4) Start the command prompt as Admin (type "cmd" in the Start menu, right click the program and select "Run as Admin").

5) On the command prompt, you should type mklink /J, followed by the location from step 1, followed by the location on step 2. Both locations should be quoted. In my case, the command would be mklink /J "C:\Program Files (x86)\Neverwinter_en\Neverwinter\Live\demos" "D:\neverwinter_demos"

When the command on step 5 is executed (pressing enter), a "link" called "demos" will be created inside the game's directory. The game will still think it's a normal folder, so it will try to save the demo there. When it does that, Windows will redirect the save to the folder you created on step 2, and no SSD cells will be hurt in the process

You can test it: create a file, save it in one of the folders: and it will also appear on the other.

Here's more about directory junctions and other types of "file links" in Windows. It's an extremely powerful feature that can be really handy sometimes.

roadkill

carloswartune, have you successfully used this linking feature for neverwinter? I'm wondering if the linking has any limitations on what files can or cannot be linked and if you have tried linking the demo_record files perhaps?

carloswartune

roadkill#6177 said:

carloswartune, have you successfully used this linking feature for neverwinter? I'm wondering if the linking has any limitations on what files can or cannot be linked and if you have tried linking the demo_record files perhaps?

I haven't tried it for Neverwinter demos yet when I wrote the post, but I tried it just now. Worked perfectly, just like it did for everything else I used this feature for.

Directory junctions do have some restrictions, but they are mostly related to special Windows folders and user directories, as explained in the wiki. Linking any "common" folder, like game folders, should always work fine because the software or game you use won't "see" it as a link, it will see it as a common folder. Windows will do all the work about redirecting.

Also, if you want to undo the process for any reason, you just need to delete the "link" created on step 5 ("demos, inside the game's directory).