Is moving your VST plugins folder (and its contents) really as easy and simple as just telling your sequencer where you moved it (and its contents) to?

Or is there a registry hack that needs to be performed as well?

Do the standalone versions of some of these plugins (for example, RealGuitar 2L) also need to be individually told where the VST plugins folder has moved to?

Am I opening up a Pandora's Box of some kind by thinking of moving the VST plugins folder after most of my plugins have already been installed? Or is it preferable to uninstall/re-install everything?

you're asking for trouble. why move them ?

In theory VSTs only needs to be rescanned from the DAW after you moved the location. So you should just be able to move it and tell the DAW to scan the new location.

However, where you might have problems is if you have a VST that uses an installer and that installer saves registry settings to tell it where the VST is located. Some VSTs have an additional installation folder where they store their main files, like samples etc, and during initial installation it also asks you where you want the VST DLL to be located. So if you later do an upgrade of that plugin, it will know where to copy the new VST DLL to. Jamstix is an example of a plugin that does this, but I am sure there are many others too. Hopefully the installers are smart enough to know that if the previous DLL isn't there anymore, that it should ask you for the new location, but who knows whether they would do that or not?

Previously when I upgraded to a new computer I have copied the whole VST folder structure to the new computer (with an ultimate different location), and it worked, other than I had to re-install some of the plugins that come with installers.

Just did it 2 days ago...no problems whatsoever. I backed up my vitals to a usb drive, reinstalled windows, then sonar and just pointed sonar to where i had the plugins relocated to...no big deal. You just have to remember where everything is if you have a lot. 

Then I'm probably better off uninstalling everything and re-installing it, then.

I'm returning after a 2 year absence from music. Jumping from Sonar 7 (32) to X1 (64), Waves 5 to Waves 7, DFH to Superior 2.0, etc.

However, other plugins like RealGuitar 2L and Sonitus FX are the same ones today that they were 2 years ago. And there are others, too. So I thought I'd just uninstall the ones that have been updated, and re-install the new versions.

While I was at it, I wanted to take the VST folder out of the Cakewalk hierarchy. It's always bothered me that it was in there. These plugins work in Adobe Audition and many other programs, so I never understood why there wasn't a central, more generic location for them. I figured I might as well scratch that itch now.

You can move the .dll's but not the program folders....

jyeager11


Then I'm probably better off uninstalling everything and re-installing it, then.

I'm returning after a 2 year absence from music. Jumping from Sonar 7 (32) to X1 (64), Waves 5 to Waves 7, DFH to Superior 2.0, etc.

However, other plugins like RealGuitar 2L and Sonitus FX are the same ones today that they were 2 years ago. And there are others, too. So I thought I'd just uninstall the ones that have been updated, and re-install the new versions.

While I was at it, I wanted to take the VST folder out of the Cakewalk hierarchy. It's always bothered me that it was in there. These plugins work in Adobe Audition and many other programs, so I never understood why there wasn't a central, more generic location for them. I figured I might as well scratch that itch now.

Based on my experience, about 90% the VST .DLLs will still work fine after you move them. However, if you have a a LOT of VSTs (like I did at the time) I'm almost certain that you will have a least a few that will not work properly. I suggest that you go ahead and move the existing folder and just reinstall any that don't seem to be working right after the move.  The default program folder issue isn't just Cakewalk, Steinberg tries to do the same thing. 

-e.B

Closely related Question:  I am also returning to recording after a break.  I have a bunch of plugins, and I'd like to move them to a new machine.  My old machine, which still functions is on WIndows XP; the new one is an i7 with Windoes 7 64 bit.  I can install SINAR OK, but what about all the third party plug-ins.  I doubt I can find the registration numbers.  Can I dup the file structure no problem, or am I toast?

Thoughts?  Thanks in advance for the help.  this seems lie a knowledgable, intelligent group!

One potential problem is that when you go to update any of your software it will still think it's in the old folder and, unless you  manually tell it different, will install the update there.  Not good.

You can experiment easy enough. Rename your current vst folder to something like vst2. Point X1 to the newly named vst2 and check that everything works. If not, undo your changes.