I'm currently running BIAB and RB 2017 (Ultra Plus Pak plus and add on styles paks 1,2,3, and 49 from the PG supplied USB external drive. Used space now 121 GB of the reported 149 GB on the drive). Doesn't seem to leave a great deal of space for future expansion packs
If I wanted to transfer everything from the PG USB drive to say, a 1TB USB (Western Digital Passport) ext. drive to allow plenty of expansion room, can I just clone the PG drive to the WD drive and should BIAB/RB then run happily from the new drive (assuming the new drive is allocated the same drive name F:) or is it more complex than that? (Licensing etc?)
BIAB 2022 PLUSPAK (ext HD), 49PAKs, STYLESPAKs 1 - 6, Win 7 64bit PC, REAPER, Ozone, Adobe Audition CS6, EZ Drummer3 + EZ Keys,Soundcraft MTK22, Behringer X Touch Universal Controller,, SE Gemini/Rode NT2/Neumann/Shure mics
That will work. It's always recommended that back-up drives are created so that if anything happens to the main drive, there is a fall back. What you are doing is simply that.
If you clone the present drive, that will include setup.exe and all the associated programs that you need to install. So all is good.
Lastly, if you choose to use the cloned drive as your main drive, it should work fine. Because BIAB/RB registration is computer-specific, as I understand it, there should be no need to register again. If you do find that it's necessary to register the program once more, it would pay to plug in your old drive, de-register it and then plug in your new drive and re-register (this will maintain the 3 registrations that PG Music give).
What Pipeline said; otherwise it won't work. I learned that the hard way when I first tried to do this and couldn't figure out why I was having problems. Turned out to be that datalist.asc file.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
If you follow the clone route, everything should get carried across.
If you follow the copy route, before you copy, simply make sure that the "Show hidden files" option is active. This is found in "Control Panel | Folder Options | View" (see the graphic below). Then when you copy, any hidden files/folders will also copy.
Which ever path you take, if you are using the program on the same computer on which it is already installed, I imagine that it will not be necessary to re-install since the computer is already set for the program. That said, you might need to re-set the paths for Realtracks and Realdrums.
It's easy enough to work out if you need to reinstall. Just run the program. If it doesn't behave properly then a reinstall is most likely needed.
FWIW, my datalist.asc looks nothing like the example Pipeline showed, but it works fine, so don't worry if the content of that file doesn't match. The Clone should carry it over anyway, so no problem.
My datalist file shows the path to various add-ons, but not the path for the main program executable files (as in Pipeline's example). Not sure of it's purpose, but I wouldn't alter it if it looks different, as you could lose some 'extras' you have added over time. Just thought I'd mention this.
Also, it doesn't exist at all on the main OS drive I installed BB/RB to, only on the shipped external drive, so likely only needed during the actual install procedure. ^^ just my hunch/guess.
Last edited by rharv; 07/30/1706:54 AM.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Thank you Noel and Rharv. I think I will go down the clone route just to be as sure as possible I don't miss anything out.
I will be using the same PC. The larger drive is just to allow some future expansion space. I decided to go for a 500GB USB instead of a 1TB as I think that should give enough headroom for now and will just dedicate it to BB and RB.
Thanks to all who replied.
BIAB 2022 PLUSPAK (ext HD), 49PAKs, STYLESPAKs 1 - 6, Win 7 64bit PC, REAPER, Ozone, Adobe Audition CS6, EZ Drummer3 + EZ Keys,Soundcraft MTK22, Behringer X Touch Universal Controller,, SE Gemini/Rode NT2/Neumann/Shure mics
What I did, on both desktop PCs, is buy a separate hard drive just for BIAB and I put only the RealTracks and RealDrums on it. Then I go into Options, Preferences for each and set the custom locations.
The program itself (and admittedly a ton of related files) is installed to a separate SSD drive, so it loads and runs as quickly as possible. Before PG Music optimized the loading time a few months ago, this made more of a difference loading than it does now.
BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Slate VSX, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Thanks Matt, When I'm as confident and know as even a fraction as much about BIAB/RB as you the other guys here maybe I might experiment with alternative options like yours. I think for me the clone to bigger USB drive will provide enough scope for damage at present but many thanks for your suggestion. LOL
BIAB 2022 PLUSPAK (ext HD), 49PAKs, STYLESPAKs 1 - 6, Win 7 64bit PC, REAPER, Ozone, Adobe Audition CS6, EZ Drummer3 + EZ Keys,Soundcraft MTK22, Behringer X Touch Universal Controller,, SE Gemini/Rode NT2/Neumann/Shure mics
I cloned my basic WMA version to a 500 gig drive also, and it has plenty of space years later after saving many beta/upgrade files on it, plus saving some additional SEQ and BiaB files there (as well as images I post on the forum).
500 gig should last a while unless you upgrade to the Audiophile version which needs over a terrabyte. All the audio files are bigger on that version.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome Make your sound your own!
Thanks again Rharv. For my purposes I'm more than happy with the Ultra Plus Pak + Style PAKS 1,2,3 and 49 for now and think it unlikely I will make the jump to Audiophile so hopefully the 500GB will last me for quite some time.
If I keep the original PG ext USB drive intact I presume that any BIAB/RB updates or add on packs can be saved to both drives... one at a time so they retain the F: drive label when downloading (until the space on orig drive runs out of course)?
BIAB 2022 PLUSPAK (ext HD), 49PAKs, STYLESPAKs 1 - 6, Win 7 64bit PC, REAPER, Ozone, Adobe Audition CS6, EZ Drummer3 + EZ Keys,Soundcraft MTK22, Behringer X Touch Universal Controller,, SE Gemini/Rode NT2/Neumann/Shure mics
Well...it was all going to plan.....I cloned the from original PG drive (labelled F:) to my 500GB USB (labelled as G: during the process). All seemed successful.After disconnecting the PG drive and the 500GB drive , today I thought I would try to use the new USB to run BIAB and RB which it did!! Great....but I noticed that Windows was still allocating the label G: to the new drive even though the old PG drive was not connected. I had expected that the system would allocate the label F: (which would be the first logical free drive label as there was no F: drive connected ?? Not sure why it is skipping a drive label? (I have C: as OS drive - 1TB SSD...also internal 1 TB D: drive for data and backups. E: is the CD/DVD drive . Anyone any ideas why system is missing out F: ? On the assumption that I have to accept the G: allocation each time for the new drive (which appears to be running BIAB and RB fine) will the G: label make any difference (apart from updates etc. from PG having to be directed to G:)?
BIAB 2022 PLUSPAK (ext HD), 49PAKs, STYLESPAKs 1 - 6, Win 7 64bit PC, REAPER, Ozone, Adobe Audition CS6, EZ Drummer3 + EZ Keys,Soundcraft MTK22, Behringer X Touch Universal Controller,, SE Gemini/Rode NT2/Neumann/Shure mics
Since you cloned it (versus copied it), I suspect Windows saw the signature of the drive as the same as the previous drive, and so allocated the same drive letter.
John
Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA
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Thanks Matt......better still!! 
Thanks Matt, When I'm as confident and know as even a fraction as much about BIAB/RB as you the other guys here maybe I might experiment with alternative options like yours. I think for me the clone to bigger USB drive will provide enough scope for damage at present but many thanks for your suggestion. 
LOL
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