Regarding game updates to a game stored in two locations (internal and external drive)

Fujiyama Papa · May 7, 2021

I did my due diligence trying to find this answer on the forums and Google and get nothing close to an answer. That’s because the question has all these key words that throw off the search. In short I’m asking “Do games stored in two locations get updated simultaneously?” But I realize that there are several factors involved and dependent on the meaning of my question, so I’m asking here on the forum as thoroughly as possible below. Also if the answer is no, then I have additional questions noted at the end.

If i have a game existing on both my internal storage (set as the default for downloads) and an external storage device, and my Xbox automatically downloads an update to said game (i have mine set to automatic updates for games) do both copies of the game get the update simultaneously (obviously considering the external drive is always set to powered on and is connected to the Xbox at the time of the update)? If not, does the update download once and then is automatically copied to the external drive game? Does the external drive copy require a second automatic download of the update?

For context behind my question: I just started traveling with my older secondary Xbox and recently have been using an external drive for my primary Xbox (which stays at home). I wish to take the drive with me for use on my secondary Xbox when I travel. My hotels usually have very poor internet and If a game has to update, I pretty much can’t play it that day depending on the size of the update. I’d like to think that if I have a game that exists in two locations, that I don’t have to worry about which game is getting the update. They should both get updated at the same time. And I’d like to think that Xbox is efficient with my bandwidth by not having to download an update twice.

:)

Fujiyama Papa

Since no one answered, I went ahead and just spent time testing it. The answer is, no. And as a follow up to that answer. Not only does the system no apply the update it just downloaded/applied to all game locations, it will completely re-download from the internet for each copy of the game stored on multiple drives. That is incredibly inefficient. I decided to only keep one copy of my game. When I need to travel, I just copy what I have on my SSD onto my external drive...and just need to remember to delete those same files when I'm done traveling so my network isn't working double time when I'm home.

Fujiyama Papa

Complete silence for a week.

AssertiveGrub90

If the external hard drive is the possible cause then try and update something while the hard drive is disconnected.

It may be that your game is on the external hard drive but your default location for downloading games in your internal hard drive so when it goes to update it can't find the game as it isn't in the default location. If this is the case you would need to
make sure that the games being updated are on the internal hard drive before updating.

MartinYacusa

Updates can only be downloaded to the drive where the game is located.

So, even if you have the external set as the default download location, if your game is located internally that is where the update will go. You can't have a games and updates on different drives.

Yeah I understand this, but like I said before...all the games are in the external, but for whatever reason is upgrading and updating to the internal.

Obsessive Power

Hi,

What game are you trying to update, and where is the game located?

Note that if the game is located on the internal drive, and the internal drive is full or nearly full, you won't be able to update the title, regardless of the free space on the external. Games can only be updated to the drive they are installed to.

Is this the problem you are experiencing?

Regarding game updates to a game stored in two locations (internal and external drive)