Can I set up the GUI or daemon to use a non-standard blockchain location in Windows?

Question

In Windows, it's comfortable to double-click the link/icon to a program (as opposed to using the command line). The problem is that the default links/icons for the GUI or daemon (monerod) don't let the GUI or daemon use a non-default location of the blockchain.

I save the blockchain on a different, bigger drive. When I open the GUI or daemon with double-clicking the link/icon, it automatically starts to re-download the blockchain to the standard location. Can this conundrum be solved?

Answer 1

On Windows, this can actually be done fairly simply. These options are slightly technical, but not terribly difficult, and only have to be done once. There are a couple quick ways.

Option 1 - Make a copy of the shortcut link used for launching the GUI (or monerod). Then right-click the copied shortcut to edit the shortcut's properties; and then add at the end of the Target: line/box --data-dir \path\where\bitmonero\folder\is. Click OK to save. Double-clicking the link will launch the program with the --data-dir flag, which will be pointing to where you're keeping your copy of the blockchain.

Option 2 is to create and open a new text (*.txt) document, which you can do just by opening up Notepad. Enter C:\path\to\monerod.exe --data-dir \path\to\bitmonero\folder. Save the file with whatever name you like. And then change the file extension from txt to bat. This file will now behave just like the shortcut link from Option 1.

Answer 2

Another option is using a symbolic link, in Windows it's done with the mklink command:

First make sure monero gui (and daemon) are stopped.

Move the lmdb folder from C:\ProgramData\bitmonero to its new destination (here D:\Monero\Blockchain). (might work with the whole bitmonero folder moved and a bitmonero link in ProgramData, not tested this way as i don't mind the few MBs occupied by the log and p2pstate.bin on my SSD)

Open a command-line with administrator rights then:

CD /D C:\ProgramData\bitmonero

MKLINK /D lmdb D:\Monero\Blockchain\lmdb

This way you don't have to change any configuration / scripts or add parameters into shortcuts, as all programs see it as if the blockchain was still in its default location.