(windows) FFXIV downloads patches to "My Documents\My Games\FFXIV...", right?

I did a little digging around and a few results says that the game is downloaded, regardless whether you're Steam or not to

"C:\Users\<username>\Documents\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn"

I looked there and there is a downloads folder, with a ffxivupdater64.exe file from 5/7/2024.

I'm having a hard time keeping 50gb free on c:\, windows keeps eating it up and then every once in a while releasing it, almost randomly I'll turn on the computer and wow! I have 25gb more free than yesterday.

Anyway I was hoping someone knew for sure, because I moved My Games over to an SSD with 300gb free via a symlink, and tested the game and everything was fine.

I almost wish I could test patching.

It downloads things there to a downloads folder, but this is temporary. After it's done this, it changes them significantly and puts them in (or merges them into) the ones in program files.

If I was you though, I'd find something on the PC to make more space where possible. Check:
Videos/Captures
Downloads (order by file size) and delete install files you don't need (they can effectively be duplicate data of programs you've installed in many cases)
My Games actually will have a screenshots folder which can take up a lot, but you moved that.
Recycle Bin (empty, delete everything in it permanently)

Just in case it tries to temporarily download to the original drive still. Often where it will try to put files is going to depend on configuration file settings, so editing these with notepad and looking through it for directories may help. In particular, it decides the screenshot folder location this way.

The folder you are pointing out ("C:\Users\<username>\Documents\My Games\FINAL FANTASY XIV - A Realm Reborn") is the folder where de settings are stored. This folder contains the configuration of the game, and the configuration of you characters. The game download the content in a temporal folder, then move where you installed it. If it is Steam, it is in the steamapps folder inside the Steam installation directory. If you are using the non-steam version, the game folder is on Program files by default if you didn't change it. I do not remember exactly where the temporary folder is.

(this was from a Steam user)
[URL="https://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/ouhwri/ffxiv_download_location/[/URL]
"The launcher downloads the files patch by patch to your Documents > My Games > Final Fantasy XIV - A Realm Reborn > Downloads. Once it's download a "chunk" it installs it to wherever your install location is. So don't worry, just be patient - unless your C: drive is full."

This talks about fixing patching problems by going into that same folder
[URL="https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/20462776/blog/4145511/[/URL]

I'm just hoping that really is where the patches get downloaded - if so then I'm ok, but I' a worrywort.

There IS a downloads\ffxivpatch folder in there, and the most recent file is dated 5/7/2024, so that location IS involved in the process.

The symlink should only influence the files that would have been in the game's install folder, not anything in your mydocs(and that is the temp location for downloaded patch stuff... assuming you didn't also symlink and move the my games/ffxiv yadda yadda/ folders). You will need enough space on your C: drive for the full patch, though. Your shifting 25GB is from a combination of temp, prefetch, pagefile, and possibly recycle bin files getting written or wiped, so you can't count on having it available. If you have any portable files at all, videos, general downloads, whatever, best use a USB stick to offload them at least temporarily.

I've been having the same issue and I figured that just copying and pasting the whole folder containing the game files it's the best course of actions as long as I launch the game from that copied folder when it's time to download the update. I still have to get confirmation if it'll work, but I guess I'll really know on the 25th. However, I'm not playing through steam so I don't know how that'd work for Steam users.

I did symlink and move the My Games folder to the larger drive. It's my understanding that is where patch files are downloaded to.

ok, not as worried now.
My symlink has My Games on my larger SSD, and (again),It's my understanding that is where patch files are downloaded to (the download folder within the ff arr folder).
Also, I'm able to get 60gb free on my C: drive, in case it does download somewhere else on c:

/fingers crossed.

FFXIV will create a new My Games folder on the same drive as your game. It will not cross multiple drives.

No, I mean I have a symlink which makes it appear as if it it is on c: but it's really on g:. It's an alias.

I tested it by creating a new character and it shows in the My Games on C: (but it's really on G:) along with all of my characters.
And simple changes like moving a hotbar button appear over there too.