Copied game from Desktop to Laptop, can't get to Character Select screen after login.

[Renderer]

So my laptop is in a location with slow internet service and downloading the game is not an option. I copied all the files from SquareEnix folder on my desktop where my game works and copied them onto the laptop.

I run ffxivboot on my laptop. Launcher comes up. I login into my account. I hit the Play button. Game comes up. I get the 3 options - Start / Configuration / Exit.

Configuration works just fine. When I click on Start, select Service Account, it goes to a black screen with a little FFXIV timer icon in the bottom right going in circles. Nothing comes up, it just keeps going and going I guess trying to load. I never get to the character select screen.

Is there something else I need to do to get it to work, or does the game only work if downloaded through the launcher?

[KraggyKor]

Sounds like the usual Media Player problem when the game starts for the first time, not sure what the cause of that is but many reports of it on here should give you an idea how to fix it. Certainly you don't have to download it from the launcher.

[necrosis]

Usually coping a program that has an installer from one machine to another does not work.

Libraries and stuff need to be registered. Folders in odd locations might be missed.

[Mavlok]

I really doubt it will work just by copying the SquareEnix folder.

[Lithera]

At the very least you need to copy FFXIVs Registry entries from your PC to the Laptop. I've moved FFXI this way a few times to avoid the 2hrs of install+update. also there is a folder fir the game in My Documents as well as the game folder in Program Files.

[Renderer]

Thanks for trying to help guys. I searched for the Media Player issue and it led me to other people having this problem. It wasn't a Media Player issue for me, but doing this:

"Another methode is to find "FFXIV.cfg" on your PC and edit the entry CutsceneMovieOpening to 1."

worked for me and the game is working now. So yea, you can just copy the game folder from one computer to another and the game will work For anyone who is interested.

[necrosis]

At the very least you need to copy FFXIVs Registry entries from your PC to the Laptop. I've moved FFXI this way a few times to avoid the 2hrs of install+update. also there is a folder fir the game in My Documents as well as the game folder in Program Files.

FFXI needed DLL's registered as well.

[Lexia]

You still need to install the game takes like 5 minutes and then you can copy over your folder from another computer and be good to go.

[ZohnoReecho]

It will crash again the moment a new cutscene will appear in the game.

[Renderer]

It will crash again the moment a new cutscene will appear in the game.

I am playing the game just fine. There were no crashes and plenty of cutscenes. I copied only the main game folder from a Win7 64bit computer to a Win8 64bit laptop - ran it and it was ok until trying to get to the starting movie. Config file was automatically created. I then went into the config file and changed the cutscene flag to 1 as I said above. Everything now works.

These days I find that simply copying an MMO folder between computers usually works without having to reinstall the game. I did it with GW2 as well. Maybe sometimes the launcher corrects the game installation after detecting problems from simple copying.