Storing games on Windows Home Server

[kingtitus]

I have an 8 computer network in my home, with WHS as storage for music, videos and other info. My wife plays games (Sims, Sim City, all the tycoon games) with her laptop.

The problem I have is, she has filled up the HD on the laptop with all the games and expansion packs.

Can i install a game on the laptop and change the directory of the source file(s) to be on the server? I just need to clean up the laptop HD. I know I can install the game on the server, and remote in and play but its a barebones system with no video/audio so they will not play. Speed is the other issue with remoting in and playing that way.

Any ideas? I have tried to map a hard drive, but it considers itself a network drive and is not an option when trying to install. ( I have only tried the mapped network drive with Call of Duty.)

 

[LNCPapa]

With some older games - especially ones that don't rely on the registry, you can do that - simply map the drive and play directly from the file server. Many older games don't even have to be installed and can just be copied over from an existing installation then played directly. I'd give it a try if I were you, but I doubt you'll have much luck doing that with newer games.

I do my Quake II installs this way since you can't install from the original CDs in Vista.

 

[kingtitus]

Much appreciated. I have had some uninstall and reinstall issues with some of the games because of the registry.

All of the games my wife and I play have registry entries I believe.

Im gonna keep digging, and maybe I'll come up with something.
I may get an external drive and go that way. External HD's are cheaper than getting an internal for the laptop. I think my wife wants to make me suffer, so she tells me to figure it out without spending money$$$$$ !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[jdillman1502]

You may have performance problems with the games if you put them on an external drive or a network drive.

 

[kingtitus]

My lan has the speed, and most of the games are single player.
I may just break down and buy the biggest damm HD I can get and put it in the Toshiba laptop and call it good.

I was asking to see if it could be done and if it could I was going to try it.

Thanx for everyones help.

KT