Can i move my vst3 folder?

Cubase
1

im losing lots of hard drive space on my computer and when i checked my default vst3 folder is massive.

is it possible too move this too another hard drive and still use my vst 3 plugins?

i tried some individual vst 3 plugin dll files but they didnt scan or show up in cubase 15 but once i put them back in my vst 3 folder they reappeared so can i do it?

im on windows

thanks

2

I’m afraid, it’s not possible to separate the VST3 folder from the harddrive your Cubase installation is on. The default location of the VST3 folder is manditory. VST2 folders, on the other hand, can be moved freely.
How massive is massive?

3

Before moving anything, it might be worth checking which plugins are taking up the most space. Some VST3 plugins install extra libraries or sound content separately, so moving that content could free up space without affecting Cubase’s plugin scanning.

4

The VST3 folder has to remain in the place where it was created.
Plugins only are required to put the .vst3plugin file into that folder. All other files, like sample libraries, can in theory reside anywhere else.

5

VST3 folders have a dedicated location that depends on the OS. Here’s where they are automatically created in case anyboy wonders where to find them:

6

Although they want vst3 to have a dedicated location there are workarounds if you’re desparate. You can create a symlink in the existing folder pointing to a new folder where you store the plugs. Honestly I would avoid it if you can.

i tried some individual vst 3 plugin dll files

You probably didn’t mean dll but just in case…dll files are vst2 plugins. vst3 extension is vst3.

7

many thanks too everyone…its crazy the vst3 folder cant be moved yet the vst2 folder can go anywhere .

i hope steinberg can change this one day because my vst3 folder is 45gb and theres no samples or libarys there just vst 3 .

i do have a load of vsts on my pc i know i should go through and start uninstalling software but vast majority is stuff ive paid for .

8

Gee.
I have a measly 2.5GB and 2/3 of that are Steinberg instruments (Backbone is 0.5GB alone, crazy).

9

yep some vst3s are quite big and as steinberg moves away from vst2 support more and more developers are only doing vst3 so steinberg needs too try sort something out because im betting im not the only one with massive vst3 folder.

10

You can host plugins on another directory/drive/partition using filesystem junctions/links.

Are you on Windows or Mac?

I’m not sure what’d be best on Macs (symbolic or hard link?). On Mac it’d done through a command line with the ln utility (ln for hard link, or ln -s for symbolic). My best guess would be to go with the ln -s option, and only link entire directories.

With Windows, VST3 plugins are kept in: %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common Files\VST3

Using a command line in admin mode, you can use mklink to create filesystem junction from a directory on the system drive to some other location. You could move the entire VST3 directory, or you could have a subdirectory that points elsewhere, and thusly keep some plugins on the system drive, and other plugins elsewhere.

I.E. Say you have a secondary drive of which you’d like to move some plugins to the directory:
D:\VST3overflow

You could establish a junction to this location like so:
mklink /J "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\VST3overflow" "D:\VST3overflow"

At that point you’ll find a new directory on your C drive
%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\VST3overflow

that points to the contents of D:\VSToverflow

Since VST3 hosts are supposed to also check any children directories of “%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common Files\VST3”, any plugins you move there should continue to work.

Alternatively, you could cut and paste the entire
%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common Files\VST3" directory to a different drive, then make a link to the new location.

mklink /J "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\Program Files\Common Files\VST3" "D:\VST3"

NTFS Hard Links, Junctions & Symbolic Links Explained (2025)

Using such links, you can even maintain completely different sets of plugins in different locations, and easily swap among them by simply changing the filesystem link.

11

This is your VST 3 in the common folder?
I’m sure something must be wrong there.
I have a very large selection of VST3’s and my folder is under 8 gb’s.
All my content (libraries, Halion instruments, pre-sets) are on a 2nd drive.
Use the Steinberg library manager to move this stuff if you need to.

12

I second that. I have got a fairly huge number of VST3s and the folder is 10 gb. 45 gb sounds like a lot to me, too.

Have you checked for *dlls (VST2) in that folder? As you know by now, you can move them anyplace you like (maybe create a dedicated folder and remember where to find it, though).