[kimkl]

ty Trogggy
cheers m8 that saved me a headache
i always backup i use kodi 16.1 and kodi 17 at the same time i just rename the folder when switching in program files and in user folder works so far without a hitch

[trogggy]

On windows?
Search for portable installs - no need to switch anything. You can have as many separate portable kodis on windows as your hard drive can fit.

[kimkl]

Thank you for that trogggy, was exactly what i was after i removed the text i apologize for borrowing this thread should have started one myself Thank you

[trogggy]

I have a bunch of different versions (portable) on my E drive - I haven't installed in program files for years, mainly because I can't see any downside to having all your data inside the install folder rather than hidden in %appdata% and I want to be able to try different versions / userdata.
Try this:
1. Install kodi to eg D:\\Kodiportableinstalls\Kodi (or whatever path you choose*).
2. Go into the installed folder, find kodi.exe, make a shortcut to it.
3. Right click on the shortcut, choose properties and add " -p" (no quotes, and there's a space at the start) to the target.
4. Click the shortcut.
A folder called portable_data pops up as if by magic inside the installed folder. That has everything that would normally be in the user folder in %appdata%.
5. Repeat as many times as you like.

To actually answer your question you can install kodi to pretty much where you like and it will still work and use the same userdata folder - unless you edit the shortcut as above.

*the path has to be somewhere kodi can write, so 'program files' doesn't work.

[kimkl]

ofc i should have thought about that i use that constant to launch the same Game but from Different location, never thought about it would work on Kodi thumbs up now.
And thank you for the explanation to the music and video database
Thx Trog