Non Steam Games no longer showing up when I use the search box; they did before

[WarMom]

At some point in the past, if I used the 'search for games or updates' box in Gaming Mode and put in the name of a non steam game I had added, it would appear. I don't know when it changed, but now when I search for something, I only get results from the store and Steam Store games that I have bought in the 'Library' tab.

I've uninstalled Decky just in case something there was the cause, but no luck. It looks like this was a change in SteamOS. Or was this moved to settings or filters somewhere?

This was useful because I have 107 non-steam apps, some 60 of which are individual games, and if I can't remember when I last played something (having library sorted by Most Recent), it was great to just pop up to that menu and put in a few letters, like I would for any steam game, and get right to it.

When was this change made, or am I missing something and this can still be done? The non-steam entries show up, of course, when searching in Desktop mode. It's just Game Mode they're missing in.

[nicoper]

Yeah, this sounds like a bug.
I grabbed my Deck to check, and experienced the same thing.
There's also an open issue on github for this exact problem, dated five days ago.[github.com]

[さゆみ]

All my non steam games are missing in desktop mode. Also tried big picture mode but did not helped. Recognized it today after I want to change some launch command for a non steam game on desktop. Hope it will be fixed soon. Gaming mode seems to be normal

[nicoper]

This has been fixed[github.com] in Steam Deck Beta Client Update: May 16th!

[FeeFee]

This has not been definitively fixed by the look of things - non-Steam games still aren't showing up at least some of the time on the current build, for me.

[Lala Satalin Deviluke]

well, unless ur a steam elitest, u cant even trasnfer non steam games to deck, let alone anyone providing any non hack deck options in detail, ur lucky u can download or transfer non steam games to deck and even half play them given ur seem to need to understand how to unlock and mod a deck as oppose to win pc

[Schorsch Wadschinken]

Not fixed for me

[Franz]

After today's update I am again able to see non-steam games inmy library from desktop mode, will update should they disappear again after a restart or something.

[argentumsound]

Same for me. My non Steam games are not showing up at all, neither do they pop up when I browse for them.
Not sure when this problem appeared but it's been this way for at least a week now and I assume way, waaay longer since I haven't been using the functionality for at least a year.
Sorry had to use every sad emoji in my arsenal. maybe Steam staff will take pity on us then. After a year....

[Schorsch Wadschinken]

Originally posted by argentumsound:

Same for me. My non Steam games are not showing up at all, neither do they pop up when I browse for them. :otaznicek: :tbpgloomy: :tbpsad:
Not sure when this problem appeared but it's been this way for at least a week now and I assume way, waaay longer since I haven't been using the functionality for at least a year. :winter2019angrysnowman::winter2019sadbulb::tbpwtf:
Sorry had to use every sad emoji in my arsenal. maybe Steam staff will take pity on us then. After a year....
:deadrat:

It won't ever be fixed. It turns out that it all hinges on a single individual file which isn't backed up anywhere either locally or in your cloud, and that can become corrupt if at any point the system is unexpectedly shut down while something is being written to that file. Or for other reasons, I presume.

That's bad design in my opinion, and the only way you can shield yourself from that is to back up this file periodically

[nicoper]

Originally posted by Thornskade:

Originally posted by argentumsound:

Same for me. My non Steam games are not showing up at all, neither do they pop up when I browse for them. :otaznicek: :tbpgloomy: :tbpsad: :sad_seagull:
Not sure when this problem appeared but it's been this way for at least a week now and I assume way, waaay longer since I haven't been using the functionality for at least a year. :tbpwtf:
Sorry had to use every sad emoji in my arsenal. maybe Steam staff will take pity on us then. After a year....
:deadrat:

It won't ever be fixed. It turns out that it all hinges on a single individual file which isn't backed up anywhere either locally or in your cloud, and that can become corrupt if at any point the system is unexpectedly shut down while something is being written to that file. Or for other reasons, I presume.

That's bad design in my opinion, and the only way you can shield yourself from that is to back up this file periodically

And which file is that? Would be good to know.

[Schorsch Wadschinken]

Originally posted by nicoper:

And which file is that? Would be good to know.

/Steam/userdata/USER_ID_NUMBER/config/shortcuts.vdf