Using Pre-Installed Version to Skip Download

[SnyfalCR]

I pirated the game then bought it while it's on sale. I've watched some yt tutorial, none works. Please help if you've encountered the same process before

[KippenKaasBaas]

''pre-installed version'' Nice way of putting it.
Pay for your games. Best advice I can give you.

[Amanoob105]

Let me see if I have this right.

You pirated the game.
Came to a forum full of fans of the game, some of us having been around for long enough to have owned it from back in its EA days.
Admited you pirated it.
And are now looking for sympathy that your pirated version doesn't work and help to make it do so?

You're not what I would call the sharpest tool in the shed.
On a related note, Steam as this thing against the idea of pirated games and people talking about it on their forums, so try not to be too shocked when you get told this post of yours was deleted.

*Edit*
Rereading the OPs comment it occurs to me that it seems I read the first three words of their comment and immediately stopped to make the above comment. Having completely blanked on the existence of the next seven words following it.

So....Yeah.... Good on you for getting the actual game.
Don't think what you're trying to do is a good idea though. As other have said below, get rid of the pirate and just download the thing.
If you feel it will take a long time, just read a book or something while you wait.

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by SnyfalCR:

I pirated the game then bought it while it's on sale. I've watched some yt tutorial, none works. Please help if you've encountered the same process before

Your account is private, show everyone that from the pirated copy you did not go to the purchase of an account with one illegally acquired game.

...\steamapps\common\Subnautica\Subnautica_Data
Leave this folder, delete the remaining and verify the game files. This will probably work.

I don't approve of your behavior, but I value the courage that you were able to admit your mistake and you try to fix it.

edit:
If it doesn't work, it can be done in a few other steps.

[AgarthanTerrorist]

Originally posted by SnyfalCR:

I pirated the game then bought it while it's on sale. I've watched some yt tutorial, none works. Please help if you've encountered the same process before

Step number 1: google it
Step number 2: Don't admit you pirated it in a forum full of ogs.
Step number 3: Uninstall the pirated version
Step number 4: Use the steam installer

[indigo]

1. Reformat PC.
2. Installed purchased software
3. Get Out

[Arondil]

Originally posted by SnyfalCR:

I pirated the game then bought it while it's on sale. I've watched some yt tutorial, none works. Please help if you've encountered the same process before

You make it sound like downloading from Steam is much, much less hassle than trying to find a way to force-install the pirated version. Why not just walk the path of least resistance and download? After all, you did buy the game.

Also, do you know whether your pirated version is feature-complete? Will (for example) Steam achievements work if Steam has no history of you installing the game?

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by grzegorz77:

Originally posted by SnyfalCR:

I pirated the game then bought it while it's on sale. I've watched some yt tutorial, none works. Please help if you've encountered the same process before

Your account is private, show everyone that from the pirated copy you did not go to the purchase of an account with one illegally acquired game.

...\steamapps\common\Subnautica\Subnautica_Data
Leave this folder, delete the remaining and verify the game files. This will probably work.

I don't approve of your behavior, but I value the courage that you were able to admit your mistake and you try to fix it.

edit:
If it doesn't work, it can be done in a few other steps.

It's also a good idea to enable the download, stop it.
moving files from the download folder to folders as path above
(The game consists of a game folder and an app file, two folders above)
completing the "downloaded" files with files from this folder that I provided
verification of game files that will download what is missing

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by Arondil:

Originally posted by SnyfalCR:

I pirated the game then bought it while it's on sale. I've watched some yt tutorial, none works. Please help if you've encountered the same process before

You make it sound like downloading from Steam is much, much less hassle than trying to find a way to force-install the pirated version. Why not just walk the path of least resistance and download? After all, you did buy the game.

Also, do you know whether your pirated version is feature-complete? Will (for example) Steam achievements work if Steam has no history of you installing the game?

Access to the Internet is not cheap and common everywhere.

[SnyfalCR]

Jesus Christ people, i get your frustrations. I am also one of those people that moved on from pirating games in my early gaming years to now only playing the original. That's why I admitted pirating it, cuz i know it is bad.
I pirated Subnautica knowing full well summer sale is nearby, thought to myself to try the game, see if I liked it or not. Rarely play game these days, but once I do i got addicted to the games. Enjoyed the game so much decided to buy the full bundle with below zero.
I do not need your sympathy, but do know you having the ability, accessibility, and getting money easy in your first world country doesn't mean it's easy to other part of the world. Some of us have to work hard and save money to actually enjoy premium entertainment. Crazy knowing $80 is a monthly wage to some parts of the world, eh

[Cheboygan]

I think most people have pirated games at some point in their lives. When I was a teen, I didn't have the income to buy my games, let alone a pc to run them effectively. On the internet, we don't know their situation, and I don't think we should go around assuming that people aren't trying their best. It's not the right thing to pirate games, but it sounds like you're trying to make things right again at least.

Honestly, I would just copy your save file, fully uninstall, delete any remaining files (maybe in %AppData%) and then use Steam to install again. Launch game, close game, THEN replace the save file.

Good luck, and I hope you can figure everything out (including a way to purchase games). I would like to add, TONS of games on steam have demos that you can download and try before you buy.

[HuskyDynamics]

In answer to the original question (and disregarding the ethics of piracy), no, I don't think so. You must install the game via Steam for Steam to recognize the game (and I'd recommend doing that anyway, because who knows what the "pre-installed version" has hiding along with it.

For the majority of the other repliers: I get that pirating the game is bad, but OP definitively stated that they have purchased the game. The question was whether or not there was a way to use the pirated version they already have installed to avoid needing to download the game a second time from Steam. Read that again: They have purchased the game. You can stop harassing them now, okay?

[grzegorz77]

Originally posted by HuskyDynamics:

In answer to the original question (and disregarding the ethics of piracy), no, I don't think so. You must install the game via Steam for Steam to recognize the game (and I'd recommend doing that anyway, because who knows what the "pre-installed version" has hiding along with it.

For the majority of the other repliers: I get that pirating the game is bad, but OP definitively stated that they have purchased the game. The question was whether or not there was a way to use the pirated version they already have installed to avoid needing to download the game a second time from Steam. Read that again: They have purchased the game. You can stop harassing them now, okay?

it recognizing the game you are talking about is an app file
if the game is here:
...\steamapps\common\Subnautica
file is here
...\steamapps\appmanifest_xxxxxxxxx.acf

most game should not require a re-download
that's why I mentioned enabling downloads, and stop
finding the app file and moving the game folder

I often do such things because I use several computers at the same time

[SnyfalCR]

Originally posted by Cheboygan:

I think most people have pirated games at some point in their lives. When I was a teen, I didn't have the income to buy my games, let alone a pc to run them effectively. On the internet, we don't know their situation, and I don't think we should go around assuming that people aren't trying their best. It's not the right thing to pirate games, but it sounds like you're trying to make things right again at least.

Originally posted by grzegorz77:

I don't approve of your behavior, but I value the courage that you were able to admit your mistake and you try to fix it.

Thank you for being one of the few thoughtful, sane individuals in the thread and being helpful in the process of doing so. Greatly appreciated!

[SnyfalCR]

Originally posted by Arondil:

You make it sound like downloading from Steam is much, much less hassle than trying to find a way to force-install the pirated version. Why not just walk the path of least resistance and download? After all, you did buy the game.

Also, do you know whether your pirated version is feature-complete? Will (for example) Steam achievements work if Steam has no history of you installing the game?

Not the simplicity that i was looking for, but again as i replied above, i was planning to buy the game anyway, so i don't mind a little hassle.
What i do mind, though, was the internet speed. Data is quite cheap here, but speed, you'd be dreaming to even constantly have 1 Mbps.
So two reason above was the main reason i torrented it. It was a one day download

As for achievements, idk. Skyrim was the only other example i have of this, and i wasn't really paying attention to it back then, since i bought it on my first summer sale.
I'd update it here if you're interested bout it.

[SnyfalCR]

Originally posted by HuskyDynamics:

In answer to the original question (and disregarding the ethics of piracy), no, I don't think so. You must install the game via Steam for Steam to recognize the game (and I'd recommend doing that anyway, because who knows what the "pre-installed version" has hiding along with it.

I'll reply this comment in hope some other guys who have the same question lingering doesn't have to experience the same ruckus that i went through.

Originally posted by grzegorz77:

...\steamapps\common\Subnautica\Subnautica_Data
Leave this folder, delete the remaining and verify the game files. This will probably work.

If it doesn't work, it can be done in a few other steps.

Originally posted by grzegorz77:

It's also a good idea to enable the download, stop it.
moving files from the download folder to folders as path above
(The game consists of a game folder and an app file, two folders above)
completing the "downloaded" files with files from this folder that I provided
verification of game files that will download what is missing

This much, i figured. So i did both of this step the first time before posting the question, not noticing that it actually skip some downloads. Only about 300 MB, so i thought that steam bugged out or it was a cache from previous downloads or something.
So with that, not having any helpful answer after posting here, actually did some research and studied the workaround with appmanifest files.

Originally posted by grzegorz77:

Originally posted by HuskyDynamics:

In answer to the original question (and disregarding the ethics of piracy), no, I don't think so. You must install the game via Steam for Steam to recognize the game (and I'd recommend doing that anyway, because who knows what the "pre-installed version" has hiding along with it.

it recognizing the game you are talking about is an app file
if the game is here:
...\steamapps\common\Subnautica
file is here
...\steamapps\appmanifest_xxxxxxxxx.acf

most game should not require a re-download
that's why I mentioned enabling downloads, and stop
finding the app file and moving the game folder

Only to find out that there's no online repository for 264710 (Subnautica game id), and so i only figured these variables: the self-explanatory variable, LastUpdated and StateFlags = 4. And so i changed these variable's value. It worked for a few seconds, Downloads page registered it as having 6.8 GB (downloaded/installed (?) outta 7.3. But i guess since i only have 300 MB of data matching the current version, it went back to 300 MB anyway