Choosing where to install?

[Spen]

I'm following a modding guide and it's saying to uninstall the game and relocate somewhere other than C:\Program Files. I deleted all the folders I supposedly needed too but whenever I try to reinstall skyrim, it gives me no prompt on where I'd like to save it. Any help?

[SMIFFY]

Ignore that guide.

I'm assuming you mean Program Files (x86) which is where Steam should be.

[Spen]

Yes, correct

[DrNewcenstein]

Steam has to be moved off of C:\ drive entirely. Games install through Steam (unless you buy DVDs in the store like we used to do in Ye Olden Days, then you can put them wherever you want).

However, I do believe you get a prompt when you start to install a game that says where it will be installed. See if you can change this.

[Spen]

Originally posted by DrNewcenstein:

Steam has to be moved off of C:\ drive entirely. Games install through Steam (unless you buy DVDs in the store like we used to do in Ye Olden Days, then you can put them wherever you want).

However, I do believe you get a prompt when you start to install a game that says where it will be installed. See if you can change this.

Damn, alright. I'll probably just find a different guide to follow.

[rallicknom]

You do not have to move Steam off of the C: drive if that is your primary drive. Just install Steam in C:/Steam or Users/your name/Steam, or anywhere else you want to install it other than C:/Program Files(86).

If you uninstall Steam and then go to steampowered.com, I believe that is the site, and download and install Steam from there you can install it wherever you like. You will have to log in to your Steam account again after doing so.

The reason it is recommended that Steam be moved out of it's default installation, C:/Program Files (86) is that Windows UAC will often block you from making changes to program files and you will then have to run the program as an administrator. Windows can get very leery of you making changes to program files.

[Spen]

Originally posted by rallicknom:

You do not have to move Steam off of the C: drive if that is your primary drive. Just install Steam in C:/Steam or Users/your name/Steam, or anywhere else you want to install it other than C:/Program Files(86).

If you uninstall Steam and then go to steampowered.com, I believe that is the site, and download and install Steam from there you can install it wherever you like. You will have to log in to your Steam account again after doing so.

The reason it is recommended that Steam be moved out of it's default installation, C:/Program Files (86) is that Windows UAC will often block you from making changes to program files and you will then have to run the program as an administrator. Windows can get very leery of you making changes to program files.

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to help me with this.
Is there something I can just press on the actual steam app to uninstall or can I just use the control panel?
Also, will my saves be okay? Most of my games are online so I'm not too worried about it, but I'd just like some closure.

[bLaCkShAd0w]

Install steam on c, program files is fine, Then make a steam library to install games on another drive.

Its fine to run the client on your system drive, But modding games installed on a system drive can lead to windows fun as stated above.

[Mringasa]

Just set yourself up to be administrator and no more problems. I've had this setup for years now and run into 0 issues with any game installed to my Program Files directories. Even WryeBash, which cries like a little ♥♥♥♥♥ if you install it to there, works fine.

fwiw, reinstalling Steam sucks. You will have to download all your games again since it wipes the entire directory.

[Spen]

Originally posted by Mringasa:

Just set yourself up to be administrator and no more problems. I've had this setup for years now and run into 0 issues with any game installed to my Program Files directories. Even WryeBash, which cries like a little ♥♥♥♥♥ if you install it to there, works fine.

fwiw, reinstalling Steam sucks. You will have to download all your games again since it wipes the entire directory.

I only have like, 5 games downloaded that I actually care about. My internet is also pretty fast, so it wouldn't be a real pain.

[DrNewcenstein]

Got to the top left of the Steam app (you're soaking in it) and click Steam>Settings>Downloads>Content Libraries. You can add directories here and select where a game gets installed when you install it.

[mikk011]

First, if you aren't having any problems don't feel like you must move your Steam or your games. Mine worked fine in C/Programs w/Windows 10; the only reason I eventually moved was acquiring FO New Vegas and being warned by many, many mod authors to not mod NV in the x86 folder.

Second, you don't have to uninstall Steam or your games to move them, nor does a move have to go to a seperate drive. The big issue is apparently related to how windows is getting progressively more restrictive about certain activities in the Programs folder. If you don't have a second drive, elsewhere on your C drive should be fine. See the Steam support topic on moving a Steam installation and games. I think this is the link. https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129&l=

Warning: when I moved my Steam installation and all my games I (being somewhat inept) did foul up NMM and I still haven't entirely debugged it yet. Also, remember to reset any desktop or start menu shortcuts (including SKSE if you use it) to reflect the new paths.

[DrNewcenstein]

Most games will run fine in Program Files. Most games can't be modded, either.

If you want to mod a Bethesda game, install it somewhere else. If you're still playing on a laptop instead of a desktop, and thus are stuck with only one HDD, and if it's modern enough to run Skyrim Special Ed, then it should already have been split into 2 partitions. Install to the other partition.
When WIndows goes feral and eats its own registry, you'll only lose C: drive and the OS and your Documents, Saves, Pictures, Videos, Downloads, Favorites, browser and anti-virus settings, text files you've written your passwords in, and all that, but not your mods.
You'll also lose your plugins.txt, which means rebuilding your load order.

[Randox]

I'll just throw this out there. If you want to install steam games to different locations on a case by case basis, you can use Symbolic Links to do so. You move the installation folder to wherever you want it, and replace the folder in the steam installation directory with a symlink of the same name pointing to the new location. As far as steam is concerned, nothing has changed, but your hardware will be pointed to the actual location of the requested data.

This is the guide I originally used.[www.howtogeek.com]

I do this when I want to install a game to my SSD.

[Spen]

For the record, I'm using TUCOGUIDE 1.3.

[Spen]

Originally posted by Mringasa:

Just set yourself up to be administrator and no more problems. I've had this setup for years now and run into 0 issues with any game installed to my Program Files directories. Even WryeBash, which cries like a little ♥♥♥♥♥ if you install it to there, works fine.

fwiw, reinstalling Steam sucks. You will have to download all your games again since it wipes the entire directory.

How do I exactly set myself up as admininstrator?