How to re-direct Steam to a different game .exe?

[SnowFlakeToken]

How to re-direct Steam-purchased game to a different .exe, aside from removing Steam-purchased game from the library and re-adding it as a non-Steam game, a process during which a specific .exe can be selected? I don't want to re-add as non-Steam game because it would also get rid of important options and features.

There are several games I have and I can bypass intro's and needless menu's if I could simply select a different .exe...

[RGX12]

The simple way is to find the standard Windows shortcut file that was likely generated when you installed the game through Steam (look under Start menu -> Steam), and change the file target.

The other, more 'concrete' way, is to use the 'mklink' command from the (elevated) CLI:

mklink source.exe target.exe

...will create a file symbolic link so that attempting to launch source.exe will actually launch target.exe. You can also use the '/H' switch so that the OS will actually treat source.exe as if it WERE target.exe. For the distinctions between the two or for more info you can reference:

https://www.computerhope.com/mklink.htm
https://devtidbits.com/2009/09/07/windows-file-junctions-symbolic-links-and-hard-links/

[Jaunitta 🌸]

Or go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common> all your Steam bought games are listed here , rightclick each one create shortcut cut and paste to desktop, place into a new folder if you want to keep desktop free.

[TER]

Symbolic links really rules!