Do i need to download the games again ? after formatting W10

[Alwleed]

I formatted windows 10 Disk C , and i have installed my Steam library folder on the other drive Disk D
however , no it's asking my to download the games again ! can't i just use the one on the Disk D

[The Giving One]

How did you install the games on D ? Did you use the "add a library folder" option in Steam or just move them there ?

Without the .acf files in the steamapps folder, the games will appear as uninstalled.

EDIT....

You would have to readd the folder that you have on D, if you previously used the "add a library folder option" to that drive. The reformat broke the path from the old Steam installation to that folder on D. So, recreate it.

So you could make a new empty folder, add that using the "add a library folder" option, then exit Steam and drag the contents of the old folder into the new folder.

The reason you have to do it this way is that the folder that you add has to be empty when created and added. So you need to move the games there after making the folder.

Make sure your Steam is not running when you move them.

[Daoni]

If you installed it on the OS that you formatted, I assume you would have to reinstall.

[Alwleed]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

How did you install the games on D ? Did you use the "add a library folder" option in Steam or just move them there ?

Without the .acf files in the steamapps folder, the games will appear as uninstalled.

The first time i installed them , i chose to install them on that Disk . I have all these files in D Disk https://imgur.com/a/DKj5x
,i'm not sure if can install them right away (without having to download +30gb )

[The Giving One]

Please see my edits above. I am sorry about that as I added some new information. You broke the old path to D when you reformatted, so just recreate it. The new folder you add has to be empty when you make it. Then just move the files. See my post above again, please.

EDIT..You don't have to redownload anything. You have the files there, according to your screenshot.

EDIT...

So basically, like this...

1. Go on D and make a new folder. Call it "MY STEAM D GAMES" or whatever you want.

2. Go to Steam in the top left, then settings, then downloads. Use the "Steam Library Folder" button on top, navigate the menu and "add a new library folder". Add that "MY STEAM D GAMES" to the list.

3. Exit Steam and then just move the old folder contents to the new "MY STEAM D GAMES". Then restart Steam.

You can do it also by renaming folders but I prefer to explain it this way.

So from your screenshot, your old folder is named "SteamLibrary". Just move that to the new folder you add while Steam is not running. The folder you add using the "add a library folder" option in Steam has to be empty when created.

You could call it "SteamLibrary2" for now.

[Alwleed]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

Please see my edits above. I am sorry about that as I added some new information. You broke the old path to D when you reformatted, so just recreate it. The new folder you add has to be empty when you make it. Then just move the files. See my post above again, please.

EDIT..You don't have to redownload anything. You have the files there, according to your screenshot.

EDIT...

So basically, like this...

1. Go on D and make a new folder. Call it "MY STEAM D GAMES" or whatever you want.

2. Go to Steam in the top left, then settings, then downloads. Use the "Steam Library Folder" button on top, navigate the menu and "add a new library folder". Add that "MY STEAM D GAMES" to the list.

3. Exit Steam and then just move the old folder contents to the new "MY STEAM D GAMES". Then restart Steam.

You can do it also by renaming folders but I prefer to explain it this way.

So from your screenshot, your old folder is named "SteamLibrary". Just move that to the new folder you add while Steam is not running. The folder you add using the "add a library folder" option in Steam has to be empty when created.

You could call it "SteamLibrary2" for now.

Thank you so much, you saved my time. However i found out that I lost my progress in the Witcher 3, it shows that I'm level 10, but I was actually level 16. Do you know if I can restore my level?

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by sloom:

Thank you so much, you saved my time. However i found out that I lost my progress in the Witcher 3, it shows that I'm level 10, but I was actually level 16. Do you know if I can restore my level?

I have The Witcher 3 on GoG and not Steam so I am not sure where Steam keeps the save files for The Witcher 3. If it is in My Games or My Documents, or similar location, that save would have been lost because you reformatted the computer.

If games store save files in the game folders themselves, and you save your steamapps folder before a reformat or uninstall of Steam, then those saves are kept intact because you backed them up or saved the proper files.

But if your progress is still at level 10, that is strange, because that suggests that a save was preserved somehow. I would ask about that in the The Witcher 3 forum, for further help on that topic.

You can right click The Witcher 3 in your library and select "view forum". Thanks, and hope that helps.