Verifying Game Files vs a clean reinstall

[Nakoda]

What's the difference. Is verify just like a repair button. always wondered.

[Snapjak]

Verify will compare your files to the ones that Steam has. If there's a difference, it will download them again.

Essentially a reinstall, but not always a clean install.

[MancSoulja]

When you verify the game files it compares the files on your PC to Steam's manifest. Any missing or damaged files are then replaced.

[The Giving One]

Verifying should be just as good as reinstalling, making it not necessary to reinstall. And it is much faster, too. Less data usage, for those on limited data plans.

And if you find you have to use that feature often, or one game is giving particular issues running, then there might be a conflict that needs to be resolved first, and being able to verify the game files after each troubleshooting attempt and method is very helpful, saving much time doing so.

[Ping edin Ɑ͞ ̶͞ ̶͞ ̶͞]

cant verify all evening, did the log on log off, verify, reinstall restarting etc etc etc. Still cant verify. So I opted for a candy crush evening instead...

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Black_bimmer:

cant verify all evening, did the log on log off, verify, reinstall restarting etc etc etc. Still cant verify. So I opted for a candy crush evening instead...

This thread is about 2 years old. If you were going to dig it up from the grave, the least you could have done was explain what you needed help with exactly, or what the exact problem you are having is.

[Ping edin Ɑ͞ ̶͞ ̶͞ ̶͞]

Yeah you are right. Sorry for the inconvenience. I’m om mac so there is not much to say. Just wanted to get the message out that when you are stuck on steam you are stuck. Verifying files, finding one that is not legit saying it will get the new file. It does but still not verifying game sesh. Verifying files again and finding two bad files. Reinstalling, all good but game sesh cant be verified. Checking files finding one is no good. And the beat goes on. Love my mac mini and my 30 frames per second. And it has been working good many years. Still when it does not work and you reinstall + cleaning and checking the mac its a pain. Cleared some nasty levels on CC though so something good came out in the end. This might be the break I need to start caring for more imoportant things than gaming.

[The Giving One]

Originally posted by Black_bimmer:

Yeah you are right. Sorry for the inconvenience. I’m om mac so there is not much to say.

No worries, and looking back, I might have seemed a bit rude with that reply. If it helps, there is a sub forum for Mac users :

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/2/

Originally posted by Black_bimmer:

Just wanted to get the message out that when you are stuck on steam you are stuck. Verifying files, finding one that is not legit saying it will get the new file. It does but still not verifying game sesh. Verifying files again and finding two bad files. .

It can depend on the specific situation, but sometimes you can ignore that message, depending also maybe on the files that are being verified. See here :

Verify Integrity of Game Files

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2037-QEUH-3335

Important: One or more files may fail to verify.

This is normal for most Steam games. The files that fail to verify are local configuration files that should not be replaced as part of this process. You can safely ignore this message.

They really should put that box at the top of the page, honestly. Steam had some issues recently that appear to have been addressed in update(s) so maybe that will address your problem also.

[𝙍𝙚𝙚𝙯𝙮]

im glad i dont need to reinstall my 100gb+ install of gta5, thanks all for responding to this

[Iceira]

Old and outdate post, why because VC++ issue, steam and game devs reinstall and validate game files and clear dl cache is seen as master cache reset, and you still install the old VC++ files as game devs point at, MS VC++ has newer files on MS own page.

And thats why validate and reinmstall can be a failed process, if you need newer files then game devs point at then they made the game.

Steam and game devs wont point at MS newest VC++ files, ( if ppl forgot what VC++ is they are still seen as "Runtime Drivers" best optimized fixes made by MS.

From 2018 to 2022, thats is a huge diffrence in VC++ updated files.

This post should be locked by a moderator, not because i said so because things change and topic is a mac fly that fail , you cant go back and use VC++ that from the past then other VC++ is newer from other games, that why system make more scew up to other newer games.

Ask any technicain they can see the issue and steam support and games cant, and its not MS job to force install a thirdpart app only needed by app, ( 100% greyzone, we all golfclap here )

So its steam user own problem to know better.

happy new year.

ps.
worst part if you had a newer game that install newest VC++ then you dont have same issue as the other that did not, and thats why you and other steam user cant agree on whats wrong.

you need to be very skilled or learn from past to now. ( thats a huge diffrence in how things works and why.

and install old game, watchout for double install VC++ build with diffrent version, they can give odd ingame issue as i try to explan.

[neo_retro]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

Verifying should be just as good as reinstalling, making it not necessary to reinstall. And it is much faster, too. Less data usage, for those on limited data plans.

And if you find you have to use that feature often, or one game is giving particular issues running, then there might be a conflict that needs to be resolved first, and being able to verify the game files after each troubleshooting attempt and method is very helpful, saving much time doing so.

Just had an issue with Hitman WOA where the initial loading of a level took well over a minute from an SSD. Verified the files and it did not fix it, re-installed and now it loads in 7 seconds. So try both I say.

[Mike]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.