Are mod files included in Steam game backups?

[Zemecon]

First off, I would like to apologise if I don't respond to any comments made here for a while after posting this thread. It won't be that I don't appreciate them, but rather it will be because I am currently facing some issues with my computer that will limit how much I can do on it until I get everything sorted out (which will be soon, I hope). I will still be able to read the comments, I just may not be able to respond to them for a while.

Which leads to my question.

Some games have mods that go directly into that game's executable directory or in some of the folders located within the main game folder rather than in the PC owner's directory, and some mods have multiple files that each go inside multiple folders, and the only way you can really back them up if you haven't been putting copies into a backup folder as you install them is by copying the entire game folder. Which I don't think you would be able or permitted to do.

So my question is: If I create a backup through Steam, will my mod files be included in that backup or will only the the files that were installed by Steam be in the backup? I know that Steam does create backups for you but these backups are compressed files with multiple games in them that are put into groups depending on whether you are using blank CD's or DVD's or so on. So I can't really tell.

Additional question: How important are Steam redistributable files? I am asking because I use AVG PC TuneUp and whenever I try to clean up my PC it tells me I have a whole bunch of them, and it tells me they are not all that important after game installation. It also iells me only the redistributables that have already been used will be deleted. I am just wondering what to do about that.

Thanks for reading.

[Forcen]

That sounds very unlikely, i would backup all the mods separatly if I were you.
Also don't assume it will backup your saves.

[Phantom]

I wouldn't depend on it if i were you.

The standard procedure is to backup your mods and re-insert them into the correct area.

For your save-games it's a somewhat different ball-game.

I'll explain it though.

[1] Some games support Steam cloud.

Those games and their files are here...

https://store.steampowered.com/account/remotestorage

[2} Some games do NOT support Steam Cloud and their save-games appear in other places.

Some save-games files will appear in...

User/AppData/Roaming/<<Game Name>>

Other games may utilize your documents folder.

Libraries\Documents\{Game}

Use https://www.gamesave-manager.com/ to help with saves that don't sync to cloud.

[Zemecon]

Thanks for the posts, guys. A lot of good info from Robin3sk and thanks to Forcen for confirming my question about mods. Fortunately I was able to back up all of the mods for this one game in question successfully. And I will check out that link Robin3sk provided, just not now and not on my home computer. Or maybe on my home computer at a later time...

Anyway,... Now I have three more questions, one I might be able to confirm on my own but for the sake of saving time I will ask here, and another that I have no idea about.

First off, if I have any non-Steam games placed in my Steam library, will I be able to back them up along with my Steam games or will I need to back them up separately?

And second, if there is a game in my Steam library that is currently uninstalled (like ARK - for some reason it uninstalled itself since my last visit), will it always be in my Steam library regardless as long as I use the Steam app on this computer? If not, and I need to install it on another PC, how will I get it put into my library so that I can re-install it?

Finally, I just realized how massive some of my games are or have become. I know Steam requires a certain file system in order to allow games to be installed separately and that some file systems like FAT-something will not be able to store them. In general, what sort of medium (disks, flash drives, etc.) should I use to store those games? I am going to need to do this sooner or later so I should get started now with my bigger games.

Thanks for reading, and thanks again for your comments.

[johnjohn]

I think it doesnt . I know most of my comment wont make sense, but the last part will

I have a laptop that i install games but since i don't have much storage, to install a big game i have to uninstall the other big game (usually these games being gtaV on epic games and payday2 on steam)

And while i'm reinstalling payday2 i noticed that steam already had all my 23 script mods (which i downloaded from third party websites like modworkshop or nexusmods, but i don't see my override assets mods, like "no dirt camera")

So while steam CAN backup your mods, i wouldn't recommend you to trust 100% on that backup, cause steam may not backup mods that override assets, and i have already uninstalled payday2 in the past and my mods (same script mods) weren't backed up that time, and the time before it i think they were backed up (since i don't remember having a problem with that so it isn't a "new feature").

It may be because of the way i uninstalled the game (deleting the folder where the game is), but still, always make a backup of your mods just to be safe.

And when you uninstall a game, don't be a dumbass like me!

Go to steam -> library -> right click the game you want to uninstall -> manage -> uninstall
instead of just deleting the folder where it is installed.

Same to your windows programs, so windows know you actually don't want them and wont keep them in your windows start menu.

Late post i know, but if people want to know, there it is


EDIT: Daumn, i think it isnt actually, what seems to happen is when steam uninstall the game, it doesn't purge all files. So maybe what happened is my mods were still there because steam noticed they weren't part of the original game, so there wasnt a need to delete them.

But when i needed to reinstall windows, that was the time my mods weren't anywhere i could find. Because steam never backed them up

That makes sense why my override mods disappeared, because they were in the same folder steam downloads all the game assets.

[RPG Gamer Man]

Nope. I can guarantee it will not let you backup mod files. Tried this myself with skyrim mods, and when i tried to reinstall it on a new pc, i had to redownload the mods i had from nexus mods, so no, they will not backup with the game. Note that the save files will not usually work if you need a specific mode with it to work too, it will give some kind of error.

Feel free to ask this on the skryim form in the old farts coffee shop. They will tell you same thing.

[johnjohn]

Originally posted by RPG Gamer Man:

Nope. I can guarantee it will not let you backup mod files. Tried this myself with skyrim mods, and when i tried to reinstall it on a new pc, i had to redownload the mods i had from nexus mods, so no, they will not backup with the game. Note that the save files will not usually work if you need a specific mode with it to work too, it will give some kind of error.

Feel free to ask this on the skryim form in the old farts coffee shop. They will tell you same thing.

Just noticed it now when i looked at my steam common and found team fortress2 folder (uninstalled game) but it had some files, which made me think that not all files are deleted when you uninstall the game

[Connie]

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