Can't add my steam library

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xSh4de Jun 8, 2021 @ 2:42am

A while back I installed some games on an external hard drive because I didn't have space for games and it's been fine but now I have a problem.
I plugged the drive in as usual and added the library as usual and the games didn't show up... so I thought hey okay I'll remove the library and re-add it. So I removed the library and wen't to re-add it but it says there's already a library installed on the drive, which yes is the library I'm trying to add.
I tried restarting steam, I tried ejecting the hard drive, I tried doing a backup restore, I tried installing an already installed game, I tried restarting my computer, I tried deleting files such as steam.dll, I tried renaming steam library folders such as steamapps and common.
It always says "Selected drive already has a Steam library folder. Steam will manage multiple game installs in a single folder for you."
The folder that I'm adding is basically the only folder on the drive (besides drive install files folder).
It almost acts like the one folder is two steam libraries or something so I can't add it because it thinks there is another... or that steam has it listed as a library folder even though it doesn't appear in the list.

Last edited by xSh4de; Jun 8, 2021 @ 2:52am

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Showing 1-6 of 6 comments

Jaunitta 🌸 Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:19am

Did you name the folder STEAM
insure the acf files are included.
I moved the installations for many of my games and , r?click game>lpropeties>local files>move installation files. Steam created a common folder for the games and before the common in the steamapps folder is all my asf files for the games.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2511032162
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2498599668

Last edited by Jaunitta 🌸; Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:28am

Dranak Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:23am

same place as add, right click on it, to rep steam lib.

Last edited by Dranak; Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:24am

xSh4de Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:24am

Originally posted by |<- Iceira ->|:
same place as add, right click on it, to rep steam lib.

problem is it's not there and I can't add it

xSh4de Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:30am

Originally posted by Jaunitta 🌸:
Did you name the folder STEAM
insure the acf files are included.
I moved the installations for many of my games and , r?click game>lpropeties>local files>move installation files. Steam created a common folder for the games and before the common is all my asf files for the games.

I played a game on it last night... all I did was try to re-add the library after turning my pc on this morning. all my games are in steam/steamapps/common all the proper folders and everything it's just not listed in steam libraries through steam and I can't add it because steam tells me the drive already has a steam library on it, which is what I'm trying to add

theeworstknown Jun 8, 2021 @ 3:53pm

Originally posted by xSh4de:
Originally posted by Jaunitta 🌸:
Did you name the folder STEAM
insure the acf files are included.
I moved the installations for many of my games and , r?click game>lpropeties>local files>move installation files. Steam created a common folder for the games and before the common is all my asf files for the games.
I played a game on it last night... all I did was try to re-add the library after turning my pc on this morning. all my games are in steam/steamapps/common all the proper folders and everything it's just not listed in steam libraries through steam and I can't add it because steam tells me the drive already has a steam library on it, which is what I'm trying to add

Had the exact same issue since the most recent update to the steam app. Never seen that error message before either but the phrasing sounds like its trying to read multiple locations and failing. I also restarted my computer and tried to do the "backup and restore" (didnt have a backup on the games on my external HD) but neither worked.