all my games say i need to download them since loss and replacement of system drive

[bozzo]

the games are installed on other drives seperate from the system drive, how do i reestablish them with out having to down load them again/

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Steam client seeks .acf files, and if it fails to read that, it will think the game not installed, the .acf files found in Steamapp folder tells the status of the games.

Go to drive that has the Steamapp folder that you install your games on, rename the steamapp folder just add anything like "Steamapp-0" now on client open settings > download > Library folder manager > add new folder on that drive, then close Steam, now on other drive delete the new Steamapp folder that was made, then rename back the Steamapp-0 folder you had back to the original name Steamapp, then launch Steam, and games should show.

[bozzo]

Thank you for your reply.i have two drives with steam games, do i do the same with both or does that require a different procedure

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

C drive is not an issue 99% of the time, so encountering like uninstall games on C drive is due to some 3rd party application that cause interference, with Steam client, such as reading files, doing permission issues, or etc... In rare case if it happen may be due to sleep / hibernation mode being used, as HDD can have an issue, compare to SSD when seeking data. Simple relaunch, or doing same rename trick should fix the issue as well.


If this issue only related to games that appar uninstall on D, E, or whatever amount, drives you have, just try methods, maybe first method works, if not then do the 2nd method.

As long the .acf files are not temper with, or missing, the client should read it.

[ReBoot]

You can avoid this issue in future by keeping Steam & the games together. Example: you can put Steam in D:\Steam and keep all games in D:\Steam\SteamApps.

[bozzo]

thank you for the replies. first i was not able to make the rename trick work, it was likely my fault,at least i would not argue against that. i was able to get the games back though, i dragged the library folders from both drives with the games to the root of the "C" drive, this did not move any files from the drives, just the folder indicators that would direct steam to see them,(this is a big i think) this was an accident and done not on purpose the first time. this caused steam to down load something and when done the games were back. i did this again with the other drive and the other games came back. you would think i would be happy but i am still a little worried about where any new game would be installed, the reason i wanted separate drives was in case i lost the c drive which only has the operating system on it and i would not lose all the game data. of course now i not so sure that was a such a good idea. anyway thanks again for your time, and i will update this next time i buy a new game and let you know what drive it installed on, the "C" drive or one of the game drives.

[The Giving One]

If you have two libraries for your games, and you have added one using the "add a library" feature from the settings menu in the top left, after clicking "Steam", then Steam will always ask you where you want the games installed as in which library, when you go to download a game.

Always make sure you have plenty of space on that drive before you tell Steam where to install a game, and Steam will tell you the amount of space that is needed and how much you have available. Don't fill up a hard drive too much, or it can cause issues.

Possibly, just like the issue you had here, or similar ones.

[bozzo]

ok thanks