What will happen if I deleted the folders inside my steamapps->common?

[76561199000741543]

I have installed some games in the past but uninstalled them later. My disk space was terribly going full. After a few checking I found a lot of game folders are there when in reality I currently have installed only 4 games, but folders were 20= something. My doubt was if I delete those folders, are the games will get removed from my library too? Or just stay there and I can reinstall them later?

[Ogami]

You can just right click those folders and select "Properties".
If the game is not currently installed the folder will be empty.
Many games keep their folder inside the "steamapps/common" one but they are empty after uninstalling.
So they dont really take up any space.

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por Ogami:

You can just right click those folders and select "Properties".
If the game is not currently installed the folder will be empty.
Many games keep their folder inside the "steamapps/common" one but they are empty after uninstalling.
So they dont really take up any space.

Thanks for the info. Precisely there was 21 folders. But as I said before, got only 4 installed. So is there any chance the other 17 games will get removed from library if I delete them?

[Ogami]

No, nothing will happen to your library games. But it also will not give you any space back as those folders are most likely empty when the games are not installed.

[Jaunitta 🌸]

Run the windows disc cleanup tool type disc cleanup into the search tick all boxes

Screenshots and saves can also take up spacw

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por Ogami:

No, nothing will happen to your library games. But it also will not give you any space back as those folders are most likely empty when the games are not installed.

Yeah, just checked right now in properties and by opening folders. It was literally empty. Thank you sir for telling that my game will stay in library and nothing get harmed

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por Jaunitta 🌸:

Run the windows disc cleanup tool type disc cleanup into the search tick all boxes

Screenshots and saves can also take up spacw

Stopped using windows native tools a long ago. It didn't do anything. My C drive was full once, I ran the disk cleanup utility and ticked all check boxes. After it finished cleaning the disk was still red. I restarted laptop but nothing happened.

[Jasung]

Occasionally, games may leave a save file of your progress there. Though, saves tend to be elsewhere nowadays such as in your AppData folder or on the Cloud or whatever. Thus typically, after uninstalling a game, those are just remnant empty folders as others have stated and can be removed without issues.

Do note that your library of games isn't tied to the machine you've been using, but rather the Steam account you're using. So if your rig gives up the ghost and you get another PC or upgrade to a better one down the line, you can *always* again download any game you have a license to using your account and play them. Just wanted to point that out since it wasn't crystal clear in the responses you've gotten so far. Anyway, good luck and have fun! Cheers!

[⛤ .katia ˚⊹]

You need to redownload the game / games or try to use some "Windows File Recovery" tools

"Steam Library" has nothing to do with "steamapps" folder. The only way how to remove the game from "Steam Library" is: https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGame/?appid= "ID"

[crunchyfrog]

Publicado originalmente por Mr Funny Stickman:

Publicado originalmente por Ogami:

No, nothing will happen to your library games. But it also will not give you any space back as those folders are most likely empty when the games are not installed.

Yeah, just checked right now in properties and by opening folders. It was literally empty. Thank you sir for telling that my game will stay in library and nothing get harmed

Yeah, it doesn't work like that.

When you activate or buy a game on Steam it PERMANENTLY stays on your account. YOu can delete, and re-download to your hearts content on any number of PCs. They stay there.

You Steam library has NOTHING to do with what you've downloaded locally.

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por Jasung:

Occasionally, games may leave a save file of your progress there. Though, saves tend to be elsewhere nowadays such as in your AppData folder or on the Cloud or whatever. Thus typically, after uninstalling a game, those are just remnant empty folders as others have stated and can be removed without issues.

Do note that your library of games isn't tied to the machine you've been using, but rather the Steam account you're using. So if your rig gives up the ghost and you get another PC or upgrade to a better one down the line, you can *always* again download any game you have a license to using your account and play them. Just wanted to point that out since it wasn't crystal clear in the responses you've gotten so far. Anyway, good luck and have fun! Cheers!

thanks for the detailed info. i deleted those 17 folders but didn't get even a single bit of free space. my games are still on my account and nothing happened. thank you very much

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por taki:

You need to redownload the game / games or try to use some "Windows File Recovery" tools

"Steam Library" has nothing to do with "steamapps" folder. The only way how to remove the game from "Steam Library" is: https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGame/?appid= "ID"

thank you very much. now i got the actual way of how games can be removed from account library

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por crunchyfrog:

Publicado originalmente por Mr Funny Stickman:

Yeah, just checked right now in properties and by opening folders. It was literally empty. Thank you sir for telling that my game will stay in library and nothing get harmed

Yeah, it doesn't work like that.

When you activate or buy a game on Steam it PERMANENTLY stays on your account. YOu can delete, and re-download to your hearts content on any number of PCs. They stay there.

You Steam library has NOTHING to do with what you've downloaded locally.

i am not so familiar with such details. i am a casual gamer who plays just for fun. thank you for the helpful info

[Haruspex]

You can safely delete them. There can sometimes be data still in there, particularly if you had mods installed before. The games won't be removed from your library, and when you go to install them again a new folder will just get made automatically.

[76561199000741543]

Publicado originalmente por 8bitbeard:

You can safely delete them. There can sometimes be data still in there, particularly if you had mods installed before. The games won't be removed from your library, and when you go to install them again a new folder will just get made automatically.

i play the game as it came by default. i don't know how to use mods.

[crunchyfrog]

Publicado originalmente por Mr Funny Stickman:

Publicado originalmente por taki:

You need to redownload the game / games or try to use some "Windows File Recovery" tools

"Steam Library" has nothing to do with "steamapps" folder. The only way how to remove the game from "Steam Library" is: https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGame/?appid= "ID"

thank you very much. now i got the actual way of how games can be removed from account library

They can't.

Once you purchase a game, as I said before, they are PERMNANTLY tied to your account. Valve used to remove them if you asked them in the past, but it was problematic legally (well, in part) so they no longer do it.

All you can do is HIDE it in your account, or REALLY hide it. You cannot remove them. Personally if you're not that bothered, just make a category like "fnished" and dump them there so you know at a glance.