Reconnect steam game files to new OS.

[-₳ﾁสx-👑]

I had to re-install my Oporating system (Win10) I have all my steam game files on a different drive. I have re-installed steam but of course there are no games installed. Can I connect the new steam installation to the previously installed game files?

[Cathulhu]

If you have the game folders and the appmanifest ACF files, yes. Just close the Steam client, copy the files to their respective places and fire up Steam.

[-₳ﾁสx-👑]

I have the folder 'SteamLibrary' with all the ACF files and game folders. Where do I copy it to?
I currently have no games installed on steam.

[Supafly]

Create a new library folder where you want the game to be stored
Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders > Add Library Folder

Example
D:\Games

Close Steam

Copy steamapps folder with all you games to D:\Games\
Load Steam

If you want all games to still use the current folder you already had you'll need to fiddle slightly as you can't can't add a new library folder with files already in it.

locate your game folder.
Example
D:\Games\steamapps

rename D:\Games\steamapps to D:\Games\steamapps_old

Load Steam and add library folder
Steam > Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders > Add Library Folder
D:\Games\steamapps
Close Steam
delete the
D:\Games\steamapps folder and rename
D:\Games\steamapps_old back to D:\Games\steamapps

load Steam

[-₳ﾁสx-👑]

Invaluable information and help. Thank you. I have managed to get most of my games restored.
When following your instructions, i realised I still have an issue and hope you can help further?.
I had 2 different drives with a steam library. I was wondering if I can repeat the process for the other Library files without interfering with the first on a different drive??
Thanks again.
OK I went ahead and did it and I now have all my games back.

Cant thank you enough for the help.....saved me a thousand hours of downloads and a milliaon gameplay hours :)

[Muppet among Puppets]

Best is to have os and so on C, and steam and other things on other partitions.
That way they stay.

Or copy the whole folders, and insert them simply back in "the" place later.