Steam no longer detecting Steam games (SOLVED)

[TheArchitect]

When ever I get steam to detect previous isntalled files it then procceds to just redownload the whole game of the internet. These are games installed on my hard disk drive as i'm using an 240 GB SSD for pritoy games that need it. The resone why I cant redownload all these games is because us Australians have really bad internet plans and I simply dont have the internet (100 GB). The files are there but Steam will not simply just detect them.

**PC SPECS**
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500
Graphics: Radeon R9 290X MSI Gaming Edition
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3-B3
Ram: 8GB DDR3
Primary disk drive: Kingston HyperX Savage 240GB 2.5in SSD
Secondary Disk drive: Seagate ST500DM002-1BD142 500GB HDD
Power supply: AX860 860 watt 80 plus platinum Certified Fully Modular PSU
Software: Windows 10

[Cathulhu]

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8379-RYIP-2998&l=

[TheArchitect]

Yes, I did and I set a steam folder to the drive that I made for them to

Originally posted by Alex:

did you move the games to there manually?

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Cathulhu:

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=8379-RYIP-2998&l=

That's what I have been doing but lately steam will detect previous installed files and then just re-download them

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

Yes, I did and I set a steam folder to the drive that I made fed them to

did you copy all the acf files from the steam apps folder there as well?

I just copy the game files from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\" and that has worked until recently just like the tutorials on YouTube. Has a new steam update changed this?

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

I just copy the game files from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\ and that has worked until recently just like the tutorials on YouTube. Has a new steam update changed this?

you need all the acf files there too from C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps, your directory structure on your external drive should be \steam\steamapps with game files in \common and all the .acf and .vdf files from the steamapps folder to \steamapps. the acf files are what tells steam that the game is installed.

I don't think that I've ever had to do that before and I don't remember anyone on YouTube doing that. Is this a recent feature in a steam update? Because I just remember steam having to detect the game files in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\" during installation of them. Some of the games I downloaded at my mates as my internet ran out and I only copied the game files.

[TheArchitect]

Sorry if I'm being a pain, I just don't remember having to copy any extra files

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

Sorry if I'm being a pain, I just don't remember having to copy any extra files

your not being a pain bud, we are here to help you in your time of need, that is the purpose of this forum

Thanks man, I completely understand what to copy now. It's just that some of the games that I downloaded from my mates where only there games files not the .acf and .vdf files.

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

Thanks man, I completely understand what to copy now. It's just that some of the games that I downloaded from my mates where only there games files not the .acf and .vdf files.

what games were they and let me know if you are successful in getting the games you have the acf files for.

Red orchestra 2
Empire total war
Call of duty modern warfare 3

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

Red orchestra 2
Empire total war
Call of duty modern warfare 3

i dont have those games installed and neither do my friends, i cant provide the code for the acf's for those titles.

I think that I cracked it: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=379830692

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

I think that I cracked it: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=379830692

thank you for that guide, it may come in use to me. did copying the acf files solve your issue? make sure steam is not running when you add the files and if you did leave it open try closing steam completely and reopen it

Copying the .acf files worked but the files that I downloaded from my mates will not. I am going to try follow that guid in order to make them work

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Alex:

Originally posted by BEJR:

Copying the .acf files worked but the files that I downloaded from my mates will not

yeah thought so, they need the acf, if my friend has those games installed i can provide you the data needed to make the acf file yourself, also im glad i helped. have a nice day. you are free to add me if you want and ask for help.

Followed the guid and it still didn't work. I think that my best bet it just to get .acf files either from someone else or from my mates place

[Tev]

Another option I can think of is validating the said games via SteamCMD (that should create an appmanifest -file), but it may prove to be a nuisance.
i.e.

1. You could download SteamCMD here:
   
   https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD

   login <account name> <password>
   <SteamGuard>
   @sSteamCmdForcePlatformBitness 64
   force_install_dir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\call of duty modern warfare 3"
   app_update 115300 validate
   exit

   
   
2. Exit the Steam -client
   
3. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\call of duty modern warfare 3\steamapps\ and move the appmanifest_115300.acf -file in your Steam\steamapps\ -folder.
   
4. Remove the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\call of duty modern warfare 3\steamapps\ -folder.
   
5. Restart Steam

You'll then have to change the path and APP-ID for the other two games similarly. The APP-ID is generally the numeric identifier you can find on the game's Steam Store -page.

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Another option I can think of is validating the said games via SteamCMD (that should create an appmanifest -file), but it may prove to be a nuisance.
i.e.

1. You could download SteamCMD here:
   
   https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/SteamCMD

   login <account name> <password>
   <SteamGuard>
   @sSteamCmdForcePlatformBitness 64
   force_install_dir "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\call of duty modern warfare 3"
   app_update 115300 validate
   exit

   
   
2. Exit the Steam -client
   
3. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\call of duty modern warfare 3\steamapps\ and move the appmanifest_115300.acf -file in your Steam\steamapps\ -folder.
   
4. Remove the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\call of duty modern warfare 3\steamapps\ -folder.
   
5. Restart Steam

You'll then have to change the path and APP-ID for the other two games similarly. The APP-ID is generally the numeric identifier you can find on the game's Steam Store -page.

Would you mind adding me as a freind so that you can help me with doing this?

[Tev]

I personally can't really explain it much easier than that.

Here's a video I just made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK9B3VnPTPM

I personally used it for a game I had already installed (thus the overwrite prompt at the appmanifest -part.) I also didn't apply "validate" in the app_update <app-ID> command, but usually that's something that can be overlooked.

At the very least at the part you're moving the appmanifest, turn Steam client OFF.

[TheArchitect]

Originally posted by Teutep:

I personally can't really explain it much easier than that.

Here's a video I just made:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK9B3VnPTPM

I personally used it for a game I had already installed (thus the overwrite prompt at the appmanifest -part.) I also didn't apply "validate" in the app_update <app-ID> command, but usually that's something that can be overlooked.

At the very least at the part you're moving the appmanifest, turn Steam client OFF.

Yeah man, I understand how to do it now and everything went well, steam slowly loaded detecting previous install files and then... to my disappointment it started downloading them all over again

Oh well, it was worth the try anyways and thanks for the help. However, I still think that my best bets is to just get the file of someone else or wait till I get the chance to meet up at my mates again.