Can't see games shared with me (family sharing)

[Deja Vu]

I just opened steam today and all the games that other users have shared with me using family sharing weren't being displayed. The only game that I could see was Doom (since it was installed) and when I clicked Play, it asked me to request access from the person it belongs to. I clicked request access and then I could see all the games belonging to him but I still can't see any games belonging to the other 2 people who have shared their libraries with me.

They're telling me my PC and account are authorised from their end. Tried restarting steam, logging out and logging in as well as rebooting my PC but I still can't see their games...

[Tev]

You need to run one of the installed games from the other two's libraries too to get their libraries visible.

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

You need to run one of the installed games from the other two's libraries too to get their libraries visible.

I don't have any games installed from the other two libraries

[Tev]

Okay, I can really think of three options.

The easiest one is this: Convince the two people whose libraries you cannot access to re-authorize your computer.

Otherwise you will want to use a recovery program to fetch an older version of your config.vdf (this has your [AuthorizedDevice] -entries)

Its location by default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config\config.vdf

Then one of the things I can imagine is this:

Let's pretend you currently have access to A's library.

If you have X game installed that A doesn't own, but B owns. You could try to permanently remove the game: X from your library. That way (at least upon rebooting Steam), the game should redirect to B's library allowing you to request access through that.

You should be able to retrieve the game back to your account under the same Help Desk -page.

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Okay, I can really think of three options.

The easiest one is this: Convince the two people whose libraries you cannot access to re-authorize your computer.

Otherwise you will want to use a recovery program to fetch an older version of your config.vdf (this has your [AuthorizedDevice] -entries)

Its location by default is C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\config\config.vdf

Then one of the things I can imagine is this:

Let's pretend you currently have access to A's library.

If you have X game installed that A doesn't own, but B owns. You could try to permanently remove the game: X from your library. That way (at least upon rebooting Steam), the game should redirect to B's library allowing you to request access through that.

You should be able to retrieve the game back to your account under the same Help Desk -page.

thanks for the suggestions. Btw, another weird thing is that this sudden disappearance of games coincided with all my steam settings being reset (such as fps counter on top left corner, sound/notifications, etc.)

[Tev]

That, and the config.vdf's "destruction" are probably caused by the same reason.

Have anything that's on this list?
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

That, and the config.vdf's "destruction" are probably caused by the same reason.

Have anything that's on this list?
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=9828-SFLZ-9289

Just CCleaner and I didn't even use it

[Tev]

Either way, should you go with the Help Desk method. Acquiring C's library will require you to remove game Y that C owns; that A and B mustn't own (unless by sheer luck Steam will designate it to C regardless.)

If you want to avoid this issue from happening again, I'd strongly recommend backing up the config.vdf somewhere (after you've reobtained the libraries), or to figure out what corrupted those configuration files of yours in the first place.

Basically for example

GAME	YOUR LIBRARY	A's LIBRARY	B's LIBRARY	C's LIBRARY
BioShock

If you remove BioShock in this case and reboot Steam, it should show up under C's library and allow you to request access to its library upon launch.

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Either way, should you go with the Help Desk method. Acquiring C's library will require you to remove game Y that C owns; that A and B mustn't own (unless by sheer luck Steam will designate it to C regardless.)

If you want to avoid this issue from happening again, I'd strongly recommend backing up the config.vdf somewhere (after you've reobtained the libraries), or to figure out what corrupted those configuration files of yours in the first place.

alright... thanks a lot for the help :D

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Either way, should you go with the Help Desk method. Acquiring C's library will require you to remove game Y that C owns; that A and B mustn't own (unless by sheer luck Steam will designate it to C regardless.)

If you want to avoid this issue from happening again, I'd strongly recommend backing up the config.vdf somewhere (after you've reobtained the libraries), or to figure out what corrupted those configuration files of yours in the first place.

Basically for example

GAME	YOUR LIBRARY	A's LIBRARY	B's LIBRARY	C's LIBRARY
BioShock	:correctamundo:	:TryAgain:	:TryAgain:	:correctamundo:

If you remove BioShock in this case and reboot Steam, it should show up under C's library and allow you to request access to its library upon launch.

By the way, once I have permenantly removed a game, how do I go about retrieving it?

[Tev]

Same Help Desk -page as upon removal,

You just need to go under [It's not in my library > Restore the previously removed product to my account]

Image of an example:
http://i.imgur.com/pzEiBzz.png

Should the [It's not in my library] -button not appear. While it seems to be mostly fixed in that department, it could be due to Steam detecting the game as being in "your library" as it's accessible to you via someone else's library.

If such happens, exit Steam, move the config.vdf to your desktop. Restart Steam (it will act like you're not being shared games to), do the restoration. Exit Steam and move the config.vdf back (to re-obtain the libraries you've been given the priviledge to access.)

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Same Help Desk -page as upon removal,

You just need to go under [It's not in my library > Restore the previously removed product to my account]

Image of an example:
http://i.imgur.com/pzEiBzz.png

Should the [It's not in my library] -button not appear. While it seems to be mostly fixed in that department, it could be due to Steam detecting the game as being in "your library" as it's accessible to you via someone else's library.

If such happens, exit Steam, move the config.vdf to your desktop. Restart Steam (it will act like you're not being shared games to), do the restoration. Exit Steam and move the config.vdf back (to re-obtain the libraries you've been given the priviledge to access.)

Ok so I own vice city and the person whose library i'm not able to see also owns vice city. I had vice city installed. I got it removed from my account permanently and restarted steam but now there's a purchase button when i highlight vice city in my library instead of a button to request access from the person whose library is being shared with me

[Tev]

Is this person from another country? (Thus could it be possible you're not being shared the game to from him due to i.e. game specific region restrictions?)

The game itself should be sharable at least as far as how it behaves for me (and how it's displayed on SteamDB goes.)[steamdb.info]

You should be able to restore Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to your library anyhow,
https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGameIssue/?appid=12110&issueid=101

If I were you, I'd try some other game that matches the criteria. Sorry for the hassle anyhow!

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Is this person from another country? (Thus could it be possible you're not being shared the game to from him due to i.e. game specific region restrictions?)

The game itself should be sharable at least as far as how it behaves for me (and how it's displayed on SteamDB goes.)[steamdb.info]

You should be able to restore Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to your library anyhow,
https://help.steampowered.com/en/wizard/HelpWithGameIssue/?appid=12110&issueid=101

If I were you, I'd try some other game that matches the criteria. Sorry for the hassle anyhow!

Yup he's in a different country. GTA:VC is shareable

[Tev]

Well, my suggestion would be to restore Vice City and try another game for the restoration with hopes that the second time will be the charm.

[Deja Vu]

Originally posted by Teutep:

Well, my suggestion would be to restore Vice City and try another game for the restoration with hopes that the second time will be the charm.

Tried it with GTA5.. Same outcome. Is there no way this can be resolved by editing the config.vdf file?