Can't access games after new OS install

[radkins01]

Hi all, I had to reinstall Windows on my PC. Previously, I had my Steam games downloaded to my external E: drive, but apparently the new OS install re-designated my storage drive letters, and Steam can no longer access the games. I'm just trying to find out how to "re-point" the game start to the correct external drive. I tried re-designating the drive letters but this didn't help. Any assistance appreciated....thanks.

[ReBoot]

Put Steam onto the drive you want your games on, move games into the Steam folder, start Steam. EZ.

[radkins01]

Didn't work. I moved Steam, which was in Program Files (x86) from the C: drive to the E: drive, moved the games into the Steam folder that is now on the E: drive, and when I try to start Steam it gives me an error message.

[Vaemer-Riit]

Put steam back where it was and make sure it is working. You shouldn't run steam from a removable drive.

Assuming you just had a steam library folder on your old E: drive the easiest way to fix this is:

1) rename your old steam library folder steam.old
2) launch steam and create a new library folder on the drive with steam.old
3) exit steam completely (don't just minimize it to the system tray) you should now have a steam folder and a steam.old folder on the same drive. Delete the steam folder and rename the steam.old folder back to steam
4) launch steam and it should read all of the games installed on your external drive now.

[Satoru]

Steam DOES NOT run off external drives. Steam does not support external drives for game data either

YOU CANNOT install steam onto an external drive. DO NOT do this

[radkins01]

Didn't work anyway. I guess another way to approach this is: Can I wipe out everything Steam related on this PC, re-download Steam, and then re-download all of my games that I've bought over the years? Is the Steam website/system gonna recognize me to do that? It's the long way around, so to speak, but none of this other stuff is working and I'd like to at least get back to playing some of my Steam games. Any help appreciated!!

[xarvn]

You can uninstall Steam from drive C and then reinstall from https://store.steampowered.com if you suspect that Steam is no longer working correctly. You will however lose Steam settings and the games you installed in drive C. You can also completely erase drive E and download afresh but this is not necessary. Vaemer-Riit's advice (post #3) is sound but I think it did not work for you because some clarification might be needed:
With Steam installed in the default C:\Program Files (x86) do the following:

1. Exit Steam by going to Steam -> Exit.
   
2. Disconnect/turn off the external drive E and make absolutely sure that Steam is working as it should and that you can login to your account.
   
3. Exit Steam via Steam ->Exit.
   
4. Turn on/connect drive E and look for a Steam library folder. It might be labeled "SteamLibrary" or something similar.
   
5. Rename this folder to SteamLibrary_OLD.
   
6. Start Steam and login to your account.
   
7. In Steam -> Settings -> Storage click the downward pointing blue caret symbol at the top right of the window. Select "Add Drive" and select drive E.
   
8. Exit Steam.
   
9. In Windows File Explorer, find the newly created Steam library folder (it will likely be "SteamLibrary" or similar) and write down the name somewhere.
   
10. Delete this new "SteamLibrary" folder and then rename SteamLibrary_OLD to this name.
    
11. Start Steam.
    
12. Verify that there is a Steam Library in drive E by going to Steam -> Settings -> Storage and then clicking the box with the blue caret at the top. You should be able to select "drive E:"
    
13. Don't worry if Steam indicates that there are no games installed in drive E. Verify with File Explorer that "E:\<SteamLibrary>\steamapps\common" folder exists with game folders therein.
    
14. Go to your Library page in the Steam client. You will see that all games that were installed in drive E are NOT installed. This is because you lost all of the appmanifest files when you reinstalled Windows in drive C and had to reinstall Steam. This is as expected.
    
15. From your Steam Library page install the games that were in drive E. Make sure to specify the download location as drive E otherwise Steam will download the game into the default C drive ignoring any existing game files in drive E. Steam should appear to be downloading the games from scratch but will instead verify existing files and keep downloading to a minimum.

The installation process should go quickly because Steam will not need to download game files in their entirety. Steam will in rare instances discard existing files if the game has been updated and will need to download from scratch. You can select multiple games in the library to install all at once. But you should periodically check the progress because many games will require you to first agree to game specific EULAs.

[radkins01]

Thanks for that info! I've been wrestling with this PC all day, I will give your advice a try first thing in the morning & let u know....

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by radkins01:

Didn't work. I moved Steam, which was in Program Files (x86) from the C: drive to the E: drive, moved the games into the Steam folder that is now on the E: drive, and when I try to start Steam it gives me an error message.

Would you mind quoting that error message?

[Iceira]

OP dont even mention re-add steam lib entry again. so disk content is seen by steam.

OP also make a mistake and think letter aignment or swap it will change this.

how we know, because steam.exe will correct whatever it is and what multi disk it need again or not. ( crashed steam and lost steam lib entry has been seen before. )

see steam storage management.( you can rep steam lib from there also if needed )

[no154370]

Originally posted by Iceira:

OP dont even mention re-add steam lib entry again. so disk content is seen by steam.

OP also make a mistake and think letter aignment or swap it will change this.

how we know, because steam.exe will correct whatever it is and what multi disk it need again or not. ( crashed steam and lost steam lib entry has been seen before. )

see steam storage management.( you can rep steam lib from there also if needed )

Ignore this post

As it doesn't provide any solution to OP's problem at all

[radkins01]

Hi xarvn, just to update: I followed your instructions, and everything *looks* like it is OK (the files, etc.), but when I try to run any of the Steam games, I click on "Play" and the game looks like it is starting, but then after a second or so it reverts back to the starting screen. This happens with every game. The Steam Library is on E:, and if I go into the folder, all the games are in there. Any idea why it would do this? Thanks.....btw, I did have it verify the integrity of the files..they're OK...

[Iceira]

Originally posted by radkins01:

Hi xarvn, just to update: I followed your instructions, and everything *looks* like it is OK (the files, etc.), but when I try to run any of the Steam games, I click on "Play" and the game looks like it is starting, but then after a second or so it reverts back to the starting screen. This happens with every game. The Steam Library is on E:, and if I go into the folder, all the games are in there. Any idea why it would do this? Thanks.....

You either block it or you have game crash. ( you did reset OS that also mean firewall and it's security.

[no154370]

Try this

1) Just go to your Steam installation folder and delete everything except steam.exe and the /steamapps/ folder. Then just double-click on Steam.exe and it will download all the necessary files for the steam client. The steamapps folder is where all your games are installed by default and Steam will automatically recognize it upon relaunch.

[Iceira]

Thats the problem here, now you want him to wipe all, clearly you read very old steam advice and have not paid attention over last 2 years issue with what you just posted, but aient that alos the problem here, to many crappy steam old helper that has no clue in what they are doing.

Also why we try tell ppl this. ( technicaly we could all report all post with what has been said in the past old outdate ways ) but it dont help then steam helper keep post them.

But also part of the problem here , still OP own issue to have backup of hes data, he just reinstall OS and you want to reset all games, other helper can tell that will not help at all.

First rule of reset windows is what you just did, have consequence in everything.

ps.
why should we keep say whats wrong with old ways, then its steam own users that keep doing them.

This is user forum for steam users, and steam actual want diffrent view points, go ahead OP follow old ways and lets see the other consequence you just did with them.
all this depend on how you use the steam and start games up.

[GlobalGenocide]

Hey mate,

Simple fix that might work for you if the above solutions didn't. Change your drive letter back to what it was before.
Go into computer management > Disk Management and then right click on the drive in question and Change Drive Letter and Paths.

https://imgur.com/a/x8QUARw

Hope this helps.