Where does steam store file paths for non-steam games?

[Forblaze]

I'm moving a bunch of non-steam games to a new drive and rather than removing and re-adding them individually, I want to just edit the file path in the file that steam stores them in. Does anyone know what file these are stored in and where it's located?

[Piston Smashed™]

Steam doesn't store any none Steam games. You link a none Steam game's exe to your library. The none Steam games are where ever you installed them on your PC. So, if you change a games install location you will have to re-link the game through the library with the new location of the games exe.

[Forblaze]

I updated the title to be more clear. I'm looking for the file where Steam stores the file paths for the non-steam games, not the game files for the games themselves.

[Piston Smashed™]

Originally posted by Forblaze:

I updated the title to be more clear. I'm looking for the file where Steam stores the file paths for the non-steam games, not the game files for the games themselves.

You can right click on the game in your library then properties it will then show you the game paths

[Forblaze]

Originally posted by Piston Smashed™:

Originally posted by Forblaze:

I updated the title to be more clear. I'm looking for the file where Steam stores the file paths for the non-steam games, not the game files for the games themselves.

You can right click on the game in your library then properties it will then show you the game paths

Only for each individual game. As far as I know there isn't even a way to filter my library by non-steam games. I'd rather Ctrl H and change them all at once.

[Piston Smashed™]

Originally posted by Forblaze:

Originally posted by Piston Smashed™:

You can right click on the game in your library then properties it will then show you the game paths

Only for each individual game. As far as I know there isn't even a way to filter my library by non-steam games. I'd rather Ctrl H and change them all at once.

I don't think that is possible, the only way I know of is to do each game on its own. You'll have to figure out which of your games are none Steam games. I would make a category for all none Steam games that way you could at least know which are which at the drop of a hat.

[Forblaze]

Originally posted by Piston Smashed™:

I don't think that is possible, the only way I know of is to do each game on its own. You'll have to figure out which of your games are none Steam games. I would make a category for all none Steam games that way you could at least know which are which at the drop of a hat.

It has to be storing them somewhere though, especially since it's assigning them fake appids for the purpose of overlay enabled desktop shortcuts and screenshots

[Piston Smashed™]

Originally posted by Forblaze:

Originally posted by Piston Smashed™:

I don't think that is possible, the only way I know of is to do each game on its own. You'll have to figure out which of your games are none Steam games. I would make a category for all none Steam games that way you could at least know which are which at the drop of a hat.

It has to be storing them somewhere though, especially since it's assigning them fake appids for the purpose of overlay enabled desktop shortcuts and screenshots

Steam doesn't do anything with none Steam games except save the game path to the games exe that you linked when adding the none Steam game to your library.

You can't save screenshots from none Steam games at least the few games I've tried it doesn't work and I've just gave it a quick try. The overlay just works because... and desktop shortcuts you have to add yourself by right clicking on the none Steam game in your library then manage then add desktop shortcut Steam does not add them when you add a none Steam game to your library.

[Forblaze]

Originally posted by Piston Smashed™:

Steam doesn't do anything with none Steam games except save the game path to the games exe that you linked when adding the none Steam game to your library.

You can't save screenshots from none Steam games at least the few games I've tried it doesn't work and I've just gave it a quick try. The overlay just works because... and desktop shortcuts you have to add yourself by right clicking on the none Steam game in your library then manage then add desktop shortcut Steam does not add them when you add a none Steam game to your library.

Yes, steam does have appids for non-steam games.

For example, I can make a desktop shortcut for the URL "steam://rungameid/12055367162840219648" and it launches Dolphin.

And if I launch the game that way and hit the steam screenshot key, it saves the screenshot as I would expect it to under "userdata/XXXXXX/760/remote/12055367162840219648/screenshots"

And I can upload that screenshot to steam
https://steamcommunity.com/id/forblaze7/screenshots/?appid=sc_190&sort=newestfirst&browsefilter=myfiles&view=imagewall

where it knows the non-steam game I launched was "Dolphin"

It's not a full blooded app id of course. If I move the exe and add the game again, it will be different. But it does track them at some superficial level to enable some steam features.

[tintingaroo]

Originally posted by Forblaze:

I'm moving a bunch of non-steam games to a new drive and rather than removing and re-adding them individually, I want to just edit the file path in the file that steam stores them in. Does anyone know what file these are stored in and where it's located?

[Steam folder]\userdata\[USER ID]\config\shortcuts.vdf

Make a backup just in case. I edited with a hex editor so data was left intact, found Notepad broke stuff.

[Forblaze]

Originally posted by tintingaroo:

Originally posted by Forblaze:

I'm moving a bunch of non-steam games to a new drive and rather than removing and re-adding them individually, I want to just edit the file path in the file that steam stores them in. Does anyone know what file these are stored in and where it's located?

[Steam folder]\userdata\[USER ID]\config\shortcuts.vdf

Make a backup just in case. I edited with a hex editor so data was left intact, found Notepad broke stuff.

Thanks

[Flood]

Originally posted by Forblaze:

Originally posted by Piston Smashed™:

Steam doesn't do anything with none Steam games except save the game path to the games exe that you linked when adding the none Steam game to your library.

You can't save screenshots from none Steam games at least the few games I've tried it doesn't work and I've just gave it a quick try. The overlay just works because... and desktop shortcuts you have to add yourself by right clicking on the none Steam game in your library then manage then add desktop shortcut Steam does not add them when you add a none Steam game to your library.

Yes, steam does have appids for non-steam games.

For example, I can make a desktop shortcut for the URL "steam://rungameid/12055367162840219648" and it launches Dolphin.

And if I launch the game that way and hit the steam screenshot key, it saves the screenshot as I would expect it to under "userdata/XXXXXX/760/remote/12055367162840219648/screenshots"

And I can upload that screenshot to steam
https://steamcommunity.com/id/forblaze7/screenshots/?appid=sc_190&sort=newestfirst&browsefilter=myfiles&view=imagewall

where it knows the non-steam game I launched was "Dolphin"

It's not a full blooded app id of course. If I move the exe and add the game again, it will be different. But it does track them at some superficial level to enable some steam features.

Perfect answer thanks!

[Raging Panda]

Where is category information saved for these non steam shortcuts.

[Akabuu]

Damn that was frustrating to read. Piston Smashed™ really wasn't understanding the question OP was asking lmao

Thank you tintingaroo for the timely save!!

[Norma]

This thread was quite old before the recent post, so we're locking it to prevent confusion.