New computer and access to the Steam Library on the old computer.

[alfredbauer25]

Hello to the ones who know this.

A short preface:
I got a new computer. Reason was a better
graphic card.

The question is: How can I play from my
new computer the games in my old computer Steam Library?
Notice: Both have different Steam Accounts.

Can I access my own (old) Steam Library
with my (new) Steam Account I made on my new computer?

Remark: I did a search in the discussions and the Steam Help,
but did not find an answer. Second: I want to KEEP my old
library on the old computer AND only ACCESS from my new one.
Is that possible?

I hope I can get an answer to this question.
December 2020.
Friendly greetings.

[Yujah]

Basically you shouldn't have created a new account "for the new computer". Accounts are linked to a user rather than a computer. That's in any case to say that all you need to do is log in on Steam on the new computer with the "old" Steam-account and install/play the game. This would not affect ability to (non-simultaneously) play that game on your old computer as well.

This while noting then that I'd heartily recommend not referring to your existing account as "the old account" but simply as "your account". That's the idea of things: any system you log in on as some given Steam-user you can use to play the games said user owns.

If you'd really insist on keeping two different Steam accounts on the different computers --- don't, but if you really do --- you could use family-sharing to give the new account access to most games of the old account, but let's not even get into that: it's really besides the point: you should just log in on either system with the same account...

[alfredbauer25]

To Yujah.

First, thank you for the help.

Second. As I understood: It is possible from the newer
computer just to log into my (old) existing account?
As I did and do from the old computer/account?
WITHOUT (?) having Steam installed on the new computer?
Or with Steam installed without a account on the new computer?
How to log into without having Steam on the new computer????
As far as I know typing my (old) account name will not lead to
Steam (without having the loader type window from Steam).


OR: Is it possible to have the old computer/account as it is
with its 300 games and access them with the newer AND
FASTER graphic card (the reason for this procedure).
I mean: Is it possible to have a different account on both computers
AND accessing the old library from the new computer with
log into the old account?
Not using in this case the new ACCOUNT NAME, but using
the old ACCOUNT NAME to log into the old library
from the new computer (without using in this case the new account
name)?

And finally: Have both computers to be online at the same time
and will the actual game (from the old library where it is stored)
then download on the new computer?

In short words: I thought like this...
The my new computer is logging into my old library with the
old account name.
Then Steam will download the files for the game onto the
new computer
(similar to: as it always did on the old computer
when I moved games to an external drive which is not connected
and wait again 20 minutes for DOOM download or any other game,
because it is not on the actual SSD/HDD)
What does this make? I got whole access to my old library
if just log into old account with new computer?
I got then the old library on both computers?
Like this? That way?

Remark:
I thought I remember the name Yujah. And, yes, I did. It was
about the desk in Syberia. And guess what, I got only 30 frames
OR shabby shadows. And the 5700 was sold out. One week
before it wasn't and then it was, everywhere.
And, because of the lockdown I didn't want to wait until
summer next year.
Then I will try the 2070 super. I hope this is sufficient.
Depending to the costs...
If I had bought the Titan from the start on it would have been
the same total price. But no, right before Christmas super high
sale prices. Stupid me. As if I didn't know that, huh huh.

[Kon - Alfyus]

You can use Family share.
First thing first do these 2 things on your new PC: Login with new account, disconnect, connect with your new account and follow the steps below:

go to Steam(Top left)->Settings->Family->Authorize sharing in this pc.
You should also see a table with your new account name, make sure it is checked. Disconnect from your old account, reconnect to your new account and you should have your games!

[Yujah]

Originally posted by alfredbauer25:

I got whole access to my old library if just log into old account with new computer?

Yes, although I believe there may be some terminology issues here.

What you have access to on any system logged into some given Steam account is said account's library, in the sense of you being able to download the by said account owned games from Steam's servers to the local system and play them from said local system. Foregoing in-home streaming (see below) you do need the game locally to play it, so if by "library" you would be exclusively refering to a local collection of actually downloaded games then above answer needs to start with "No" instead.

But let us not make easy things difficult. Please just on the new computer log into the "old" Steam account through its Steam client. You should at that point be displayed your regular library of Steam games, although "grayed" until you in fact install one/them locally. Do so for a game you'd like to play on the new machine and play it. Is this what you wanted to be able to do? If yes, lovely, all well. If not, please specify more concretely.

Note that it was from approximately the first line of your question clear that someone was going to advise family sharing, which is why I also already commented on it: it is very likely NOT what you are looking for; you should just use one account, from either system.

The Steam client on both systems can be logged in to the same account at the same time, although only one of the systems can be in fact in-game at any given time. I.e., your games are connecfted with you as a user and you as a user can supposedly not play games on two different systems at the same time anyway (this would also be the case for a family-shared libary).

If you enable Steam in-home streaming (Preferences -> Remote Play) and connect the old and new system you can in fact also from the old system start games on the new system and vice versa; in that case only the input and output are handled by the local system while the game itself runs remotely on the other system.

... which may be interesting to you, but for now please don't even mind that. Just log in on the new system with the account details for your normal ("old") Steam account and see if you have any wants/needs left after that.

And, ah, hadn't recognized your name; small Steam-world...

[Yujah]

Off for the day by the way, so let me immediately add: the thing about not being able to simultaneously play on the old and new system can in fact be side-stepped by setting either/both systems to "offline mode".

If the systems were to then play the actual same game simultaneously you would need to be weary of e.g. cloud saves which is the sense in which I decided first time around that I'd not information-overload you. As in; never mind. But in case it's useful as a detail already before I'm back...

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by alfredbauer25:

Hello to the ones who know this.

A short preface:
I got a new computer. Reason was a better
graphic card.

If the only better thing was the GPU, and you bought a whole new desktop then I would say that was a dumb thing to do. If this is a laptop, then I hope you went for a laptop with a dedicated GPU, otherwise that wasn't much of a upgrade. No idea either you got desktop, or a laptop.

Originally posted by alfredbauer25:

The question is: How can I play from my
new computer the games in my old computer Steam Library?
Notice: Both have different Steam Accounts.

Uhh. why would you have a different Steam Account? Just log into your other account, do you not know your own login name, and password???

Originally posted by alfredbauer25:

Can I access my own (old) Steam Library
with my (new) Steam Account I made on my new computer?

Games are not transfer between accounts, you can family share, but that about it. Also why not just use your old account??? Just login to your old account on your new PC you do realize steam account are not tied to the system right?

Originally posted by alfredbauer25:

Remark: I did a search in the discussions and the Steam Help,
but did not find an answer. Second: I want to KEEP my old
library on the old computer AND only ACCESS from my new one.
Is that possible?

I hope I can get an answer to this question.
December 2020.
Friendly greetings.

Just login to your old account...

On Steam client, top left click Steam, then click "change account" then login to your old account, and you have access to everything that your own account has...

[Kon - Alfyus]

Yujah, we gave you solutions.
If the problem is another one you did not explain properly.
Hope you found the solution.

Alfyus

[alfredbauer25]

Greetings to Alfyus.
Thank you for your good description to find the Family Sharing.
It was very exact and therefor easy to find. Good work.
Yes, I have seen it.

But there are some problems with the Family Sharing.
Some games are not supported. For example: Dead or Alive 6.
And Burnout Paradise Remastered.
So, I need another solution.
But, yes, thank you for your help. Because the orientation in
Steam is sometimes very difficult or 'foggy' (unclear).

What is that:
Quote: Login with new account, (okay)
disconnect, (huh?)
connect with your new account (why before 'disconnect'
and what is it? Change account? Log out? Or...?)
Is 'disconnect' meaning (left upper corner line one: Steam
line two: Change Account?
and then small window: Logout?)

Hmmm......
As far as I understood, depending to the family sharing:
1) Start with old account.
2) Now enable the new in the old account for share.
3) Log out from old account. (Both using at the same time, no!)
4) Log in with new account (that is enabled now in the
sharing option within the old account).
5) Hurray, play now with the new account having access
to the old account library (partly; see explanation at
the beginning of this post, paragraph 2, line 1 to line 3).
So, only the supported games are on. Reason unknown.
6) Have both computers for this task have to be powered
on (not hibernating) and beeing online with WiFi or Ethernet?
OR is it sufficient to be on power with the new computer only?
And can the new 'take share' computer (see paragraph 4,
number 4) play offline with the 'old library' games/software?
Or have both computers to be powered on and online?

I am not quite clear about the whole process, but with your help
I came closer to the solution.
There are some details that have to be explained.

At the moment, thank you for your help so far.
Friendly greetings to Alfyus.

[Kon - Alfyus]

Thank you alfred.
Sometimes if you just connect with old account and enable family sharing it doesnt work because there is not your new account in the list. That's why I told him to login with his new account first.

Thank you by the way!

Alfyus

[alfredbauer25]

Thank you, Alfyus.
I see more clear now.
And yes, the new computer did not show up.
Maybe because the second (new) computer was hibernating and offline.
Thank you for the time you spend to help me.
I will try to make it functioning.
Friendly greetings to Alfyus.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Question to you alfredbauer25, why do you not want to login to your old account on your new PC?

[Kon - Alfyus]

Originally posted by alfredbauer25:

Thank you, Alfyus.
I see more clear now.
And yes, the new computer did not show up.
Maybe because the second (new) computer was hibernating and offline.
Thank you for the time you spend to help me.
I will try to make it functioning.
Friendly greetings to Alfyus.

I'm glad to hear that.
Good luck.

Alfyus

[alfredbauer25]

To Alfyus.
Thank you and have a successful day.

[alfredbauer25]

Hello. Dr.Shadowds.
To your first post.

To paragraph 4:
This seems to be a way to get NEAR the solution.

Without paragraph:
Depending to your answers, I guess, finally this:
Log in with new computer to old account?
What about different path mappings?
I guess there will be problems with the old to new (partitions/Steam
folder) sorting.

Remark:
I am new with Steam, NOT new with computers.
All these are very different in handling it.
At least I know now more than before about Steam.
So, thank you for the help, Dr.Shadowds.

****************************************

Finally to your second post:
It is not the 'WANT' to log in. Never wrote about this.
It is the 'how to do it'. That's what I asked.
Depending to what you wrote, it is the 'same' procedure
from out another computer. Nothing else. Right?

Friendly greetings to Dr.Shadowds.

[Tev]

Sorry, but I'm not going to read the long poems.

If you want access to all of your games

1. Steam -> Change User (Top left)
   
2. Log in on your old account
   
3. You now have access to all of your games. If they're not installed, you have to download them back*.
   
   • Games with Steam Cloud may download save files, you've uploaded to cloud using your old computer, alongside the game download.
     
   • Games without Steam Cloud you'll have to either manually copy over in their corresponding locations (see i.e. PCGamingWiki) or use GameSave Manager.

* = If you wish to move the games from your old PC to your new PC, you should either move the whole steamapps folder containing the appmanifest files, or use the built-in [Backup & Restore Games] tool you can find under the [Steam] button on the top left of the client.

If you're persistant about using a new account on your new computer

1. Log in on your new account (on your new computer), so it gets on the list
   
2. Steam -> Change User
   
3. Log in on your old account (on your new computer)
   
4. Steam -> Settings -> Family
   
5. Tick the following box,
   
   

   Authorize Library Sharing on this computer
6. Then tick your new Steam user from the list below.
   
7. Hit [OK]
   
8. Steam -> Change User (and now log back on your new user)