appmanifest and other random files not fully installed/missing from other games, help!

[Mario 1-1]

it started when i tried installing a game i recently purchased
it told me that appmanifest was missing

i shrugged it off, i tried reinstalling another game to see if that worked
NOPE, appmanifest missing

it all started so suddenly and i don't know any solution for it (i tried reinstalling, disabling read-only, running Steam as admin, removing download cache, everything in the book)

if you want any info, I downloaded all my games to an external USB, then uninstalled a lot of them to save space on it. now when I retry, it doesn't work

few games (and I mean very few) have actually work for me
(the funny part is that it's random. i can't install a 1000 MB game but can install a 1.5 GB game)

tl;dr steam all of a sudden didn't let me install games on an external hard drive due to "appmanifest". this worked before and now it didn't

[rawWwRrr]

Every game must have it's corresponding appmanifest file located in that library's \steamapps\ folder. There is no workaround for that.

If you're using an external drive, make sure that Steam doesn't start up before the external drive is initialized. The library folders need to be present before Steam starts up, and Steam needs to shut down before library folders disappear, else you get strange library issues like this.

[Mario 1-1]

Originally posted by rawWwRrr:

Every game must have it's corresponding appmanifest file located in that library's \steamapps\ folder. There is no workaround for that.

If you're using an external drive, make sure that Steam doesn't start up before the external drive is initialized. The library folders need to be present before Steam starts up, and Steam needs to shut down before library folders disappear, else you get strange library issues like this.

the thing is
I already have the app manifest files

its just that they don't work???

i've had this USB for 3 years and its only started bugging out recently

[Reggaejunkiedrew]

Yeah this is why external drives aren't recommended, all sorts of weird issues can occur.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4578-18A7-C819-8620

"External hard drives are not recommended for use with Steam or Steam's games. Aside from many potential performance issues, external hard drives may connect or disconnect from the computer at inopportune times as part of their normal operations. If you encounter this issue with an external drive, install Steam and your games to an internal drive instead."

Try creating and installing into a new Steam library folder on the drive from Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders

[Mario 1-1]

Originally posted by Reggaejunkiedrew:

Yeah this is why external drives aren't recommended, all sorts of weird issues can occur.

https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/4578-18A7-C819-8620

"External hard drives are not recommended for use with Steam or Steam's games. Aside from many potential performance issues, external hard drives may connect or disconnect from the computer at inopportune times as part of their normal operations. If you encounter this issue with an external drive, install Steam and your games to an internal drive instead."

Try creating and installing into a new Steam library folder on the drive from Settings > Downloads > Steam Library Folders

1. Can't. I have a crappy HP Stream and I'm pretty much forced to play with a USB
2. The USB was incredibly reliable until very late August. Don't really think that it'll all of a sudden connect and disconnect at inopportune times. I managed to play Portal 2 and finish it, it's not that bad of a drive.
3. Only some games work for me. Others tell me about it. If all the games wouldn't download, that's understandable, but that's not the case. A random amount of them don't download.

It takes a pretty big time for all the games to install too, so it's not because it took too long. Some of these games reach 90% then tell me the app manifest is corrupted or something like that

[Satoru]

Steam has a built in backup function. use that rather than trying to hack together something that is 90% not goign to work

[Mario 1-1]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Steam has a built in backup function. use that rather than trying to hack together something that is 90% not goign to work

???