my steam game files are disappearing

[WizKnight98]

when i install a game on steam, after about couple of weeks. files get disappear. i installed alan wake 3 weeks ago and today when i clicked play it showed " an error occurred while updating alan wake ( missing executable ): now 9.99 GB are downloading over again.

I am so disappointed about this issue because it keeps happening. occurred the same issue in witcher 3 and sleeping dogs. i installed games in different partitions, reinstalled steam, turned off AV, checked AV quarantine file section but none of them helped. i am so sad about this. I always have to redownload a large part of game.

i never apply mods for games

my HDD is fine. only steam game files disappear

searched through internet but could not find an answer. somebody help me please.........

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Is the files actually gone gone, or just not being detected?

You tried library repair?

If files are there, can try these options.
- Relaunch Steam.

- Do library repair, to do that visit Steam settings under download > click on manage steam library folder button, then select the drive, click three dot button on the right, and do repair.

- If game folder not being detected, readd game folder, to do that visit where Steam library folder is located for said drive, rename folder by adding -old at end of it example Steam library to steam library-old, once done launch Steam, add new folder in same place, shutdown Steam client, delete new Steam library folder, and rename original Steam library-old back to steam library, then launch steam, and see if issue been fixed.

[WizKnight98]

yes. there are actually gone. when try verify,it starts to download the game all over again

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by CruZadeR98:

yes. there are actually gone. when try verify,it starts to download the game all over again

Just to confirm you went to the game folder itself, and check for the files, or did you just click verify game files?

[WizKnight98]

I went. the files were not there

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Hmm, do you have any app that happen to alter files, and permission?

Did you do windows update, build version, or windows 11 to 10 rollback?

Are games only having issue on HDD? If so have you check disk health using an app?

Do you do raid mode with your storage drives?

Do you use any app that does some kind of time machine, or rollback on files?


That all I can think of, unless share same PC with someone else, or swapping drives around.

[WizKnight98]

I have windows 1709 64 bit version. i did not update windows

I checked my HDD and it was ok. only games are missing

raid mode? i do not know what is it....

did not do any kind of rollback

[WizKnight98]

i installed witcher 3 and a week later game did not launch. when i checked the game folder only 30GB left. there should be 50GB. 20GB wiped out without a trace.

and in sleeping dogs definitive edition, the game worked perfectly for two weeks, after that when i clicked play it showed error. an error occurred while updating the game ( missing executable )
when i checked game folder there were only 4GB left. however it began to download 12GB and said updating. there are no updates for the game and it is very old one.

in alan wake, after a couple of weeks game files are completely gone from the folder and showed the same error message when I clicked play. began to download entire 10GB of data saying it is an update.

i do not know how can such a data wipe happen....

I still have shortcuts on desktop of the games even the files are gone

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Originally posted by CruZadeR98:

I have windows 1709 64 bit version. i did not update windows

I checked my HDD and it was ok. only games are missing

raid mode? i do not know what is it....

did not do any kind of rollback

That quite old of a build as support for it ended 2 years ago, I do recommend update to latest build if you can, as there mass security flaws that was patched last year.

Now I don't remember which W10 build has problems but there build that has issue where files get deleted for no reason, but this was several years ago, not sure if it the one your on, or older.

Raid mode is something you setup via your motherboard bios which combines your storage drive, or split storage for partial for recovery, since don't know it, I don't think you set that up, so don't have to worry about that.

Originally posted by CruZadeR98:

i installed witcher 3 and a week later game did not launch. when i checked the game folder only 30GB left. there should be 50GB. 20GB wiped out without a trace.

and in sleeping dogs definitive edition, the game worked perfectly for two weeks, after that when i clicked play it showed error. an error occurred while updating the game ( missing executable )
when i checked game folder there were only 4GB left. however it began to download 12GB and said updating. there are no updates for the game and it is very old one.

in alan wake, after a couple of weeks game files are completely gone from the folder and showed the same error message when I clicked play. began to download entire 10GB of data saying it is an update.

i do not know how can such a data wipe happen....

I still have shortcuts on desktop of the games even the files are gone

I really don't know what I can tell you as something up on your system. I could suggest doing malware screen using malwarebyte, I recommend enable root kit from it settings, this will take a long time, but it scans whole drive big time checking every single file. Up to you if want to do that.

[Iceira]

Only know things that has right to move things is Antivirus app to qurrantine.
im sure you dont want to go down other way, as other had access to the pc system and delete them.

make steam.exe on exception rules and game own executable if need some AV app need that and its .exe atht can configured them if game has seperated configurations app.

ps.
and yes we did read your pointout at top, and why i reply as i do.
to my knowledge no other way things can be moved.

steam guide about it.
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/3A2A-BF2D-15FF-7963

[WizKnight98]

Originally posted by Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

Originally posted by CruZadeR98:

I have windows 1709 64 bit version. i did not update windows

I checked my HDD and it was ok. only games are missing

raid mode? i do not know what is it....

did not do any kind of rollback

That quite old of a build as support for it ended 2 years ago, I do recommend update to latest build if you can, as there mass security flaws that was patched last year.

Now I don't remember which W10 build has problems but there build that has issue where files get deleted for no reason, but this was several years ago, not sure if it the one your on, or older.

Raid mode is something you setup via your motherboard bios which combines your storage drive, or split storage for partial for recovery, since don't know it, I don't think you set that up, so don't have to worry about that.

Originally posted by CruZadeR98:

i installed witcher 3 and a week later game did not launch. when i checked the game folder only 30GB left. there should be 50GB. 20GB wiped out without a trace.

and in sleeping dogs definitive edition, the game worked perfectly for two weeks, after that when i clicked play it showed error. an error occurred while updating the game ( missing executable )
when i checked game folder there were only 4GB left. however it began to download 12GB and said updating. there are no updates for the game and it is very old one.

in alan wake, after a couple of weeks game files are completely gone from the folder and showed the same error message when I clicked play. began to download entire 10GB of data saying it is an update.

i do not know how can such a data wipe happen....

I still have shortcuts on desktop of the games even the files are gone

I really don't know what I can tell you as something up on your system. I could suggest doing malware screen using malwarebyte, I recommend enable root kit from it settings, this will take a long time, but it scans whole drive big time checking every single file. Up to you if want to do that.

I did scan my HDD by using kasperskey cloud security, but nothing bad was not detected. well the games do not get deleted themselves unless something does. might be a fault in windows or my AV has to something to do about it. however thanks for tending to this.

[WizKnight98]

Originally posted by Iceira W10:

Only know things that has right to move things is Antivirus app to qurrantine.
im sure you dont want to go down other way, as other had access to the pc system and delete them.

make steam.exe on exception rules and game own executable if need some AV app need that and its .exe atht can configured them if game has seperated configurations app.

ps.
and yes we did read your pointout at top, and why i reply as i do.
to my knowledge no other way things can be moved.

steam guide about it.
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/3A2A-BF2D-15FF-7963

I did check my anti virus quarantine section but there was not any. doubt AV could remove such a big amount of files. maybe it has to something about the issue. and yes, games do not get deleted themselves. I will follow the recommendations that you have mentioned above. thank you.

[Iceira]

Originally posted by CruZadeR98:

Originally posted by Iceira W10:

Only know things that has right to move things is Antivirus app to qurrantine.
im sure you dont want to go down other way, as other had access to the pc system and delete them.

make steam.exe on exception rules and game own executable if need some AV app need that and its .exe atht can configured them if game has seperated configurations app.

ps.
and yes we did read your pointout at top, and why i reply as i do.
to my knowledge no other way things can be moved.

steam guide about it.
https://help.steampowered.com/en/faqs/view/3A2A-BF2D-15FF-7963

I did check my anti virus quarantine section but there was not any. doubt AV could remove such a big amount of files. maybe it has to something about the issue. and yes, games do not get deleted themselves. I will follow the recommendations that you have mentioned above. thank you.

are you mixing up game crash with then steam lib is broken. ( same as external usb disk drive get removed content, such was seen before then disk was removed from system , just like a disk content not there. ) thats is how many files can or steam lib seem lost content ) not sure missing executable will fit that only here. ( both can actual happend but thats rare, only you know or can check yeap disk still there and content look normal except missing executable.


its not that we dont get you, but i and i bet all other have never seen such, and why as steam told you in link contact them and they might have to look at it.

do know the diffrence in 10gb and one game with many games and alot of files,

example
aka fallout4 is 93gb , and still been sen as 1 game and size relly dont matter then that game if crash or content lost in that steam lib , and why add lib again then rep and then validate files all over is still one 1 game or in this case 1 steam lib with all its other games.

there is a reason why i explan this, plenty of stem user have seen disk content flagged lost then disk is not ther doing windows boot and then next boot its back, even that is seen before a disk can do such, but with what bad cable or driver or disk just show signs of issue and then maybe never do it again. ( this was seen way much frequent with external usb disk in the past , but even storage management seem to change that in my USB NAS server. ( and tht is not on my Main pc i let it stay at laptop that need it. )

plenty of other steam user post have mention alot of this before.

[Iceira]

and do respect the 10% or 200gb free space require at each 2TB disk, and why % dont work at smaller and larger disk size. ( thast is know as temporary work space require by update and system even more depend on DL size ) game update and steam client can trigger such crash. even not exit app the right way is also seen before.( crash exit can cause steam lib issue )