How do I manage the installation of games not installed in default steam directory

[Sgt.Sixpack]

I want to move my steam default location but at the same time I have games that are in my default location now, but were installed to another drive and steam doesn't recognise them. I want to leave them all in place but move the actual steam install to another location and get the games that were previously not available (although downloaded) into my library.

I've looked at some pages in google and they said save your steamapps (game files), and userdata (config & steam saves), and steam/steam (game icon cache); then uninstall steam. Also I remember there being a text file that you could edit to make a game recognised again.

[crunchyfrog]

Those pages are probably out of date as Steam has this facility built in now.

I run up to 3 external hard drives on top of the internal one and SSD on my laptop. I have the main Steam installation on the SSD, and run the games from all the others.

So, what you should do - to do it correctly - is to go into Steam > Settings > Downloads. You'll see the button at the top of the window for "Steam Library folders". Add whatever drive (or folder) you're wishing to use, as many as you wish.

Then, once enabled, it should start picking up any games that are already on there (if you do have them). They may well update if they're old.

Once you've done all this moving about, you can then uninstall Steam (making sure NOT to remove the game files) and reinstall it where you wish. Just remember to add the folders back again to make it look for those games.

[Jaunitta 🌸]

Right click the installer and select the directory. You will need to have a Folder named Steam and that folder linked in the Steam library folders>Steam top left>settings>downloads>on the right Library folders.
The default folder can be changed anytime by smply r/clicking one of the libraries and Make default .
Rightclick a game>properties >move installation folder set it to to your USB drive Steam.. It will move everything except saves and screenshots.

[ReBoot]

Move Steam to the new place, move everything games into the SteamApps folder in the new Steam place. Start Steam afterwards.

That's the least-hassle option.

[Sgt.Sixpack]

Hey guys, I read your advice but I just tried something. I moved a single game install from my SSD to my main steam folder (from steamapps/common to steamapps/common on a different drive) + I moved the corresponding appmanifest (found in the steamapps folder, steam store page>right click>copy url should give you the app number); and it worked. I did this while exited from steam ofcourse.

So now I can hopefully, just move those folders mentioned in OP, keep my steamapps the same; possibly add my original steam folder to the new steam install, and games should be recognised? I still have to figure out how to get those games which are not recognised as of right now back in library.

This is a list of my games downloaded but not installed:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/44350/GRID_2/
(GRID_2)(actually don't have this downloaded although it was on my list perhaps a mistake)
Notice: At the request of the publisher, GRID 2 is no longer available for sale on Steam.
Grid
https://store.steampowered.com/app/703860/GRID/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/296910/8BitBoy/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/22610/Alien_Breed_Impact/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/203290/Americas_Army_Proving_Grounds/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/57300/Amnesia_The_Dark_Descent/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/238910/Bionic_Dues/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/8870/BioShock_Infinite/
Blood of Old - no steam store page
https://store.steampowered.com/app/225260/Brutal_Legend/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/394760/Dead_Effect_2/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/333930/Dirty_Bomb/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/38400/Fallout_A_Post_Nuclear_Role_Playing_Game/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/323580/Jotun_Valhalla_Edition/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/342200/MechWarrior_Online_Solaris_7/
**********https://store.steampowered.com/app/241930/Middleearth_Shadow_of_Mordor/****** reinstalled manually I think
Mirage: Arcande
Monaco
Oddworld:Abe's Oddysee
Omikron
Outlast
Planetary Annihilation
Sakura Beach
Sega Mega Drive & Genesis Classics
Shadow Warrior https://store.steampowered.com/app/233130/Shadow_Warrior/
Skullgirls
Skyborn
Sublevel Zero Redux
The Bureau:Xcom Declassified https://store.steampowered.com/app/65930/The_Bureau_XCOM_Declassified/
The Walking Dead

I don't have an appmanifest for app/323580/Jotun_Valhalla_Edition/ or The Bureau:Xcom Declassified; I assume this is all I need for it to be recognised in steam.

Also I mentioned in the first post about a file you could edit to change install location. Its the appmanifest file (with coresponding game ID number). Now steam added abillity to add multiple game folders you don't have to keep the appmanifest in your mains steam folder. The instal dir can be writen with a path or just the name of the game (assuming the appmanifest file is located in the same steam folder):
"
"appid" "232090"
"Universe" "1"
"name" "Killing Floor 2"
"StateFlags" "4"
"installdir" "killingfloor2"
"installdir" "e:\\steam\\steamapps\\common\\killingfloor2"
"
Notice I have "installdir" written twice, this was to remind me how it was written before and how it is now.

[Sgt.Sixpack]

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

So, what you should do - to do it correctly - is to go into Steam > Settings > Downloads. You'll see the button at the top of the window for "Steam Library folders". Add whatever drive (or folder) you're wishing to use, as many as you wish.

I just did this. D:\ is currently an external elements drive but it will be on my 850 evo; since I want to take all background hard disk activity off my array, to maximise it performance. It will hold games too. Performance is pretty up and down with this 28TB raid10 array. I want to get my OS all back up and running with usual programs; then I can test wether its worth installing raidXpert2, and/or its additional drivers.

I've just been installing over the top without any trickery and steam has auto-discovered the files.

[crunchyfrog]

Originally posted by Sgt.Sixpack:

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

So, what you should do - to do it correctly - is to go into Steam > Settings > Downloads. You'll see the button at the top of the window for "Steam Library folders". Add whatever drive (or folder) you're wishing to use, as many as you wish.

I just did this. D:\ is currently an external elements drive but it will be on my 850 evo; since I want to take all background hard disk activity off my array, to maximise it performance. It will hold games too. Performance is pretty up and down with this 28TB raid10 array. I want to get my OS all back up and running with usual programs; then I can test wether its worth installing raidXpert2, and/or its additional drivers.

I've just been installing over the top without any trickery and steam has auto-discovered the files.

Good to hear, that's how it should work.

Sometimes it goes a bit wonky and doesn't discover the files, until it gets in the right mood or whatever, but I'm glad it went well for you.

As others have said here, there are quicker methods, but I wanted to give you the EXACT official method, because if things DO go wrong it's easy to backtrack and start again.

Doing this you should be set to mess around moving files as you wish. As I said earlier, I run up to three external USB drives at any time along with the internal plus SSD. I will higgle games around as need be. Just remember never to go over 90% usage on those drives, or performance can be affected and you will get other issues like games not updating or downloading.