[Solved] Games installed in steamapps > common but not installed in library.

[Charlie]

Hello. I recently got a new SSD so I tried moving my Steam folder about into my different drives, I moved it around a few times and everything stayed normal. After trying to put it on my SSD and it not fitting because the game was too big, I moved it back to my HDD (My HDD is split into C drive and D drive, and my SSD is S drive). Now, when I run steam, all my games on my library are grey and they're not installed, but when I look at my files in steamapps>common, they're all installed inside, just not showing up when I view the library. Here's some images:
http://gyazo.com/98541fcf04e2332bea305c372b36eb76
http://gyazo.com/fb6a9c59b91ce63ef0cecb0b54fb04c6

Does anyone have any clue how to fix this?

[TirithRR]

Go to Steam -> Settings
Downloads Tab
Click on "Steam Library Folders"
Make sure that where ever your Steam folders are at is inside this setting. Without it the Steam Library won't know where the games are installed.

[Charlie]

It's setup for C drive: http://gyazo.com/4027f326aa4d844e9f3751a56fe14789

The thing is still grey though, and says that there's 0 files installed.

[TirithRR]

Choose one of the smaller games already there and click "Install". See if it discovers the files sitting there in your Library folder.

[Charlie]

Tried installing Terraria, it's installed but nothing else has lit up. http://gyazo.com/9dedd40c78ca81b77449391b2ebb1ee2

[TirithRR]

Did it have to download to install, or did it find the files there and just change to installed. That's what we are trying to test.

If it had to download the files again, then we'll have to find out some other route. If it found the files in your library and just recognized the already installed game, then you just need to go to all your installed games and click Install to reset them all back to installed.

[Shierke]

You shouldn't move the Steam files around in various hard drives, just make a new folder in a new drive, name it anything you want and link it up with Steam.

[Charlie]

Oprindeligt skrevet af TirithRR:

Did it have to download to install, or did it find the files there and just change to installed. That's what we are trying to test.

If it had to download the files again, then we'll have to find out some other route. If it found the files in your library and just recognized the already installed game, then you just need to go to all your installed games and click Install to reset them all back to installed.

It downloaded: http://gyazo.com/2e9628bb02e4bc94048f517ffae5e6ca
The download started out slow and finished quickly after about 25% though, if that means anything.

Oprindeligt skrevet af Bill Cipher:

You shouldn't move the Steam files around in various hard drives, just make a new folder in a new drive, name it anything you want and link it up with Steam.

I've already noted that for next time.

[Charlie]

Should I try running the .exe from inside one of the steamapps>common files? e.g: running the skyrim launcher from this file: http://gyazo.com/b5c029a23c3d6c833dc368a5c6155ec4

When I click run, it tells me I need to install, but should I try it anyway?

E:
I've done that, and it's looking for existing files: http://gyazo.com/040593d6dfe666aac9d4881f48aca891
I think this might solve the issue, just gotta run the application from inside the folder.

E2: Yes, it fixed it. For anyone else having the issue with all the games going grey, go into their files in steamapps>common and run the .exe/application from their, and it will 're-find' your game, meaning you don't have to redownload.

[Reality]

I moved my folders then launched Steam (new computer, saved Steamapps folder).

If I tried to run a game from the Common folder (as described above), most of the time I got an error about a dll or some other file missing.

However, from my library, I tell it to install, it says it's preparing, then says "Discovering existing files for..." It only takes a few minutes before it says it's complete.

[sealcomm]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Reality:

I moved my folders then launched Steam (new computer, saved Steamapps folder).

If I tried to run a game from the Common folder (as described above), most of the time I got an error about a dll or some other file missing.

However, from my library, I tell it to install, it says it's preparing, then says "Discovering existing files for..." It only takes a few minutes before it says it's complete.

THANKYOU !

I've been looking everywhere, and this fixed it.

I have a portable drive with steam games on it. When I'm at different machines I wanted to plug it in, and have it play !!

I would try to add a folder to steam folders and it would give me an error saying the folder had to be empty.... so it wouldn't let me add it ! There was nothing online about that issue ??

Cheers - my ark is now updating

[Jaehaerys Targaryen III]

Ok. I found a solution for this. Follow the steps:-
Look carefully at your steam library and remember the way the game is indicated. Example, I hae Rise of the Tomb Raider in my library and it is labelled "Rise of the Tomb Raider" (case sesitive). I copied this game from my friend who already have it on steam (since 21 GB is a lot to download) and I renamed the name of the folder exactly the way it is displayed in my library and place it into my 'steamapps\common' folder. Then I run the game from the main exe file. Then i exit the game. After that, it still displays 'not installed' in my steam library, then I double click on it and then the 'install' dialogue box appears and I click on next button. Then, steam immediately displays that the files necessary for that game is found and do a file integrity check. After the integrity check, it displays "download complete" and the game is ready to play from my Steam Library. I hope this helps you too

[MoritzVanNorden]

Oprindeligt skrevet af Dante Spardason:

Ok. I found a solution for this. Follow the steps:-
Look carefully at your steam library and remember the way the game is indicated. Example, I hae Rise of the Tomb Raider in my library and it is labelled "Rise of the Tomb Raider" (case sesitive). I copied this game from my friend who already have it on steam (since 21 GB is a lot to download) and I renamed the name of the folder exactly the way it is displayed in my library and place it into my 'steamapps\common' folder. Then I run the game from the main exe file. Then i exit the game. After that, it still displays 'not installed' in my steam library, then I double click on it and then the 'install' dialogue box appears and I click on next button. Then, steam immediately displays that the files necessary for that game is found and do a file integrity check. After the integrity check, it displays "download complete" and the game is ready to play from my Steam Library. I hope this helps you too

That's how it should work and how it will work but the thing is that it won't let you click "next" if you don't have the required space available for the game. So here I am, Payday 2 messing up as always and now I can't use the detect content feature because I don't have the space to download it once again. There should be a separate "check for local content" for such occasions.

[gregdoesYT_2007]

I want my game (GTA5) to be installed on my D drive but all the files are still there for GTA. But it does not show up as installed. But when I go to reinstall it on my D drive , steam says to clear space to reinstall the game.

[MayoMayoMan]

Oprindeligt skrevet af sgt donut:

I want my game (GTA5) to be installed on my D drive but all the files are still there for GTA. But it does not show up as installed. But when I go to reinstall it on my D drive , steam says to clear space to reinstall the game.

The D drive is more or less used as a backup drive only.

[EzX_XD]