Can I change the installation directory of preloaded GTA V before it's release?

[DoktorMerlin]

I just got a new SSD and want to install GTA V on the SSD, not the HDD I'm using right now.
What I planned to do:
* rename depotcache folder
* restart Steam, restart the preload with the new directory
* close Steam
* move the files from the copied directory back in the depotcache folder
Do you think it will work? Maybe someone has made this before and can tell me? :)

[--<[ Blei ]>--]

Hi...i have a SSD too, and because of the little space left i preloaded it to my external harddrive with enough space left...
Downlaod "Steammover" (freeware, just use google)
Im going to try to send the preload to my SSD in the evening (will take a lot of time for 60GB so i dont shut down windows tonight) - it SEEMS you only have to change the parths of the steammover (original steam folders, your external Harddrive) to make it possible....

[Satoru]

Steam always does the preloads to the default installation point. The data is also encrypted so you cant really move aroudn the data like you can with unencrpyted games.

[--<[ Blei ]>--]

so you think i cant send them into my original steam folder?

[Satoru]

You can only realistically do it AFTER the game is released. Not before

[--<[ Blei ]>--]

hm...im confused...in theory i could just send the data i preloaded to my SSD, restarting steam....klick on GTA5 preload, change the path to my original steam folder (not my hard drive as i did before) steam trys to downlaod GTA5-preload and realizes its already there and showing that the preload is completed...right?
That same way should work when just changing the folder parth from my hard drives or didnt i get it?

[Satoru]

dont bump

As i already told you, Steam only installs pre-loads to the default locations. It pre-loads the encrypted game data to the downloads folder which is located where you installed Steam.

Steam then decrypts the game to your default library location. Which is where you installed steam.

If you use 3rd party tools to move stuff around there's no guarantee any of it will work because steam assumes a lot of things when the data is decrypted and steammover breaks all that. SteamMover is also redudant since you can create multiple game install points now in Steam.

[DoktorMerlin]

Originally posted by Satoru:

Steam then decrypts the game to your default library location. Which is where you installed steam.

This is wrong. You can choose the installation directory before you start preloading, it decrypts to this directory. I wanna know if I somehow can change THIS directory, not the directory the preloaded files are in.

[Satoru]

Originally posted by Der Doktor ☆ Play 4 Becks ☆:

This is wrong. You can choose the installation directory before you start preloading, it decrypts to this directory.

That must be new but I havent done a game preload in ages.

I wanna know if I somehow can change THIS directory, not the directory the preloaded files are in.

You'd probably have to delete the game, then re-do the preload to point to wherever you 'actually' want it. Thta's the only sure fire way of doing what you want. There maybe be other tricks like changing a particular depot file that might contain the intsall path you specified before. But pre-loads work very differently than normal steam games so I have no idea if that's possible to do, or if steam wont have a hissy fit if you manually change stuff.

Realistically the only way to know if what you plan to do works is to basically 'try' it. Becaues the files are encrypted the moving of files around may fail catastrophically because steam might encrypt the game with a different key for each pre-load.

The only sure fire way is to delete the pre-load entirely then re-do it with the steam library location you intend to have the game in.

[Consigned to Kissy Box]

Okay because I'm a super mega nice guy, I'm going to tell you guys how this can be done.

THIS MIGHT ONLY WORK IF THE PRELOAD IS FINISHED, I DON'T KNOW. You may want to wait until it is finished if it's not.

What you do is in the steam options, make another game library on the drive where you want the preload to go, and where the game will be in the end. This is under Steam Settings > Downloads > Library folders (at the top).

That will make a steamapps folder with the steam.dll file in the selected location.

Then you want to copy the appmanifest file of your preload (I'll explain that at the bottom of this post if you don't know what that is), as well as the "depotcache" folder from your original steamapps folder, to the new one.

At this point if you're feeling cautious, you may want to also back up these files elsewhere just in case (I did, but didn't need them).

Then in steam you want to tell it to delete the local content of your preload. This will delete the app manifest and the preloaded files from your original steam library, but leave the files in the new library.

At this point when you restart steam it should automatically read the appmanifest in the new steam library and recognise the preload files.

*** FULL DISCLOSURE***

I am also trying to move the GTA V preload, and this SHOULD WORK, but I can't test it until the game releases and decrypts/extracts the files.

Steam is recognising the preload as normal after I moved it, so it should work just fine.

___________________

App manifests:

App manifest files are all the files just sitting in your steamapps folder, they tell steam about the things you have installed. They're all called "appmanifest_<app ID>.acf"

You can find the app ID for the game you're looking for by going to the steam store and finding the game, the number at the end of the URL is the app ID and it will correspond with the app manifest. (if you use the Steam application to find the game, right click the page and select "copy page URL" and then paste it into your regular browser to see it, or anywhere you want to paste it, I don't care, I'm not your mum)

[DoktorMerlin]

Originally posted by Noughtilus:

Then you want to copy the appmanifest file of your preload (I'll explain that at the bottom of this post if you don't know what that is), as well as the "depotcache" folder from your original steamapps folder, to the new one.

this is what I forgot to do, then I redownloaded the whole game because of it :/ but it finished so IDC anymore ^^

[Jougen]

Originally posted by Dante's Hotbox:

Okay because I'm a super mega nice guy, I'm going to tell you guys how this can be done.

THIS MIGHT ONLY WORK IF THE PRELOAD IS FINISHED, I DON'T KNOW. You may want to wait until it is finished if it's not.

What you do is in the steam options, make another game library on the drive where you want the preload to go, and where the game will be in the end. This is under Steam Settings > Downloads > Library folders (at the top).

That will make a steamapps folder with the steam.dll file in the selected location.

Then you want to copy the appmanifest file of your preload (I'll explain that at the bottom of this post if you don't know what that is), as well as the "depotcache" folder from your original steamapps folder, to the new one.

At this point if you're feeling cautious, you may want to also back up these files elsewhere just in case (I did, but didn't need them).

Then in steam you want to tell it to delete the local content of your preload. This will delete the app manifest and the preloaded files from your original steam library, but leave the files in the new library.

At this point when you restart steam it should automatically read the appmanifest in the new steam library and recognise the preload files.

*** FULL DISCLOSURE***

I am also trying to move the GTA V preload, and this SHOULD WORK, but I can't test it until the game releases and decrypts/extracts the files.

Steam is recognising the preload as normal after I moved it, so it should work just fine.

___________________

App manifests:

App manifest files are all the files just sitting in your steamapps folder, they tell steam about the things you have installed. They're all called "appmanifest_<app ID>.acf"

You can find the app ID for the game you're looking for by going to the steam store and finding the game, the number at the end of the URL is the app ID and it will correspond with the app manifest. (if you use the Steam application to find the game, right click the page and select "copy page URL" and then paste it into your regular browser to see it, or anywhere you want to paste it, I don't care, I'm not your mum)

Thank you good sir, this helped me greatly.