Can't Move/Change installation/launch folder

[Streetguru]

I'm trying to get dota 2 and other games to lauch from USB/Micro SD on my tablet, but this appears to be no easy task for steam. some games like blood bowl work without a hitch, but others like skyrim start to launch and then jump to steam and try to install themselves.

is there any way I can change the launch/installation path on my tablet without having to redownload games. its running windows 8.

This seems like a simple thing that should have been added long ago.

[ReBoot]

Either move the whole Steam directory or work with Steam library folders.

[CrystalRoff]

1
Go to Steampowered.com and click the "Install Steam" button in the upper-right corner. Then click the green "Install Steam Now" button and run the executable "SteamInstall.msi" program.

2
Follow the on-screen instructions until you get to the screen titled "Destination Folder." To choose where on your computer you would like to install the Steam program, and subsequently all of your downloaded games, click the "Browse" button. A new menu will pop up.

3
Click the drop-down menu titled "Look in:" to choose the hard drive and folder where you will install Steam and save your downloads.

4
Follow the on-screen instructions to complete your Steam installation.

If you dont want two instalation folder locations
Move an Existing Steam Installation Folder
5
Shut down Steam completely.

6
Find where Steam is currently installed on your computer -- the default location is C:\Program Files\Steam\ -- then delete all files and folders, except the SteamApps folder and the Steam.exe program, which you should cut to your Windows clipboard by highlighting and pressing "Ctrl" and "V."

7
Create a new folder wherever you want to move your Steam installations. For example, if you wanted to change from the default hard drive location, you could choose a second hard drive -- for example, "D:\Steam." Paste the files you cut from the default location in this new folder.

8
Launch Steam, which will automatically update to the new location where all of your future downloads will be stored.

[Streetguru]

I also cannot simply change the install path because even though I've already got the game installed, steam has to first try to allocate disk space to it, of which there is none, so it can't get to where it scans for the game.

[ReBoot]

Then start downloading from scratch so you'll have plenty of space. Afterwards, copy the files.

[Streetguru]

I've got it! I just had to delete a game already on the drive, delete a few files in the dota 2 drive there, and then because it had just enough space for dota 2, it was able to scan for the files already there and download the missing ones.

Why can't valve just let me change the individual launch paths of their games, or let me tell steam where a game is installed so it can pick it up immediately.

[Streetguru]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Then start downloading from scratch so you'll have plenty of space. Afterwards, copy the files.

Whenever it launched from a different unknown location it would close itself and attempt to launch/install from steam.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by Streetguru:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Then start downloading from scratch so you'll have plenty of space. Afterwards, copy the files.

Whenever it launched from a different unknown location it would close itself and attempt to launch/install from steam.

You didn't read me properly. Start Steam, start downloading the game to that place from scratch, then close Steam and then copy the files.

Alternatively, assuming that the external drive uses NTFS, you can use folder junctions.
http://sagenhaft.codeplex.com/

[Streetguru]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

Originally posted by Streetguru:

Whenever it launched from a different unknown location it would close itself and attempt to launch/install from steam.

You didn't read me properly. Start Steam, start downloading the game to that place from scratch, then close Steam and then copy the files.

Alternatively, assuming that the external drive uses NTFS, you can use folder junctions.
http://sagenhaft.codeplex.com/

i tried that as well, but since they changed the way downloading works that stopped working

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by Streetguru:

Originally posted by ReBoot:

You didn't read me properly. Start Steam, start downloading the game to that place from scratch, then close Steam and then copy the files.

Alternatively, assuming that the external drive uses NTFS, you can use folder junctions.
http://sagenhaft.codeplex.com/

i tried that as well, but since they changed the way downloading works that stopped working

Then you can either redownload from scratch to that location or read the last paragraph of #8 again.