Steam Creates desktop shortcuts for every file in Steam Installation folder upon startup

[The Big Sauce]

I recently moved my my entire steam library of games as well as the steam installation folder from my hard drive (C: drive) to my SSD (F: drive), per the instructions on how to do so on a steam support post. Now, when I open the steam client, it creates a desktop shortcut for every single file in the steam folder (crashhandler.dll, gameoverlay.UI.exe, vstdlib_s.dll, etc.). I have to exit the steam client to delete them because they are in use while its open. I have tried simply moving them all into a folder, but it simply creates them all again the next time I open it/restart the computer. Also, even if I leave them on the desktop, it creates a new but unused "steamapps" folder on the desktop with nothing in it but an empty "soucemods" folder and libraryfolder.vdf. What is going on?

[Muppet among Puppets]

You run a steam exe on desktop. You want to use a shortcut instead.

Do NOT uninstall steam, or it might delete your whole desktop in this state!

[Jack Schitt]

Contact Steam Support about this. It shouldn't be doing that.
If you're not aware these forums aren't official support they are community forums. We're gamers (players) here. Valve Staff doesn't frequently participate here. Click on "Help".

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Jack Schitt:

Contact Steam Support about this. It shouldn't be doing that.
If you're not aware these forums aren't official support they are community forums. We're gamers (players) here. Valve Staff doesn't frequently participate here. Click on "Help".

But it is just a steam exe instead of a shortcut.

It is recommended to enable "file extension display" in windows, not only to prevent things like this. If its disabled malware.jpg.exe would be shown as malware.jpg.

[Jack Schitt]

Enabling file extension display does not add '.exe' to every file. Without extensions being shown a file would show as it's file name without any extension at all. For example if a jpg image file name was "a_file"

With show extensions disabled it would show as:
a_file

With show extensions enabled it would show as:
a_file.jpg

It shows the extension. It doesn't add 'exe' to every file.

What this user is experiencing should not be happening.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Op open a elevated cmd prompt and type in and hit enter.

sfc /scannow

See if it finds any corrupted files.

[Jack Schitt]

Originally posted by SnakeFist:

Op open a elevated cmd prompt and type in and hit enter.

sfc/scannow

See if it finds any corrupted files.

A virus and malware scan isn't a bad idea to run either.

[↑↑↓↓←→←→BASelect]

Originally posted by Jack Schitt:

Originally posted by SnakeFist:

Op open a elevated cmd prompt and type in and hit enter.

sfc/scannow

See if it finds any corrupted files.

A virus and malware scan isn't a bad idea to run either.

True. And for me if windows finds corrupted files i will usually do a full backup of personal files and reinstall windows to avoid any problems in the future. Also i have noticed that even that command don't fix all the problems so a full reinstall of windows is the only fix.

[Jack Schitt]

You can elevate cmd to admin by typing CMD after opening the Start Menu then choosing the Run As Administrator option or right-clicking on the app it self and choosing Run As Admin.

Alternatively you can Right-Click on the Start Button and run Windows PowerShell(Admin) and then run the sfc /scannnow command.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Jack Schitt:

Enabling file extension display does not add '.exe' to every file. Without extensions being shown a file would show as it's file name without any extension at all. For example if a jpg image file name was "a_file"

With show extensions disabled it would show as:
a_file

With show extensions enabled it would show as:
a_file.jpg

It shows the extension. It doesn't add 'exe' to every file.

What this user is experiencing should not be happening.

You did not understand what i talk about.

Read about why you should enable file extension display.
Not only to prevent cases like this topic.

The filename of the malware to make you think it was a jpg would be malware.jpg.exe
Without file extension display it would show as malware.jpg

If you want to see what the user is talking about, run a steam exe on your desktop.

[Jack Schitt]

Hi Muppet,
It does not work as you described it.

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

this. If its disabled malware.jpg.exe would be shown as malware.jpg

If a file's given name truly is 'malware.jpg.exe' with File Extension Display disabled it would show as malware (no extension at all).

[ReBoot]

It's simple: you've moved the Steam folder but are still using the old shortcut. Steam's relying on the CWD (which is defined by the shortcut) and can't find it (since you've moved the folder). The solution is to stop using the old shortcut and create a new one. Or to fix the old, that's easy as well.

[Jack Schitt]

Originally posted by ReBoot:

It's simple: you've moved the Steam folder but are still using the old shortcut. Steam's relying on the CWD (which is defined by the shortcut) and can't find it (since you've moved the folder). The solution is to stop using the old shortcut and create a new one. Or to fix the old, that's easy as well.

No idea what you're referring to as "CWD". Nobody's a mind reader.
If a shortcut can't find the file it's supposed to launch it produces an error prompt that says it can't find it. It doesn't make a shortcut on the desktop of every single file in a folder...that it can't find.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Jack Schitt:

Hi Muppet,
It does not work as you described it.

Originally posted by Muppet among Puppets:

this. If its disabled malware.jpg.exe would be shown as malware.jpg

If a file's given name truly is 'malware.jpg.exe' with File Extension Display disabled it would show as malware (no extension at all).

The extension of the file malware.jpg.exe is not jpg.
So if you disable extension display, just the extension is hidden. The extension of a exe file.

If you were right, by not showing the extension, an exe file would lose its kind, because you assume a malware.jpg.exe would become a jpg.

[Jack Schitt]

A virus or malware scan will find a file like that that's intentionally made that way because it's a virus or malware regardless of whether extension is displayed or not.

[Muppet among Puppets]

Originally posted by Jack Schitt:

A virus or malware scan will find a file like that that's intentionally made that way because it's a virus or malware regardless of whether extension is displayed or not.

If the scanner knows it