Guide to fix Steam not recognizing installed files

[gabrielsloan]

If you're like me, while doing a clean install you have had the repeated frustration of moving full install files into the Steamapps folder and installing the game, only to have Steam decide to re-download the entire 25 gigabyte game rather than using the perfectly good data that is sitting in the folder. Well, through trial and error (mostly error) I have found a way to trick Steam into recognizing previously downloaded data. We're going to start from the beginning:
(Jump in at whatever step you need to--and obviously back up your data before attempting this)

1. Install steam
2. Take your previously downloaded data (Usually everything in the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps folder) and move it into the new Steamapps folder
3. Start Steam
4. At this point, some games will actually appear to be installed correctly with a few minor updates
5. However, if a game is still reading as not installed after this step--go ahead and click on "Install"
6. Steam should go through the install process and recognize any previously downloaded data
7. However, if Steam does *NOT* recognize the data (happens to me all the time) it will start downloading and the progress will read 0%
8. At this point, pause updating on the game in question.
9. Exit Steam
10. Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps and find all the current .acf files
11. Simply move those files (you're looking for one in particular but move them all if you don't know which one) onto the desktop or basically anywhere out of the Steamapps folder
12. Restart Steam
13. All games should show as uninstalled
14. Immediately exit Steam
15. Move all .acf files back into the C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps folder
16. Restart Steam
17. The game you previously paused should still be paused--right click and hit "Resume Updating"
18. Viola! If you had a full install all files will miraculously appear. There might be a small bit of updating, but nothing major.

I hope this helps! Happy gaming!

[4/5]

ty bro
it works like charm..

[revi]

This works around 95% of the time which is great. Although it does make those times where it doesn't work very frustrating.

[Konnono]

Originally posted by Revi O'Slorcs:

This works around 95% of the time which is great. Although it does make those times where it doesn't work very frustrating.

As mentioned above, while gabrielsloan's fix works wonderfully, there will be times where it simply won't bleeding work. Here's another trial-and-error solution to that. This won't work 100% of the time, but at least it's something.

Assuming you've done everything gabrielsloan listed and Steam still won't recognise your game, back-up your files and try the following:

1. If Steam doesn't recognise your game as installed, it will start downloading the game files all over again. STOP downloading.
2. In the steamapps folder, open the folder labeled downloading. You'll find the downloaded files for the game. The file will have a sequence of numbers as its name. Keep those numbers in mind.
3. Delete the files in the downloading folder.
4. In the steamapps folder, delete the .acf file that corresponds to the download files that you deleted in step 3. The .acf file and the downloaded files you deleted will have the same sequence of numbers as their name.
5. Head to the common folder and find the game file you'd moved into it earlier (gabrielsloan's step 2). Delete it.
6. When you're done, open Steam. You'll notice that your game will now show as uninstalled.
7. Exit Steam.
8. Go back to steamapps. Copy the game file from your back-up drive and paste it into the common folder again. Basically you're repeating gabrielsloan's step 2.
9. When you open Steam again, the game will still be uninstalled. If all goes well, when you click install Steam should now locate existing game files and immediately install the game without having to redownload everything all over again.

If it doesn't work, keep trying. I tried twice before Steam recognised my copy of DmC.

[CptCream]

Thanks

[Marduk the Sun God]

Originally posted by Konnono:

Originally posted by Revi O'Slorcs:

This works around 95% of the time which is great. Although it does make those times where it doesn't work very frustrating.

As mentioned above, while gabrielsloan's fix works wonderfully, there will be times where it simply won't bleeding work. Here's another trial-and-error solution to that. This won't work 100% of the time, but at least it's something.

Assuming you've done everything gabrielsloan listed and Steam still won't recognise your game, back-up your files and try the following:

1. If Steam doesn't recognise your game as installed, it will start downloading the game files all over again. STOP downloading.
2. In the steamapps folder, open the folder labeled downloading. You'll find the downloaded files for the game. The file will have a sequence of numbers as its name. Keep those numbers in mind.
3. Delete the files in the downloading folder.
4. In the steamapps folder, delete the .acf file that corresponds to the download files that you deleted in step 3. The .acf file and the downloaded files you deleted will have the same sequence of numbers as their name.
5. Head to the common folder and find the game file you'd moved into it earlier (gabrielsloan's step 2). Delete it.
6. When you're done, open Steam. You'll notice that your game will now show as uninstalled.
7. Exit Steam.
8. Go back to steamapps. Copy the game file from your back-up drive and paste it into the common folder again. Basically you're repeating gabrielsloan's step 2.
9. When you open Steam again, the game will still be uninstalled. If all goes well, when you click install Steam should now locate existing game files and immediately install the game without having to redownload everything all over again.

If it doesn't work, keep trying. I tried twice before Steam recognised my copy of DmC.

Omg, thank you! This problem has been driving me insane and your steps are the only thing I have found that works.

[angeldeschai]

Originally posted by Konnono:

Originally posted by Revi O'Slorcs:

This works around 95% of the time which is great. Although it does make those times where it doesn't work very frustrating.

As mentioned above, while gabrielsloan's fix works wonderfully, there will be times where it simply won't bleeding work. Here's another trial-and-error solution to that. This won't work 100% of the time, but at least it's something.

Assuming you've done everything gabrielsloan listed and Steam still won't recognise your game, back-up your files and try the following:

1. If Steam doesn't recognise your game as installed, it will start downloading the game files all over again. STOP downloading.
2. In the steamapps folder, open the folder labeled downloading. You'll find the downloaded files for the game. The file will have a sequence of numbers as its name. Keep those numbers in mind.
3. Delete the files in the downloading folder.
4. In the steamapps folder, delete the .acf file that corresponds to the download files that you deleted in step 3. The .acf file and the downloaded files you deleted will have the same sequence of numbers as their name.
5. Head to the common folder and find the game file you'd moved into it earlier (gabrielsloan's step 2). Delete it.
6. When you're done, open Steam. You'll notice that your game will now show as uninstalled.
7. Exit Steam.
8. Go back to steamapps. Copy the game file from your back-up drive and paste it into the common folder again. Basically you're repeating gabrielsloan's step 2.
9. When you open Steam again, the game will still be uninstalled. If all goes well, when you click install Steam should now locate existing game files and immediately install the game without having to redownload everything all over again.

If it doesn't work, keep trying. I tried twice before Steam recognised my copy of DmC.

Hi. follow exactly these steps but also delete the sequence of numbers of the .patch (in my case 6 for batman arkham knight) in the downloading folder. Only way it worked for me and finito.

[Bamda]

The question I have for Value, is why do they make it so hard? Origin and Battle.net moves games SOOO easy, but Steam sucks!

[JOHNDOE29]

took a few times doing it and deleting the content of the download file but its working ty saved me from downloading over 40 gb today lol

[JOHNDOE29]

:( i take it back it failed it went thru all the files and still is downloading it all

[Wilhelmsen]

This worked a charm! Thank you so much! Most helpful article out atm for this kind of thing

[time to feed]

Originally posted by Konnono:

Originally posted by Revi O'Slorcs:

This works around 95% of the time which is great. Although it does make those times where it doesn't work very frustrating.

As mentioned above, while gabrielsloan's fix works wonderfully, there will be times where it simply won't bleeding work. Here's another trial-and-error solution to that. This won't work 100% of the time, but at least it's something.

Assuming you've done everything gabrielsloan listed and Steam still won't recognise your game, back-up your files and try the following:

1. If Steam doesn't recognise your game as installed, it will start downloading the game files all over again. STOP downloading.
2. In the steamapps folder, open the folder labeled downloading. You'll find the downloaded files for the game. The file will have a sequence of numbers as its name. Keep those numbers in mind.
3. Delete the files in the downloading folder.
4. In the steamapps folder, delete the .acf file that corresponds to the download files that you deleted in step 3. The .acf file and the downloaded files you deleted will have the same sequence of numbers as their name.
5. Head to the common folder and find the game file you'd moved into it earlier (gabrielsloan's step 2). Delete it.
6. When you're done, open Steam. You'll notice that your game will now show as uninstalled.
7. Exit Steam.
8. Go back to steamapps. Copy the game file from your back-up drive and paste it into the common folder again. Basically you're repeating gabrielsloan's step 2.
9. When you open Steam again, the game will still be uninstalled. If all goes well, when you click install Steam should now locate existing game files and immediately install the game without having to redownload everything all over again.

If it doesn't work, keep trying. I tried twice before Steam recognised my copy of DmC.

Thanks! it really worked! Got my Skyrim to work properly. Just create a bacup of files you delete, just in case.

[kionjuk]

NOT WORKING

[PlanetAlexanderProjects]

Wow, really works for most people and me. Thanks so much!

[bmendonc]

I find it annoying that it detected some of the games, but not all, and since I have so many games, the idea of hitting install for each of them is painful (over 100 are not being detected)

[Ander]

Thank you!