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RoboticJan Jul 20, 2013 @ 7:09pm

Installing games via copy into games folders possible?

Hey there,
I installed Steam on my new PC (old 32bit, new 64bit) and I wanted to ask if I can simply copy the games folders from my old HDD to my new one? And if the game is than installed?
Hope someone can help me,

cheers.

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Showing 1-10 of 10 comments

76561198094828673 Jul 20, 2013 @ 7:13pm

ciupa

Nacimota Jul 20, 2013 @ 7:17pm

Generally, yes. After you've installed Steam on the new machine you can just copy the steamapps folder to the Steam folder on the new machine and it should discover any installed games once you restart the client.

RoboticJan Jul 20, 2013 @ 7:32pm

Thanks,
but as I use a SSD for the Steam Client I dont want to install all the games there, but I can drop them in the other folder I created via the Steam menu and it detects them?

Nacimota Jul 20, 2013 @ 7:53pm

Originally posted by cW» Ravenblood:
Thanks,
but as I use a SSD for the Steam Client I dont want to install all the games there, but I can drop them in the other folder I created via the Steam menu and it detects them?

Eeh, theoretically, yes. Not all games support the new system that allows installation on a separate drive, though.

Last edited by Nacimota; Jul 20, 2013 @ 7:53pm

RoboticJan Jul 20, 2013 @ 8:03pm

Ok, will give it a try,
thank you very much :)

RoboticJan Jul 20, 2013 @ 9:17pm

Well, they appear as installed but I cannot lunch them, following error:
Failed to Start the Game (Missing Executable)

So I have to download the game again?

socialautiste Aug 4, 2013 @ 9:38pm

You probably already solved or re-downloaded it, but in case anyone else stumbles on this post with the same issue, here is the solution. You don't have to re-download it (at least not with the current steam version).

First make sure steam is closed and you have put your saved copy of the game into the right steam folder in the new location (which is <some drive and any higher folders>\steam\steamapps\common\ ).

If you haven't accidentally deleted your steamapps folder, you should see files in it called appmanifest_##.acf where ## are unique id numbers associated with each game. Open them with notepad until you find one with your game's name in it, and then just change the line:

"appinstalldir"" "OLD INSTALL LOCATION"
to
"appinstalldir"" "NEW INSTALL LOCATION"

Make sure to note that you have to use \\ or it won't work.
For example, I have the line in appmanifest_72850.acf (which is the skyrim id):

"appinstalldir" "E:\\Games\\Steam\\steamapps\\common\\Skyrim"

If you *did* delete the steamapps folder, *and* you don't happen to be able to get a copy of your games appmanifest, then try this following way (I just did it with Skyrim to verify it works).

1. Turn off steam.
2. Make sure that if you started to download the game again before moving the game folder into Steam\SteamApps\common\ that you delete anything in temp or downloading folders in the parent SteamApps folder.
3. Launch steam and tell it to download the game. At that point it should check for existing files first, and it will see you have them in the right spot, and only download anything missing or out-dated.

If for some reason the game is buggy or the exe broken, just have steam verify the game cache at that point. I am not positive steam verified everything when checking for existing files, but I think it did.