Getting steam client to recognise library on old storage installed onto new PC

[johnarthurim]

Hi,

I just built a new PC. I installed my ssd from my old laptop onto my new rig. I have a bunch of steam games stored on my ssd and I don't want to go through the process of deleting them just so that I can re-install them again. I was wondering if there's any way to get the steam app to recognise the installed steam games in my ssd?

Thanks in advance for any help!

[Omega]

Just add a new Steam game library in your Steam settings and point it at the old library.

[johnarthurim]

Originally posted by Omega:

Just add a new Steam game library in your Steam settings and point it at the old library.

Unfortunately it just gives the message "Steam Library folder is not empty and suggests choosing another location.

[johnarthurim]

To be clear the pathway I select (and that it rejects as it is not empty) is the pathway I installed my games in my old drive: D:\Games\steamapps\common

[Omega]

Originally posted by johnarthurim:

Originally posted by Omega:

Just add a new Steam game library in your Steam settings and point it at the old library.

Unfortunately it just gives the message "Steam Library folder is not empty and suggests choosing another location.

Create a new empty Steam library, then just drop your old games in.

Also make sure to add the right folder, you want the folder CONTAINING the steamapps directory.

[johnarthurim]

Originally posted by Omega:

Originally posted by johnarthurim:

Unfortunately it just gives the message "Steam Library folder is not empty and suggests choosing another location.

Create a new empty Steam library, then just drop your old games in.

Also make sure to add the right folder, you want the folder CONTAINING the steamapps directory.

Seemed like a sound idea. I created a new empty steam library in the chosen drive (old ssd), and then moved everything under the old steamapps under the new steamapps folder. Doesn't recognise the games still however, and when I try running the games from the file launchers themselves it either just takes me to the steam app to suggest downloading the game or to a 3rd party client (e.g., rockstar) and fails to launch.

[emoticorpse]

Check to make sure you have rights to that drive/folder in security area in properties?

[johnarthurim]

Originally posted by emoticorpse:

Check to make sure you have rights to that drive/folder in security area in properties?

Checked and seems fine in terms of access rights to the game folders. I did notice that they are read only, wasn't sur whether that was an issue - so I unclicked read-only hoping it would make a difference. Even after applying, every time I re-open the properties' security tab, it insists on keeping it read-only (again not sure if that's an issue anyway).

In any case, still sends me to the steam app to prompt me to download the game.

[emoticorpse]

Originally posted by johnarthurim:

Originally posted by emoticorpse:

Check to make sure you have rights to that drive/folder in security area in properties?

Checked and seems fine in terms of access rights to the game folders. I did notice that they are read only, wasn't sur whether that was an issue - so I unclicked read-only hoping it would make a difference. Even after applying, every time I re-open the properties' security tab, it insists on keeping it read-only (again not sure if that's an issue anyway).

In any case, still sends me to the steam app to prompt me to download the game.

have you tried testing to download one of the games and see how that goes?

[johnarthurim]

Originally posted by emoticorpse:

Originally posted by johnarthurim:

Checked and seems fine in terms of access rights to the game folders. I did notice that they are read only, wasn't sur whether that was an issue - so I unclicked read-only hoping it would make a difference. Even after applying, every time I re-open the properties' security tab, it insists on keeping it read-only (again not sure if that's an issue anyway).

In any case, still sends me to the steam app to prompt me to download the game.

have you tried testing to download one of the games and see how that goes?

Seems stupid of me not to have tried (genuinely fearful of going through a whole 150gb re-install of FFXV), but seems to work. I open the launcher for each game 1 at a time, it realises the download is unnecessary and goes about validating each one. It's an extensive library, but beats re-downloading them.

I think on Battle.net it was able to recognise all of the games at once, once I showed it the pathway. Was hoping it would be more like that (especially bc my steam library is far more extensive), but will have to do.

Thanks so much for the help!

[emoticorpse]

Originally posted by johnarthurim:

Originally posted by emoticorpse:

have you tried testing to download one of the games and see how that goes?

Seems stupid of me not to have tried (genuinely fearful of going through a whole 150gb re-install of FFXV), but seems to work. I open the launcher for each game 1 at a time, it realises the download is unnecessary and goes about validating each one. It's an extensive library, but beats re-downloading them.

I think on Battle.net it was able to recognise all of the games at once, once I showed it the pathway. Was hoping it would be more like that (especially bc my steam library is far more extensive), but will have to do.

Thanks so much for the help!

Well, normally yeah I don't think you have to anything except add the path. I format all the time and Steam just like automatically accepts my drives. I don't think I've ever had an issue with it not accepting a folder or I guess I fixed it so easily I don't remember the situation. But regardless, I've never had to do that "click to download" step in order to get it to recognize my games.

Glad it worked though.

That might be tripping up a lot of people who come around here asking why Steam won't recognize their games.

[johnarthurim]

Originally posted by emoticorpse:

Originally posted by johnarthurim:

Seems stupid of me not to have tried (genuinely fearful of going through a whole 150gb re-install of FFXV), but seems to work. I open the launcher for each game 1 at a time, it realises the download is unnecessary and goes about validating each one. It's an extensive library, but beats re-downloading them.

I think on Battle.net it was able to recognise all of the games at once, once I showed it the pathway. Was hoping it would be more like that (especially bc my steam library is far more extensive), but will have to do.

Thanks so much for the help!

Well, normally yeah I don't think you have to do any of that. I format all the time and Steam just like automatically accepts my drives. I don't think I've ever had an issue with it not accepting a folder or I guess I fixed it so easily I don't remember the situation. But regardless, I've never had to do that "click to download" step in order to get it to recognize my games.

Glad it worked though.

That might be tripping up a lot of people who come around here asking why Steam won't recognize their games.

It's strange, I didn't have to format my drive when I physically installed it from my old laptop. Cloning's always been fine for me, so didn't know why with the actual drive it would have trouble recognizing this.

Also for posterity's sake for anyone that experiences this problem in the future, the solution wouldn't have 'worked' if I hadn't first created a new steam folder and moved all files under steamapps under the new steamapps.

[GOD RAYS ON ULTRA™]

I'm not sure if anyone else does this but, what I did is I downloaded my entire library before and backed up all the .acf files with it. Now if I want to install a game I pull it from my mega pc (14Tb!) along with the .acf file, drop it in, we all ready to hit play.

It even works on my windows xp as long as I had the game on my account. Drop the .acf file in and BOOM! We are installed!

[emoticorpse]

Originally posted by W O K E I S M:

I'm not sure if anyone else does this but, what I did is I downloaded my entire library before and backed up all the .acf files with it. Now if I want to install a game I pull it from my mega pc (14Tb!) along with the .acf file, drop it in, we all ready to hit play.

It even works on my windows xp as long as I had the game on my account. Drop the .acf file in and BOOM! We are installed!

What's a .acf file? I don't get it?

[GOD RAYS ON ULTRA™]

appmanifest, each one represents a game. They are located in steamapps. This file is how steam associates a game as installed or not installed. If the file is therein steam apps and your game is in common, then steam will say your game is installed. I do this if I don't want a game to update, remove the .acf file, now steam thinks the game isn't installed.

I figured I was the only one. It's very handy if you never want to download. The only time I have to download a game is when I buy a new one. Then I backup the game and the .acf associated with it. Now I can install uninstall anytime without downloading ever again. Without installing ever. Just drag and drop a file and I have hundreds of gigs installed instantly.

[GOD RAYS ON ULTRA™]

I realize I forgot to tell the method of revealing the .acf appmanifest number associated with the game you want to install. For example, if I want to install, let's say, GTA san andreas, I would pull the game from my mega pc and load it onto the pc I want along with the .acf. The way I find the correct .acf is by going to the san andreas discussion page and look at the url. The url will reveal the number.

I then load the .acf to steamapps and the game to common. Next time I launch steam san andreas is installed.