Issue with Steam Library folders when removing external drive

[Tasiaa]

ISSUE
When a removable drive contains the default steam library folder, and that drive is removed, you are unable to install games without first setting your default folder to a different drive

OS
Windows 10

STEPS
1. Create a new library folder on an external drive (USB, Thunderbolt, etc)
2. Set that folder as the default
3. Exit steam (full exit, not just closing the window)
4. Reopen Steam
5. Attempt to install a game

RESULTS
Steam says 0 bytes available when there's plenty of space available in a library folder other than the default, no library selection dropdown appears

EXPECTED
Should be able to select a library folder other than the default folder when the default folder is missing

WORKAROUND
Set the library folder that's not on your external drive as the default folder

NOTES
I suspect that this bug happens because it's attempting to install to your default drive, which is missing, but it doesn't show a selection drop-down because there's only one library folder on the list.

[J]

I face the same issue. have 150gb installed steam games on my external hdd but if i wanna play, i have to reinstall them each.freakin.time.
i had other issues with steam itself and decided to reinstall( clean. like everything steam related deleted apart from my steam library) and, after starting it up again and setting the download library ( one on my local sdd- separate drive + 1 on external hdd) it still shows 0 games/0 used space.
i tried the right click--> repair option but it changed nothing :(

i guess steam is losing it...

[Tasiaa]

Originally posted by Psst:

I face the same issue. have 150gb installed steam games on my external hdd but if i wanna play, i have to reinstall them each.freakin.time.
i had other issues with steam itself and decided to reinstall( clean. like everything steam related deleted apart from my steam library) and, after starting it up again and setting the download library ( one on my local sdd- separate drive + 1 on external hdd) it still shows 0 games/0 used space.
i tried the right click--> repair option but it changed nothing :(

i guess steam is losing it...

It seems you need to add the library folder manually each time you install the drive, once you do that it should find all your games

[J]

It should, but it doesn't any longer.

I had to install again most games, even if they were there...up to date. Even if some games checked the existing files, the process is super slow.

It seems the only option is to periodically do manual backups if we want prompt acces to play installed games.