help backing up programs/games to external drive?

[RapidRampage245]

ok so im wondering if theirs a way to like back up some programs/games to an external drive while i reinstall windows?

 

so i have slow internet and i dont wanna re-download all the programs/games that are like 5-20 gb downloads

 

i just wanna know how to back them up then restore them after i format hhd

 

 

[MegaDave91]

Copy your SteamApps folder and Origin Games folder to your external drive.

[RapidRampage245]

Copy your SteamApps folder and Origin Games folder to your external drive.

and then after i do that i just paste it back to its original location after i format pc and they will work fine?

[MegaDave91]

and then after i do that i just paste it back to its original location after i format pc and they will work fine?

Paste them in the same location they're in now. Steam does a good job of auto detecting your games; all you have to do is click install and it detects the game. 

 

Copy the game files that are in your Documents as well.

[pensils]

as mega said. Just copy down that you think is important. (I'd copy steamapps, origin files, (well i only have bejeweled 3, which is on the house), then the my documents folder, which contains all my work and some saves etc.