Steam doesn't recognize that I switched my games to another drive. It tries to download a whole new copy of the games.

[Raccatography]

Hi! I've tried various troubleshooting techniques and I'm close to just downloading everything again on the new drive.

I moved my games' local files to another drive. I start up steam and point it to the right location but it still tries to download a new copy. It gets infuriating.

 

The games are CSGO and Portal 2.

[You_are_a_cunt]

Did you change/add library location in Steam settings?

[TheRandomness]

Have you tried restarting your computer?

[DarkTornadoGames]

you have to move steam with it or change the file paths in steam

[AresKrieger]

you could use a dynamic link trick so that it thinks they're still there while being on the other drive

 

I remembered it's actual name and here's an example if steams path thing doesn't work out 

 

mklink /d "Saves" "D:\Games\Skyrim\Saves" you have to do this with a cmd app in the folder above the one your switching out

Edited October 1, 2015 by AresKrieger

[CyanideInsanity]

Is it actually downloading the games again, or is it discovering files and than downloading any missing or modified files? The couple of times I've done this its never actually needed to redownload anything.

[DarthSlater77]

you could use a dynamic link trick so that it thinks they're still there while being on the other drive

 

I remembered it's actual name and here's an example if steams path thing doesn't work out 

 

mklink /d "Saves" "D:\Games\Skyrim\Saves" you have to do this with a cmd app in the folder above the one your switching out

can you post a link to a location that can give us more details on how to do this. Ive had this similar BS issue with steam before. It has even deleted the files I already had and started to re download after the "checking for existing files" 

 

EDIT: Even Now it wants to delete and reinstall Skyrim but if I use SKSE.exe ,UI mod loader, it works just fine. Same dam files but it tries to delete, re-download and install. Its good I keep redundant backups. 

[AresKrieger]

can you post a link to a location that can give us more details on how to do this. Ive had this similar BS issue with steam before. It has even deleted the files I already had and started to re download after the "checking for existing files" 

 

EDIT: Even Now it wants to delete and reinstall Skyrim but if I use SKSE.exe ,UI mod loader, it works just fine. Same dam files but it tries to delete, re-download and install. Its good I keep redundant backups. 

this guy seems to know what he is doing, I don't have a tutorial link as I learned this via word of mouth

also apparently people call them symbolic links due to adobe having something also called dynamic link

Edited October 1, 2015 by AresKrieger

[Raccatography]

Did you change/add library location in Steam settings?

 

Okay. I shall try this bit first THEN the dynamic link trick

 

Have you tried restarting your computer?

 

Yup. It even BSOD-ed  when I tried to play with core clocks lol

 

you have to move steam with it or change the file paths in steam

 

I'll try the dynamic link trick first. Personally don't want to move Steam as it might cause some more problems and headaches

 

you could use a dynamic link trick so that it thinks they're still there while being on the other drive

 

I remembered it's actual name and here's an example if steams path thing doesn't work out 

 

mklink /d "Saves" "D:\Games\Skyrim\Saves" you have to do this with a cmd app in the folder above the one your switching out

 

Dynamic Linking huh.  Okay, I shall look into this

 

Is it actually downloading the games again, or is it discovering files and than downloading any missing or modified files? The couple of times I've done this its never actually needed to redownload anything.

 

It's trying to download a whole new copy. Quite a big hassle for me as 10gb downloads takes a day.