installed Game on External Tells Me to Install Again

Steam doesn't recognize installed games: Try these fixes

Tashreef Shareef is a software programmer turned tech author. He discovered his interest in engineering later reading a tech magazine accidentally. Now he writes nearly everything tech from Windows to iOS and streaming services... Read more

Updated: Feb 11, 2022

Posted: May 2019

• Many users reported that sometimes Steam doesn't recognize the installed games and it can exist a pretty annoying problem.
• To fix this result, try reinstalling the games without downloading them.
• Adding a Steam Library folder manually proved to solve this issue in several cases.
• To make Steam recognize the installed games, y'all tin can effort to forcefulness the recognition.

10INSTALL BY CLICKING THE DOWNLOAD FILE

Steam allows you lot to manage all your games from i identify. All the same, information technology seems like Steam doesn't sometimes recognize installed games.

The problem can occur if yous decide to make clean install Windows and take a backup of the Steam app binder containing your game files and other data.

Moved it dorsum to the Steam installation binder simply to have Steam to re-download all the game data dorsum again.

So if Steam is not detecting installed games, continue reading the guide below and discover the best methods to easily go rid of this problem.

What can I do if Steam doesn't recognize installed games?

1. Reinstall the Games without downloading
2. Add Steam Library folder manually
3. Recognize Games from a new Bulldoze
4. Apply .acf Cache to force recognize Steam games

ane. Reinstall the Games without downloading

1. Hit the Windows key, type Steam, then open it.
2. Go to Games.
3. Select and click on Install for the game that Steam has failed to recognize.
4. Steam will first to discover existing files for the game.

If Steam fails to recognize whatever of the installed games, it will show you an option to install the game all again.

If you have the game data in the Steam apps binder, then you can strength Steam to recognize the games by initiating the installation of the game.

2. Add together Steam Library folder manually

1. Press on the Windows key, type the app's name, so launch Steam.
2. From the height-left corner of the window, click on Steam.
3. Navigate to Settings.
4. Click on the Downloads tab.
5. Click on Steam Library Folders.
6. In the pop-up window, click on the Add button (marked every bit a +).
7. Select the location where all your Steam game data is saved, and then click on Add.
8. Close the settings.
9. Exit Steam, and so restart the app
10. Steam should at present recognize installed games again and listing them in the games folder.

Steam by default stores the game data in the Steamapps folder in the installation disk. If you had a custom location where the game data was stored, you could try to add the location in the Steam app to ready this issue.

iii. Recognize Games from a new drive

1. Click on the Windows search bar, type Steam, so open up the desktop app.
2. From the top-left corner of the window, click on Steam.
3. Navigate to Settings.
4. Click on the Downloads tab.
5. Now, from the right window pane, click on Steam Library Folders.
6. In the pop-up window, click on the Add button (marked as a +).
7. Navigate to the location where your games are moved (new directory) that is: D:/games/your_subdirectory
8. Click on Select and close to save the library folder.

If your main bulldoze (steam default installation location) does not accept enough space to install all the games, you tin can move the game data to a new difficult drive and then add the Game Library Folder manually in the Steam app.

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In the steps above you can find how to do it if you desire your games to be in the D:/games directory. Thus, you'll need first to create a subdirectory named Steamappscommon. The folder structure will look like this:

D:\Games\steamapps\common

Once the subdirectory is created, motility all the games to the newly-created directory.

After moving the games, the game directory will look like this:

D:\Games\steamapps\mutual\Assassin'south Creed IV Black Flag

D:\Games\steamapps\common\Counter Strike Global Offensive

Go out Steam and relaunch information technology. The app volition scan the newly selected Library folder and show all the games as installed.

four. Employ .acf Cache to force recognize Steam games

1. Brand sure that yous take reinstalled Steam or have the existing installation.
2. Right-click on the game data folder, and so paste information technology to C: \Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps binder
3. Press on the Windows key, type Steam, then open the first effect.
4. At this point, Steam may show some games that are installed correctly.
5. For the games that show as non installed, select and click on the Install push.
6. Steam will start to discover all the existing files.
7. Nonetheless, if the Steam does not recognize the existing files, it will beginning to download the files, and the progress will read 0%.
8. Pause the updating for the games and exit Steam.
9. Become to: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps and find all the current .acf files.
10. Copy all the .acf files and move it to a new folder exterior the Steamapps folder.
11. Relaunch Steam again. In the Games library, the affected game volition prove equally uninstalled.
12. Exit Steam.
13. Movement all the .acf files dorsum into this folder: C:\Plan Files (x86)\Steam\Steamapps folder.
14. Restart Steam. Go the Game library and click Resume Updating for the games that yous paused previously.

If you have taken the Steamapps binder fill-in with all the game information, you lot can apply the Steam enshroud files to strength Steam to recognize the installed games from the game information. In other words, you lot make Steam scan for games that you own.

If everything goes right, all the games that you lot had previously installed will announced every bit installed. If an update is required, continue with it.

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Source: https://windowsreport.com/steam-doesnt-recognize-installed-games/

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