Steam Discovering Existing Files, then completely re-downloads game?

[loki_lokster]

I'm having a few troubles trying to get a few games that i copied off my mates computer that were completely updated to the newest version and this afternoon. However i think there might be an issue with Steam and my hard drive setup so here's a quick rundown:
Steam is installed on my SSD which is where Win7 OS is installed, i only have 2 games on the SSD.
I have a secondary storage HDD that i created a SteamLibrary in, however, everytime i restart steam it doesn't discover the games installed on the HDD and i have to manually go to settings and re-add the SteamLibrary and then it discovers everything. Now when i try and place these new games i copied from my friend (i do own these games as well) into the E:\SteamLibrary\common i press install and it states the familiar "Discovering existing files..." the loading bar reaches the end and it displays "Steam is now downloading [insert game name here]" and it begins to completely re-download the entire game. If you check the folder of the game in E:\SteamLibrary\common it says the folder is only several mb large. When you check the download folder however the folder will be pretty much the same size as when i copied it over and is the same size that steam is supposedly downloading.

Any ideas what is going on ?

 

[amigafan]

Have you tried deleting installscript.vdf file in each game folder (you copied from a friend) before starting installation in Steam?

 

[loki_lokster]

just tried it... no luck 🙁
a friend suggested partially downloading the game then moving the rest of the files into the download folder then verify game cache but still no luck.

 

[amigafan]

Try like this:

1) first delete via Steam client the partially downloaded game (so that download cache & intermediate state files are removed by Steam client)
2) delete any remaining game folders (which you just deleted in Steam) - and quit Steam (just in case)
3) copy entire friend's game folder again
4) delete installscript.vdf
5) try installing now

I do it like this all the time and it always works unless there was an update in the meantime (even tiny update can make Steam reject entire copy).

 

[Paulmcg]

I had the same problem, all I had to do copy the game to the common folder. Then I got a friend to send me the app manifest for the game, for dota this file is called "appmanifest_570.acf" and is located in the "steamapps" folder. Restart steam and it should recognise the game as already installed.