[SOLVED] Uninstalling games on SSD removed them on the HDD

[SkullProX]

So, I put in an SSD to my pc, and I cloned the HDD on it, but this created a lot of duplicate files that I don't need to have on both drives, so I started deleting/uninstalling a lot of programs.
Now, some of the programs were games on steam, uconnect, EPIC games, and when I launched steam/epic from the HDD the games were not there either. Even tho the games files are still on the HDD, the launchers do not recognize them. IS there any way to fix this?

 

[USAFRet]

It looks like you did this completely wrong.

After the clone process, you should have deleted ALL from the old drive.
All partitions, all data.

Assuming the system was running from the SSD, why were you launching Steam etc from the HDD?

 

[SkullProX]

It looks like you did this completely wrong.

After the clone process, you should have deleted ALL from the old drive.
All partitions, all data.

Assuming the system was running from the SSD, why were you launching Steam etc from the HDD?

First I launched steam on the SSD to uninstall the games on the SSD, and I launched it from the HDD just to check if the games are still there. So steam opens on the SSD by default, I just manually launched the HDD version. And well I didn't wipe the old drive because I thought it's easier to uninstall a few stuff from SSD instead of completely wiping and reinstalling stuff to the HDD

 

[USAFRet]

First I launched steam on the SSD to uninstall the games on the SSD, and I launched it from the HDD just to check if the games are still there. So steam opens on the SSD by default, I just manually launched the HDD version. And well I didn't wipe the old drive because I thought it's easier to uninstall a few stuff from SSD instead of completely wiping and reinstalling stuff to the HDD

No, its not easier.
It leads to the issues you are currently seeing.

A clone is everything from the old drive to the new.
No need to keep things on the HDD after the clone.

Steam has built in functionality to move games between drives. The other platforms, similar.

Seeing as these games are apparently 'gone'....there is no easy fix.

So...
Power OFF
Physically disconnect the HDD and verify the system boots from only the SSD.
If it does, then you can reconnect the HDD and DELETE ALL data from it.

Then, from your game clients on the SSD, reinstall your games. On whichever drive you choose.

Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

To move an already installed game
Games library
Right click the game
Properties
Local Files
Move Install Folder

 

[SkullProX]

No, its not easier.
It leads to the issues you are currently seeing.

A clone is everything from the old drive to the new.
No need to keep things on the HDD after the clone.

Steam has built in functionality to move games between drives. The other platforms, similar.

Seeing as these games are apparently 'gone'....there is no easy fix.

So...
Power OFF
Physically disconnect the HDD and verify the system boots from only the SSD.
If it does, then you can reconnect the HDD and DELETE ALL data from it.

Then, from your game clients on the SSD, reinstall your games. On whichever drive you choose.

Steam games location
In the steam client:
Steam
Settings
Downloads
Steam Library Folders
Add library folder

To move an already installed game
Games library
Right click the game
Properties
Local Files
Move Install Folder

Yes, but I wanted to keep most stuff on the HDD not the SSD. Only reason I cloned is to have the OS on the SSD, but I don't actually need most stuff in here.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes, but I wanted to keep most stuff on the HDD not the SSD. Only reason I cloned is to have the OS on the SSD, but I don't actually need most stuff in here.

Right.

So you clone.
Delete all from the HDD.
Then move what you don't want on the SSD over to the HDD.

Or, you can end up with what you have now,

 

[Karadjgne]

You cloned. Exact copy including all links. Windows automatically refers to the hdd as E etc and the ssd as C. You started the games from hdd, but all the links point to C, so uninstalled from C. Game files are still on hdd untouched, but as far as the game is concerned it's uninstalled, even if you manually start it from hdd, the link is still C.

You should have Migrated the OS, not cloned it. if you have not deleted anything from hdd, you still can do that. That removes the OS and associations from E and sets them up on C. You'd just have to change the game settings to pull files from E instead of C, but save games will remain on C as part of Windows.

 

[USAFRet]

You should have Migrated the OS, not cloned it.

In this context, there is no difference.

There is no function or application to move/migrate/clone/whatever "only the OS".

 

[SkullProX]

You cloned. Exact copy including all links. Windows automatically refers to the hdd as E etc and the ssd as C. You started the games from hdd, but all the links point to C, so uninstalled from C. Game files are still on hdd untouched, but as far as the game is concerned it's uninstalled, even if you manually start it from hdd, the link is still C.

You should have Migrated the OS, not cloned it. if you have not deleted anything from hdd, you still can do that. That removes the OS and associations from E and sets them up on C. You'd just have to change the game settings to pull files from E instead of C, but save games will remain on C as part of Windows.

My bad, I did use the migrate option from macrium reflect. And well, in steam I found an option to add the HDD as the path, so now I can choose within steam to uninstall from SSD/HDD, I guess I just have to play around with the file path in epic/uplay as well to have them recognize the games on the hdd?

 

[USAFRet]

My bad, I did use the migrate option from macrium reflect.

No, you did that part correctly.