[SOLVED] W10 + Steam question

[nbartolo7]

Not sure if I will explain myself correctly but I will try,

I currently have a C: drive with windows on it, that will become the D: drive in my next rig and will not be wiped out. At least in the beginning. Anyway, my question is, if I had Steam on my old C drive, will I have to reinstall it in the new rig? Or just run the install file? Will it work just fine?

And more importantly, will it find my game saves for those games that are not on the cloud?

 

[hotaru.hino]

Do you have to re-install Steam?
Technically no, but you should do it anyway.

Do you have to re-install your games?
No. Before you wipe/change out the C: drive storage drive, create a new library on the D:\ drive in Steam, then transfer your games over there. When you reinstall Steam, "create" a new library in the same spot in D:\ and Steam will discover the games.

What about save games?
Not all games have Steam cloud compatibility. To be sure you have your saved files, scour through the following directories for game related folds and back them up:

• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\LocalLow
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming
• C:\Users\[username]\Documents
• C:\Users\[username]\My Games
• The folder where the game itself is installed may have a folder for save files. Especially if the game was made before 2005.

 

[nbartolo7]

Do you have to re-install Steam?
Technically no, but you should do it anyway.

On which of the two drives? New C or old C (now D)?

 

[hotaru.hino]

On which of the two drives? New C or old C (now D)?

Ah, I seemed to have missed the detail that your old C:\ drive is becoming the D:\ drive.

I would recommend against repurposing an OS drive as a data drive without reformating it, because it becomes really annoying to clean it up. In this case I recommend installing Steam on the new C:\ drive, then copy the data from the old C:\ drive, reformat the drive, then move the games back if you want the space.

 

[falcon291]

1. If you are planning to install Windows to a new drive please just keep the new disk plugged in and plug off all other drives. But do not delete anything from the older drive.
2. Install Windows using a newly created USB disk. You must of course create the installation USB before using Media Creation Tool. It can be Windows10 or Windows11. Windows 11 still has issues, but not anything major.
3. After you install Windows and restart it to see everything running fine, shut down your computer and then plug in all other drives, and start your computer.
4. Install Steam. Just the application. But then Create a new Library Folder pointing now the folder in the D drive. For this from Steam Client menu select Steam --> Settings and then Downloads. You will see a button as Steam Library Folders. Push hit and then press +. All the games you installed before will now become available, and you will be able to play not needing further installation.
5. For Origin or Epic Games it is not that straightforward, and easy. But starting installation, stopping it, copying the files from old folders to the newly created folder and then starting the client again solves the problem. You can google for details, but they don't work as good as Steam.

 

[nbartolo7]

Ah, I seemed to have missed the detail that your old C:\ drive is becoming the D:\ drive.

Does it really matter that much?

I would recommend against repurposing an OS drive as a data drive without reformatting it

You mean, without reformatting it before powering on new PC for the first time? Because I intend to reformat it later.

 

[falcon291]

Ah, I seemed to have missed the detail that your old C:\ drive is becoming the D:\ drive.

I would recommend against repurposing an OS drive as a data drive without reformating it, because it becomes really annoying to clean it up. In this case I recommend installing Steam on the new C:\ drive, then copy the data from the old C:\ drive, reformat the drive, then move the games back if you want the space.

It is not recommended, yes but it will be fine. But you must unplug your older SSD drive. If the older drive is connected to your computer, your Windows installation will not be able to continue.

 

[hotaru.hino]

You mean, without reformatting it before powering on new PC for the first time? Because I intend to reformat it later.

I mean after you install the OS and want to use it.

Also the note about having only the new drive when installing the OS that was mentioned is because if you install Windows on the new drive with the old drive installed, the installer will realize the old drive has a bootloader on it and piggy backs on that, rather than create a new one. This complicates things when reusing the old drive.

And when reformatting the old C:\ drive, use Disk Management, because that drive will look something like how Disk 0 is partitioned.

You'll want to delete every partition so you can reclaim all of the space.

 

[falcon291]

"You'll want to delete every partition so you can reclaim all of the space."

Deleting every partition to reclaim all of the space means you will need to download all of your Steam Library again. It is not worth it. Don't do it. You will gain less than 1 GB. (RESTORE partition is optional)

 

[hotaru.hino]

To be as clear as possible as what to do:

1. Install the new drive, take out the old drive
2. Install Windows
3. Set up Windows as normal
4. Shut down computer, install old drive
5. Make sure to boot into the new drive, the old drive is still bootable and the computer may boot into it.
6. Copy the Steam games, save data, and whatnot from the old drive
7. Use Disk Management to completely wipe the old drive completely
8. Set up a new partition on the old drive
9. Copy the games back to the old drive if you want them to live there

And the reason to completely wipe the old drive is reformatting the accessible partition doesn't remove the bootloader. Having two bootloaders in a system, especially one that is now going to be confused that the OS it was pointing to doesn't exist, is just going to cause headaches.

 

[falcon291]

And the reason to completely wipe the old drive is reformatting the accessible partition doesn't remove the bootloader. Having two bootloaders in a system, especially one that is now going to be confused that the OS it was pointing to doesn't exist, is just going to cause headaches.

No it will not. I am using such a configuration my old drive still has that bootloader and my new drive is my OS Drive and it has the new bootloader. You may use such a configuration and if you ever face any problems then you can move your Steam folder to your new drive and delete all the partitions from the old drive to copy Steam folder back, but you won't.

 

[nbartolo7]

For Origin or Epic Games it is not that straightforward, and easy. But starting installation, stopping it, copying the files from old folders to the newly created folder and then starting the client again solves the problem. You can google for details, but they don't work as good as Steam.

No problem, I want to wipe out D drive anyway, I will reinstall games, don't worry, don't have that many installed. But, can you tell me where saves are for origin and epic games?

 

[nbartolo7]

To be as clear as possible as what to do:

1. Install the new drive, take out the old drive
2. Install Windows
3. Set up Windows as normal
4. Shut down computer, install old drive
5. Make sure to boot into the new drive, the old drive is still bootable and the computer may boot into it.
6. Copy the Steam games, save data, and whatnot from the old drive
7. Use Disk Management to completely wipe the old drive completely
8. Set up a new partition on the old drive
9. Copy the games back to the old drive if you want them to live there

And the reason to completely wipe the old drive is reformatting the accessible partition doesn't remove the bootloader. Having two bootloaders in a system, especially one that is now going to be confused that the OS it was pointing to doesn't exist, is just going to cause headaches.

Great! So, just to be sure. I copy and paste what you said here:

• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\LocalLow
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming
• C:\Users\[username]\Documents
• C:\Users\[username]\My Games
• The folder where the game itself is installed may have a folder for save files. Especially if the game was made before 2005.

into the new C drive? And I'm good to go?

 

[hotaru.hino]

Great! So, just to be sure. I copy and paste what you said here:

• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\LocalLow
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming
• C:\Users\[username]\Documents
• C:\Users\[username]\My Games
• The folder where the game itself is installed may have a folder for save files. Especially if the game was made before 2005.

into the new C drive? And I'm good to go?

Yes. I would recommend being judicial about what you copy from AppData, but if you want a quick and dirty approach, you can copy everything over. Just make sure to skip AppData\Local\Temp

 

[falcon291]

Some games can even create folders directly under C:\Users\[username]\

So if your save games are that important, just check every folder to be sure that it is there.

 

[nbartolo7]

Thank you both. Will not give best answer to any because both of you helped me a lot. Thanks

 

[nbartolo7]

In this case I recommend installing Steam on the new C:\ drive, then copy the data from the old C:\ drive, reformat the drive, then move the games back if you want the space.

If I do exactly what you're saying, are you sure Steam (installed in the new C drive) will recognize that there are games and saves in the D drive? Don't they both have to be installed in the same drive?

 

[falcon291]

Games yes. But game saves are a different story. You need to check for each game in the folders we shared. Unfortunately there isn't any consensus about the Save folder.

 

[nbartolo7]

• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\LocalLow
• C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming
• C:\Users\[username]\Documents
• C:\Users\[username]\My Games
• The folder where the game itself is installed may have a folder for save files. Especially if the game was made before 2005.

One more question. The places you mention above are indeed the correct places to check and to backup because most if not all game save files are there. However, in my new rig, I want to install Steam and steam games on my D: drive instead. But since the important folders above are all in the C: drive, how can I now install Steam somewhere else other than C:? If I do install on D:, I'm sure Steam and my games will work fine but all my save files will be on C:, and Steam will not recognize them, right?

 

[Colif]

there isn't any way to change those locations in Steam so in theory it should still look for the folders in their default locations or where you have maybe moved the location of the docuemnts folder too, as its only one of the above that is a library folder

you only moving steam client, your user folder is still in same place.

 

[nbartolo7]

there isn't any way to change those locations in Steam so in theory it should still look for the folders in their default locations or where you have maybe moved the location of the documents folder too, as its only one of the above that is a library folder

you only moving steam client, your user folder is still in same place.

Ok. got it. So I can install client pretty much anywhere, and on C: if I want to be super safe. Will do. My question now is, once I do that, you told me to first reinstall games so as to let them create their all their folders and stuff, let them do their thing, and only then, replace those folders where my saves are stored with my old ones. My question is, what if there is other stuff inside those folders apart from the save files, won't that become a chance for something getting corrupted if I replace the entire folder? Do you recommend only replacing the save files individually or can I copy past the entire folder where the save files are?

 

[Colif]

I did this on weekend
I let game create the save folder
it made this - C:\Users\<(UserName)>\Saved Games\Ascaron Entertainment\Sacred 2
I then went to my one drive folder and opened the save folder I had from the past and just highlighted all the save game files and copied them in. That way if there are any hidden files in folder they weren't replaced with older ones.

I have 3 copies of Saved Games\Ascaron Entertainment\Sacred 2 on my Onedrive in different folders, I didn't want to lose them and given the characters are from 2009/10 I did well.

 

[nbartolo7]

I did this on weekend
I let game create the save folder
it made this - C:\Users\<(UserName)>\Saved Games\Ascaron Entertainment\Sacred 2
I then went to my one drive folder and opened the save folder I had from the past and just highlighted all the save game files and copied them in. That way if there are any hidden files in folder they weren't replaced with older ones.

I have 3 copies of Saved Games\Ascaron Entertainment\Sacred 2 on my Onedrive in different folders, I didn't want to lose them and given the characters are from 2009/10 I did well.

Ok thanks. And what if there are also shaders and other files other than the save file in that Sacred2 (my game in this case) folder? Would you just replace the save file?

 

[Colif]

most of my save folders for characters only include the characters and maybe items that are associated with them

I just found out one game I play has 2 save folders, one for base game characters and one for modded. I sure was wondering why I couldn't see all my new characters (that I can find in game) not in the save folder.

 

[nbartolo7]

Why is the folder "userdata" in program files x86>Steam recommended to copy/save/backup before reinstalling windows? Doesn't steam auitomatically recover my "userdata" just by connecting to the internet once I install it in new PC?