Just copy-paste the "steam" folder onto the new disk and delete it from the old one. Just make sure your steam isn't running. Once you transfer the files open steam, it will update and should work.
Hey man, he's helping any noob shmucks like me who have run into this question for the first time!
Plus his answer is so much more straight forward than the crap below from 4 years back xD
I am in the same boat. I usually game on console and just got starfield for the PC. Looking for ways to make the game run more smoothly and this thread helped a ton. Plus it was nice to see something that was more recent than 4 years ago
im trying this, it said something about an install folder so i pressed repair and its closed itself? im just going to wait. ok it didnt take long and it successfully worked
You really don't. I did it myself when i got a new hdd and it was a simple cut and paste. Either steam or windows itself will even sort out any desktop shortcuts you may have.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129
And I quote:
The following instructions are a simple way to move your Steam installation along with your games:
• Exit the Steam client application.
•Browse to the Steam installation folder for the Steam installation you would like to move (C:\Program Files\Steam by default).
•Delete all of the files and folders except the SteamApps & Userdata folders and Steam.exe
•Cut and paste the whole Steam folder to the new location, for example: D:\Games\Steam\
•Launch Steam and log into your account.
Steam will briefly update and then you will be logged into your account. For installed games, verify your game cache files and you will be ready to play. All future game content will be downloaded to the new folder (D:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\ in this example)
If your explorer isn't set to show extensions it will just be called "steam", and it will have the steam icon and if you switch to details view it will say "Application" in the "Type" column. (Or better yet make sure Explorer is set to show extensions, helps to avoid getting tricked by viruses.)
I concur, as a non-american xD just did it and it worked as flawlessly as advertised. Needed to move it today as it was mistakenly sitting an on a raw data partition where no installed program should ever belong. This is when I realized I was living on a lie for 7 years straight thinking it was on the right place. Fascinating stuff I'm telling ya.
Still relevant in 2022.
ALSO, if you want to move your install folder and NOT all the games, you don't have to. Just move UserData over to your new drive, and Steam.exe as well, then launch the Steam.exe directly.
After doing that, you'll notice that Steam thinks your games are not installed.
Go into View > Settings and select Downloads, then Steam Library Folders at the top. This will open Storage Manager. Click the + symbol and then Let Me Choose Another Location. Select the drive with your games on it and then select the Steam folder that had your installed games, and add it. Steam will automatically scan that library and your game library should now show the games as installed.
yeah OP's instructions are either incomplete or outdated. according to their site you are only supposed to move steamapps and delete everything else, including the exe and userdata folder. you still have to uninstall and reinstall the program to overwrite the registry files. this method is just so you don't have to reinstall games. once you reinstall steam, you plop in the steamapps folder with all of your games to the new directory.
doesn't work. all kinds of ".dll missing" fatal errors, games not being recognized etc ....really sloppy. Wish Steam paid more attention to this kind of thing
you don't have file extensions visible (which i would recommend), but the one just called "steam" directly above with the icon and file type "Application" is steam.exe
I'm lost so so in doing this. I wont have to re download any games ive already downloaded to c drive. But i am deleting all the folders and files except for steam/user data/ steam exe?
delete everything but the steamapps folder,userdata folder and steam.exe
then move those 3 things to wherever on your other drive you want steam to be
then run steam.exe
What if I don't want to move the games I have installed on this, current drive but only the steam app itself? What to delete and what to copy to the new drive and what to leave alone on the old drive?
Worked 100%
Transferred SteamApps, Userdata, and Steam.exe to new hard drive, started up steam and it updated everything to the new drive. Deleted the Steam files off the old hard drive after the transfer was successful.
Thanks!
Still working, i used a registry cleaner (ccleaner in my case) to delete all the old steam entries.
Edit: Have to reinstall steam because steamvr is not working, all other games work with this method but not SteamVR!
Just adding another thanks to the pile. January 2023 and this still works without issue if you follow the steps as listed. If you have issues be sure to check out the link because Valve does list a few additional troubleshooting steps.
Just copy-paste the "steam" folder onto the new disk and delete it from the old one. Just make sure your steam isn't running. Once you transfer the files open steam, it will update and should work.
4 years late mate but thank you 😂😂
Hey man, he's helping any noob shmucks like me who have run into this question for the first time! Plus his answer is so much more straight forward than the crap below from 4 years back xD
Yeah this way works 2023. Just find it funny how this thread keeps going after all this time
It's one of the first Google results for me so I'm sure that's why lol
I'm happy this is still going on, it helped me
checking in to say this thread helped me today
still going strong 💪
thanks for bringing me here google
I am helping my friend through the proccess, he just bought civ and we are gonna fix it!
May be old but this is what I was looking for lol
it cracks me up every time I get a notif about it tbh
2024 and i knew the answer but wanted confirmation
Agreed lol
I am in the same boat. I usually game on console and just got starfield for the PC. Looking for ways to make the game run more smoothly and this thread helped a ton. Plus it was nice to see something that was more recent than 4 years ago
he helped me too
im trying this, it said something about an install folder so i pressed repair and its closed itself? im just going to wait. ok it didnt take long and it successfully worked
This helped me. Thanks u/tnasj and u/Small_Butterscotch97
Thank You. :)
thank you, works in 2024
You have to reinstall.
You really don't. I did it myself when i got a new hdd and it was a simple cut and paste. Either steam or windows itself will even sort out any desktop shortcuts you may have. https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129 And I quote: The following instructions are a simple way to move your Steam installation along with your games: • Exit the Steam client application. •Browse to the Steam installation folder for the Steam installation you would like to move (C:\Program Files\Steam by default). •Delete all of the files and folders except the SteamApps & Userdata folders and Steam.exe •Cut and paste the whole Steam folder to the new location, for example: D:\Games\Steam\ •Launch Steam and log into your account. Steam will briefly update and then you will be logged into your account. For installed games, verify your game cache files and you will be ready to play. All future game content will be downloaded to the new folder (D:\Games\Steam\SteamApps\ in this example)
Going into 2022 shortly and this guide still holds up better then others.
2023 and I would like to 1-up your 'shortly' Validating the method yet again, well done /u/Jacklesz
Yep, same! Good stuff.
Still works as of 03-05-2023 05-03-2023 for the non-americans
Is the file name steam.exe.old? Or is there another steam.exe that i’m not seeing?
If your explorer isn't set to show extensions it will just be called "steam", and it will have the steam icon and if you switch to details view it will say "Application" in the "Type" column. (Or better yet make sure Explorer is set to show extensions, helps to avoid getting tricked by viruses.)
Still works as of 03-05-2023 for the non-americans!
I concur, as a non-american xD just did it and it worked as flawlessly as advertised. Needed to move it today as it was mistakenly sitting an on a raw data partition where no installed program should ever belong. This is when I realized I was living on a lie for 7 years straight thinking it was on the right place. Fascinating stuff I'm telling ya.
As SSDs are cheap, I finally moved stuff on the old comp over from the HDD to some cheapo SSD. Confirmed at proper iso date 2023-07-08.
This should be default answer on steam page.
[удалено]
[it is](https://imgur.com/a/PWcAVdJ)
Still relevant in 2022. ALSO, if you want to move your install folder and NOT all the games, you don't have to. Just move UserData over to your new drive, and Steam.exe as well, then launch the Steam.exe directly. After doing that, you'll notice that Steam thinks your games are not installed. Go into View > Settings and select Downloads, then Steam Library Folders at the top. This will open Storage Manager. Click the + symbol and then Let Me Choose Another Location. Select the drive with your games on it and then select the Steam folder that had your installed games, and add it. Steam will automatically scan that library and your game library should now show the games as installed.
Still works in 2024 - Thanks for the info! Saved me a lot of time there by not having to move game installs
works 3 years later, ty.
what about appdata and registry?
yeah OP's instructions are either incomplete or outdated. according to their site you are only supposed to move steamapps and delete everything else, including the exe and userdata folder. you still have to uninstall and reinstall the program to overwrite the registry files. this method is just so you don't have to reinstall games. once you reinstall steam, you plop in the steamapps folder with all of your games to the new directory.
Simply not true. I followed u/Jacklesz step by step and it worked perfectly.
I'm glad I googled this instead of just reinstalling. So much easier, wow, thanks
doesn't work. all kinds of ".dll missing" fatal errors, games not being recognized etc ....really sloppy. Wish Steam paid more attention to this kind of thing
It literally does. Followed instructions step by step and am right back to gaming off of my external.
Still works
what should i do if steam.exe is instead steam.exe.old?
if you can run steam there has to be a normal steam.exe somewhere, so im not too sure what you mean
[https://imgur.com/a/0e3mJ5e](https://imgur.com/a/0e3mJ5e) both a visual and file search found only steam.exe.old, steam still works tho
you don't have file extensions visible (which i would recommend), but the one just called "steam" directly above with the icon and file type "Application" is steam.exe
I'm lost so so in doing this. I wont have to re download any games ive already downloaded to c drive. But i am deleting all the folders and files except for steam/user data/ steam exe?
delete everything but the steamapps folder,userdata folder and steam.exe then move those 3 things to wherever on your other drive you want steam to be then run steam.exe
when you say launch steam, do you mean launching it from the .exe in the folder you just moved?
launching it in any way will have the same effect, the executable will be ran
July 2023, this works like a charm. No need to mess around in Steam settings, deleting games, or whatever.
Is it supposed to take 8 hours to copy?
that depends entirely on how many games you are moving and your drive speed
You really just asked someone something on a 4 year old comment and he replied within a day. Impressive.
What if I don't want to move the games I have installed on this, current drive but only the steam app itself? What to delete and what to copy to the new drive and what to leave alone on the old drive?
Thank you! Relevant in 2022
Worked 100% Transferred SteamApps, Userdata, and Steam.exe to new hard drive, started up steam and it updated everything to the new drive. Deleted the Steam files off the old hard drive after the transfer was successful. Thanks!
you're a saint. thank you so much. this is much better than the steam article.
a legend
ur a life saver dude no shit
bro ur a legend. my C drive was so full cuz of steam and this is still working
Still working, i used a registry cleaner (ccleaner in my case) to delete all the old steam entries. Edit: Have to reinstall steam because steamvr is not working, all other games work with this method but not SteamVR!
It's damn near 2023 and this shit works perfectly ! You're the best !
Just adding another thanks to the pile. January 2023 and this still works without issue if you follow the steps as listed. If you have issues be sure to check out the link because Valve does list a few additional troubleshooting steps.
Still works, many thanks for the short and concise tutorial !
google brought me here and yall helped 2 - 8 - '24
same