Steam Installation Settings - Default Drive/Directory

Warlynx

Warlynx

New member
Hi guys

Been a while

Hope you can help.

I just so happens that I've been installed more and more Steam games, and downloading games via Steam, my problem is that it looks like it can only install to the C drive, which is my smallest partition, since I love to format and re-install my Windows every now and again.

Is it possible to change the default installation directory to one of my dedicated gaming drives?

Thanks
 
Unfortunately you cant change installation directories... Wherever your steam folder is installed, thats where your games have to be installed... its so that steam can register the games that you have active there :)
 
I just copy the entire folder.

Steams built in backup is rather horrible to use. Everytime I've re-formatted my pc I just copy the steam to an external harddrive.
You wont have to re-install anything, it works pretty well.
 
Terak said:
I just copy the entire folder.

Steams built in backup is rather horrible to use. Everytime I've re-formatted my pc I just copy the steam to an external harddrive.
You wont have to re-install anything, it works pretty well.
Click to expand...

Agreed.... I NEVER move my steam folder. My Steam is now standing on 170gb, thus to reinstall is not an option. I actually have it saved on a partition other than windows. So when I format my PC I simply run Steam.exe, it detects that its not installed and automatically installs the Steam Service and what not. Been doing this for around 3 years now and it works :)
 
it's easy to "move" steam, i've done it like few times now allready.

for example:
1) rename the the current steam folder to steamXXX.
2) install steam to the new target location as Steam.
3) after installation delete new directory.
4) move old steam folder steamXXX to target drive were steam was just installed.
5) rename steamXXX to Steam and there you go.

*side note, just dropping your apps folder doesn't work.
 
sycogrim said:
Unfortunately you cant change installation directories... Wherever your steam folder is installed, thats where your games have to be installed... its so that steam can register the games that you have active there :)
Click to expand...
I have a sneaky suspicion that you move the stuff to another hdd via symbolic links. Not gonna test my theory though...don't want to mess up my steam.
 
Alll files inside steamapps folder is where all your Steam game related stuff is.... basically how Necuno said would work; have done it a few times myself. (only using steamapps folder...) But, as Necuno said, it probably doesnt work for ALL games on Steam (some other files inside root folder as well probably) to just backup steamapps.
 
HavocXphere said:
I have a sneaky suspicion that you move the stuff to another hdd via symbolic links. Not gonna test my theory though...don't want to mess up my steam.
Click to expand...

That does indeed work.

* side note:

I am wanting to start some backups of my steam games. Best bet would be to use steam backup tool or just copy steamapps folder?
 
MrG said:
That does indeed work.
* side note:
I am wanting to start some backups of my steam games. Best bet would be to use steam backup tool or just copy steamapps folder?
Click to expand...

nothing wrong with the backup tool :) besides it's more clean way to do that instead of just copy if you are not moving the folder.
 
Crzwaco said:
How did you find this thread?
Click to expand...

http://www.google.com/search?q=stea...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a - Result 6.

Pr⊕phet said:
nothing wrong with the backup tool :) besides it's more clean way to do that instead of just copy if you are not moving the folder.
Click to expand...

Backup tool just takes FOREVER. lol. what do you use for your personal steam backups? Agree thats probably the best bet after reading ive done.

czc said:
He wants to back up some games I think.
Click to expand...

Yeah, 60GB left on my C drive. Want to buy a new drive and transfer over there.. but at the same time also want to create a backup. Steamapps folder going on 200GB. Lots to download in the event of hardware failure.
 
MrG said:
http://www.google.com/search?q=stea...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a - Result 6.



Backup tool just takes FOREVER. lol. what do you use for your personal steam backups? Agree thats probably the best bet after reading ive done.



Yeah, 60GB left on my C drive. Want to buy a new drive and transfer over there.. but at the same time also want to create a backup. Steamapps folder going on 200GB. Lots to download in the event of hardware failure.
Click to expand...

I have 34GB left Steam folder pushing 500 GB + :s
 
MrG said:
http://www.google.com/search?q=stea...s=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a - Result 6.



Backup tool just takes FOREVER. lol. what do you use for your personal steam backups? Agree thats probably the best bet after reading ive done.



Yeah, 60GB left on my C drive. Want to buy a new drive and transfer over there.. but at the same time also want to create a backup. Steamapps folder going on 200GB. Lots to download in the event of hardware failure.
Click to expand...

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129

Works like a bomb just afterwards you have to verify your files.
 
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