The Steam client has a built-in backup and restore feature. You can use it to create a backup of your existing Steam library and restore your game files from the backup.

Yous tin can besides manually create a backup of the game installation folder and restore it after performing a make clean install. However, after a clean install or restart, Steam may not recognize your installed games and prompt y'all to reinstall the apps.

This is a reoccurring consequence reported on both Windows 11 and 10 computers. Fortunately, y'all can forcefulness Steam to locate your games from the installation directory with a bit of tweaking. Hither's how to get Steam to recognize installed games on your PC.

Why Doesn't Steam Recognize My Installed Games?

steam-logo-on-abstract-background

Steam may fail to recognize installed games if you accept changed the default Steam folder. In other instances, precipitous Steam client shutdown and missing .acf files for the games are the common contributors to this problem.

Here are a few things that y'all can try to get Steam to recognize your installed games and salve time and data downloading the games all once again.

1. Reinstall Steam Games Without Downloading

Co-ordinate to Steam, some games may announced not installed if the Steam customer fails to recognize the installation files. Provided that y'all have the game folder in the correct location, y'all can brainstorm the download process. This will forcefulness Steam to recognize the existing installation files without downloading the files all again.

Note that this requires you to sign in to your Steam business relationship. Explore our troubleshooting guide to fix tin't sign in to Steam consequence if y'all struggle to log in.

Follow these steps to reinstall games in Steam without downloading:

  1. Open up File Explorer (Win + Eastward) and navigate to the following location: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common
  2. Make sure the folders associated with the affected games be at the location.
  3. If yes, Launch the Steam desktop app on your PC and log in if not logged in already.
    exit family view steam
  4. Next, make certain you are out of the Family unit View. To do this, click the Family View icon in the acme right corner of the screen and enter your PIN to exit Family View.
  5. Adjacent, open the Library tab in the top left corner. It lists all the games that you own and installed on your PC.
  6. Click on the afflicted game and then click the Install button.
    install new game steam
  7. As Steam begins to install the game, it volition probable recognize the existing files and complete the installation without downloading the game files all again.

ii. Add together Alternate Installation Location

You tin can alter the default Steam game download location to save large games on a different drive or partition. If yous accept moved your Steam games previously, Steam won't be able to find the game files and show them as uninstalled. To prepare this, add the alternate game folders to the Steam client using Steam Manager.

  1. Launch the Steam client and make sure you lot are not in the Family View.
  2. Next, click on Steam in the top left corner and select Settings.
    steam settings
  3. In the Settings window, open the Download tab in the left pane.
  4. Click the STEAM LIBRARY FOLDERS button under Content Libraries.
    download steam steam library folders
  5. In the Storage Manager window, click the + icon beside the existing storage/drive locations.
    add library steam
  6. Click the drop-down in Add a New Steam Library Binder dialog, and select the Let me choose some other location.
  7. Browse through your storage drives and select the Steam game binder you desire to add.
    add new steam library choose location
  8. Click the Select button to add the binder.
  9. Steam will look for files in the newly added folder and show them in your Steam library. If the game doesn't appear immediately, relaunch the app and check your Steam library.

3. Manage .acf Files for the Steam Games

The .acf files in Steam are used to shop data and configuration cache. Basically, each .acf file has a unique appid (App ID) and stores game information such as install and DLC download states, buildid (Build ID), and other user preference information.

If the .acf file associated with a Steam game is missing or corrupted, Steam may fail to recognize installed games. To fix this problem, you can move out the existing .acf files and move them back once again, forcing Steam to recognize installed games. Before you begin, check if you have enough space to install the Steam game.

  1. Launch the Steam client on your PC.
  2. Open the Library tab.
  3. Adjacent, select the game that you want to play. It will show as Uninstalled with an option to Install.
  4. Click the Install push, select the installation directory and click Finish.
    steam install counter strike
  5. Adjacent, hover your cursor over the Library tab and select Download.
    pause steam install counter strike
  6. Click the Pause push to pause the download for the affected game.
    exit steam jpg
  7. Adjacent, click on Steam (in the top left corner) and select Leave. Information technology is important to exit the Steam client. If you lot shut the app without exiting, you lot won't be able to brand the necessary changes.
  8. Press Win + Eastward to open up File Explorer and navigate to the following location: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\
  9. If y'all have changed the default Steam installation folder, then navigate to the appropriate directory.
  10. Inside the SteamApps folder, locate the .acf file associated with the affected Steam game. For example, the .acf file for the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive game is appmanifest_730.acf. 730 is the appid (App ID) for this game. Similarly, all the games accept dissimilar appid. You lot can find the appid for all the Steam games on Steamdb.info.
    move appmanifest_730 acf
  11. Locate the appmanifest_appid.acf file for your game within the steamapps folder and move it to a different folder or your desktop. Don't delete the file, as you will need to motion it back once again.
  12. Next, launch the Steam app and open up the Library tab. It will show the affected game every bit uninstalled.
  13. Leave the Steam client.
  14. Side by side, move the appmanifest_appid.acf file back to the steamapps folder at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\.
    Steam install counter strike after moving acf file
  15. Launch the Steam app and resume the Update/Download. Steam will find the existing game files and show your game in the Steam library.

Making Steam Recognize Installed Games

Installed Steam games often become unavailable or show uninstalled after a Steam reinstallation. You can gear up this outcome past pointing the Steam to the proper alternate installation directory or initiating a reinstallation to forcefulness Steam to recognize the games. If the trouble is considering of a corrupted .acf configuration file, you lot can restore the missing file with a bit of tweaking in the Steam library and the installation directory.

How to Play Almost Whatsoever Windows Game on Linux with Steam Play

Read Next

Nigh The Author

Tashreef Shareef (143 Articles Published)

Tashreef is a developer and works equally a technical writer at MakeUseOf. With a available's caste in Figurer Applications, he has over 5 years of experience and covers Microsoft Windows and everything around it. When non looking for a missing semicolon or churning out text, yous can find him trying FPS titles or looking for new animated shows and movies.

More than From Tashreef Shareef