The Steam client has a born backup and restore characteristic. You tin employ information technology to create a backup of your existing Steam library and restore your game files from the backup.

You can too manually create a backup of the game installation folder and restore it after performing a clean install. However, after a clean install or restart, Steam may not recognize your installed games and prompt you to reinstall the apps.

This is a reoccurring upshot reported on both Windows 11 and 10 computers. Fortunately, you can force 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 yous have inverse 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.

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

1. Reinstall Steam Games Without Downloading

According to Steam, some games may announced non installed if the Steam client fails to recognize the installation files. Provided that you accept the game folder in the correct location, yous can brainstorm the download process. This will force Steam to recognize the existing installation files without downloading the files all again.

Note that this requires y'all to sign in to your Steam account. Explore our troubleshooting guide to fix can't sign in to Steam upshot if you struggle to log in.

Follow these steps to reinstall games in Steam without downloading:

  1. Open File Explorer (Win + E) and navigate to the post-obit location: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\mutual
  2. Make certain the folders associated with the affected games exist at the location.
  3. If yep, Launch the Steam desktop app on your PC and log in if non logged in already.
    exit family view steam
  4. Next, brand sure you are out of the Family unit View. To do this, click the Family View icon in the top right corner of the screen and enter your PIN to exit Family unit View.
  5. Next, 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 affected game and then click the Install button.
    install new game steam
  7. As Steam begins to install the game, it will likely recognize the existing files and complete the installation without downloading the game files all again.

2. Add Alternating Installation Location

You can change the default Steam game download location to salvage large games on a different drive or sectionalization. If yous have moved your Steam games previously, Steam won't exist able to detect the game files and show them as uninstalled. To set this, add together the alternate game folders to the Steam client using Steam Managing director.

  1. Launch the Steam client and brand sure y'all are non 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 Director window, click the + icon beside the existing storage/drive locations.
    add library steam
  6. Click the driblet-down in Add a New Steam Library Folder dialog, and select the Let me cull another location.
  7. Browse through your storage drives and select the Steam game folder you want to add.
    add new steam library choose location
  8. Click the Select button to add the folder.
  9. Steam will look for files in the newly added folder and show them in your Steam library. If the game doesn't announced immediately, relaunch the app and check your Steam library.

three. Manage .acf Files for the Steam Games

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

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

  1. Launch the Steam client on your PC.
  2. Open up the Library tab.
  3. Next, select the game that you want to play. It will show every bit Uninstalled with an pick to Install.
  4. Click the Install button, 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 button to intermission the download for the affected game.
    exit steam jpg
  7. Side by side, click on Steam (in the pinnacle left corner) and select Exit. It is important to leave the Steam client. If you close the app without exiting, y'all won't be able to make the necessary changes.
  8. Press Win + Due east to open up File Explorer and navigate to the following location: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\
  9. If you have changed the default Steam installation folder, and so navigate to the appropriate directory.
  10. Inside the SteamApps binder, 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 have different appid. Yous tin 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, every bit y'all volition demand to move information technology dorsum over again.
  12. Side by side, launch the Steam app and open up the Library tab. Information technology will show the affected game every bit uninstalled.
  13. Go out the Steam client.
  14. Adjacent, move the appmanifest_appid.acf file dorsum to the steamapps binder at C:\Plan 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 evidence uninstalled after a Steam reinstallation. You can fix this issue by pointing the Steam to the proper alternate installation directory or initiating a reinstallation to force Steam to recognize the games. If the problem is because of a corrupted .acf configuration file, you lot can restore the missing file with a fleck of tweaking in the Steam library and the installation directory.

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Nearly The Writer

Tashreef Shareef (143 Manufactures Published)

Tashreef is a developer and works equally a technical author at MakeUseOf. With a bachelor's degree in Calculator 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, you lot tin can find him trying FPS titles or looking for new blithe shows and movies.

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