Moving steam to a new drive, some questions

[AHamick]

Im pmanning on shuffling steam over to a new drive (SSD) and Im curious as to what it the best method to avoid any headaches.

I am initially planning on sinply uninstslling it and doing a fresh install on the new drive, then reinstalling the few games I still play.

Will I have any issues accessing say, my Fallout 4 save games which are on my profile folder on a different drive?

I also have a heavily modded Arma 3 and I intended to cut and move my mod folders before uninstalling and reinstalling.

What problems can I expect? Am I unaware of an easier way to do this?

 

[SlitheryDee]

Are you keeping both drives in the same PC? If so you don't need to reinstall steam or mess with your profile folders.

Just add a new library folder from within steam, move your steamapps folder to it, delete local content on all your games, and then instruct steam to reinstall them all in the new library folder on the new drive. Steam will discover the games and do a very short install process on each one without needing to re-download them. There may be a specific folder structure you have to place them in under the new library folder to get steam to find them, but I can't see my install to verify that right now. If you're removing the old drive completely you'll have to reinstall steam, but I don't know about the profile folders.

 

[AHamick]

Im keeping both drives, I just want my games on an SSD. I see what you mean about moving games over. I figured I could install a small game to the new drive to quickly create the folder then transfer the other games over.

Will having steam itself on the old non SSD drive effect game performance that are on a different SSD drive?

I also have save game folders on ANOTHER [ c: ] drive. Obviously steam games have been able to locate them just fine but should they be on the same drive as the game itself?

 

[TheVrolok]

Doesn't really matter what drive anything is on. Just do with SlitheryDee said and you should be fine.

 

[TechBoyJK]

yep, you have to uninstall the game, then reinstall it on the new drive.

Stop steam.

move steam games to new folder.

Start Steam, then uninstall game.

Start Steam. Configure steam to add new folder.

Once new folder added, reinstall game. As sDee pointed out.. it'll be a quick reinstall cause the files are there.

 

[jlee]

yep, you have to uninstall the game, then reinstall it on the new drive.

Start Steam, then uninstall game.

Stop steam.

move steam games to new folder.

Start Steam. Configure steam to add new folder.

Once new folder added, reinstall game. As sDee pointed out.. it'll be a quick reinstall cause the files are there.

If you uninstall games before copying/moving them to your new destination, you won't have any local files to move and you'll have to download them again.

 

[keyed]

You could always use the backup and restore function in the menu.

Steam -> Backup and Restore Games -> Backup currently installed programs

Uninstall games.

Steam -> Backup and Restore Games -> Restore a previous backup

 

[TechBoyJK]

If you uninstall games before copying/moving them to your new destination, you won't have any local files to move and you'll have to download them again.

YES!

Edited...

 

[UptheIrons]

I have steam games on 3 different hard drives. I use steammover. Works for origin games or any game too.

http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

 

[AHamick]

Well everything moved over eithout issue.

I simply moved the game folders to the new drive, deleted the local content and selected install on the games to the new drive. Steam took a few minutes to locate the game already installed on the new drive and then they were good to go.

Thanks everyone