Reinstalling Win7 without reinstalling Steam games?

[Atheus]

Hi all,

Background...

I recently spent a _lot_ of money on my gaming rig. Sandy bridge, 6970s, SSDs, etc... much of it heavily modified... it rips. Due to the modifictions I wanted to do a test install first - just to see how it goes under Prime95 at stock and all that. Found a few problems with SSD firmware and flashed it. Also flashed the graphics card firmware. Nothing wrong since then. I think I'm ready to overclock now

Going to reinstall on the main SSD when I overclock, just so I can install over a corrupted (by me hacking) partition easily, and do whatever I want without fear of losing data. I have a separate 1TB old school spinning HDD with all my work stuff on (obviously backed up elsewhere too) it so that'll be okay.

The actual question:

The thing is, since I got the new rig, I've built up some saves on Deus EX and MW3 which I'd like to keep. Steam is installed on the 'D' drive in windows (1TB HDD where SSD is main OS drive 'C') so will the Steam install be okay if I reinstall win7 on the SSD? I know the main Steam files are on the HDD but I'm not sure about saves etc...

If I could just make shortcut to Steam on my desktop once I get the new win install sorted and everything worked I'd be amazed - wanting someone to tell me that does work - ha! Seriously though any advice appreciated. Do I just reinstall the client and it picks up the games on the other drive?

Thanks!

- Atheus

/edit: actually.. it'll be the registry won't it... no way I should move regisrtry entries manually... damn...

 

[Anteaus]

I'm not sure if a transplant will work, but it is easy enough to backup the games individually from Steam and simply reinstall them from the backup files after, but I dont think saves go with them. The saved games can usually be copied seperately if you dig for them.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Save files are often in the Documents folder on C: even when you have your Steam games folder on D :

 

[RavenSEAL]

I tried the transplant when I got my new motherboard, didn't work.

 

[Atheus]

Reinstalllng via download is a last resort... but I'll do it if it's the best thing... I could put in a new Steam install, download the games, and grab the saves off Steam Cloud right? If they're stored there...

/edit: But how do I make sure all my stuff is on Steam Cloud? And is it best to delete the whoe 'games' directory on D (except retro shit) and start over?

 

[sandorski]

The SAves and possibly Configs are probably in C:/Documents as stated earlier. So you'll want to go in there and save the appropriate Dirs elsewhere first, then Copy/Paste them back after Installing Windows.

As for the Steam Dir and Contents, just Copy/Paste the whole thing to the Drive/Partition you want it. To be double sure, Google for a Steam Mover App. I believe it would help, but it might only update your Desktop and other Game Links, which in your case is probably not going to help. Personally I always start my Steam Games from within Steam, so I have never had to use such an App.

Before you do all this, make sure you know your Steam Login info. For years I simply Copy/Pasted my Steam Dir without issue, but one Upgrade I did wiped that out and it took me awhile to remember what my Username was, because it was a very old e-mail addy I had long since used. lol

 

[ockky]

i think you'll be fine. i dont believe many steam games (if any at all) store saves in the Docs directory. All of your saves should be in the Steam\SteamApps\common\gameX\someSaveDir

you will lose some config settings though...as some of those do end up in the Docs directory...but those are easy enough to change back.

EDIT: nm, apparently i'm just not playing games that do

 

[@nthony]

If you back-up and copy the contents of your .../Steam/SteamApps folder to your new Steam installation it will save you from redownloading the game's content.

As to where the saves, configs, and etc live, this can be dispersed about your drive as the game sees fit. Some of them store it in the same location as the game content (somewhere in SteamApps), some choose the user's Documents (My Documents/<game name>), some choose the user's Home folder ("Users/<Your Name>/<game name>), some even choose the Application Settings directory, and well ... you get the point.

On the other hand, if you right-click the game in Steam and select back-up sometimes I've heard it's smart enough to figure out where the saves are (but I doubt this, since it would require great coordination between Steam and the game makers). Instead I usually just copy SteamApps and hunt down my game saves manually (usually they are in the Documents folder if not in SteamApps)

 

[The Green Bean]

Right click on ANY game in your Steam library list and click backup game files. It will let you choose any number of games in your library to back up (the backed-up file will be named as the game you right clicked on at first). It will then appear as a self-extractable file (or files depending on the file size you chosed. i.e DVD or CD sized files). When you install your new OS, install steam and open this exe. It will restore all the games you chose to back up.

I've tried. It works.

Saved games are a different issue though. They'll be scattered all over your computer.

 

[Wyndru]

i think you'll be fine. i dont believe many steam games (if any at all) store saves in the Docs directory. All of your saves should be in the Steam\SteamApps\common\gameX\someSaveDir

There are some on my computer that save in My Docs/Games directory. Off the top of my head, I think tererria saves there.

Others save in &#37;AppData%, Torchlight saves are there under Runic Games.

It's best to just google each game to find out the location, or just make a copy of your whole windows user profile just to be safe.

 

[Lonyo]

Copy all your User folder stuff to the other hard drive, to be sure you don't miss anything (well, certainly My Documents, My Games and probably &#37;Appdata%).
Reinstall Windows on your SSD.
Copy everything back to your User folder.
Download the Steam.exe thing from the Steam website.
Start installing Steam. Point it to your existing Steam directory on D for the install location.
Run Steam.
Play games.

 

[rivethead]

i dont believe many steam games (if any at all) store saves in the Docs directory.

I know for a fact that The Witcher does store saves in the Doc directory.

I have a similar setup as the OP: a 40GB SSD for my OS C: drive and a 1 TB HD D:

Steam is on D:

But after playing The Witcher for about 6 weeks I started getting warnings about running out of space on my C: (SSD drive). Turns out there were over 8GB of The Witcher save files in my Docs folder!

I never did figure out how to point The Witcher to the D: drive for saves. Instead I just had to periodically purge some save files (and I eventually just gave up on playing The Witcher....I didn't have enough free time in my life to do that game justice).

 

[Jeffg010]

As to where the saves, configs, and etc live, this can be dispersed about your drive as the game sees fit. Some of them store it in the same location as the game content (somewhere in SteamApps), some choose the user's Documents (My Documents/<game name>), some choose the user's Home folder ("Users/<Your Name>/<game name>), some even choose the Application Settings directory, and well ... you get the point.

This! When I first got Steam I went on vacation and only had my parent's laptop which is low end. Titan Quest was the only game I played so when I loaded it on the laptop I turn up the settings and ya the Titan Quest would not load any more. So I started to dig around to find the config file which I thought would be under the steam folder but that was not the case, even reinstalling Titan Quest that did not fix the settings.

After searching on the net I came across some posts about were steam games configs are saved. They can be all over the place. Each game will be different. So if you got like 50 games it can be come a pain.

Titan Quest is saved under doc folder.

 

[Atheus]

Thanks everyone! Conflicting answers though... unfurtunately I'm gonna have to go with the pessimists for safey's sake. I mean I've only got a few saves from Civ and Deux Ex on here coz it's a new install anyway, but you know how addicitve those games are, and I'd REALLY quite like to keep the saves. I don't care about re-downloading the core files anymore I just want the personal data.

On the other hand, if you right-click the game in Steam and select back-up sometimes I've heard it's smart enough to figure out where the saves are (but I doubt this, since it would require great coordination between Steam and the game makers).

Well as a developer (not games) I'd say this wouldn't be too hard... Steam could easily 'know' where the saves are, since the game install is being done via Steam anyway, and the game is already storing the save path data in the registry...

Copy all your User folder stuff to the other hard drive, to be sure you don't miss anything (well, certainly My Documents, My Games and probably &#37;Appdata%).
Reinstall Windows on your SSD.
Copy everything back to your User folder.

Nice hack - but a bit dirty for my new machine's final install - I want it perfect! *twitch* lol

Are we absolutely sure the backup function does not 'save the saves'? Can I not save in the Steam Cloud service or something? I don't know how to do this...

 

[n7]

Do not assume Steam is backing up your saves.
I wouldn't trust Steam with anything!

Civ5 saves are here: C:\Users\your-username\Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 5

When i reinstall the OS, i simply leave the steam folder as is on the other HDD.
Saves, etc. i copy manually.

Then you just reinstall steam (pointed toward the same location as last time) and it'll see all your games.

Copy the saves back manually.

 

[@nthony]

Well as a developer (not games) I'd say this wouldn't be too hard... Steam could easily 'know' where the saves are, since the game install is being done via Steam anyway, and the game is already storing the save path data in the registry...

Not quite. Once the (game) application is launched it's free to generate as many files wherever it wants, Steam only controls the initial download and installation of the application, not how it behaves during runtime. This leaves Steam with only very precarious options if they wanted to do as you say:

a) trust game devs to tell them ahead of time where they're going to be saving extra any files (not likely, since devs are rarely that coordinated, and file locations can be many and change over time).

b) trust game devs to use common conventions/standards. But again not likely since the convention isn't agreed upon by everyone (even Microsoft stores user data across many different locations, though typically Windows games seem to settle on storing in Documents folders; in this regard Linux/Mac is a lot more consistent always storing in the user's home dir)

c) hook every single call in every single binary of the game when a file handle is opened for writing... again highly unlikely and still impossible to know which files are important.

As you can see there's just no good way for Steam to figure out or anticipate where a game is going to generate its user data files, at best it can only make guesses based on convention.

 

[imaheadcase]

Reading threads like this makes me wish games directories was as simple as they used to be.

Why can't steam, or any other game just install simply anymore. C:\steam\NAME OF GAME\saved folder

ta ta. easy.

That would literally cut down in millions of "how do i back up my saved games" posts all over the internet.

Now we got games installing in 3 different spots, not including the 3rd party installs that are "required" to play the game like special installers, addons, etc.

Sorry just a old man rant

 

[sandorski]

Reading threads like this makes me wish games directories was as simple as they used to be.

Why can't steam, or any other game just install simply anymore. C:\steam\NAME OF GAME\saved folder

ta ta. easy.

That would literally cut down in millions of "how do i back up my saved games" posts all over the internet.

Now we got games installing in 3 different spots, not including the 3rd party installs that are "required" to play the game like special installers, addons, etc.

Sorry just a old man rant

I agree, but it's mostly Microsoft's fault. The Documents folder should die.

 

[JujuFish]

If you're so worried about your saves, just Google to find the save locations and back those up. Restore to the same location afterward. This isn't rocket science.

 

[Anteaus]

I agree, but it's mostly Microsoft's fault. The Documents folder should die.

It's one of those good with the bad scenerios. I totally agree that the Documents folder is a pain in that ass, but that is only when you only view your computer as a single user machine. Those "install for all users or only this user" boxes aren't just fluff, and these things really matter when your dealing with multiple users of a machine.

As someone said earlier it's all about the developer. The newer games are starting to take advantage of Steam cloud, so it will be less of an issue. Developers have always been able to put their savegame files anywhere they wanted, so blaming anyone but them it's silly.

 

[Modelworks]

download everything
http://www.voidtools.com/

Enter the name of the game you are interested in backing up and it will show you all the directories that game is using.

 

[Homer Simpson]

wow, all kinds of answers in here. having done this fairly recently, here's what i know.

1. save locations vary by game. some are in the games install dir, some are in my documents\publisher, some in my documents\my games\publisher. if you cant find them google "game name save location". the only game ive ever had issues with was batman:aa. gfwl does something to the saves to prevent transferring. even with the save files, i couldnt make them work.

2. backing up steam games is easy enough as there is a backup/restore utility within steam. you can backup all or just select titles. a word of warning though. i used to do this just backing up all and restoring all, however, my last attempt at this failed on the restore side because i had too many games. i had to resort to restoring them in groups of 3 otherwise steam insisted on trying to redownload during the restore instead of just restoring from the restore file. i have also tried just copying the whole steam folder back and reinstalling steam over it and that too was an epic fail. many games got stuck in a first time launch loop, many failed to launch at all, and some still tried to redownload.

3. note that the steambackup tool does NOT backup your save games or config files. it just saves the base game files so you dont have to redownload. (when it works)

 

[Atheus]

As you can see there's just no good way for Steam to figure out or anticipate where a game is going to generate its user data files, at best it can only make guesses based on convention.

Ah I see... oh well. As I said I'm not a game dev, but I assumed the save location would be created at install (when better to do it?), and then Steam would just grab the info as it runs. Thanks anyway though. I am enlighted.

Reading threads like this makes me wish games directories was as simple as they used to be.

Why can't steam, or any other game just install simply anymore. C:\steam\NAME OF GAME\saved folder

Ugh tell me about it, not even C:/steam/etc, but like C:/games/commender_keen_2 or whatever I want. Definately not C:/Program Files/Name of company for marketing purposes/Games/Some other rubbish/Possibly the actual game name...

And then the saves... :/

download everything
http://www.voidtools.com/

That'll be very helpful cheers!

Sorry just a old man rant

Yea that commander keen thing there shows my age perfectly lol

I agree, but it's mostly Microsoft's fault. The Documents folder should die.

****ing truth. I don't think I've actually ever put a document in there.

Anyway thanks everyone. I think I'll leave the D : drive alone, back up the saves and settings manually for each game (not many - new machine like I said before), and just look up the details if I have to. Then wipe C: and reinsall everything. It'll be fine I'm sure.

Just one more quick question though - should I copy the saves/etc back to the new Win install before or after I install Steam?

/edit: It just won't it let me write 'D :' (without the space) and not turn it into a stupid smiley...

 

[Throckmorton]

You are making this way too hard and people are posting a bunch of confusing nonsense about "backing up" from within Steam and running weird programs from the internets. You don't need to do all that.

Here is what you do:

1) Install Steam on new drive.

2) Copy the games from the Steam folder to the new drive.

3) Copy savegames to wherever they're supposed to go.

 

[Throckmorton]

Oh you're leaving the Steam folder alone and just reinstalling Windows. Then it's even easier. You don't even need to install Steam, just run it from the same location.

And copy your savegames to wherever they need to be.