Steam question...not a rant post

techgamer

Senior member
Sep 19, 2007
572
0
0
I have some games installed that Steam also offers, however, i didnt buy them through steam so they aren't showing up on the 'my games' tab. Why doesnt Steam recognize what games are on your computer and add them to its list? It would be nice in case i ever lost the cd or something I could just re download it from steam.
 

BlueWeasel

Lifer
Jun 2, 2000
15,940
474
126
Originally posted by: techgamer
.....however, i didnt buy them through steam....

That's why. Why would Steam give you a free download of game that you didn't pay them for?
 

KaOTiK

Lifer
Feb 5, 2001
10,877
8
81
You can add whatever games you want manually. But why would Steam let you redownload off their servers when they didn't receive the sale of the product from you in the first place.
 

Czar

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
28,510
0
0
I think you can do this with some games, just enter the serial number from your games somewhere into the steam client

never done this myself so I dont know if it works
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,475
1
76
Originally posted by: techgamer
I have some games installed that Steam also offers, however, i didnt buy them through steam so they aren't showing up on the 'my games' tab. Why doesnt Steam recognize what games are on your computer and add them to its list? It would be nice in case i ever lost the cd or something I could just re download it from steam.

Read this.
 

MmmSkyscraper

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2004
9,475
1
76
Originally posted by: Inspector Jihad
i think prey is the only non-valve game where you can enter your cd key and get the game on steam.

No, there are others. They're listed in the link I gave.
 

Oyeve

Lifer
Oct 18, 1999
21,917
828
126
This happened to me once. I had upgraded my PC and just copied my steam folder over to the new HD, ran it and logged in. Bought some other steam game and it installed steam again in a different directory. Different games showed up when I ran the 2 dif steam apps. I forgot how I fixed it but its fixed.