The Steam customer has a congenital-in backup and restore feature. Yous tin can use it to create a fill-in of your existing Steam library and restore your game files from the backup.

You tin can besides manually create a backup of the game installation binder and restore it later on performing a clean install. All the same, later on a make clean install or restart, Steam may not recognize your installed games and prompt you to reinstall the apps.

This is a reoccurring issue 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 you take inverse the default Steam folder. In other instances, abrupt Steam client shutdown and missing .acf files for the games are the common contributors to this problem.

Here are a few things that you can attempt to get Steam to recognize your installed games and relieve time and data downloading the games all again.

1. Reinstall Steam Games Without Downloading

According to Steam, some games may appear non installed if the Steam client fails to recognize the installation files. Provided that yous have the game folder in the right location, you tin can brainstorm the download procedure. This volition force Steam to recognize the existing installation files without downloading the files all again.

Notation that this requires y'all to sign in to your Steam account. Explore our troubleshooting guide to set can't sign in to Steam issue 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 following location: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common
  2. Make sure the folders associated with the affected games exist 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 sure y'all are out of the Family unit View. To do this, click the Family View icon in the meridian right corner of the screen and enter your PIN to exit Family View.
  5. Next, open the Library tab in the top left corner. It lists all the games that you ain 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 volition likely recognize the existing files and complete the installation without downloading the game files all once again.

2. Add Alternating Installation Location

Yous can change the default Steam game download location to relieve large games on a different drive or segmentation. If you take moved your Steam games previously, Steam won't be able to find the game files and show them as uninstalled. To fix this, add the alternate game folders to the Steam customer 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 acme 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-downwards in Add together 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 folder you lot want to add.
    add new steam library choose location
  8. Click the Select push to add the folder.
  9. Steam will await 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.

iii. Manage .acf Files for the Steam Games

The .acf files in Steam are used to store information and configuration cache. 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 information.

If the .acf file associated with a Steam game is missing or corrupted, Steam may fail to recognize installed games. To set this trouble, you tin move out the existing .acf files and move them dorsum over again, forcing Steam to recognize installed games. Before yous begin, bank check if you have enough space to install the Steam game.

  1. Launch the Steam customer on your PC.
  2. Open the Library tab.
  3. Next, select the game that you desire to play. It volition show as Uninstalled with an option to Install.
  4. Click the Install button, select the installation directory and click Finish.
    steam install counter strike
  5. Next, hover your cursor over the Library tab and select Download.
    pause steam install counter strike
  6. Click the Suspension push button to pause the download for the afflicted game.
    exit steam jpg
  7. Side by side, click on Steam (in the superlative left corner) and select Exit. It is of import to go out the Steam client. If yous close the app without exiting, you won't be able to make the necessary changes.
  8. Printing Win + East to open File Explorer and navigate to the following location: 
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\
  9. If you have inverse the default Steam installation binder, then navigate to the appropriate directory.
  10. Inside the SteamApps binder, locate the .acf file associated with the affected Steam game. For instance, 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. You tin 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 inside the steamapps folder and motility it to a different binder or your desktop. Don't delete the file, as you will need to move it back again.
  12. Next, launch the Steam app and open the Library tab. Information technology will evidence the affected game equally uninstalled.
  13. Exit the Steam client.
  14. Next, move the appmanifest_appid.acf file dorsum 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 observe the existing game files and evidence your game in the Steam library.

Making Steam Recognize Installed Games

Installed Steam games ofttimes become unavailable or prove uninstalled later a Steam reinstallation. You tin fix this issue by pointing the Steam to the proper alternating installation directory or initiating a reinstallation to force Steam to recognize the games. If the trouble is because of a corrupted .acf configuration file, y'all can restore the missing file with a bit of tweaking in the Steam library and the installation directory.

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Tashreef Shareef (143 Manufactures Published)

Tashreef is a programmer and works as a technical author at MakeUseOf. With a bachelor'due south degree in Computer Applications, he has over 5 years of feel and covers Microsoft Windows and everything around it. When not looking for a missing semicolon or churning out text, yous can notice him trying FPS titles or looking for new animated shows and movies.

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