Saving Steam games?

T

TheCommander

2[H]4U
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Apr 2, 2003
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I plan to format my HD but have a few Steam games on there and if I redownloaded everything, it would take a very long time. Is it possible to save steam games to a dvd and then reinstall them from the dvd?
 
In the STEAM console, there's a way to right-click the game and select "back up games files" or some shizzle. It does save time...
 
If you dont mind setting up your controls again you can just backup the .cgf files inside the steam apps. you dont need to backup your whole account folder.

The CGF files are the files steam uses to install the games. steam needs them, so i just backup those if i need to save space. but if you have a spare HDD just grab the whole steamapps folder
 
Rebel44 said:
I just copy my 200+GB Steam folder to my backup HDD :)

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Oh wow man. I think mine is only something like 30, or around there.:eek:

Anyway, OP, if you have a storage drive (internal/USB) or something you can just put everything on there. This is a time where I like to recommend TeraCopy.:D:D
 
Mine is pretty close to about 110GB.. lots of steam goodies, media, games, etc. :)

It's actually just stored on a seperate drive than my OS drive.
 
copying the steamapps folder is the best method imo. Especially for MP games with custom maps and mods. You get to keep everything.
 
GORANKAR said:
copying the steamapps folder is the best method imo. Especially for MP games with custom maps and mods. You get to keep everything.
Click to expand...

So copying just the steamapps folder keeps all of that stuff? Didn't know that.

Basically, with a new system, just install the latest Steam executable and copy the steamapps folder back into the Steam directory?

My Steam install is 26Gb, and I thought that was a lot of games. :D
 
There's a guy here who's SteamApps folder is over a terabyte. Mine is about 200 Gigs.
 
BlueWeasel said:
So copying just the steamapps folder keeps all of that stuff? Didn't know that.

Basically, with a new system, just install the latest Steam executable and copy the steamapps folder back into the Steam directory?

My Steam install is 26Gb, and I thought that was a lot of games. :D
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Yep, exit steam first, copy your backup of the "steamapps" folder back into your "steam" folder, restart steam, log in, and play.

Save games and settings are also usually preserved with Valve games, but with third party games the save games and settings are not alway resurrected. Games with additional DRM sometimes have issues. Though steam is usually pretty good about installing any stuff like that, that is some times missing the first time you run that game.

Another exception to be noted is mods that use their own launchers, like the latest fakefactory mod, the mod is still preserved but you have to go into "steam/steamapps/source mods/fakefatory" and make a short cut to" launcher.exe" to play the game
 
Brahmzy said:
In the STEAM console, there's a way to right-click the game and select "back up games files" or some shizzle. It does save time...
Click to expand...

I dont' know why but I've tried this 2 or 3 times and everytime the game always has an error and corrupts. I don't trust it anymore.
 
yeah my folder just jumped 30+ gigs since Steams holiday sale lol, DAMN YOU STEAM, i hate your deals.
 
I've done the copy before and had it not work. The backup method is guaranteed though yeah I guess you lose custom stuff.
 
LstOfTheBrunnenG said:
I would love to see a screenshot of his game list.
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from gaf
steamgameslistdec2908.jpg
 
First off you go to your Steam Game window, Right click on the game /any game and Click on "Backup Game Files..."

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This will bring up the Steam - Backup Wizard, select the game or games you wish to backup, i selected all of them.

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Click on Next, this will bring you to the next window asking you where to save the Backup/s.

Please note i am saving this backup to the default directory "c:\program files\steam\Backups"

If you had another hard drive in your pc, or a external hard drive i would plug it in and point it to backup onto that drive. To save backing it up locally and then copying it across to another drive.

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Give the Backup a name, and what file size you want. You can do custom file size if your account has alot of games in it.

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Click on Next and it will start to backup the game/s.

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Once it is Finished, it will Give you 2 options, Open Backup Folder to view the backup you just did, or Finish which will close that window.

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When i clicked on Open Backup Folder it took me to the "c:\program files\steam\Backups\Full backup Jan09" folder.

Inside that there are 2 folders called Disk_1

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and Disk_2

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And thats it!

To Install your games from the Backup it is as easy as installing Steam, logging into your account, finding the backup you made and double clicking on the "steambackup.exe" and following the wizard.

Now its time for me to have a serious game CSS :D:D:D
 
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