Reinstalling Windows - Steam Question

joelk2

joelk2

joelk2

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So i plan to reinstall windows from scratch.

complete re install.

with games do you think its worth taking a copy of the steam folder? or just reinstall them (my internet is good so im not really worried about downloading them again)

what happens with saves, are they stored locally or does steam back them up?
 
joelk2 said:
So i plan to reinstall windows from scratch.

complete re install.

with games do you think its worth taking a copy of the steam folder? or just reinstall them (my internet is good so im not really worried about downloading them again)

what happens with saves, are they stored locally or does steam back them up?
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No need to take a copy of games if you don't want to, if you buy on steam you can install as many times as you want on your machine/

For saves - I think all games save locally as well as in the cloud but I have found not to rely on the cloud saves.

Normally in "Documents" - this is where you will find most of them.
 
You can backup games (not saves) within steam, just go to your library and the option is in the menu.

Saves are in documents or on steam cloud, suggest being careful about the game saves you REALLY want to keep, don't assume Steam will back those up.
 
Personally I just backup the entire steam folder then reinstall steam over the top. The installed games will need to run through their setup again when you launch them again for the first time but no need to re-download.

Backing up the save games from documents is worth while if you've got a game you mind losing progress in.
 
HazardO said:
Personally I just backup the entire steam folder then reinstall steam over the top. The installed games will need to run through their setup again when you launch them again for the first time but no need to re-download.

Backing up the save games from documents is worth while if you've got a game you mind losing progress in.
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there is only a couple of games i dont want to lose progress on but still ill back them up.

gunna be a fun job reinstalling it all. :(
 
Just copy steamapps to where ever you backup.

Install fresh windows.

Download and install steam.

Copy steamapps back into steam folder.

Start steam and all good.

Save locations are all over the place so maybe backup your user folder too.
 
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SonniLombardi said:
On a brighter note, it will all be fresh and fast once reinstalled :) I usually format and reinstall Windows every 2 months on average.
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its not running slow, but it seems cluttered an i think a fresh version might be worth it.

gunna buy myself a copy of Win10 while im at it.
 
Amraam said:
2 months?! I thought I was bad doing it 6-9 months apart. Tell me you're at least using a cloning/imaging solution??
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Yeah pretty much every 8 weeks.

I have an SSD as my main boot drive and a couple of mechanical drives which store all my data/apps etc.

It's just a matter of reinstalling Windows and my programs which doesn't take long at all.

I'm a bit OCD when it comes to it, I don't like clutter and I like it fresh.
 
SonniLombardi said:
Yeah pretty much every 8 weeks.

I have an SSD as my main boot drive and a couple of mechanical drives which store all my data/apps etc.

It's just a matter of reinstalling Windows and my programs which doesn't take long at all.

I'm a bit OCD when it comes to it, I don't like clutter and I like it fresh.
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Yeah I know the feeling. I went for 240GB SSD so I could host my games on it too. I only tend to have a handful of games installed at once so 240GB is enough. I wish I'd got a 940GB SSD when they were only £150 on BF like ha
 
Copy the ‪C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam folder and put it somewhere safe.

Backup your game saves. You'll have to manually research each game on how to do this.

Fresh install.

Fresh install steam from the website installer.

Overwrite the new ‪C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam with the old one and overwrite everything. Launch steam and it will be exactly as you left it.
 
cheers for the responses chaps, all went well in the end. its not as laborious as it used to be as i install from a usb and onto an ssd.

having an issue with my keyboard now though, i have to unplug it and plug it back in whenever i start windows.
 
A bit late now but you don't need to re-download Steam itself. Just copy the entire folder and then run the Steam app from within it after you've reinstalled Windows. It will download and set up all the bits and bobs it needs. You might want to do a Take Ownership on the folder before you do this to make sure file permissions are okay but you can often get away without it.
 
FrenchTart said:
A bit late now but you don't need to re-download Steam itself. Just copy the entire folder and then run the Steam app from within it after you've reinstalled Windows. It will download and set up all the bits and bobs it needs. You might want to do a Take Ownership on the folder before you do this to make sure file permissions are okay but you can often get away without it.
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i copied the saves and redownloaded the games (like many i own many games but play only a few)

but its nice starting a fresh.

i ended up buying an oem windows 10 and whacking that straight on.
 
I re installed Windows today and i did save Just Cause 3 but only that folder! I realise i should have saved the whole Steam apps folder? Correct?

I guess most of you install Steam onto a separate drive to windows?

Can the steam folder be moved to a different drive after it has been put on the C:drive?

I am a steam noob!
 
Yep, it can be moved from the C drive. You just need to make sure to point the Steam app to where the folder has been moved too.

I have a seperate drive just for Steam. Then if something happens to the windows drive I don't have to download my games again.
 
Munkyman said:
Yep, it can be moved from the C drive. You just need to make sure to point the Steam app to where the folder has been moved too.

I have a seperate drive just for Steam. Then if something happens to the windows drive I don't have to download my games again.
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With you separate folder, what files do you save in that? For example, 'Just Cause 3'. How would you go about saving that? I want to start to save any of the games i get on steam to a different drive as backups. Ta
 
Even if you only have one drive it is worth creating a partition just for the OS, this way you only have to wipe that one partition when reinstalling windows.
 
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