STEAM Question - Disk Storage

Housey

Housey

Housey

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I have a couple of Intel Gen 2 SSD's in my games PC as well as 3 normal drives. I have STEAM installed in SSD 1 and I then install any games onto SSD 2 or other normal drives. I have just tried to re-install a backed up STEAM game and it tells me I don't have enough disk space. The place I intend to install the game has plenty but I imagine it relates to SSD 1 where the STEAM application is stored which only has 10GB left and it suggests it need 11GB. Now if it's not actually installing the game on SSD 1 how can I get around this and is there somewhere that STEAM stores it's downloads, which I can now delete as I have the games backed up on my NAS.

Thanks in advance.
 
You can use the mklink command in the cmd prompt to install the game on a different drive assuming you're on Vista or Win 7.

Well, actually it would be easier to move a different game and install the new one.
 
In steam u can "delete local content" which is steam's uninstall. Not sure about having a steam apps folder spread across two hard drives, might be possible.
 
Is it possible to just install steam on a SDD - and then just move games into the steam apps folder when you want to play them?

e.g. Games not in use sit in a folder on my HDD and games in use sit in the steam apps folder on my SDD?

The mlink command sounded like too much hard work :)
 
Simplest way to do that is to have ur backups on a hd and then copy over the relevant files for a game, when u need space; use delete local content command (having a backup already).
 
*spits at the American spelling of disc* :p

Never use steam backups, just save a copy of the steamapps folder or the game you want to save specifically. Delete Local Content is probably what you're after.
 
For clarity chaps:

Drive C: (SSD 1) is where STEAM is installed.
Drive D: (SSD 2) is where all STEAM games are installed.
Drive E: (Raptor) is where non STEAM games are installed.

The issue is I am trying, using a backed up STEAM game (Total War) to re-install it to D: where I have space but when I click on the STEAM Backup it does not let me select where I want to restore it to from what I can see. I have plenty of space on D: for the game, but C: does not have space and it seems to be forcing me to install it on C: or needs to see space on C: before it gives me the option where to install it.
 
How did you save you steam games to D, when steam is installed to C? Did you use symlinks?

What I do, is I avoid using the steam backup system. It may be too late now for this game (not sure what format steam backups are in) - you may just have to download it again. But for the future, do this:

When you finish playing a game and want to back it up, don't use steam backup.
Instead, copy the game folder from steam/steamapps to your backup location, then use within steam, select delete local content for that game.

Later, when you want to restore it, just shut down steam, copy the game folder back into steamapps, and restart steam. In a minute or so it'll be registered and ready to play.
 
I have just double checked guys, seems I am somewhat at odds with what I thought. Checking the 2 games on D: (SSD 2) that I thought were the games installs, they are in fact simply backups (BFBC and Bioshock2). It seems that they are all in C: (SSD1) unlike I thought.
 
mlink.jpg


What am I doing wrong with the mlink command, says the program is not there. Shouldn't it be in windows 7?

Checked :
C:\Windows\System32

Its not there. Do I need to download a file and put it in the above directory? Don't tell me I need to be running windows server.:rolleyes:
 
CaptainRAVE said:
Is it possible to just install steam on a SDD - and then just move games into the steam apps folder when you want to play them?

e.g. Games not in use sit in a folder on my HDD and games in use sit in the steam apps folder on my SDD?

The mlink command sounded like too much hard work :)
Click to expand...

This is a clever solution, and it should work.
Just make sure steam is switched off when you copy games back into steamapps, and when you start steam up again it will recognise them and set them up.

Some games, like Batman and Chronicles of Riddick, have a limited number of installs. Each time you copy it back into steam will count as one install, so that's the only thing to worry about.
 
megatron said:
mlink.jpg


What am I doing wrong with the mlink command, says the program is not there. Shouldn't it be in windows 7?

Checked :
C:\Windows\System32

Its not there. Do I need to download a file and put it in the above directory? Don't tell me I need to be running windows server.:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

I think it's actually MKLINK.

You're better off using this utility:
Junction Link Magic
http://www.rekenwonder.com/linkmagic.htm
It gives you a graphic front end to mklink.
 
Housey said:
I have just double checked guys, seems I am somewhat at odds with what I thought. Checking the 2 games on D: (SSD 2) that I thought were the games installs, they are in fact simply backups (BFBC and Bioshock2). It seems that they are all in C: (SSD1) unlike I thought.
Click to expand...

If you're feeling adventurous, you could mount drive D in a folder in drive C.
Mount a drive as folder to get extra hard disk space

For instance, copy everything out of your steamapps folder (or steamapps/common), put it in the root of D drive, then mount D drive to that empty folder.
 
Actually by the sounds of it he wanted just the application on C: with the games on D:
I can't imagine that steam by itself (no games or local content etc) takes up all that much space so it seems to me it would be better to just have the whole lot installed on D:
 
HangTime said:
Actually by the sounds of it he wanted just the application on C: with the games on D:
I can't imagine that steam by itself (no games or local content etc) takes up all that much space so it seems to me it would be better to just have the whole lot installed on D:
Click to expand...

+1
 
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