Where to put/install Steam? (Preferences)

The_Arbiter · 27 Dec 2020 at 11:21

Put in a new boot drive yesterday, everything is good, except Steam. Steam puts anything anywhere it feels like. Combined with mods it's a bit of a pita. This is in regards to save files and config files, they are in multiple directories depending on games. With cloud sync being a great idea, not all games utilise this.

I have a boot drive and other drives, with a dedicated games drive like most.

So what's your preference to this install? Do you do anything different, or have 3rd party software to backup saves?

PCgamingwiki has a decent list of games with Steam information for settings and directories as mentioned above.

Gimpymoo · 27 Dec 2020 at 11:28

Not sure of your question.

You install steam to whatever drive you wish upon initial install.

By default, all games install to this drive, you can however choose to install to another drive on a per game basis.

Terminal_Boy · 27 Dec 2020 at 11:29

I’m a lazy *** with a 1TB SSD as my boot and everything else drive, so I just let Steam do its’ own thing.

Glanza · 27 Dec 2020 at 11:41

All game launchers are on their own 1TB SSD with games installed there.

sgavan · 27 Dec 2020 at 11:43

I always install steam on my games drive, then the default install is there, also add a second drive installation folder is needed

GBRusty · 27 Dec 2020 at 12:00

Gimpymoo said:
By default, all games install to this drive, you can however choose to install to another drive on a per game basis.

Me too. I have a massive HDD (E: drive) that some games go on. VR games go on the C:drive (fastest), whilst games I'll be playing a lot go on my other SSD (D: drive) (like Cyberpunk etc)

Spacedeck · 27 Dec 2020 at 12:06

I only have 1 SSD which is in 2 partitions, one side hosts W10 and the other is for the games I want to run a little faster. Secondly is a HDD which hosts all my installed programs and games and pretty much everything else.

COYS · 27 Dec 2020 at 12:09

Dedicated 2TB drive for all games, including all installer/DRM software.

chaparral · 27 Dec 2020 at 12:24

The_Arbiter said:
Steam puts anything anywhere it feels like. Combined with mods it's a bit of a pita.

No it doesn't. Steam installs games to where you tell it to put them

I have my steam games installed on three different drives (NVMe, SSD & HHD)

smogsy · 27 Dec 2020 at 14:45

chaparral said:
No it doesn't. Steam installs games to where you tell it to put them

I have my steam games installed on three different drives (NVMe, SSD & HHD)

he is correctly got 6 Drives full of games folders once you set up more than 1 library it will ask on each install

The_Arbiter · 28 Dec 2020 at 11:48

Gimpymoo said:
Not sure of your question.

Yeah badly worded, i'll update.

chaparral said:
No it doesn't. Steam installs games to where you tell it to put them

I have my steam games installed on three different drives (NVMe, SSD & HHD)

Unfortunately my saved games and maybe some game settings it appears, are scattered around. I have cloud sync enabled but when i checked previous to new boot drive install very few games utilised this.

For me configuration files are more valuable than game's executable files.

chaparral · 28 Dec 2020 at 11:54

The_Arbiter said:
Yeah badly worded, i'll update.

Unfortunately my saved games and maybe some game settings it appears, are scattered around. I have cloud sync enabled but when i checked previous to new boot drive install very few games utilised this.

For me configuration files are more valuable than game's executable files.

Yes i agree the save game & settings files are scattered in different places.
But this is not steam fault if you bought the same games from somewhere else there save game files would still be scattered around in the same places

adolf hamster · 28 Dec 2020 at 12:00

steam and games that need the speed go on the C drive ssd

games that dont benefit from the extra speed go on the hdd

saves go wherever the hell steam wants to put them, if i care about a particular save i'll back it up manually.

The_Arbiter · 28 Dec 2020 at 12:01

chaparral said:
Yes i agree the save game & settings files are scattered all over the place.

Do you overcome this anyway at all?
I guess windows image/ 3rd party windows backup software is the most basic way.

chaparral · 28 Dec 2020 at 12:04

The_Arbiter said:
Do you overcome this anyway at all?
I guess windows image/ 3rd party windows backup software is the most basic way.

I just back them up manually when ever i do a drive format or drive replacement

chroniclard · 28 Dec 2020 at 12:06

All the steam game files are on a "gaming" SSD. Program files are on boot drive. Not really that complex is it?

dan958 · 28 Dec 2020 at 13:48

The_Arbiter said:
Do you overcome this anyway at all?
I guess windows image/ 3rd party windows backup software is the most basic way.

GameSave Manager is a great save backup program

The_Arbiter · 29 Dec 2020 at 16:25

dan958 said:
GameSave Manager is a great save backup program

Looks alright, thanks!

Disco_P · 29 Dec 2020 at 17:42

The_Arbiter said:
Looks alright, thanks!

Gamesave manager is what I use between windows installs too. It has a giant list of nearly every game and where it keeps its save files and configs and backs them up.

The_Arbiter · 29 Dec 2020 at 18:27

Disco_P said:
Gamesave manager is what I use between windows installs too. It has a giant list of nearly every game and where it keeps its save files and configs and backs them up.

Oh, it also backs up configs! That i didn't know, even better.