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So I had my Steam game installed in H:\Games and wanted to move it to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\.

I followed this Steam guide on how to move a Steam installation. I moved my game folder to a safe location while steam was closed. Then launched steam, right-clicked the game in the library, and deleted local content. I closed steam again, moved the backup game folder to my target location in the common folder. I opened steam and found the game greyed out as if it was not installed. I entered properties and could not verify the game cache. It prompted me to install. I installed it to the common folder and it was downloading. I tried to vertify it, but it did not vertify, just kept downloading.

The game is Borderlands 2.

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If you copied the files correctly, you should be able to start installation of the game as normally. While the game may appear greyed out, it should say Discovering Existing Files... once you attempt to download it. If this message appears, that means the files were moved successfully, and Steam will simply index the existing files instead of redownloading them.

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  • Will it do that automatically? It just appears like it's not installed. – J.P Masangcay Oct 19 '15 at 8:51
  • It will discover the existing files as soon as you try to install the game. Before the preparing to install dialog closes, you should see Discovering existing files. If you do not see this message and Steam starts downloading the game, then the existing game files are not in the right location. The existing files need to be in the exact same place as where Steam tries to install the game. I cannot post example screenshots right now. – Hugo Zink Oct 19 '15 at 8:54
  • So, I have the game folder in the common folder where I want to really put it, launch steam, click on the game on the library, hit install and it gave me a choice to install it at C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\, choose that and it will just discover the game? – J.P Masangcay Oct 19 '15 at 9:04
  • Yes, exactly. That should work, I do it all the time. If that doesn't work, then you could use Steam's Backup and Restore feature instead. – Hugo Zink Oct 19 '15 at 9:15
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Preparation: you should already have at least one game installed on other drive so that Steam has its games folder there.

Simple way how to properly MOVE already installed game to other drive

  1. in Windows: copy game folder to your steam games folder on other drive
  2. in Steam: uninstall the game (right click on game and choose: delete local content)
  3. in Steam: install into other drive (where you've already copied the files) Steam will just verify that all files are present and change its settings, registry setting and any other settings that point to game location.
  4. Done. No download necessary, no manual changing of settings.
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