# Steam install files moveable?



## Unit Twentyfive (Oct 7, 2008)

Hi Everyone,

I have about 100 gb of games downloaded through my Steam account which are installed on my computer. I'm soon to be getting rid of this computer, and I'd like to move the games to my new computer (yet to get it) without downloading them again. 

Is this possible? I have slow internet with a data limit, and I don't want to download them again if I can avoid it. Is transferring the already installed games something that can be done? 

Thanks
Joe


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## Aus_Karlos (Mar 10, 2007)

Easiest way it is to copy the entire steam folder to another HDD (All files not just the games). Then when you get the new PC all you need to do is plug the HDD into the PC power up and click on Steam.exe and it will install all services and all your games will be intact ready to play.


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## Unit Twentyfive (Oct 7, 2008)

Hi Aus_Karlos, 

Thanks for the reply! Once I copy that Steam folder over to a backup drive, do I then need to copy it back to the *new* computer, or do I run the steam.exe installer from the backup drive? 

Either way, it's going to be a lot better than having to download the games all over again on my crappy internet connection!

Thanks,
Joe


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## Aus_Karlos (Mar 10, 2007)

What ever way suits you best. If your backup drive is an internal drive connected via SATA then i would keep it there. Games on a separate HDD will tend to load faster due to the pagefile been on the OS drive and no other files need to be accessed on that HDD while gaming.
If however its an external USB drive then i'd suggest moving steam to an internal drive. Although steam does support running from a USB interface its a lot slower than an internal SATA connection.


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## Unit Twentyfive (Oct 7, 2008)

I'm going to be moving the Steam files from this computer to an external HDD. The new computer will have a 500gb SSD, and a second 2tb HDD. 

I figure even being the same drive for the OS and the games, it would probably be faster to copy to the SSD. 

But just as long as I know it'll work to copy the Steam folder, and I won't have to re-download everything!

Thanks!


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