Download steam .acf files

If you are in a similar situation, here is how to trick Steam into recognizing previously downloaded data.

How do I Force Steam to Recognize Installed Games?

1. Reinstall the Games without Downloading
2. Add Steam Library Folder Manually
3. Recognize Games from a new Drive
4. Use .acf Cache to Force Recognize Steam Games

1. Reinstall the Games without Downloading

If the Steam fails to recognize any of the installed games, it will show you an option to install the game all again. If you have the game data in the Steam apps folder, then you can force Steam to recognize the games by initiating the installation of the game.

1. Launch Steam and go to Games.
2. Select and click on install for the game that Steam has failed to recognize.
3. Steam will start to discover existing files for the game.

2. Add Steam Library Folder Manually

Steam by default stores the game data in Steamapps folder in the installation disk. If you had a custom location where the game data was stored, you could try to add the location in the Steam app to fix this issue. Here is how to do it.

1. Launch Steam.
2. Click on Steam and select Settings.
   
   
3. Click on the Downloads tab.
4. Click on Steam Library Folders.
   
   
5. In the pop-up window, click on Add Library Folder and select the location where all your Steam game data is saved.
   
6. Click on Select and close Steam settings.
   
7. Exit the Steam app and restart Steam.
8. Steam should now recognize installed games again and list them in the games folder.

3. Recognize Games from a new Drive

If your main drive (steam default installation location) does not have enough space to install all the games, you can move the game data to a new hard drive and then add the Game Library Folder manually in the Steam app. Here is how to do it.

If you want your games to be in the D:/games directory, you need to create a subdirectory named “Steamappscommon”. The folder structure will look like D:>Games > steamapps>common

Once the subdirectory is created, move all the games to the newly created directory.

After moving the games, the game directory will look like this:

• D:>Games >steamapps >common >Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag
• D: >Games >steamapps >common > Counter Strike Global Offensive

1. Launch the Steam app from the desktop.
2. Click on Steam and select Settings.
3. Click on the Downloads tab.
   
4. Click on Steam Library Folder under Content Libraries section.
   
5. Click on Add Library Folder and navigate to the location where your games are moved (new directory) that is D:/games/your_subdirectory.
   
   
6. Click on Select and Close to save the library folder.

Exit Steam and relaunch it.  Steam will scan the newly selected Library folder and show all the games as installed.

4. Use .acf Cache to Force Recognize Steam Games

If you have taken the Steamapps folder backup with all the game data, you can use the Steam cache files to force Steam to recognize the installed games from the game data. Here is how to do it.