Help with PROPER install instructions for STEAM

[Nihoggr 16]

Well, I recently upgraded into a new pc but instead of copying any files, I wanted a clean start and downloaded every game from Steam Library that I wanted to have back.

On the other hand, you can just once again make manual copies of every file and folder you have in your Steam directory and use those to avoid re-downloading anything.

This would work as in you make a copy, for example, of the folder "steamapps", then do your thing and re-install Steam. After this you can just paste it back to where it was along with everything inside it and Steam should realise this and only verify the files, instead of downloading them again.

Although making copies of large files requires for your hard drive to be formatted into NTFS, preferably. This is usually the case with any hard drive, but for example I used to have a hard drive formatted into FAT and it got in my way sometimes, when trying to move around large files.

 

But disregarding all that was said above; I think the newer Windows would install in your computer without removing any data you don't want them to. There are the built-in backup options+ You can choose upon installing if you just want it to affect the partition that has your OS or if you want to do everything from the scratch.
Ofc I believe upon installing a new OS to an existing system you will lose some register keys etc., but these can be basically created again by verifying the games in Steam and starting them up at least once.

 

Edit: A nerdy word of advice to you would be not to place all of your games on an external HDD. I'm not sure but USB ports can sometimes become bottlenecks, but this is ok if you are using Firewire port or even somekind of SATA- attachment.
Also most of the stock external HDDs only spin 5400 rpm, which means slightly slower retrieval and writing of data. Regular HDDs spin about 7200 rpm.
If your external is a Solid State Drive, then fuck me silly.

Edited September 6, 2013 by Nihoggr

[RoyBloggins 11]

So can I run DAYZ with an ICON or something from my desktop without having to launch Steam and click PLAY on AO Beta?

 

That works, but I want to exclude Steam if it's possible.

 

btw, I moved everything to a different hdd successfully.