Open Library in the Steam client to see your game collection. The Library list is not the same as the folders holding installed files: use Steam > Settings > Storage to add install locations or move games between them. If a title seems missing, check the signed-in account, filters and Hidden Games before reinstalling.
Find a game that is missing from your Library
- Confirm that Steam is signed in to the account that owns the game or has access to it.
- Check the Library filters; a filter may be excluding the title.
- Open View > Hidden Games. To restore a hidden title, right-click it, choose Manage > Remove from Hidden.
- If you recently bought the game, check the purchase receipt and purchase history. If it is installed but shown as “Pre-Load Complete,” the account may not own it or may have lost access through Family Sharing.
Steam Support’s guidance for games missing from a Library is at Games are missing from my Library.
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Add a Library location or change where games install
Steam lets you create additional library locations and choose one when installing games. To add a location, open Steam > Settings > Storage and use the plus button. Select the new location when choosing where to install a future game. Menu wording can vary as the client changes.
Steam Support explains that “You can create an alternate location on any drive, which you can choose in the future when installing games.” See Moving a Steam Installation and Games.
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Move games already installed
You can move an installed game to another Steam library without downloading it again. Use either route:
- Storage: Open Steam > Settings > Storage, create the destination library if needed, select the source drive, select the games, then choose Move.
- Game properties: In Library, right-click the game and open Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder.
Steam’s Managing Steam Downloads & Updates article describes using library folders to manage installations across multiple drives.
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Choose a storage location with fewer surprises
When deciding where to keep games, consider available capacity and whether the drive will stay connected and available. Steam supports multiple library locations, but its support guidance does not recommend installing Steam on an external hard drive because of possible performance problems. An external drive may also be disconnected at an inconvenient time; Steam advises using an internal drive if the external drive is causing issues.
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- Another internal location: Add it in Storage when you need more capacity or want installations on a different internal drive.
- External drive: Steam allows another library location on a drive, but warns about potential performance and connection problems. Avoid relying on it if it is not consistently available.
If you move a full Steam installation, back up the steamapps folder first. Moving Steam folders does not guarantee that every game’s save data will move with them. Save locations for non-Steam Cloud games vary; Steam notes that many third-party saves are in DocumentsMy Games, and recommends checking with the game’s developer or publisher when necessary. See Moving a Steam Installation and Games and Installed games are appearing as uninstalled.
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Get Steam to recognize files already on a drive
If the game files are present but Steam treats the game as uninstalled, confirm that its folder is in the expected location. Add the containing library path in Steam > Settings > Storage. Steam says the game may then appear in the Library; if it still is not recognized, its guidance recommends reinstalling. Details are in Installed games are appearing as uninstalled.
Track downloads and control updates
See progress and reorder downloads
Open the Download Manager from the Downloads link at the bottom of the client, View > Downloads, or Library > Downloads. It shows download progress and completed updates; queued downloads can be reordered.
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Set bandwidth limits or update schedules
Open Steam > Settings > Downloads to set bandwidth limits and schedule when automatic updates may run. For a specific title, open Library > right-click the game > Properties > Updates. Available choices include always keeping the game updated, updating only when launched, or giving it high priority. Consult Managing Steam Downloads & Updates if the labels differ in your client.
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Hide a game or make it private
These settings affect different audiences and are not interchangeable:
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| Setting | What it changes | How to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Hide | Removes the game from your ordinary Library list until you restore it. | Right-click the game, choose Manage > Hide this game. Find it later under View > Hidden Games. |
| Private | Hides ownership, in-game status, playtime and activity from other users in the places described by Steam. | Use the game’s privacy control in the client. Check Steam’s current guidance for the available controls and visibility details. |
Private status is not complete anonymity. Steam notes, for example, that a Steam matchmaking game may expose your Steam ID to others on the same server. Inviting a friend may reveal in-game status until you exit or disconnect. See Steam Private Games, which also explains that the Library’s hide option prevents a game from appearing to you.
Know what Family and non-Steam games add to the Library
Steam Families
Games shared through Steam Families appear in the Library like games you own. To separate them visually, use Group By Library and place family games in their own section. Family games and permissions are managed through Steam Families; see Steam Families.
Non-Steam shortcuts
Adding a non-Steam game adds a shortcut to the client; it does not provide Steam downloads or updates for that title, and it is not proof of Steam ownership. Steam Support states, “This will only add a shortcut to your game in the Steam client.” See Add Non-Steam Games to a Library.
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You can start a Remote Download from a web browser or the Steam Mobile app while the Steam client is running on your home PC or Mac. Steam recommends doing this only on your own private, secured computer. See Remote Downloads.
Quick Recap
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