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Moving an installed PC game to a different launcher usually means importing the files that are already on your drive, not downloading the game again. On Windows, Playnite and Heronite can present installed games from several stores in one library; on Linux and Steam Deck, Heroic Games Launcher can manage Epic, GOG and Amazon installs. Epic Games Launcher Preview has its own same-account migration, while Steam can add any existing executable as a shortcut.
The important distinction is ownership. The store that sold the game still controls its license, updates and (usually) cloud saves. Keep the original folders and launcher until the new entry starts successfully, because a client may still need a patch, redistributable or anti-cheat component.
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Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesWhich kind of launcher change are you making?
Choose the path that matches your goal before touching the files. A library manager is different from a store-client replacement, and both differ from moving a library to another drive.
| Goal | Use this path | What remains true |
|---|---|---|
| See several stores in one Windows library | Playnite or Heronite | The original store normally launches the game and keeps its license. |
| Use Epic’s rebuilt client with the same Epic account | Epic Games Launcher Preview migration | It changes the Epic client managing the installation; it is not a drive-move tool. |
| Play Epic, GOG or Amazon games on Linux or Steam Deck | Heroic Games Launcher | Linux anti-cheat compatibility can still prevent a game from launching. |
| Put a non-Steam game in Steam’s library | Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library | The other launcher still handles updates, cloud saves and authentication. |
| Move files to another drive while keeping the same store | That store’s move, locate or verify workflow | It is a file relocation, not a launcher migration. |
All paths below assume the files and the launcher are on the same computer. The retrieved guidance does not establish a tested procedure for seeding a fresh PC, including redistributables and anti-cheat components.
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How do I import installed games into Playnite on Windows?
Playnite is an open-source Windows library manager and launcher. Its project README lists support for third-party libraries including Steam, Epic, GOG, EA App and Battle.net, and gives Windows 10 or 11 as the requirement. It says installed-game imports generally do not require you to provide account information and that library data is stored locally on the PC.
- Install Playnite. Download the installer or portable package from the Playnite download page. Use the current package; Playnite 11 is being rewritten and menu names in older guides may differ.
- Choose integrations. Connect a store only when you want its full owned catalog and ongoing synchronization. A local scan can find games already on disk without a store login, while a complete catalog of uninstalled purchases normally requires the relevant plugin’s sign-in.
- Import existing files. Use the integration’s import or scan option. For a loose installation, drag its executable into Playnite, choose Add Game then Scan automatically on a folder, or add a game manually and set its working directory to the folder containing the executable.
- Handle Microsoft Store or Game Pass titles. Use the Xbox library plugin or Main menu > Add game > Microsoft Store application, as described by WindowsForum’s October 18, 2026 account of the documentation.
- Launch and verify. Start one title from Playnite, confirm that the original store opens when required, and check saves, controllers and mods before removing anything.
The Steam integration can list games in a unified library while Steam remains responsible for licensing and launching, according to the Playnite Windows guide (November 2, 2026). If you deliberately avoid that integration, a March 15, 2025 community workaround uses a Steam desktop-shortcut URL as a Playnite link and tracks the game folder; it is less reliable than the normal integration.
Playnite itself says it does not store user information and that you generally do not need to provide information to import installed games. A plugin that connects to a store can still retain that store’s session cookie or token. Keep this distinction in mind when deciding which integrations to enable.
How do I import existing installations into Heronite?
Heronite’s documentation, updated November 4, 2026, covers Windows and Linux. It can import Windows installations from Epic Games Launcher, GOG Galaxy and the Amazon Games app without downloading them again, read Steam libraries locally, and display other launchers in one library.
Steam
No Heronite login is needed. On Windows it looks for Steam in the registry or C:Program Files (x86)Steam; on Linux it checks common native, Flatpak and Snap locations. Steam still starts Steam games.
Epic, GOG and Amazon on Windows
- Open the relevant store inside Heronite and sign in on that store’s page, or use the browser code it provides.
- Let Heronite scan the existing library. The documentation says installed games from Epic Games Launcher, GOG Galaxy and the Amazon Games app are imported without a second download.
- Use Heronite’s queue for installs, updates, repairs, moves, imports and uninstalls. The store tools named in the documentation are
legendaryfor Epic,gogdlfor GOG andnilefor Amazon.
Heronite checks for game updates every three hours. Offline downloads pause. The original store account remains the authority for ownership.
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Battle.net, EA app, Ubisoft Connect and Rockstar on Windows
Heronite uses the store application already installed. Sign in there and let that client manage the game. On Linux, Heronite installs each store app in its own Wine prefix with the default Proton; its documentation estimates about five minutes for installing a store app such as Battle.net, but that is the project’s estimate, not an independent benchmark.
Xbox app and Microsoft Store games
Heronite requires no login for these entries. It finds games installed by the Xbox app or Microsoft Store, starts them and counts play time, but installation, updates and removal stay in the Xbox app. It reads the games a few seconds after startup and every ten minutes; you can force a scan with Stores > Xbox > Read games now.
Bring in Playnite and loose programs
Choose Settings > Other launchers > Bring its games in to import Playnite’s visible games, covers and play time. Close Playnite first: while it is running, it keeps its library open and Heronite reads nothing. Those entries still launch through Playnite. For an unlisted program, press Ctrl+N or choose Add from folder.
How can I use Heroic on Linux or Steam Deck without downloading again?
Heroic Games Launcher is the documented route for Epic, GOG and Amazon games on Linux, SteamOS and Steam Deck. GamingOnLinux describes it as a straightforward client for those stores and notes a Flatpak package.
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- Sign in to the relevant store inside Heroic.
- Point Heroic at the existing game directory when the game page offers an install or import location, then allow verification to complete.
- Use the game’s three-dot menu and choose Add to Steam if you want a Steam shortcut. Restart Steam if the shortcut does not appear.
The shortcut is maintained by Heroic and is not a Valve-supported importer, as Technobezz explains (November 2, 2026). Heroic can also add future installs to Steam automatically. Lutris offers a similar Create Steam shortcut option during installation or from an existing entry.
Linux compatibility is separate from file recognition. GamingOnLinux warns that some Epic titles, including Fortnite, can fail because of anti-cheat even when the files and launcher are correctly imported. A March 7, 2026 GitHub discussion post says Heroic does not plan native Steam-library support; a community sideload script still launches those games through Steam, but it is not a maintainer-supported import feature.
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How do I migrate installed games to Epic Games Launcher Preview?
This is the clearest case of replacing one store client with another. The Click reported on October 31, 2026 that Epic Games Launcher Preview had been available since October 14 for Windows, Apple Silicon macOS and Linux. Intel Macs are outside the Preview described there.
- Leave the legacy launcher and game folders in place. Do not uninstall the old client first.
- Download the matching Preview build. The reported formats are Windows x64, Apple Silicon macOS and Linux x64 AppImage or
.deb. - Sign in with the same Epic account. Purchases remain attached to that account.
- Accept the migration prompt. The reported migration registers installed games, applications and Unreal Engine projects.
- Keep the window open. The Click says Epic warns that the transfer can take a while while its progress spinner runs.
- Check the Preview Library. Confirm that each game is marked installed and launch one before changing folders or deleting the old client.
The Click says Epic’s support FAQ states that transferred games do not need to be redownloaded and links to Epic help article a12104725. That FAQ was not available for direct verification in the cited report, so treat the statement as The Click’s account of Epic’s guidance. The migration changes which Epic client manages the files; it does not choose a new installation drive.
Back up local saves that have not synchronized, mods and custom project files. Cloud saves and account progress are expected to carry over, but save behavior varies by game. The Click also reports that uninstalling Preview can delete games and that Preview 0.100.0 added a keep-games prompt; read the current rollback prompt before uninstalling. Preview 0.108.0 patch notes indicate that some legacy features may still be missing.
How do I add an installed game to Steam without moving its files?
Steam’s non-Steam feature creates a shortcut to a local executable. It does not transfer ownership or make Steam responsible for updates.
- In desktop Steam, open Games > Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library. The same picker is under Add a Game at the lower left.
- Select the game and choose Add Selected Programs. If it is not listed, choose Browse and select the executable.
- On Steam Deck, switch to Desktop Mode first. You can also right-click an Application Launcher entry and add it to Steam.
- Restart Steam if the shortcut or artwork does not appear.
Valve removed the old steam -oldbigpicture route; use the current desktop workflow. On Windows, UWPHook can export supported UWP and Xbox PC games, but Technobezz notes that neither Valve nor Microsoft endorses it and that Steam Overlay support is limited. BoilR can bulk-import shortcuts, with support varying by Windows, native Linux and Flatpak. NonSteamLaunchers can add launcher shortcuts on Steam Deck and SteamOS. These utilities create convenience entries only; the original client still handles authentication, patches and cloud saves.
What if I really meant moving the game to another drive?
A drive move inside the same store is a separate job. Use the built-in control where one exists, keep a backup, and expect a verification pass or a pending patch.
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Steam
- Open Steam > Settings > Storage.
- Use the plus control to add the destination library if it is missing.
- Select the source drive, tick the game, choose Move, select the destination and confirm.
- For a single title, use Library > right-click game > Properties > Installed Files > Move Install Folder.
These labels are from November 2026 guides by XP Reward and Wittytool. Older guides, including TechSpot’s August 15, 2021 procedure, call the menus Downloads > Steam Library Folders and Local Files. Match the labels in your client. A pending update after the move is a patch, not necessarily a full redownload. Prefer Steam’s built-in Move over copying folders manually; keep the old copy until the game launches.
Epic Games Launcher
Published workarounds disagree and are version-sensitive. TechSpot’s August 15, 2021 sequence renames the moved folder, starts an install in the parent directory, cancels after the empty folder appears, restores the original name and resumes so the launcher verifies. PCMag’s January 30, 2025 description starts an install, cancels and places the copied files in the new folder. GeekChamp’s May 13, 2026 account says some versions expose Manage > Installation Location or Change Location. None is a confirmed universal control; retain the original files until verification and launch succeed.
GOG Galaxy
Move or copy the folder, then in Installed games choose Manage Installation > Uninstall. The client may report an error because the old files are gone; both TechSpot (2021) and PCMag (2025) describe that as expected. Choose Install and browse to the library parent, such as E:GOG Library or D:GamesGOG, not the title folder inside it. Galaxy verifies the files. Its default future-install setting is under the gear icon at Settings > Installing and updating > Game installation folder; the cited default is C:Program Files (x86)GOG GalaxyGames. DRM-free GOG games can often be launched as loose folders from Playnite or Heronite, but games that rely on Galaxy for updates should use Galaxy’s verification flow.
Battle.net
Open the game’s page after moving the folder and choose the locate option beneath the large blue Install button. Select the moved folder and let the launcher verify. Later 2026 guides use labels such as Locate, Scan or Repair; the default parent listed by TechSpot is C:Program Files (x86).
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Use a supported move control rather than copying protected files in Explorer. The Windows 10 method described by TechSpot (August 15, 2021) is Start > Settings > Apps > select the game > Move, then choose an eligible drive. PCMag (January 30, 2025) gives Xbox app > Settings > Install Options > Change Folder beside the listed location and cites C:XboxGames as the default. The app can be selective about destination folders.
EA app, Ubisoft Connect and Riot games
A current universal EA app move command was not confirmed in the cited material. TechSpot’s August 2021 article describes a right-click move in Origin and says EA Desktop then lacked that control; 2026 secondary coverage describes a pause-and-copy verification workaround rather than a guaranteed button. Treat the old Origin method as historical, not current EA documentation.
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For Ubisoft Connect, 2026 guides suggest looking for Locate, Find Game, Scan for Games, Import, Repair or Change Install Location, but an official current menu was not retrieved. TechSpot’s 2021 Riot procedure is shortcut-based: move the files and create a new shortcut from the executable, such as LeagueClient.exe.
How do I prevent saves, mods or dependencies from breaking?
- Keep the old folder. Do not delete it until the game launches from the new entry, loads a save, sees its DLC and displays its mods.
- Back up unsynced saves. Client migration does not guarantee that every game-specific save directory or mod profile is synchronized.
- Expect verification and patches. A launcher may download missing files, prerequisites or a pending update even when the main game data was reused.
- Preserve the working directory. Some games expect configuration, mod loaders or relative paths beside the executable.
- Check anti-cheat separately. Linux and SteamOS games can fail anti-cheat checks for compatibility reasons unrelated to whether the files were imported.
- Do not confuse a shortcut with an import. A Steam shortcut or Heroic shortcut changes where you press Play; it does not move the install or transfer update and cloud-save responsibility.
How we picked the recommended paths
The recommendations follow the documented behavior in the cited sources: whether an installed folder can be detected without a second download, which operating systems are covered, whether the original store client must remain installed, who handles installation and updates, and how clearly the workflow distinguishes a shortcut from a real library import. Built-in move or migration controls take priority over manual folder tricks, and version-sensitive workarounds are labeled with their publication dates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my achievements and play time follow an imported game?
Usually only when the original store client still launches the game. A library manager can display play time and a shortcut can start the correct executable, but achievements, cloud synchronization and account statistics remain dependent on the store service that owns the title.
Can I delete the old launcher after importing everything?
Not immediately. Keep it, the original game folder and any local save backups until at least one launch, save load and update check succeeds; some Heronite entries and most non-Steam shortcuts still call the original client.
Why does a launcher verify files after it says the game is installed?
Verification rebuilds the launcher’s records and checks hashes, permissions and required files at the new path. It can identify missing dependencies or download a patch without downloading the entire game archive.
Is copying a library to a completely new PC the same as changing launchers?
No. The procedures documented here assume one computer and an already configured client. A new PC may also need redistributables, launcher credentials, anti-cheat components and correct save locations, and the available data does not establish a tested seeding procedure for that move.
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