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IRL (In Real Life) => Tech Talk => Topic started by: z1812 on March 09, 2021, 11:22:09 AM

Title: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: z1812 on March 09, 2021, 11:22:09 AM
Hi All, I am buying a new computer. I am currently still using Win 7. The new computer will ship with Win 10. All of my games are on 2 hardrives extra to the OS hardrive.

I am wondering, if upon installing the game drives from the old Win 7 computer into the new Win 10 system, will they be recognized and playable.

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: Father Ted on March 09, 2021, 11:45:44 AM
If it helps, I recently upgraded from 7 to 10  in-situ and all games work fine.  I imagine this would mean your "game drives" will be OK in the new system.
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: z1812 on March 09, 2021, 05:04:30 PM
Quote from: Father Ted on March 09, 2021, 11:45:44 AM
If it helps, I recently upgraded from 7 to 10  in-situ and all games work fine.  I imagine this would mean your "game drives" will be OK in the new system.

Thank you for your reply.
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: bobarossa on March 09, 2021, 05:11:55 PM
You may need to reinstall some of them (especially ones on steam?) so that the operating systems registry knows where they are.  Also might be necessary to reinstall if the game needed a security code when you first installed it.   The save files should all be ok though.
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: GDS_Starfury on March 09, 2021, 07:04:57 PM
if the os and game drives are physically separated there should be no problem.


theoretically
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: z1812 on March 09, 2021, 07:10:55 PM
Thank you all for replying. I really appreciate it.
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: Philistine on March 09, 2021, 10:37:15 PM
For Steam, it's dead easy if you've already got it on a separate hard drive.

See this Thread (https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7710-TDLC-0426#:~:text=%20Here's%20an%20example%20of%20how%20to%20move,new%20location,%20for%20example:%20D:GamesSteam*Launch%20Steam%20More)

Basically, you delete everything from the Steam directory except the Steamapps directory and Steam.exe.  Then you run Steam (from the exe) and it'll reinstall Steam and automatically fill in the links to the games in the Steamapps directory without having to re-download all of the games.

--Philistine
Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: z1812 on March 10, 2021, 10:15:11 AM
Quote from: Philistine on March 09, 2021, 10:37:15 PM
For Steam, it's dead easy if you've already got it on a separate hard drive.

See this Thread (https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7710-TDLC-0426#:~:text=%20Here's%20an%20example%20of%20how%20to%20move,new%20location,%20for%20example:%20D:GamesSteam*Launch%20Steam%20More)

Basically, you delete everything from the Steam directory except the Steamapps directory and Steam.exe.  Then you run Steam (from the exe) and it'll reinstall Steam and automatically fill in the links to the games in the Steamapps directory without having to re-download all of the games.

--Philistine

Thanks Philistine,

I had not thought about Steam and I am glad you reminded me.

Title: Re: New Computer Moving Games
Post by: Pete Dero on March 10, 2021, 11:02:08 AM
Quote from: z1812 on March 10, 2021, 10:15:11 AM
I had not thought about Steam and I am glad you reminded me.

I have a lot of Steam games on an external drive.

If I remember correctly I connected the drive to my new pc.
In the Steam installation on the new PC I added that drive location to the Steam download folders.

Then I installed the games by pointing the installer to the folder on the hard drive that already had the game files.
Almost always Steam detected the files as already present and no further download was needed.

Installing a game that way only took a few seconds.

Pointing the installer to the file location should also work in GOG galaxy, EA desktop, Uplay, ...