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How to Backup and Restore Steam Games
Edited 13 hours ago by ExtremeHow Editorial Team
SteamBackupRestoreGamesSave DataPCDigital DistributionUser GuideData ManagementSoftware
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Steam is a popular platform for purchasing, downloading, and playing video games. It is used by millions of gamers around the world. One of the features Steam provides is the ability to back up and restore your games. This can be incredibly useful for a number of reasons. For example, if you need to reinstall your operating system, upgrade your hardware, or simply manage your storage space better, understanding how to back up and restore your Steam games can save you time and hassle.
Understanding Steam's backup and restore feature
Steam's built-in backup and restore functionality allows you to create copies of your installed games, which you can restore later. This feature ensures that you don't have to download the entire game again, which can be especially beneficial for those with slow internet connections.
Why backup and restore Steam games?
There are several reasons why you might want to back up and restore your Steam games:
- Save bandwidth: Downloading a game can use up a lot of data, so having a backup will help you avoid having to download it again.
- Time efficiency: Redownloading large games can take a long time. Restoring from a backup is usually much faster.
- Storage management: If you need to free up space, you can temporarily delete games from your hard drive and reinstall them later.
- System reinstall: If you're planning to reinstall your operating system, backing up your games will save you the hassle of downloading them again.
Steps to backup Steam games
Here's a detailed guide on how to back up your Steam games:
1. Opening Steam
First, open the Steam client on your computer. Make sure you are logged into the correct account.
2. Access to the library
Once you're in Steam, go to your Library. You can find it in the top menu or the sidebar.
3. Selecting games to backup
In the Library, you will see a list of all your games. Select the games you want to back up. If you want to back up multiple games, you will select them in the next steps.
4. Initiate the backup process
Go to the "Steam" menu in the upper left corner and select "Backup and Restore Games..." from the dropdown. You'll see the option to backup your currently installed programs or restore a backup.
5. Selecting the backup option
Select "Backup currently installed programs" and click "Next". A list of all the games you have installed will appear.
6. Choose your sport
From the list, select the games you want to back up. You can tick multiple games to back them up in a single operation.
7. Deciding the backup location
Next, you'll choose the destination for your backup. You can choose your internal drive, an external storage device, or even a network drive. Make sure the location has enough space to store all the games you've selected.
8. Finalizing the backup
Click "Next", and then follow the prompts to begin the backup process. Steam will create backup files of your games in the specified location. This process may take some time depending on the number and size of games.
Steps to reinstall Steam games
If you need to restore your backed up games, follow these steps:
1. Opening Steam
Start by opening the Steam client and logging into your account.
2. Select the restore option
Go to the "Steam" menu and select "Backup and Restore Games..." again. This time choose the "Restore a previous backup" option.
3. Locating the backup files
The next step is to locate your backup files. Click "Browse" and navigate to the folder where your backup files are stored. Select this folder.
4. Selecting the game to reinstall
Steam will detect all the backups in the selected folder. Choose the games you want to restore from the list, and click "Next" to proceed.
5. Completing the restore operation
Steam will begin restoring the selected games. Once the process is complete, you can find the restored games in your library, ready to play.
Important tips
- Ensure there is enough storage space at the destination location to avoid any interruption in the backup process.
- Updating your backups regularly can help prevent data loss.
- Verify file integrity during restore to ensure data is not corrupted.
- Always keep at least two copies of your backup on separate storage media if space permits.
Conclusion
Using Steam's backup and restore feature is a straightforward and effective way to manage your game installations. Whether you want to save bandwidth, manage storage efficiently, or are preparing for an OS reinstallation, having a backup can save you a lot of work and time. By following the steps outlined above, you can enjoy the peace of mind knowing that your vast game collection is safely backed up and can be restored whenever you need it. Happy gaming!
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