So I went to play Fallout 4 today and then this happened :(

[MikaylaGC]

 

Woke up today to this.......Steam decided to (from it's point of view) uninstall the entirety of my game library. To say I am pretty upset at the moment is the understatement of the century. Angry, feel like crying (sorry I'm a girl stuff like this makes me emotional) feel like why bother even downloading all this again etc. All the games are still there, Steam refuses to acknowledge them and just deletes them and starts downloading them.

I've done hdd/ssd checks, windows integrity checks, all that, everything comes back fine. Ive never had this happen before.

I live in AU, so for me to download just Fallout 4 (with all the DLC is prolly 2-3 days of leaving my PC on 24/7 downloading), then re-installing all my mods, and then hoping my last save still works etc. I can't describe how angry I am right now. Nothing you guys can do I realise, but I just needed to vent to someone I guess :sad:

Oh and you know thanks Valve for making me realise how much I love my games.

Edited July 9, 2018 by MikaylaGC

[Fkemman11]

Sorry to hear that. Did you contact someone at Steam to see what the problem might be? I've never heard of this happening to anyone. Before this happened, did you download anything or make any changes in your system?

[Bernt]

I wish I could do anything to help - but at least you have my deepest sympathy :sad: Guess most of us have been there - in some disguise or another. Having to reinstall because of some odd reason. A feral patch knocking your game over, having to reinstall windows....etc etc :facepalm:

[TheSpaceShuttleChallenger]

If the files are still on your computer then you shouldn't have to redownload. I'm assuming you did try Fallout 4 > Properties > Local Files > Browse Local Files to reset your game's location? Because sometimes, especially if you have the game installed somewhere other than your steamapps folder, Steam'll just be dumb and decide that isn't the right game.

Even if you have to re-install, you probably don't need to re-download *every* game file. Try backing up your Fallout4 game folder to a different location. Start the download/installation process and let Steam create the file structure. Then pause the download and paste your old Data folder into the correct location (which should be steam > steamapps > common > Fallout 4 > Data, in case you have anything different). Then close steam, open it, and restart the download. Steam will then search your file again and see that you've got your data stuff in there, so it'll skip downloading that file... and considering that the Data file and its contents are the overwhelming bulk of Fallout 4's size, if you can avoid having to re-download just that folder it'll shorten your download time by, like, 90%.

 

 

 

also why do you have such a reasonable number of games? If you are immune to steam sales please teach me your ways

[UhlanB76]

I would throw in a suggestion for the future without being snarky about it.

 

I bought a new game laptop during last year's holiday season. Prior to that all of my gaming was on a PS4. I don't have a fixed internet connection, just a limited hotspot via my cellphone. At that time a friend let me go to his house and sign on for network access and steam games. I purchased a bunch of games and left the computer in place for downloads which completed later that day. The next day I went to get the computer and steam had done the same thing, removed all of the games. Steam said the credit card used was invalid when it wasn't, as the bank said the next day. It took quite a few emails to get it straight and download the games for the, by then, third time.

 

Ever since then I have purchased a couple WD 4 TB Easystore portable hard drives. Windows 10 allows you to do a complete system backup or merely data files backup; and there are many youtube videos about both. I don't trust computers much anymore, so everyday when I finish I do a complete system backup on one, alternating them. Backing up data files you can do a quick recovery of the items you lost. The system recovery is if Windows 10 has issues and everything needs to be recovered. The spare drives are about as much one can do easily until the gremlins strike again.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss, I know what it means!

[Ondrea]

My husband had something similar happen when he attempted to reinstall Elder Scrolls Online from disc. He changed the install path from C drive to D, which is where Steam is also located, and in the process it deleted every program on his D drive. I guess this is now a known issue with ESO discs but wondering as a previous poster said if you've installed anything recently that had a similar effect.

[SirGalahad]

I've no advice other than to be careful posting about your problem on the Steam forums, rather than going through their sluggish tech support.

 

Reason being is that the Steam forums are rife with administrators trolling customers via Smurf accounts, and friends of administrators (clan mates, usually) trolling customers and getting them banned if they argue in return. Valve does not take kindly to anyone suggesting there is a problem in the Steam landscape.

 

A few years back, Valve was caught phishing for social security numbers, claiming customers were making sales at their online market and had to supply that confidential "tax" information—even when no such sales had ever taken place. People who complained were banned from the forums.

 

Just be careful on those Steam forums and beware the trolls.

[UhlanB76]

There is also another way to protect your games once installed. Because I have limited access on a laptop, my steam account is always set for 'offline' play even when I do have a network connection. I only use steam online when there is a specific need for it, like purchases. Thus, steam never gives me any automatic updates or touches my games. Sometimes I even make sure the network connection is turned off before starting any games, and I have made a backup.

[Fkemman11]

There is also another way to protect your games once installed. Because I have limited access on a laptop, my steam account is always set for 'offline' play even when I do have a network connection. I only use steam online when there is a specific need for it, like purchases. Thus, steam never gives me any automatic updates or touches my games. Sometimes I even make sure the network connection is turned off before starting any games, and I have made a backup.

Not only that, my games run slightly better in offline mode. I've still never downloaded the CC crap. Saving that for when I have no choice. I wonder is GOG any better?