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I've set up 2 non-default game library locations. One in C:\Games and the other D:\Games.

Steam is installed on C: so I have 2 libraries on C and one on D.

When I go to install most games it lets me choose, but not Team Fortress 2. The dropdown to choose library isn't there.
I'd understand if I didn't have space, but I have easily enough space on C and D. Besides, it should at least offer the C:\Games location as that's the same hard disk as the steam install library, which it uses if I continue without being able to select any.

There are a few other games I can't install to a non-default location such as Portal (orignal) all the HL2 games, L4D2. It looks like it's old source games that won't let me choose.

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4 Answers 4

Reset to default
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TF2 uses the Source engine, as do several other games by Valve. To conserve disk space by sharing files, Steam automatically installs all of them in the default location. There is no way to change the installation library folder for these games.

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  • Ahh ok, that makes sense. They should let me choose where to put games that share resources then! Maybe that'll come in another update.
    – George Duckett
    Commented Dec 9, 2012 at 9:41
  • Interestingly other non-steam games also have this issue, Borderlands and Worms Reloaded for me.
    – George Duckett
    Commented Dec 9, 2012 at 11:03
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    Strangely, when installing Portal 2 I'm given the option to choose a different install location, despite it being a Source game as well.
    – BoltClock
    Commented Feb 1, 2013 at 8:33
  • So really this isn't the most correct answer then? Has Steam ever come out and said this?
    – Shackrock
    Commented Apr 17, 2013 at 20:47
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If you want, you can move the files manually and create a link (in cmd.exe).

For example:

mklink /J "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\SteamApps" "G:\Steam\SteamApps"

That will do the whole steamapps directory. If you want to do pergame, then you will have to move directories around manually which would be a major pain.

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    Thanks for the alternative solution, although I can see that getting unmanageable fast if I were to do it with many games.
    – George Duckett
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 8:06
  • @GeorgeDuckett Looks like it doesn't work for individual files anyway. And as the Source engine games are files in the main steamapps directory and are also the ones that don't work with external libraries it wouldn't be too useful. Best solution would be to use both the external library when possible and use a junction for the steamapps dir for the stuff that isn't and just accept that all your Source engine games will be lumped together.
    – David C. Bishop
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 18:55
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The easiest work around would be to move Steam to the drive you want Valve games to be in, then re-install steam with the path you chose so for example C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam would be G:\Steam

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You can use certain tools for this.

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  • 2
    Looking under the Known issues of the first one "Many Valve games are not listed in SteamTool, since the resources for Valve games are often stored as files within a single folder. SteamTool can only move games that are stored in their own individual folders."
    – George Duckett
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 11:11
  • Same with the 2nd one: "Junction Points can only relocate complete folders, not individual files. So unfortunately it will not help with the massive .gcf files in the steamapps folder itself (mostly Valve games such as Counter-Strike and the Half-Life series). To those that have asked, I have tried using mklink to create hardlinks, but they do not work to link to another drive - they only provide a shortcut to a file on the same drive"
    – George Duckett
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 11:11
  • Argh, sorry to hear that. Maybe this will help you with the mklink stuff: thebergerbits.com/?p=294 or this: pcspecialist.co.uk/forums/…
    – Schoof
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 12:21
  • Thanks for looking, but those all do the same thing as the program, and only work on folders not individual files, so will have the same problems.
    – George Duckett
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 12:59
  • The second link says it works for files.
    – Schoof
    Commented Dec 14, 2012 at 13:19

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