I had Civilization V on C:/Program Files/Steam/SteamApps and I copied and pasted it from my laptop on to a new PC I bought. However when I installed Steam, it didn't register that Civilization was installed.
I tried verifying the integrity of the game cache but it was greyed out.
I could just install the game again, but I am tight on my monthly usage and a few friends that came over for a week almost completely used up my internet for the month.
How do I make Steam recognize the Civilization V files in the SteamApps directory, without me having to install the game over again?
Thanks in advance.
Best Answer
IIRC Steam verifies C:/Program Files/Steam/SteamApps for files that already exists for the game before downloading anything. So, if you try to install Civ V, it will detect the game files and automatically un"gray"out the game for you without downloading additional files.
Additionaly, you can try Steam instructions for transfering games between computers: https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7418-YUBN-8129
Also, I think this question may be relevant: How do I copy Steam game files from another PC while the game's still downloading?
Hope it helps.