How do you move A Game to an External Hard drive?

[B-29 Bomber]

My dad wants to wipe out my Hard drive in an attempt to fix something. He said to move anything that I need. Well the only thing I have worth savin' is my games. So how do I do that? I also I want to move the saves to the external.

 

[ParadigmShifter]

Windows? You'll probably have to reinstall them because most games put stuff into the registry.

If you have Steam games you can easily reinstall those though.

If you can't reinstall them, you will have to make the registry entries by hand (NOT recommended).

If you are going to reinstall everything to the same drive/location, you may be able to get away with doing a registry backup and then restore it after the wipe.

EDIT: Remember to copy your save games you want to keep.

 

[Maniacal]

With Steam games you can back up the files to another hard drive or disc just by right-clicking on them in Steam. Dunno about non-Steam games as I've never tried, but with Steam it saves having to redownload all the files again. I'd probably just reinstall non-Steam games from disc.

The save game files themselves though will be perfectly fine, they are either somewhere in My Documents or in the game's folder in Program Files.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Take a look at this:
http://gsm.duncsweb.com/

Ive heard its good, although I dont personally use it (I use directory junctions instead to channel them all into the same folder. thats pretty advanced though)

 

[B-29 Bomber]

Take a look at this:
http://gsm.duncsweb.com/

Ive heard its good, although I dont personally use it (I use directory junctions instead to channel them all into the same folder. thats pretty advanced though)

Sorry but it has to be to a physical external hard drive. The main reason my dad wants to dump my hdd is I put too much trust into stuff from the internet.

 

[Turner]

Games you should have the install media, so it wouldn't be a problem to reload them after a reinstall. All you really need to save is the save games.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

If you copy the program files over chances are it won't work on reinstall. Or spit out an error somewhere in the game.

Sorry my answer last night was vague, on a new medication which was making me drowsy.

 

[cardgame]

This is a very simple question...

Copy the game files from your program files/download files onto your external HDD. It's just like putting something on your flash drive. This is not complicated.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

This is a very simple question...

Copy the game files from your program files/download files onto your external HDD. It's just like putting something on your flash drive. This is not complicated.

Except it may not work. Some games are dependent on files stored elsewhere on the drive or registry or wotnot.

 

[cardgame]

The setup/autorun file should be included with the files you copy. I transferred HOI2 and Empire Earth to another computer using a flash drive, they run.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well I remember the first time I tried it with some game (I was too stupid to get the idea of just backing up the savegames, which is what I wanted) it didn't work.

 

[warpus]

The setup/autorun file should be included with the files you copy. I transferred HOI2 and Empire Earth to another computer using a flash drive, they run.

I wouldn't recommend that either. There is a setup process for software a reason.

 

[cardgame]

Well, yea, that's what... the setup file... is included for...

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Well, yea, that's what... the setup file... is included for...

So you mean to copy the setup file to the drive?

 

[warpus]

cardgame, he's talking about copying an already installed game.

 

[Souron]

I wouldn't recommend that either. There is a setup process for software a reason.

Sometimes that reason is because it's expected rather than an actual need. Some setup files just decompress and/or copy.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Sometimes that reason is because it's expected rather than an actual need. Some setup files just decompress and/or copy.

Yeah. A lot of it depends on the game. Some games if you install it once and then move it elsewhere and change INI files it'll work. And some are fully portable. And some break completely.

 

[warpus]

Sometimes that reason is because it's expected rather than an actual need. Some setup files just decompress and/or copy.

True, but you just don't know. I mean, the setup process will write stuff to the registry and set a bunch of stuff up. You're right that sometimes it isn't required, or even done, but I'd play it safe

I worked for a company that sold software for touchscreen kiosks once. I was somewhat involved in the setup cd creation process.. a bit. If you just copied files it might work.. Most things would work, probably, but some wouldn't.