Running out of disk space on your SSD with Steam games?

After much searching and only finding how to change your default steam install folder, I came across this (not sure if it's new or old to anybody):
Installing Steam Games in 2 Locations/ Folders ( 2 Harddrives) - YouTube
It's a good fix that'll work until Steam implements a installation destination option for each individual game. Basically it just creates a junction between your old steam folder and the new one. I had to do this because I was running sub-10GB on my main SSD drive, so I transferred all of my weaker single player games to my mechanical backup drive and kept the games that I'm currently playing (or ones I needed faster load times) on my SSD.

Cliff notes (example is for moving Skyrim):
Move the game folder from your Steam folder (default is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim") to the destination you want (for me it was just moving it to my D:\ drive so it is "D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim")
Hit Start and type "cmd"
In the command prompt that opens up, type in:
mklink /j "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim" "D:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\skyrim"
hit Enter and it should tell you a junction has been made between the 2 files. Note the first file location is where the game *should* be in the steam folder, and the second file location is where you moved the game to. If you did everything right, you'll see a folder in your original steam game folder that looks like a shortcut (this is the junction Windows made to associate the original location and the new location).

 

Thanks for the tip. I have 185 Steam games all on a 2TB partition and I only have 906 gb left for games.

Does the moved game folder work with Steam Autopatching too?

 

I never had that issue. I installed steam on my larger mechanical drive and never had a game install on my SSD

 

If you like low load times on large games like Skyrim, it makes the world of a difference!

 

You can also do this through GameSaveManager from the Steam spreader menu, it just automates the process with a nice GUI front end.

To all intents and purposes, the OS (and by extension Steam) will treat the juntion like a normal file/dir and so autopatching, gamesaves and so on will work as before.

I've tried it with Trine and Deus Ex so far (only had my SSD a few days) and the performance gains are very noticeable indeed. Had no issues with game saves, even Deus Ex cloud sync works fine.

The other feature benefit with GameSaveManager is the backup function, so I've got a scheduled back up of all my games saves to my home server.

 

I looked at ALL my Steam Menus and couldn't find a GameSaveManager or a Steam Spreader Menu... Can you explain yourself in more detail about this stuff?

 

I think he meant this GameSave Manager

the steam spreader option creates junction points to so you can move your games to the SSD.

 

The only games I have extreme problems with loading times is Crysis and BF3. Fortunately both those games are on my Origin account and Origin destroys Steam in the ability to install wherever you want and even allows you to change your mind and go back and forth without screwing things up. I have Crysis 1&2 and BF3 on my SSD, and my other Origin games on the mechanical. All my Steam games are on the mechanical.

 

This is superb, thanks!

 

this will Really help with my 128gb ssd!!

 

yeah been doing this for 2 years, it works wonderfully.

 

OK, what am I missing here? I was able to install Steam onto my seconday storage drive D Seagate hybrid XT), with no issues. You have the option of changing location on initial install........

 

right, and that drive is where steam games will continue to be installed if you don't use this.

this allows you to create two separate steam directories, link them together, and one instance of steam will read from both locations.

 

Exactly, SSDs are relatively new and still small in size (and expensive) so most of us with SSDs have mechanical drive backups. So programs/media that we don't feel requires the fast read time of the SSD is put on the mechanical drive to alleviate disk space.

 

Umm just use steammover application, it makes the links etc for you. I use that to move special games to my SSD. Auto updates etc all that jazz.. you can move them back and forth. Used it for Skyrim most recently.

http://www.traynier.com/software/steammover

 

Looks like it's just an interface to manage junctions. Not a bad application none the less

 

+1 That's what I've been using on my desktop.

 

I find it pretty simple just to use Steam's "Backup Game Files" function to save games I don't play frequently to external drive. (Right click on the game within your library, and select Backup Game Files.)

If you want to restore a backed up game to your SSD, it's pretty quick to do so, and I would prefer to run windows as well as all apps and games from SSD rather than mechanical HDD.

 

Unless your game library has hundreds of games. The problem with Steam's backup feature is there is no way to sync or update backups if the game itself has been updated.

And most games see little to no benefit from running off SSD, only faster level load times, and frequently it's the GPU's texture loading that slows it down even.