How to Reinstall Steam Client Files without Losing Games?

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Rel· Answered on Jan 21, 2026

Hi there. I have 2 solutions that can help you reinstall Steam Client files without losing games.

📍First, you can back up the game files to an external hard drive or cloud space.

You can follow the 4 detailed steps below to back up all your Steam games installed with re-downloading.

Step 1. Open the file explorer and navigate to Steam> Steamapps> common. 

Step 2. Back up the whole Common folder manually or using third-party software.

Step 3. Now reinstall the Steam Client, and paste all the game files you have backed up into the new common folder.

Step 4. Start Steam, go to Libary and start the game installation. Steam will recognize the corresponding files and waive all download processes.

You can select to back up your game files in a manual way. But if your game files are too large, choosing the right backup software, such as EaseUS Todo Backup Home, will be a better choice.

EaseUS Todo Backup Home has a strong backup performance and can automatically back up hundreds of GB of Steam games in a very short time, and it can quickly restore your data after you re-download Steam. 

It is also the best helper for backup PC game saves, so you can use it as a daily backup means for game saves, system OS, or even your whole computer after your Steam is back to normal.

📍The second method is also very efficient. Follow the simple steps with a few clicks.

Step 1. Navigate to the Steam folder, and delete everything except steam.exe and the whole steamapps folder.

Step 2. Double-click steam.exe now, and download all files Steam Client needs.

Step 3. Run Steam Client. By default, the steamapps folder is where all your games are installed and Steam will automatically recognize it on restart.

Related article: How to Backup Steam Games to Another Computer [Detailed Guides]