What Happens If I Delete Everything in My Steam Folder? Here's the Truth

Preface

In the fast-paced world of gaming, Steam has become a go-to platform for millions of users worldwide. It provides an enormous library of games and seamless cloud storage for your game data. However, many Steam users struggling with low disk space share common questions: What happens if I delete everything in My Steam folder? What if it’s an entire Steam library folder or a specific game’s files that are deleted? If you’re asking the same thing, you’ve landed on the perfect page! This article will lay out exactly what’s going on.

What Happens If I Delete Everything in My Steam Folder?

Whether you’re looking to free up disk space or troubleshoot game-related issues, understanding the potential consequences of deleting Steam files is crucial. Different actions lead to different outcomes, and these two scenarios are commonly encountered by Steam users:

Scenarios 1: Delete the Whole Steam Folder

Deleting the entire Steam folder from your system can have significant effects on your games, settings, and the Steam client itself. Below is an overview of what happens when you delete everything in the Steam folder:

📌Loss of Installed Games:

Lose all your installed games stored in \steamapps\common, including game data, configurations, and updates.

✂️Loss of Game Data and Configurations:

All game configurations, such as custom settings, save files, and modifications stored in the Steam folder, will be gone unless they are synced with Steam Cloud or stored elsewhere.

🕯️Reinstallation Required:

You'll need to reinstall both the Steam client and all games that were previously installed.

Scenarios 2: Delete the \steamapps\common Folder

The \steamapps\common folder contains your installed games and their associated files. Deleting this folder can have different effects based on whether the games are still installed or have already been uninstalled.

👉For installed Games:

All installed games will be forcibly uninstalled, but game saves will remain intact because they are stored in a different location.

👉For uninstalled Games:

If you’ve already uninstalled the game and Windows still retains its game data folder, there will be no effect on your system in terms of game files. If you check these folders, you’ll find they’re all empty.

How to Recover Lost Steam Data After Deleting the Folder

There are a few different methods you can try to retrieve the lost Steam game data if you've lost it after deleting your Steam folder. The recovery process largely depends on whether any backup options were previously enabled for the game in question. Even without a backup, this data is not irrecoverable. This section offers 3 methods to recover your game data without backup.

Method 1. Verify Integrity of Game Files

In the best-case scenario, you only accidentally deleted a few game files from the Steam folder. This might not completely prevent the game from launching, but it could cause missing game files or crashes. Steam’s built-in "Verify integrity of game files" feature can fix this issue.

Step 1. Launch Steam and locate "Library".

Step 2. Choose the game with missing files and right click on it, then select "Properties" > "Installed Files" > "Verify integrity of game files".

Then, Steam will automatically scan the local files and compare with the online version, and re-download the missing files.

Method 2. Recover Deleted Steam Game Data with MyRecover

If a significant number of deleted files are critical to game launch, you can also use professional data recovery tools like MyRecover to retrieve the lost Steam game files. It is a robust data recovery tool designed to recover lost files, including game data, from your local system. It allows even novice users to complete data recovery with just a few clicks.

 MyRecover

Easy & Powerful Data Recovery Software

• Supports recovery from mounted VHD/VHDX virtual drives, physical disks, USB drives, and SD cards.
• Works with Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, and Windows Server.
• Simple "Scan → Preview → Recover" workflow for all users.
• Recovers documents, photos, videos, and more from deleted or formatted partitions.

Download Freeware
Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 & Server

100% Secure

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer from Microsoft Store, avoid installing it on the drive with lost game files.

Step 2. Launch the app and select the drive including lost files to scan, then click "Scan".

Step 3. Choose the files you wish to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover".

Step 4. Select a safe location to save the recovered files.

When the process is done, you'll see the message "Files have been recovered successfully". Then, you can view the recovered files in the destination folder by clicking on the "Browse" button.

Method 3. Re-download Steam and Games

In the worst-case scenario, if you deleted the entire Steam folder, redownloading Steam and your games will be your last option. Files in your Steam Library are linked to your Steam account, and deleting these game files won’t result in permanent loss of the games. Here's how to reinstall Steam games:

Step 1. Launch Steam with your account and select "Library".

Step 2. All the games you’ve ever purchased will be listed. Select the ones you want to download and click "Install" to get them.

How to Safely Uninstall Games on Steam

If you want to free up disk space, never manually delete the Steam folder in File Explorer. Instead, use Steam’s built-in uninstall feature. While simply removing a game from the Steam folder may seem like a way to save space, there are other steps to take to ensure that no valuable data is accidentally lost.

Step 1. Open Steam and click "Library".

Step 2. Find the game you want to uninstall, right click on it and select "Manage" > "Uninstall".

Summary

Deleting everything in your Steam folder can lead to the loss of game files, saved progress, and configurations. However, if you act quickly, there are ways to recover your lost data — particularly if you have any backups or use reliable data recovery tools like MyRecover.

MyRecover offers a powerful way to recover lost files, allowing you to retrieve your valuable game data and restore your gaming experience. It's Professional edition even allows you to recover data from crashed system.