how to install sh4 into a different folder than the default steam one

[Wolfcat]

My version is the steam one. Even though I specified a different location to install the game, the steam keeps installing it into the default steam library folder. Anyway to get around it?

[ETR3(SS)]

Whatever you've told Steam is the location of your games library is where SH4 needs to be. You can't move it out of the games library, the Steam DRM will prevent the game from running. That said, you can create multiple SH4 installs in the games library by copying the entire SH4 folder and pasting it. Rename the folder and use MultiSH4 to have a separate fully functioning install.

[THEBERBSTER]

Hi Wolfcat
STEAM > A Comprehensive Guide To Installing > By propbeanie
Peter

[propbeanie]

We really should put an addendum on that THEBERBSTER:

Moving a Steam Installation and Games

which covers moving all of Steam when you only have one hard drive or partition available (takes a long while to do), and also covers adding a Steam Library to a 2nd hard drive, which is the easy way. In both cases, the majority of Steam will stay in the "Program Files..." folder, but the game(s) do not...

[Wolfcat]

Should I move my basic vanilla installation first then put on mods or should I put everything on then move?

[propbeanie]

I would do the move first (less data to move). If you have a lot of Steam games, you'll have to do the "manual" move as described on that Steam Knowledgebase page linked above. If you don't have but Silent Hunter with the Steam, it is probably easier to un-install Silent Hunter and then Steam. Re-install Steam, but tell to install in a folder of your own creation, such as "Games" or something you'll remember. That will then put the Steam Library folder in that "Games" (or whatever) folder. You will still see parts of Steam in the "Program Files (x86)" folder, but the Library and the important parts are not. Now when you go to install Silent Hunter, you should be able to put it in that "Games" (or whatever) folder, then do your modding. It would then be in "C:\Games \Steam \SteamApps \common \Silent Hunter...", ready to be modded.

No matter which way you go though, just remember that Steam is slow on the install or move. Whichever you do, it will take a long while, so brew a spot of tea or a pot of coffee, and get ready for a long afternoon / evening. Good luck!

[Wolfcat]

Oh I was doing the "copy the entire game folder to a different location then use multish4" route. I cannot run the game from the new location due to steam error. Any way to run SH4 without steam?

[propbeanie]

If you have a Steam game, you have to use the Steam way of starting. When you copy the folder and move it on your own, it does not take the Steam Licensing with it, and therefore will not start. With Steam, use their front-end to move it first, then run the game from there. After that, copy the game folder, and paste it into the same "base" folder. Then add the game to the Steam Start menu as a non-Steam game, and now it will properly check its licensing and run.

The way I make my copies in Steam, is I use 7-Zip installed in Windows, navigate into the moved Steam folder for my Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific folder, use <Ctrl><A> to "Select All", then a right-click with the mouse, and choose the "7_zip ---> Add to archive" context menu item, and create an archive inside of that folder. I then copy that archive, and then paste it into a folder I created in that "Games / Steam / SteamApps / Common" folder that I named. As an example, I made a folder and named it "FotRSU" for my Fall of the Rising Sun, and another named "TMO" for my Trigger Maru Overhauled, etc. Paste that 7zip archive into each of the folders, and then use "7-zip --->Extract here" to extract all of the Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific files into that folder. You can delete the archive after that, or <Ctrl><X> to cut it an move it to another folder. Now do the modding. Do MultiSH4 for a new Save folder name. Then activate your 4gig memory manager on the SH4.exe file (you ~have~ to do the 4 gig app last, else MultiSH4 fails). Open the Steam App on your computer and log-in. Use the "Add non-Steam game..." instructions to add the new installs, one at a time, to your Steam Library menu. After adding them, change their names to reflect your mod install. Now, which ever way you use to start the game, it will go through Steam to do its licensing checks, and should run just fine, including after you have it modded. I would leave the original Steam Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific install(s) alone.