EpicGamesLauncher - Recognising already installed files.

[VolterMort]

I recently updated my OS to Windows 10 as a clean install. In the new OS, I installed Epic Games Launcher to it's default directory on drive C, same location as it existed on Windows 7.

When I logged in, my Library had all of the games greyed out as though they were not installed. But my previously installed games did still exist on drive D. This probably has to do with the new launcher install not having the manifest data that the old Windows 7 install had created over time.

If you try to install (re-install) a game you know has already been installed, the EG Launcher will not let you install (or re-install) to a directory that already exists. It says "Directory must be empty.", when you try to install to the original game directory.

1. Go to your Epic Games directory with Windows Explorer. It's usually C:\Program Files\Epic Games, unless you originally installed to a different location. Mine was on drive D.
2. Find the game folder you want to reinstall (get working) and rename it. I just put an underscore in front of the original name. ex. _ShadowComplexRemastered
3. Start the install from the launcher. It will ask you to "Choose install location". Select the base Epic Games folder where your game files are already installed. ex. C:\Program Files\Epic Games. It will then show that path and add the game folder to the end. ex. C:\Program Files\Epic Games\ShadowComplexRemastered. Click Install.
4. Let the Launcher download a couple MB's and "Cancel" the install, but leave open the launcher. Now you have a nearly empty brand new game folder in your Epic Games folder.
5. Go back to Windows Explorer and rename the brand new folder to anything else. Then, go to the original folder you renamed and name it back to it's original name. You can delete the newer empty folder.
6. Go to Launcher and click "Resume". The launcher will immediately Verify all files and you'll be ready to play.

Epic Games devs, it would be super helpful for users to have a "Games Install Location" on the launcher Settings page, so the launcher can automatically recognize files in a pre-existing directory and immediately verify them.

Thank you for tutorial! I managed to do this trick with GTA V files. This option is a must have on the game launchers clients, I don't understand why devs don't do something about it...

[mrdidit]

I found that there's a beter way to do all of this

First you start a download for a game that you don't need/want. (a demo for a game or whatever else)
Next, you queue the download for the game YOU ACTUALLY WANT TO reenable/verify. Once queued, the folder for the queued game will be created and then you move the contents of the original install into the newly created folder. (Or if they are already in that location, you can rename the folder to something else.)
Third, you can cancel the demo/random game you queued, and once that is done Epic will automatically verify the files in there. If there are any files missing/bad files, Epic will redownload the rest.

This used to be a lot easier in the past, but for some reason, Epic added that to the install process that states "The folder must be empty"

Literally if they removed that screen, we wouldn't have to do any of this BS, as the launcher natively supports verifying files.

If someone actually needs only a few games to add back, THIS IS THE METHOD you need. Thanks, man! I can see the other method working for some so thanks for sharing, but not for me and a few others.

[Turbodookie7]

JFC you think they could just add a "verify files" button. Redownloading 100gb of borderlands 3 because none of the above has worked.

[Deadpool07085]

i have a unreal engine 4 version 4.6.1 and i am not able to add it to my epic games launcher, i tried the methods in her and everytime it started downloading the files again so can anyboddy pls tell what to do for it?

[progi072]

dx12 is not supported on your system.try running without the dx12 or d3d12 command line argument для Windows 8.1 как исправить для Godfall

[Khomohzie]

I recently updated my OS to Windows 10 as a clean install. In the new OS, I installed Epic Games Launcher to it's default directory on drive C, same location as it existed on Windows 7.

When I logged in, my Library had all of the games greyed out as though they were not installed. But my previously installed games did still exist on drive D. This probably has to do with the new launcher install not having the manifest data that the old Windows 7 install had created over time.

If you try to install (re-install) a game you know has already been installed, the EG Launcher will not let you install (or re-install) to a directory that already exists. It says "Directory must be empty.", when you try to install to the original game directory.

1. Go to your Epic Games directory with Windows Explorer. It's usually C:\Program Files\Epic Games, unless you originally installed to a different location. Mine was on drive D.
2. Find the game folder you want to reinstall (get working) and rename it. I just put an underscore in front of the original name. ex. _ShadowComplexRemastered
3. Start the install from the launcher. It will ask you to "Choose install location". Select the base Epic Games folder where your game files are already installed. ex. C:\Program Files\Epic Games. It will then show that path and add the game folder to the end. ex. C:\Program Files\Epic Games\ShadowComplexRemastered. Click Install.
4. Let the Launcher download a couple MB's and "Cancel" the install, but leave open the launcher. Now you have a nearly empty brand new game folder in your Epic Games folder.
5. Go back to Windows Explorer and rename the brand new folder to anything else. Then, go to the original folder you renamed and name it back to it's original name. You can delete the newer empty folder.
6. Go to Launcher and click "Resume". The launcher will immediately Verify all files and you'll be ready to play.

Epic Games devs, it would be super helpful for users to have a "Games Install Location" on the launcher Settings page, so the launcher can automatically recognize files in a pre-existing directory and immediately verify them.

Thank you so much. This worked