Can I delete a game I bought on Steam and redownload it?
Yes, you can delete a game you bought on Steam and redownload it whenever you want, as the game remains tied to your Steam account. The game will be removed from your hard drive, but it will stay in your library, allowing you to download and install it again at any time, as long as you use the same account.
Understanding Steam’s Game Management
Game Ownership and Redownload
When you purchase a game on Steam, you gain ownership of that game, which means you can uninstall and reinstall it as many times as you want without having to buy it again. This flexibility is one of the benefits of using Steam for your gaming needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens if you delete a purchased game on Steam? The game is deleted from your hard drive, but remains in your account, allowing you to download it again or install it on another PC to enjoy it or just let it stay there until you want to play again.
- What happens if I uninstall a game I paid for? The purchase will stay tied to your Google Account and you can re-install anytime as long as you use the SAME account.
- Do you keep your progress if you delete a game and redownload it? Even when you uninstall a game, the saves would have been saved on the cloud, so that next time you install it again, the saves are downloaded and synced with the game again so you can continue playing.
- How do I reinstall a purchased game on Steam? When you login to your Steam Account, all the games which you have purchased on that account will be displayed in your Games Library.
- How do I redownload a deleted game on Steam? It’s possible for you to recover accidentally deleted Steam game files by going to Recycle Bin to find the deleted game files and then clicking ‘Restore’ to recover deleted game files.
- Can I uninstall and reinstall Steam without losing games? Yes, you can uninstall and reinstall Steam without losing games by backing up the whole Common folder manually or using third-party software before reinstalling the Steam Client.
- Do I have to buy a game again if I uninstall it? Normally, no, you won’t have to buy again, but it’s very important that you wait a while (a few days, at least) before you uninstall it.
- Does uninstalling a game mean you have to buy it again? Uninstalling and deleting are two different things; if you uninstall, you are basically “un-downloading” the game, but you still own it and can re-download it at any time.
- Is deleting a game the same as uninstalling it? Yes, on Android devices “uninstall” is the same thing as “delete“.
- Can you redownload paid games? As long as you’re using the same account that redeemed the games, you can redownload them without paying again.
- Does uninstalling Steam games delete games? This process will remove Steam and any installed game content from your machine, but you can prevent your games from being deleted by moving the steamapps folder outside of the Steam directory.
- What can I do with unwanted Steam games? You can sell Steam games on platforms like Gameflip, whether you want to update your collection or just need some cash.
- Is it bad to uninstall and reinstall games on PC? In general, the answer is no; uninstalling a program does not usually delete files associated with the program other than the components of the program.
- Does uninstalling a game delete all data? Deleting a game does not delete your save files, as they are tied to your account in the cloud.
- How to backup Steam games? You can backup Steam games by opening your Steam Library, right-clicking the game’s title, selecting Properties, and then choosing the Backup option to create a backup of your game files.